Q & A
Each month, MusicBizAdvice.com answers your questions about the music industry.
Talent / Casting Agency Employment
Recruiting: Is this Agency Legitimate? Plus, a word on "Talent Showcases"
Q. I received an email
from [company name], a casting/talent agency based in Florida, wanting my
resume to become a regional manager to oversee affiliates. Have you heard of
this company? I wasn't looking; I was emailed wondering if I would be
interested. I have my own artist management biz and manage two unsigned
bands.
A. After checking the URL you sent, no, they're not what I'd
consider a legitimate talent agency.
Talent agencies and casting
agents are two separate businesses, and agencies and casting agents don't
have "affiliates." Nor do legitimate talent agencies have talent "showcases"
like the ones mentioned on this company's website. Companies like this use
the words "showcase" to confuse you, because it's a commonly used term in
the industry...but it has nothing to do with the type of so-called "talent
showcases" mentioned on this company's website.
Also, think about this: a legitimate talent agency's clients are worth
hundreds of millions of dollars. With all that money on the line, would a
legitimate agency recruit a stranger with not a lot of industry experience
to be a "regional manager" to oversee "affiliates" ? (Neither of these terms
are used in agency lingo, by the way.)
Best to stay away and keep your name--and reputation--away from these
people.
And for readers who may be thinking of signing with one of these
casting/talent agencies...Is this how you would want YOUR agent to be hired?
Better to be agent-less for a while than to settle for companies like these.
For more on similar "agencies," check out this
ScamAlert item.
All the best,
Randi Reed
Founder / Editor-in-Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com
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