My wife registered a script with the U.S. Copyright Office. The same day she received her certificate of registration in the mail, she got a solicitation from a HillTop Records. They claim they are looking for new songs and lyrics, and ask you to submit 3-4 compositions. If your song is selected, they say they will arrange, record, package and ship your song to stores and radio stations and you will be paid a royalty foe every recording sold.
Sounds too good to be true? It is! My wife googled HillTop Records and found reports of songwriters being ripped off. It's been reported that HillTop asks for $425.00-$450.00 upfront for each song.
Mr. Robert Kramerreports: "Hilltop, Americord and other such companies mine the public records lists to see who recently filed copyrights with the US Copyright Office, and then solicit them for funding money to pay for their spot on a compilation. (I personally get solicitation letters from these companies everytime I register a copyright.)
While it is not technically illegal, these companies approaches lead the artist to believe they are having their music "published" by a record company. Well, if your song shows up on a compilation, by the letter of the law, it IS technically considered "published" in the strict sense of the term, but dont expect anything more for your money than that.
These "compilations" are often just a way for these fake "record companies" to make a profit off unsuspecting hungry artist who are desperate to get their songs out there, when, in truth, compilations of this nature are often ignored by radio stations and magazines who see them exactly for what they are, UNLESS the compilations are from legitimate record companies premiering new upcoming releases from established and newly signed artists." END QUOTE
Although my wife never followed through with HillTop Records (she's not even a songwriter), I am filing this report to caution others who might have been approached in the same manner by HillTop Records. Another company, Amerecord, also uses the same approach, so please be careful.
If a company solicits you out of the blue for your creative material, it is usually this type of scammer. And if they ask for money upfront, then it is DEFINITELY a scammer out to steal your ideas and your money.
This approach is also used by Children's Modeling Agencies or by these companies claiming to market your inventions.
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