Author Topic: So I hired a ghost producer  (Read 10426 times)

ion

  • Low Mid
  • **
  • Posts: 164
  • Honor: 34
    • View Profile
So I hired a ghost producer
« on: February 04, 2017, 03:38:39 pm »
This will probably be my last post on this forum.  I appreciate all the members who contribute here, and I expect some of you to do very well in the industry in the future.

As I wrote some months ago, I no longer have the ability to create like I used to.  As if that is not bad enough, I also got acceptance for my concept album draft, and 3 separate demo tracks from several labels.  I should have been very happy, but since I felt like I could not come through, it only added to my issues.  I got more and more wound up in it.  Constantly feeling stressed, and unable to do anything about it.

One day I saw a tweet from a well-known producer, who offered his services in music production.  Ghost producing, engineering, and general help was what he said he could help with.  I contacted him, and we agreed that he would finish three of my drafts, and make them into the songs that I had intended them to be.  I paid upfront, and sent him all my arrangement, midis and samples for the first track.

After a week I contacted him to check if he had gotten my payment, and how it was coming along.  He said he was about to start two days later, and that this was an basically an easy assignment.  I sent the materials for the second track, and a week later he had still not downloaded it.  So I mailed him about it.  He said he had a defective motherboard so nothing had been done.  Two weeks later he said that he was not done yet, because he was moving.  A week after that he was lacking some sound insulation for his studio.  Then it went silent.
After 8 weeks I contacted him to ask if stuff was happening, as I was to meet some industry people at a conference.  He said that the conference had him swamped, and then stopped replying again.

After the conference, I contacted again to ask if we should just call it off, as I now had impression that this was not a gig that fit him very well.  He responded that this could not be further from the truth, and went about how good my ideas and melodies were.  Then no contact for another month.

Now the whole thing was getting ridicolous, so I asked him to send me stuff like he had promised.  He promised to send it the next  day.  Nothing came, and 10 days later I asked for us to just call it quits while things were still civil.  He declined to do so, claiming he was still working very hard on my project.  He could not explain any more as he had just lost a loved one.

So I waited one more month, and then I filed for my payment to be returned.
He claimed that this was not what we agreed on, as he had stated that he would refund 50% if I was not pleased with the tracks when they were done.  He wanted to keep 50% for his work.  Not once during the six months of waiting did he ever give any proof that he had spent a minute in the studio on my tracks.  So I disagreed, and today I was refunded in full.

So what is the purpose of this story?  I don´t really know, but I think I just wanted to share an insight to the desperation that I felt when I lost the music.

I was stupid to let things drag out as long, but I guess I got blinded by his fame.  I was really hoping this would be my swan song, but now it seems like there won't be any.  I will probably just give away my finished tracks to one of my old labels, and just call it quits.  My inspiration is lost.

I couldn't even make it when I cheated :D

Good luck to all you guys!

Peace out!
Gone

Marrow Machines

  • Mid
  • ***
  • Posts: 788
  • Honor: 101
  • Electronic Music
    • marrow-machines
    • MarrowMachines
    • View Profile
Re: So I hired a ghost producer
« Reply #1 on: February 04, 2017, 06:31:03 pm »
Good luck in your journey.
Josh Huval: Honestly, the guys who are making good art are spending their time making it.

Mussar

  • Administrator
  • Mid
  • *****
  • Posts: 631
  • Honor: 252
    • mussarmusic
    • mussarmusic
    • View Profile
    • My Site
Re: So I hired a ghost producer
« Reply #2 on: February 04, 2017, 06:47:30 pm »
Sounds like a bad break. I'm sorry you had to deal with that; I hope you find a good place, wherever you end up. Good luck!

vinceasot

  • Low Mid
  • **
  • Posts: 344
  • Honor: 32
    • View Profile
Re: So I hired a ghost producer
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2017, 12:43:47 am »
dude! are you alright, dont trust random guys on the internet, and never pay upfront, not unless he has sent you some of the work first back so you know he is trustworthy

I've worked with other producers and it has turned out well enough, there are great producers out there, you just didnt meet a good one.

be careful before doing anything in music, and ask your close people before doing it

dont beat yourself up, its not cheating and ont give up, its just a bad lesson learnt and experience gained




alanisnotcool

  • Sub Bass
  • *
  • Posts: 105
  • Honor: 18
    • View Profile
Re: So I hired a ghost producer
« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2017, 06:40:30 am »
damn what a sad story, he sounds like he does this to multiple people.

If it were me, I'd be saying his name, putting him on blast right now lol.

Lydian

  • Mid
  • ***
  • Posts: 512
  • Honor: 107
  • Hi! I'm Danny! Let's talk production! :)
    • View Profile
Re: So I hired a ghost producer
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2017, 05:26:02 pm »
Sorry about your story. You should really see a mental health doctor. The entire situation seems to be the result of you losing your motivation to write music and you stressing yourself out because of it. Feeling like you're not going to be able to do anything about your situation sounds like symptoms of low self esteem, learned helplessness, and depression.
A young 14 year old me with a really bad haircut. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eMbftWV75w

Pzychosis

  • Low Mid
  • **
  • Posts: 155
  • Honor: 14
  • Get Uncomfortable With Me
    • Pzycho5is
    • View Profile
    • Bandcamp
Re: So I hired a ghost producer
« Reply #6 on: April 09, 2017, 04:02:00 am »
Many people will want to say to not give up, chase your dreams, follow your heart, but I feel like I should just leave it at "You have done what you have come to do, now go." You tried and it seems your steam engine has run out, and who knows, maybe you'll come back a year from now with more creativity flowing than ever before, but quitting doesn't have to be bad, It is not what you want from yourself anymore and that's okay, go find another endeavor, it doesn't even have to be an artistic one, just do what you want to do. Your time is your time, and it should not be wasted dragging yourself around because you feel obliged to.

FarleyCZ

  • Low Mid
  • **
  • Posts: 493
  • Honor: 93
    • farleycz
    • farleycz
    • View Profile
    • I tried to code a page, look!
Re: So I hired a ghost producer
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2017, 02:36:47 pm »
Damn. Hope he's ok! :( Whole ghostproducer story aside, it's always hard to see somebody's creative spark to dissappear like that. Does anybody have any contact to him other than on the forum? I know this kind of state very well, I'd love to contact him with some positive words.

Or may be like this:

Ion, if you're reading this, it's definitelly ok for you to change your life direction if you feel like it. But please just don't leave this one with the "I wasn't good enough" conclusion. I've been through my share of this thought during my whole life so far and I've learned one thing: It's presence has literally no correlation with your abilities in that particular field. I mean that.

Lil story: When I get really down, I do quite wierd things and one of them is just flattering people I think that deserve it. It just makes me feel better, dunno. On one day like that I sent a positive message to my old time favorite producer. (Will leave out his name, but he's huge.) ...and he actually replied. So we exchanged a message or two, before I got too spammy. In one of them I mentioned that fucking self doubt and how it doesn't get better with time. And he replied: "...honestly there will always be self doubt but if you just do what you love it will attract the right people who will truly appreciate it. :)" ...I mean. Legend I adore for YEARS. Whatever he releases is all around the Youtube the very next day. ...and he write this. That's when I understood it's a really just an extremely convincing internal illusion. You need it to have some drive to get better, but please don't get it hammer you down. Be ready to face it anywhere else in any other endeavour. You never know where it's gonna show up. And when it does, please don't listen to it too much. That's a mistake I'm doing all the time.

...because chances are, when you get old, someone brings your productions up in a conversation with your kids around. And sentence "I wasn't good enough" will not make a cool piece of nostalgic conversation, will it? Memories of discovering all the stuff, memories of your friends admiring you for trying something new, memories of that indestructile feel of knowing likeminded people, memories of your family seeing the inevitable Mozart in you. Just the little things. That's what will make it a great story. :)

...and you never know. You might as well realize few years down the road that you actually miss it. I have some friends like that. Returning to it when they get bored once in a while. No shame in that either. :)

Well. Good luck anyway, man. Pleasure to e-meet you. :)
« Last Edit: May 25, 2017, 02:39:28 pm by FarleyCZ »
"Earth is round right? Look at it from right angle and you'll be always on top of the world."
...but don't overdo it, because that's called being a d***k.

DAWUNONLI

  • Subsonic
  • Posts: 5
  • Honor: 1
    • soundplugnet
    • View Profile
    • Soundplug
Re: So I hired a ghost producer
« Reply #8 on: June 03, 2017, 11:54:21 pm »
This will probably be my last post on this forum.  I appreciate all the members who contribute here, and I expect some of you to do very well in the industry in the future.

As I wrote some months ago, I no longer have the ability to create like I used to.  As if that is not bad enough, I also got acceptance for my concept album draft, and 3 separate demo tracks from several labels.  I should have been very happy, but since I felt like I could not come through, it only added to my issues.  I got more and more wound up in it.  Constantly feeling stressed, and unable to do anything about it.

One day I saw a tweet from a well-known producer, who offered his services in music production.  Ghost producing, engineering, and general help was what he said he could help with.  I contacted him, and we agreed that he would finish three of my drafts, and make them into the songs that I had intended them to be.  I paid upfront, and sent him all my arrangement, midis and samples for the first track.

After a week I contacted him to check if he had gotten my payment, and how it was coming along.  He said he was about to start two days later, and that this was an basically an easy assignment.  I sent the materials for the second track, and a week later he had still not downloaded it.  So I mailed him about it.  He said he had a defective motherboard so nothing had been done.  Two weeks later he said that he was not done yet, because he was moving.  A week after that he was lacking some sound insulation for his studio.  Then it went silent.
After 8 weeks I contacted him to ask if stuff was happening, as I was to meet some industry people at a conference.  He said that the conference had him swamped, and then stopped replying again.

After the conference, I contacted again to ask if we should just call it off, as I now had impression that this was not a gig that fit him very well.  He responded that this could not be further from the truth, and went about how good my ideas and melodies were.  Then no contact for another month.

Now the whole thing was getting ridicolous, so I asked him to send me stuff like he had promised.  He promised to send it the next  day.  Nothing came, and 10 days later I asked for us to just call it quits while things were still civil.  He declined to do so, claiming he was still working very hard on my project.  He could not explain any more as he had just lost a loved one.

So I waited one more month, and then I filed for my payment to be returned.
He claimed that this was not what we agreed on, as he had stated that he would refund 50% if I was not pleased with the tracks when they were done.  He wanted to keep 50% for his work.  Not once during the six months of waiting did he ever give any proof that he had spent a minute in the studio on my tracks.  So I disagreed, and today I was refunded in full.

So what is the purpose of this story?  I don´t really know, but I think I just wanted to share an insight to the desperation that I felt when I lost the music.

I was stupid to let things drag out as long, but I guess I got blinded by his fame.  I was really hoping this would be my swan song, but now it seems like there won't be any.  I will probably just give away my finished tracks to one of my old labels, and just call it quits.  My inspiration is lost.

I couldn't even make it when I cheated :D

Good luck to all you guys!

Peace out!

Sorry to hear that , be careful they out here tryna finesse