What makes this a competition?

Firstly, here is the announcement. I’ll leave the name out, so I don’t embarrass them.

Winners will get:
Possible multiple achievements on CV
Album will be marketed to an audience on Spotify
Possible playlist selections, blog selections, and radio selections
Your piano work will be promoted up to 33 weeks of free,* and then you will pay for 3 weeks of marketing – That’s a 1200 – 3000 dollar value 
Discounts to other XXXX Composer Course opportunities
Along with the 8-12 winning composers, a first prize will be given to the best performing work (shoutout on social media, possible automatic selection on a similar call). This will be determined by dividing the listening numbers of the track with the overall cost. 
Recording of  the piano work if you don’t have a recording, with an additional fee. 

PLEASE SEE THE WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THIS WORKS! 

If you are a finalist, you will need to fill out a second application. 
Piano works must: 
Be marketable to a non-musician audience
Be up to 5 minutes long
Be produced well if you intend to use the recording for the album
If selected for the album, each composer must agree to: 
Get signed permission from the person who paid for the recording if relevant
Get written permission from the performers if relevant
Have a Soundcloud account to collect 75% of the royalties (optional)
Cover the marketing costs for 3 weeks of promotion
Be able to provide non-exclusive rights allowing to XXXXXX Label this promote this piano piece forever
Pay a modest fee for a recording if there is none
Be able to pay for 3 weeks of marketing, that fee is between 150-597 dollars, more info later for finalists.

This competition won’t ask you to pay for more than the work’s potential. 
You will be able to choose how much you pay for the marketing. 
You can submit something that is already released. 

100% money-back guarantee if you aren’t happy with the results. We’re sure you’ll be thrilled, though. 

Application due date: March 23, 2024
*Free marketing can vary according to the outcome of the competition. This is the maximum free marketing for this particular call. The competition is planning on free marketing for your track later, however. Pieces must be marketable & accessible to be selected. By signing this form, you agree to cover the costs and to accept the outcomes of the marketing. 

SEE FAQs on the website for more information. 

Here’s my take on this:

So, send me your work, and if it hasn’t been recorded, I’ll record it for you for “a modest fee” if it makes it through the first round. (How many make it through the first round? Do I get to keep the recording if I don’t make it onto your CD?)

Possible multiple achievements on CV? And what might those be? All the awards that the CD will get? (Or not.)

Inclusion on a Spotify playlist. Oh, so it isn’t a CD. Can’t I put my own recording up on Spotify and earn (tiny) royalties? Oh, so YOU get the royalties. I just pay for some of the marketing.

I pay? What marketing is that? You don’t say. $150-597 seems pretty specific. What do I get for my money?

So, what is the prize? Shoutout on social media, possible automatic selection on a similar call. This will be determined by dividing the listening numbers of the track with the overall cost. 

What? Is that a prize?

What is this about Soundcloud, i.e. collecting 75% of the royalties?

Wait! I thought you said Spotify. Soundcloud pays royalties on paid accounts, but you need to get up to their minimum amount of $5, which could be as many as 2000 streams. That paid account is $12-16 a month. To make it worth it, you would have to have around 48,000 streams in a year. But you only get 75%, so that is 64,000 streams. I haven’t had 1000 streams altogether on SoundCloud after several years. I get more on YouTube.

So, basically no royalties from Soundcloud.

What about Spotify?

1000 streams on Spotify earn $2.38, but this doesn’t say anything about paying out royalties on these recordings. Do you split the revenue with the performer? Is it another 75% split? So that is 85,000 streams to cover the $150 (minimum) marketing fee.

I should also mention that the announcement on their website is different from the one that was emailed to me today. There is something somewhere about waving a $3 application fee.

The Verdict

Basically, there is no prize, so it is not a competition. Yes, the promoter will put it on a Spotify playlist, and might pay you some royalties, if you reach the minimum threshhold, which is unlikely. Not only that, you may have to pay for him to record it, and you will have to pay for some of the marketing (3 weeks promotion), which may cost anywhere from $150-597. It doesn’t say what marketing this is.

My question is this: Why would ANYONE submit to this “competition”?

When they have calls for scores, at least the small record companies are up front about your costs. They charge more for the recording, but that also includes marketing. It’s really vanity publishing, but this competition is no different. It’s vanity publishing, couched under the guise of a competition.