“Is this record label email real?” is a question I receive daily from young artists. 99% of the time, the answer is NO. But today, I was fwd’ed a real one. With the permission of the artist, I am sharing it here, so others can know how to spot a real from a fake.

First, you’ll notice the A&R places the artist’s name in the subject line *and* the introduction. Right away, this tells us the email is personalized to the artist. No “Hey there” or “Hey man.” Super professional approach, a good first sign.

Following their introduction — they share their name & the name of their record label — the A&R cites, specifically, the titles of four songs by the artist, and then states what they enjoyed about these titles. Not "Your material is great." Not "Your shit is hot." Proper nouns.

Next comes the information-gathering portion of the email. The A&R is seeking answers to 3 questions that will help them determine if any further conversation is necessary. Note that the questions are asked to help them, not to gas up the artist about a potential signing.

Finally, the A&R inquires about additional material that isn’t publicly available on DSPs and shows an interest in learning more about the artist. Friendly approach. Not intimidating. Respectful of the artist’s time. Short and sweet, but straight to the point.

I hate I have to point this out, but glaringly, what this email doesn’t include is any mention of money — a constant in the fake label emails. There is no mention of any cost to the artist for speaking with or sharing additional music with the A&R. If money is brought up, run.