SONGPLUGGER…. OR SPAM?

Sep 18, 2009, 11:12 AM

I recieved an e-mail the other night from someone I don’t know….Here it is.
________________________________________________________________
Hi James,
I was surfing the net and ended up on your songs at http://www.songwritersdirectory.com I like your songs and I believe they could get recorded by a major star if they were heard by the right people. I’ve met a song plugger at several different music industry functions. He seems to be a nice guy and he has a very successful track record. I’ve been told his fees are really reasonable.

His web site is http://www.charlieraymusic.com Be sure to click on “Accomplishments.” He has more gold and platinum albums than I’ve ever seen in one place.

Good Luck With Your Music,
Cherra Raiburn, Highway 60 Music Publishing, BMI
2515 Lebanon Rd.
Nashville, TN 37214
________________________________________________________________

So, mostly outta curiosity, I sent the guy a message, and here was his response….......
______________________________________________________________—-

Hi James,
I do traditional plugging to publishers, record companies and producers, recording artists, ad agencies, television and movie producers, and other commercial users of music. This is done one on one sitting in music offices in various cities of the USA.

Of course; I have to review songs before I can agree to personally plug them. Once I agree to do, I make CD copies of the song (s). The number of copies depends on the duration of the plugging agreement. I then plug until the number of copies is depleted or the time span has expired, whichever occurs first. Each CD is printed with your contact information.

My rates for traditional plugging are
one song 45 days or 25 copies $150
90 days or 50 copies $250
180 days or 100 copies $400

If plugging multiple songs on one disc a sizeable discount applies. I’ll plug up to 5 songs on one set of discs for 180 days for $600.

Please keep this email chain intact by clicking reply. My assistant opens email here, also. He’ll need to know what you and I have agreed to do.

You may send MP3 files by email or a link to a web site. I will need to review songs before we work together.

Charlie Ray http://www.charlieraymusic.com
International Talent Group
Drawer 291827
Nashville, TN 37229
615-962-0073

In a message dated 9/17/2009 6:36:37 A.M. Central Daylight Time, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) writes:
________________________________________________________________

Anyone ever hear of this guy? Moderators? I didn’t see any specific awards on his site, all I saw was pictures on a wall, and ya never know who those belong too….I’m just sayin’

Sep 18, 09 | 11:08 am

Sep 18, 2009, 11:46 AM

There are a lot of folks who’ll take your money and promise do things for you. But how do you know if they do what they say they will? A track record, if you can confirm it’s real, might be one way.

But I’m afraid ‘Ambassador’ Charlie Ray has a bad reputation for taking people’s money even though their songs are nowhere near what the market is buying. I’ve never heard anyone defend him as a legitimate publisher or plugger or anything else; except him.

I don’t know if his reputation is earned or if he was endowed with it by dissatisfied customers or competitors.

The reference to “Accomplishments” is a clue that the person who referred you either doesn’t know what they’re talking about, or knows and is trying to give the appearance of being a disinterested party simply referring you because they’re a nice person.

You can keep up a correspondence with them for a while as an educational exercise, and you may eventually decide to try them. But the old adage says, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

A few pages back is a list of others labeled as ‘known sharks.’

Sep 18, 2009, 12:25 PM

I received this same email 3 days ago.  No trace of Highway 60 Publishing anywhere.  A check at the Nashville BBB revealed very little.  One complaint, unanswered.  Putting Charlie Ray’s name in a search revealed comments on Just Plain Folks that weren’t good.  I won’t go into detail.  Actually his prices are lower than a Songplugger I used for 6 months 4 years ago.  But still…...RUN!  My opinion.

Wayne
[url=http://www.waynelongtin.com]http://www.waynelongtin.com[/url]

Sep 18, 2009, 04:58 PM

Maybe we need to add this guy to that SHARKS list mentioned above.
  WHat I see is that he does not have an address, instead he has a PO Box. In the ACCLOMPLISHMENTS link, where all the pictures are, he never says he had anything to do with those records…And you can’t read anything on them…Hell, he might have bought those at Yard sales, and framed them, or, maybe he visited someone who had earned them…At any rate, if he never claimed that he had anything to do with them, it might create a legal loophole if someone were to sue him.

Sep 18, 2009, 07:30 PM

James,

Google “Cherra Raiburn” and see what you come up with. I heard that name before, not good.

Sara

Sep 28, 2009, 04:33 PM

Your gut instincs are correct.  Swim like hell.  Sharks in the water. 

Oct 02, 2009, 12:35 PM

James,

Stay away from something like that.  You should not have to pay upfront for those types of services.

Oct 02, 2009, 09:01 PM

His prices are VERY cheap compared to the songpluggers I know. I made me uncomforable that he would even discuss prices with you without listening to your music first because is your stuff is bad the conversation wouldn’t even get that far. notice he says not “if I agree” but “once I agree”.

Nov 12, 2009, 11:31 AM

No Song Plugger worth his sort would take songs from learning writers,
and let’s be honest that’s what we have here.

Who is going to listen to someone like this, Record Company’s all have
Known pluggers who visit them, Pluggers from reputable Publishing Houses .

Jimmy Web in his book Tunesmith says , Indie Song Pluggers are a waste of time,  ask him what songs he’s placed and he will make up a few, that you cant even check out.

As someone else Says he’s a Shark.

Jan 12, 2010, 02:26 PM

Hello James:
If you are unsure about this guy, go to the Better Business Bureau [BBB]
pUT IN HIS CO. NAME AND address. It will tell you if the BBB had any
problems with him [co.] It also, gives you the co. rating etc.
Anytime I want to checkout a co. I’m not sure of that’s what i do.
Give it a shot.  Good Luck….................

Feb 23, 2010, 03:12 PM

They are now sending me postcards telling me about this guy. I think it’s from “Jessica Culpepper Music Publishing”... They say he was the one who promoted Michael Jacksons “Thriller” album and made it so sucessful, and he “Just happened to walk in as I was listening to your song, and he made several favorable comments about it, and I feel strongly that he would accept your song”... These folks are sharks…No doubt.

Feb 23, 2010, 04:19 PM

Hi James,

I received the same kind of postcard yesterday. I know it is a scam. It is signed by a Sara Grizzard.  Google Jessica Culpepper and the picture is from about 1900.  I have been receiving letters from them for quite a few years.
I would say stay away from them. The address on the card is
2515 Lebanon, Nashville, Tn 37214 If anyone wants to check it out.

Sara Smith

Feb 24, 2010, 06:50 AM

Hi James,
I find it very interesting that everybody is so negative about Charlie Ray, but nobody has actually tried his services out. Well, I have and I can’t say anything negative about him. I gave him one of my best songs and he successfully plugged it for me. I’m not sure that would have worked with all of my songs. He responded immediately to each and every email I sent him and I even had his mobile phone number so I could contact him if I felt uneasy. I didn’t. He helped me get a publishing contract. That was 2 years ago. I didn’t pay him the amount listed here in this strand.
But I agree with everybody here that if you do engage in these kind of deals, be prepared to lose your money.

 

Mar 21, 2010, 10:06 AM

Friends,

Gretchen Wilson’s steel guitar player once told me…“Nashville is like winning a door prize, you have to be present to win!!”
I would completely stay away from songpluggers and if you have the time, do it yourself. It’s all in how your present it…marketing and perception.

Mar 26, 2010, 06:42 PM

Unknown writers who have never had a cut of any kind are very foolish to pay for the services of a songplugger.  There are many times more people in Nashville making money off of songwriters than there are songwriters making money off of their songs.  Songwriters keep a lot of food on peoples table.  You should never pay anybody one single dime to pitch, plug, promote your songs.  If you have a good song with potential anybody worth a damn will help you get a cut for a percentage of future royalties, be it a publisher,
A&R person, producer, or whatever.  When you start paying money up front, you are merely keeping them in business until the next sucker comes along.

Sep 08, 2010, 04:40 PM

I don’t come here too often but I got a postcard from someone about this guy today—it’s the 3rd time that his name has come to my attention (the other 2 were emails). So I decided to Google him and this forum topic came up.

One look at his website and I don’t trust him. The site looks like it was designed by a child. (Actually, these days a child probably could’ve done better!)

The postcard is from a woman at NBRN radio in Tennessee, who contacted me (and others) through Reverbnation, saying they have an internet radio station and lost their mp3’s (can’t remember why) and were looking for replacements. Normally I’d be skeptical, which I was at first. But I’ve played it cautious for too long, so I said the hell with it and sent her a couple of mp3’s. Now that I got this postcard from her, praising Charlie, I’m hoping I didn’t make a mistake by sending the mp3’s. But what’s done is done.

Anyway, you folks confirmed my feelings about him so I’ll ignore the postcard. Thanks!