Comments on: cmj, sonicbids - a scam…?

By: Bob

Bob — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 15:31:47 +0000

Sonicbids is a rip off. You create a fund of your hard earned money to use toward applying for “opportunities”. They allow “promoters” to set up accounts, and charge a price that is deducted from your money fund, for consideration toward the promoters “opportunities”.

The chances of actually getting an “opportunity” are slim, but the disturbing thing to me is that some of these promoters never even respond after taking your money. You click on the “Apply For Opportunity” button, and your money goes away, and Sonicbids is the middleman for this scheme. Think of it as a big swap meet we’ll call Sonicbids, and it’s full of booths of thieves and shady characters.

In trying to follow up with some of these absentee “promoters” and their “opportunities”, I was surprised to find websites with no contact info.

When I got in touch with Sonicbids about that, I got this kind of “Oh we don’t like that response”, but their in the business of bringing the wolves to the sheep.

If you just want to post an EPK then fine, but what’s wrong with your website and Myspace page? If you’re looking for gigs or opportunities, RUN THE OTHER WAY!! THESE PEOPLE ARE IN THE “TAKING YOUR MONEY BUSINESS”!

And dig this, cancel your subscription (and you get no warning of their auto-renewal) and they don’t prorate or refund the balance, and you forfeit your submission fund balance,

I can’t believe the FTC hasn’t busted this scheme!!

By: Julie

Julie — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:35:30 +0000

Sonicbids, SXSW and CMJ are all fucking with our heads and egos. They know musicians want status by playing in their festivals and want recognition. Guys, better stick to improving your craft and forget about the status of CMJ or SXSW, including sonicbids, they are nothing but a bunch of fucking B.U.L.L.S.H.I.T.S. and fucking us musicians in the A.S.S.E.S. whenever they can. Bunch of no good fer nothin’ ass lickers!

BTW, I play in a Punk band and I will never use Sonicbids or play at the god damn CMJ or SXSW.

By: MusicFestNW hooks up with Sonicbids, charges Portland bands to apply to play « PDX PIPELINE

Tue, 13 May 2008 05:21:51 +0000

[...] year’s MusicFestNW [this may have been the case last year too.] You’d think after the debacle with the CMJ conference where folks paid Sonicbids to enter the lottery and apparently no one from CMJ bothered to listen [...]

By: Discover. Portland. Music. » Blog Archive » portland bands have to pay sonicbids to apply for MusicFestNW

Tue, 13 May 2008 04:30:37 +0000

By: musicfestnw hooks up with sonicbids, local bands be prepared to pay for admission | pampelmoose Dave Allen of Gang of Four's Music and Media Blog

Tue, 13 May 2008 04:22:57 +0000

[...] party, Sonicbids, to apply for a slot at this year’s MusicFestNW. You’d think after the debacle with the CMJ conference where folks paid Sonicbids to enter the lottery and apparently no one from CMJ bothered to listen [...]

By: John

John — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 03:10:07 +0000

“mportant detail…..the ONLY way to apply to CMJ was via sonicbids. That is why the whole thing is a scam.”

No, there’s actually a paper application you can mail in. Still costs $45. If you do it online, you get a free Sonicbids membership, too.

By: John

John — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:09:41 +0000

Looks like Sonicbids has posted a reply.

http://www.sonicbids.com/forum/topic_view.asp?topic_id=61815&page=1

Seems like an honest mistake, a horribly unfortunate one, but an honest one none-the-less. I consider it a non-issue at this point. The hit counter was screwed up, big whoop.

If you got rejected, it’s probably because they didn’t like you, so grow up.

By: Dave Allen

Dave Allen — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 23:23:00 +0000

Dustin, I would say that having the Sonicbids access as just one more arrow in your quiver is useful as you navigate the rough passages of what’s left of the music biz. And if your $45 bar tab is meagre, as you say, then you’re probably doing ok out there right?

Mikey, where’d you get the news about the VC money?