SCAM ALERT!!!!!!!!!! A real publishing company won't ask you to pay anything upfront. They will take a percentage of what you make on the backside. Licensing is a big outlet of exposure for musicians and so is the payout. Everyone wants to get something placed. Years ago Jon told me to invest $1000 to get their "services". It was a dead end. It's been several years and nothing has been "placed" by Tinderbox. My advice is to stay away! There are lots of vultures in the music industry and sadly TM is one of them. read more

Jon Delange and Tinderbox were a waste of time. Jon lacks follow through, professionalism and basic courtesy. They will sell you more bs than anything else. Bottom line, get out and play, seof promote and build a buzz. companies like Tinderbox are a dime a dozen. Unfortunately, I fell for there pitch. They use Virra Marketing as their go to, so I would go there first if you still want to pursue. Andre and Alex are good guys And will basically tell you the same about Tinderbox. Best of luck!! read more

Here are the facts of my experience with Tinderbox a couple years ago: I paid over $2,000 for a college radio campaign - the only changes I saw from that were about 1,000 plays on my Soundcloud link that was sent to the stations. That was it. No new followers, no communication from the stations themselves. Nothing. But I suppose I should have known that no one really listens to college radio anymore anyway so the campaign itself is pretty pointless. Jon also does sync licensing and offered to help get my music in libraries. I paid hundreds for that and my music apparently got in about 15 libraries for different networks, including one that Jon said "was really choosy with what music they pick". Like the other Yelp reviewer, Jon said that it was likely my music would be placed at least once, but when I asked if I would ever get a heads up from networks that my song had been placed (so I knew ahead of when it aired), he said that shows don't usually do that, which I thought was strange because I knew several artists who had had songs placed through other people and they all received a heads up that they're music would be aired. Since then, I have seen NO sync royalties from what I did with Jon on my royalty statements. It's been at least 2 years. From both the above campaigns I put in at least $3,000 and have received zero value. Jon also told me he helps book bands at SXSW. He offered to help me get slots at the festival. This is what really got me. He worked with some booking company and told me that I could play one set at a bar for $400, and the other option for a slot at a different bar was even higher. He was literally trying to get me to pay $400 to play a set a SXSW on top of airfare and hotels. Most musicians learn very quickly that to pay to play is absolute BS, always a no-go, and ridiculously slimy as it takes major advantage of artists and is never necessary. I had a weird feeling about the company from the beginning but this is what really solidified it all for me. My experience with Jon and Tinderbox left me feeling taken advantage of and kind of like an idiot, honestly. After talking with other people and companies about different approaches, as well as this experience, it really solidified for me how outrageous and bizarre this all was. My gut told me there was something weird about how this man operates and it was indeed correct. It's slimy, it's unnecessary, it's an absolute waste of peoples' time and money. And that's not cool. read more

I had the same experience as the other user "John C" Jon gave me a list of places/tv stations programs etc that were interested in the music. He assured me the songs would 'definitely' be used. It's been more than a year later and still no activity in ASCAP. Tinderbox is good for college (only) radio airplay, but do not do the licensing. And yes, I will also edit this review if I ever see royalties appear in my ascap account. read more

Tinderbox is an excellent company for any rising artist to hire for their college radio campaign, in addition to press & licensing services. The radio reports are clear and easy to understand, the Tinderbox team is very attentive to calls and emails. My bands first album was able to peak at over #125 on the NACC-200 - despite having brought it to Tinderbox 3 months after official release (doing cleanup on another agency's botched campaign). This all being said; the music industry isn't exactly fair and predictable. If your bands recordings/image aren't up to snuff w/ major labels; don't expect miracles to happen beyond a certain chart position likely out of the Top 200. read more

I've done a college radio campaign and a couple of Spotify promotions with Tinderbox and couldn't be happier with the results. My album charted at 150 in the Top 200 at college radio and think as an unsigned, independent artist it was quite an accomplishment, which I would have never have achieved without their hard work and efforts on my behalf. Brandon, the head of college radio promotion at Tinderbox, is professional, thorough, diligent and an incredibly nice guy. He was in weekly contact with me throughout the campaign and kept me up to date every step of the way. He was easily accessible and immediately responsive with any questions I had. The radio reports they sent me were easy to read and understand. They contained all the necessary information you'd want such as all the stations my music was sent to, who was playing it and the stations that had passed. They even provided contact information to me of every station that was playing my music. Best of all, they gave me access to the actual online charts so I could verify everything. They were completely transparent throughout the entire process from beginning to end. They never made any wild promises or sugar coated any of the results with me, which I totally appreciate as sometimes in the music biz people can exaggerate or purposely give you unreal expectations. I've also done Spotify promotions with Tinderbox for a couple of singles with great success. Grant, who runs the Spotify promotion department, is simply awesome. Like Brandon above, Grant is extremely hard working, knowledgeable, thorough and completely accessible. Every time I had a question he always promptly got back to me. He was in frequent contact with me to let me know how things were progressing and what steps were being taken through both promotional campaigns. The results Grant achieved, Spotify plays for the songs, an increase in monthly listeners and new followers, speak for themselves. These weren't crazy inflated numbers generated by bots, but plays he was able to obtain by pitching the songs to influential Spotify playlistsers, pretty much the same way you'd pitch a song to radio. Grant was also completely transparent with me about what was happening and would even forward me emails from folks he was reaching out to on my behalf. I'm actually so satisfied with the results he was able to obtain on the first two promotions, and they were such great experiences, that I just signed on to do a third single. Jon, the president, is absolutely the nicest, kindest, most genuine person I've ever encountered in this biz. He's also totally honest and also incredibly hard working. It's amazing as the president, like his employees, he's completely accessible. Whenever you reach out to him he almost immediately gets back to you. He's not an owner who takes your money, delegates your project and you never hear from him again. He's completely hands on with whatever Tinderbox campaign or service you're using and always know what's going on with your particular project. And if he doesn't, he'll find out for you. Jon offered to pitch my music to various networks, television shows and music supervisors for possibly sync licensing. He was able to get me a dozen music licensing agreements with various networks and shows. He never made any promises to me that my music would make it on to a show, only that the agreements were for my music to be in their libraries and a chance to possibly be chosen. He expressly stated, "Getting music licensed to a show/network is not a guarantee of usage." The amazing thing about what Jon does is that all his work for you is non-exclusive and he doesn't take any percentage of any possible placements. I live in L.A. and have lots of friends in signed bands who have licensed songs and this kind of deal is unheard of, especially for an unknown artist. Contracts with music licensing companies who shop bands for sync deals are almost always exclusive, which means you're tied to that company and no one else can place your music. Plus, they always take a percentage of any licensing agreement they procure often times in the 30-50% range. Just try and find a company as an unknown artist that will shop your music for sync licensing on a non-exclusive basis and take no percentage of any placements they secure. It doesn't exist. At least me and my musician friends have never heard of it. Everyone I've dealt with at Tinderbox has been completely honest and straightforward. Tinderbox is definitely not the kind of company that takes your money and disappears. They actually care about you as a client. It's obvious by the way they treat you and the effort they put in. Plus, as I've said, you're never in the dark with them. If you have a question someone will always quickly get back to you. Their honesty and total transparency make them a standout rarity in this industry. read more

We began our relationship with Tinderbox back in 2008, three albums and 60 TV placements later, we can say that Tinderbox has played an integral part in the advancement of our career. From the beginning the team at Tinderbox was very transparent about expectations. They never guaranteed we'd be placed on a show, but they did assure us that our music would at least be heard by the supervisors. The same was true with their college radio campaigns, and we confirmed this by reaching out to friends in college radio. What has made Tinderbox a valuable resource is that they got our music past gatekeepers and into the hands of the people who make the decisions. At that point it's out of their hands and left to the choices and tastes of music supervisors and Dj's. We had tried, unsuccessfully, to get our music on some of these shows in the past, but it wasn't until we worked with Tinderbox that we got our foot in the door. For us, Tinderbox was a great help.We charted on college radio stations and were able to promote our music through radio interviews and even landed a few college gigs. We secured dozens of TV placements, including prominent spots on MTV, and E! Networks. We feel fortunate because we had the right music at the right time. Our style fit the kind of stuff already being used on the shows so the supervisors we're placing us regularly. Over the years, our royalties have more than recouped our investments with Tinderbox, but more importantly we've been able to build a strong resume of TV placements and radio play. read more

These guys are far and away the best music promotion and marketing team I've come across in the last 10 years. I finally feel like I have the label backing I need as an indie artist. They are reasonably priced and the work they do is second to none. I will be coming back for sure. If you are looking for the best ROI for your money, you've found it. These guys rock. read more

We found working with Tinderbox to be a great experience. The campaign was set out as promised and results were what we were told to expect. We were given a clear vision of what was to be accomplished and to what the limitations would be. Jon was in constant contact with us by the end of the campaign we had accomplished what we were promised and where we wanted to be. We reccomend using tinderbox, especially if you are trying to break into the business and get your stuff out there. It is a great first step in getting you on the first rung of the ladder of success. read more

I've hired them for a couple things over the years. First was a college radio campaign for a full length studio album around 2009-2010 or so, and from the reports they sent me - it was working. Although I received not a single piece of outreach from a single radio station anywhere. And I wasn't calling up the stations myself to verify anything in the reports. It didn't result in any direct ROI. I feel like a campaign like this would have worked a lot better for someone who was already an established touring act. It won't do much for someone who's more a local songwriter type looking to break out. I think I paid somewhere between $1500 and $2000 for the campaign and had to ship out hundreds of CDs all over the country on my dime. Wasn't the best decision on my part to even do the campaign at that time in my career, and Tinderbox... well they obviously weren't going to turn my business away. Lesson learned with that though. The other thing I hired Jon to do was on the music licensing side of things. He took an immediate liking to some heavy rock music I had finished work on in 2014, and we came to an agreement by the end of the year that he would put together some 15 or so licensing contracts from some real heavy hitter companies (I won't name but they are all companies and shows you have heard of) - have my songs in their production libraries on a non-exclusive basis. He told me it was highly likely that my music would be used. And the placements, while not credited much of the time, pay very well. My friend who wrote the songs with me and I put up the $800 or so Jon asked for in return for his help with all of it. It's been about a year now... and I still don't see any activity in my ASCAP statements for the songs, which are all fully registered. I'll make sure to come back and revise this review if I do start receiving any paid placements, but I have to say I'm very disappointed nothing has come through. Certainly wouldn't have paid $800 and spent all the time working on it for zero ROI if that had been the proposal. In the end, I understand that the music industry is tough, and not all songs are good for all applications, but I was made to be under the impression that these songs we went into contract with were a perfect fit for the shows they were being included in the libraries for. It's a drag since even one decent placement would have paid for the licensing.. as well as the college radio campaign I did years ago. I gave Tinderbox a couple shots, and this last time left me and my writing partner really empty handed. Jon's a good guy, straight shooter (that's mainly why I'm leaving 2 stars instead of 0), and it was a thrill to think that our songs were at least being considered by huge shows and production companies... but Yelp! is about business and my unprofitable music business experience with Tinderbox has left me no choice but to let others know that I wouldn't hire them again to represent my work. read more

I worked with Jon Delange and Tinderbox music in 2015, and it was a tremendous experience. They treated us with the utmost respect, and made us feel that they truly believed in us, and were fans of our music. They never made us feel like they were just trying to get our money, or our business. They truly have a passion for music, and specifically for up and coming, aspiring musicians. From the beginning Jon was always very clear about the realities of the music business, pointing out the inherent risks, as well as the potential rewards. Jon is such a genuine guy, which is very refreshing in a world where so many people are trying to convince you to spend your very limited resources on their products/services. I would highly recommend Tinderbox Music! read more

I've been working with Tinderbox across a ten year span. I highly recommend their services for developing artists and songwriters. The music industry can be tough to navigate and you can generally tell if a firm is "all talk" and no walk- not the case with Jon and Tinderbox. He knows key people and is trusted in "inner circles" (and they know him). He legitimately cares about placing songs and is passionate about it. His team in MN are respected in radio, social, etc and they know how to navigate pitfalls. You take your music seriously, nothing is more personal to a writer than his or her songs. People are waiting in the wings to exploit that and it's rampant in music today. Also, NOT the case at Tinderbox. With my work, they've always set realistic expectations, pushed me for what they need and likewise there have been times of me pushing them- it's a collaborative relationship. I'd add that with any service in this business, people WANT to work with hardworking, professional artists that are respectful of others time, and honest with themselves. My advice is to look inward first to self check where you are on that. With Jon's experience he can also help you develop in that regard if you're willing to listen. I've been fortunate to work exclusively with them on a successful record this year and looking forward to the follow up release shortly. read more

Let me start with this: nothing in the music business is guaranteed. The longer artists choose to pursue this path, the more this rings true. I think the most important thing an artist can do when deciding to work with Tinderbox is go in with realistic expectations. Do your homework, inform yourself, and set realistic goals for what the various outcomes may be. If you don't know - ask questions. Nobody is born with this information, so empower yourself by asking the right questions. With that said, I am an artist who has chosen to do 3 college radio campaigns with Tinderbox. I have been extremely pleased with the results of these campaigns and the work ethic that Jon, Brandon, and the Tinderbox staff display every day on behalf of the artists with whom they work. I've heard some feedback about Jon being a straight shooter, and I agree with that assessment of his style. He's honest and he cares - something that is often missing when you are promised things by people in the business when all they're looking to do is take your money. With regards to the concerns about ROI, while I can understand those concerns, I think again this comes back to having realistic expectations before you decide to spend your money and do a Tinderbox campaign. What is promised from the college radio campaign itself? Well, if Tinderbox decides to work with your music, you will have your music played on college radio. That's a fact and they absolutely deliver there. The reason for this is that they don't work with every artist who submits their music to them - the longer you continue in the music business, the more you'll understand the value of industry people who are selective in the artists they work with. Whether you decide to do a 300-station campaign or a 500-station campaign, if you're working with Tinderbox, you can count on getting played on college radio. Brandon Day does a fantastic job of calling stations daily on Tinderbox artists' behalf and continuing to build momentum once a station opts to play your music. He delivers clearly organized reports that show your progress over the course of your campaign. With regards to ROI, I think it varies from artist to artist. You will be much happier if you look at the radio traction you get as a starting place to build your own relationships with college radio music directors, students running the stations, etc. If after your college radio campaign ends you wonder "why haven't I made my money back?" I think your view is too short-sighted. Understand that college radio is not a huge money making endeavor for artists. It is a great tool to reach new audiences, get exposure, and build relationships with college stations across the country. What Tinderbox promises you is that they will get you played on college radio stations across North America, and on that promise they 100% deliver. For licensing, a couple things I think are worth sharing to keep Tinderbox's services in perspective: first, there is no college radio company that I am aware of that takes the time to personally pitch their artists to music supervisors the way Jon and Tinderbox does. Most artists don't have access to their music being available for use in shows on MTV, E!, Discovery, etc. Secondly, understand that it is NOT a guarantee that a.) your music will be played on one of those TV shows right away and b.) that you will be paid for your music right away. And Tinderbox does not promise that. Tinderbox personally presents your music to these supervisors and opens doors for you. But after that point, the music supervisor ultimately needs to make a decision about which artists' music they want to use in each episode they work on. Sometimes that happens right away. Sometimes that takes years. And sometimes, it may not happen. It does not mean that you are not talented; nor does it mean that Tinderbox is shady. Ultimately, music supervisors choose to use (or pass on) music for various reasons, often because they are looking for something very specific. My suggestion is to take a longer view and be patient. If/when your music gets played on a show, you'll get paid through your PRO (BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, etc). This takes time. Last, artists working with Tinderbox often overlook that Jon is a very experienced industry veteran and resource for you who dedicates a lot of his time to educating independent artists. My band has benefited greatly from simply taking the time to ask Jon questions about radio, licensing, and how to navigate the music business. Look at your campaign with Tinderbox as a way to learn from someone who genuinely cares about the independent artists with whom he works. Tinderbox will deliver on the college radio and licensing fronts. However, the results are not one-size fits all, and artists will be best served if they go into their campaigns with a lot of questions, some patience, and realistic expectations. If you can do that, I can say from experience that Tinderbox can and will help your band. read more