Keep in mind here I'm not an average out of industry redditor here. I work in the music. I have for 6 years and have been signed for 3. My label is also a subsidiary of a larger umbrella label (Sony). I'm familiar with viral campaigns and social media marketing tactics. So here's my question:
The band, which is low on the label's 'totem pole', small budget band as far as the label is concerned, suddenly amassed over 2 million view from a video over the space of a weekend. The magazine/site that's posted the vid edited out the band's credit but the music video and song is entirely theirs. So the label suddenly has a winning lottery ticket on its hands; no marketing cost, major publicity and exposure and is blowing up viral for all intents and purposes. 2 million views is a LOT (now 4 million). Their response to all this is...let's figure it out Monday, there's not much we can do, Mother's Day and all. That's what you're telling me happened?
And all these autonomous fans that came out of the wood works, these are the band's friends. Okay...how many friends of the band came out to upvote and push this into viral territory? Tens? Hundreds? Can you ballpark a figure? Because remember: I can confirm this number.
Last question: who approached who for the AMA? The band says 'they' did, you say your brother did?
I've accomplished my successes and got to where I am by focusing on my music; my composing, my mixing, my songwriting. I've never put any energy into marketing tactics because the quality of the music should speak for itself. It's infuriating for a band to walkin, try to disingenuously trick people into racking up exposure from people who are trying to help and then pop into damage control and try and coast off it. It's bad for other musicians because they suffer; there are unsigned musicians who might be in a kind of copyright trouble and come to reddit looking for help only to be blasted away on account of asshole trying to take advantage of the system.
I also have a friend who works in neuro-advertising. Basically viral ad campaigning. Whether it's viral videos with background product placement to preparing social media marketing campaigns. I had him take a look at this before I posted; he was sure this had manufactured marketing written all over it.
Circumstantial the evidence may be but this isn't legal prosecution we're after. Circumstantial can be enough. If the band is such great musicians, then change the band name, who cares? Make a new band, same members and keep going. Nothing to worry about because they have the musical prowess to make songs that can get to 2-4 million views per weekend. Your label loves you now, I'm sure of it. If you want to keep the publicity that came from all this, now that is suspicious. Add it to the list of curious and circumstantial evidence.
That said: I'm happy to read through anything you respond with, including the message I replied to. I'm happy to hear you out and hey, maybe I'm wrong. Let's hear it.