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Festival Innovates New Way to Exploit Musicians & Artists: Public Begging for a Chance to Be Ignored

Writer's picture: Crimmu$Crimmu$

Updated: Jan 31


In a bold new effort to extract free promo from DJs and producers, music festivals worldwide are now requiring applicants to humiliate themselves on social media before being ignored.

Gone are the days of quietly submitting a press kit and praying for a miracle. Now, hopeful artists must tag the festival and publicly declare their submission, essentially screaming into the void, “PLEASE, OH GREAT BOOKING COMMITTEE, CONSIDER ME WORTHY.”

“We think it’s a great way to engage our community,” said Chad McInfluencer, head of marketing for Clout Harvest Music Gathering. “By forcing artists to shill for us before we even acknowledge them, we’re really fostering a grassroots, authentic, unpaid marketing movement.”

Festivals Discover ‘Exposure’ Is a Currency After All


The strategy is simple: flood social media with applicants begging for a slot, making it seem like the festival is a holy grail of clout. Never mind that 90% of them will be left on read. The important thing is that #WeAppliedToVibesFest is now trending.

“I had to tag them on Instagram, Twitter, and even TikTok,” said local DJ, who applied with a mix titled Deep House for Deeply Unpaid People. “I even wrote a heartfelt caption about how much I love their brand. They never responded, but their social engagement is up 400%. So that’s cool, I guess.”




“This Is Just Like Pay-to-Play, But Dumber,” Say Critics

Industry experts argue that this is a new low in festival grifting, one step removed from just charging artists to submit.

“It’s genius, really,” said one promoter. “Instead of paying to apply, you’re paying with your dignity. And if you get rejected? Well, at least you let all your followers know you’re not booked anywhere this summer.”

Some artists are pushing back, refusing to participate in what many are calling “digital panhandling.” However, as one anonymous festival rep put it: “If they really cared about the scene, they’d stop whining and start grinding.”


In the meantime, festival organizers have teased their next big innovation: charging rejected artists a $10 fee to see why they weren’t selected.

Stay tuned.

How to Flip the Script on Clout-Hungry Festivals


While festivals are out here treating artist applications like free social media campaigns, you don’t have to take it lying down. Here are five ways to throw a wrench in their engagement-harvesting machine and make them reconsider exploiting hopeful artists for clout.

1. Flood Their Hashtag with Chaos

If they want you to post using their hashtag, make it as useless as possible. Post cryptic memes, surrealist shitposts, or unrelated images that have nothing to do with the festival. Imagine a sea of bizarre AI-generated deep-fried nonsense under #WeAppliedToVibesFest—good luck sorting through that, Chad.

2. Demand an Application Fee Refund (Loudly)

Most of these festivals charge an application fee and expect free promo. If you’re forced to make a post, flip it around—tag them and ask: “Since I’m now doing promo for you, do I get my application fee refunded?” Encourage other artists to do the same. Watch them scramble when their genius marketing ploy turns into a PR nightmare.

3. Tag Every Festival BUT Them

Instead of tagging the festival you applied to, tag every competing festival. Write: “Just applied to a few dope festivals this summer! Excited to see where I end up!” Let them stew in the paranoia that their biggest rivals are getting all the organic hype instead.

4. Turn It Into a Public Shaming Campaign

Call them out—politely but mercilessly. Post something like:"I love supporting festivals that actually support artists. But some festivals? They expect free marketing from the same people who paid to apply. That’s not how community works. #RespectArtists #KnowYourWorth"If enough artists push back, they’ll either be forced to change or publicly double down on being clout-chasing jabronis—which is a win either way.




Final Thought: Protect Your Brand & Identity, Not Their Bottom Line


In an era where social media presence is as crucial as your music itself, handing over your online identity to a festival that never intended to book you is a fast track to losing credibility. Your brand isn’t just a collection of posts—it’s your artistic currency. Every time you plaster a festival’s hashtag across your feed for free, you’re reinforcing a system that values hype over talent. The harsh reality? These festivals aren’t curating lineups based on passion or artistry—they’re leveraging desperation for marketing reach.


True industry power comes from musicians, writers, and artists who dictate their own narrative, rather than begging to be included in someone else’s. Play the long game, build a real audience, and only align with platforms that respect your work. Your name deserves more than being used as engagement bait for an event that never even opened your mix. Lucky for us here in BC, Festivals like Basscoast & Shambhala Music Festival exist and stray from any of the aforementioned predatory tactics. Other festivals should take note SAF

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