Posted by Mike McCready | November 8th, 2013 | No responses
As Music Xray has evolved, we’ve learned a lot of lessons. We’ve always had guidelines and rules for industry professional accounts but as our profile has grown and higher profile companies have joined the site, Music Xray has become a target for some bad behavior. The site must be a place where legitimate industry professionals and companies feel they are represented alongside other legitimate professionals. Shysters, hustlers, and professionals pitching their services to musicians are not welcome.
While we have always monitored for this kind of thing, we have begun cracking down on this behavior with some new zero-tolerance policies and we’re asking our community of users to help us police the site even more strictly than in the past.
Professional accounts on Music Xray are offered via invitation. Professionals may also apply for an account by simply signing up and filling out a profile. However, at the end of the process, professionals must click the button to request approval for their account.
All accounts are reviewed by our team. Identities are verified and the authenticity of the listed opportunities are confirmed to the best of our ability. We have an increasingly strict screening process. For example, in October 2013 there were 160 applications for professional accounts but we only approved 24.
Professionals must keep in mind however that musicians are able to rate professionals and leave comments on their profile page and they can alert us by sending an email to support@musicxray.com if an opportunity is suspected of not being authentic. Such emails automatically will trigger a new investigation by our team of the industry professional and the account.
Our team will look at the communication and other behavior patterns of the professional during this investigation. If we detect issues with the professional account we will contact the professional to try to rectify the situation as a first step. However, if we deem the opportunity was posted in bad faith, the professional account will be immediately removed. Professionals may appeal this decision with us and appeals will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Music Xray must stand on its reputation of hosting only authentic opportunities. If an artist is selected for an opportunity it must result in a commercial or exposure event for the artist.
Alternatively, it can result in a pre-selection whereby the selected song or act is further pitched for a final decision by another party. However, Music Xray will require the professional to disclose to Music Xray to whom the selected songs or acts will be pitched. In general, we will take this on face value unless we have reasons to be skeptical. For instance, if a professional who does not work directly with an major act is seeking songs to pitch to that act and we learn via other channels that the major act is not in fact seeking new material, we will open an investigation and will verify these pitches any time in the future the professional in question posts a similar opportunity.
Industry professionals must disclose in the opportunity descriptions if they (or the company they represent) is not the final decision maker for the opportunity. In other words, they will be required to state that selected songs and acts will be pitched to a final decision-maker for consideration.
Additionally, we will not allow opportunities to be posted in which selected artists are asked to pay for further interaction with the professional on the receiving end. Period. Professionals may pitch other services but none that are related to the submission itself. For instance, if a producer is offering an opportunity to for an artist to get their song produced, the selected artists should not be expected to pay for the production services. The producer may offer to produce additional songs for a fee but the initial selection must provide the artist with the service offered in the opportunity free of charge.
We want Music Xray to be a place where only real and authentic opportunities are offered and provided to artists and one where legitimate industry professionals feel confortable listing their opportunities and are not listed along side shady companies and professionals who attempt to use Music Xray as a place to troll for business and as a place to pitch their services for which they wish to be paid.
These are certainly not the only rules and regulations for industry professional accounts. We are in the process of updating all the terms of service for the site and will will post a link to them here on the blog once they’ve been officially issued.
Mike McCready is an entrepreneur at the crossroads of music and technology. He pioneered the introduction of Hit Song Science into the music industry and followed up with Music Xray, the company he co-founded and serves as CEO. His companies have been the subject of case studies at Harvard Business School, IESE and he frequently guest speaks at many of the top business schools around the world. He helps the music industry identify high potential songs and talent and helps musicians get deals, get fans, & get better: http://musicxray.com