Do THIS when bands owe you money [ The Career Builder Show ]

DON’T send the “eff you” email >_<

We’ve all been there: the band said they’d pay you weeks ago, you’ve followed up a million times, and still no money. And worse, you already gave them the final mixes so you have no cards left to play… Or you sent the label an invoice, they keep telling you the check is in the mail, but it never shows up… The rent is due and your frustration is building– what do you do??

Unfortunately, this is a fact of life in our industry. You don’t have to like it (who does?), but you DO need to learn how to handle it the right way – because musicians and people in this industry are flaky and disorganized, and these situations are going to come up many times in the course of your career.

The key is PATIENCE and PERSISTENCE – yes, you need to get your money, but sending that “eff you” email is NOT going to help. It won’t get you paid any faster; it will just ruin your relationships and earn you a reputation as a hothead (which is a great way to get shut out of the industry). Understand that they almost certainly aren’t trying to screw you, they’re just disorganized, busy, and/or forgetful – so you need to have a set of tactics for nudging them until they pay you, without being a pushy dickhead.

In this episode of The Career Builder Show, Eyal Levi gives you the do’s, don’ts and some important lessons about how to get your money without burning bridges!


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Comments 2

  1. Eyal…
    Great stuff here…!…Question: I ran into this problem a few years ago and refused to release the files without payment…I heard though a studio owner/friend that I legally didn’t have the right to withhold the files as they belonged to the client as it was their intellectual property…!…Is this true…?

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