I read this review about reviewers

Financial services industry is highly regulated even more so since the 2008 debacle. The guidelines are well documented. Violations are not tolerated. At least at reputable companies. Everyone where I work is required to take ethics training every year and expected to follow the guidelines. 

I tend to agree with you mapman, than again, there's no incentive for a reviewer other than to be a hobbyist like the rest of us audiophiles. If there's no financial incentive, you could hardly call it a profession, it simply isn't anymore.
I do read reviews, generally I don't pay for them either.

millercarbon - yeah if I were a reviewer I'd want to know what the deal was before I started work. It seems online reviews like John Darko where he goes out and buys what he reviews are less prone to ethical challenges?
I believe he makes money from traffic, the advertising is paid for, because of traffic his media brings to youtube? He's not paid to review anything, he's paid for people spending time on his page being exposed to the advertising of whoever pays.

That is a lots of advertisements surrounding the text on that webpage. Article written to attract to advertisements?

If you can’t support yourself as a “professional” product reviewer then your business model is at fault. 

So, for his piss poor business acumen, this reviewer wants more REGULATIONS? Just for him? Laws that suit him, so he can make money? This is a terribly LAZY person who, instead of being business savvy, wants laws written so he doesn’t have to work at it??

Maybe that’s the British standard of work ethic, I don’t know. But elsewhere, it’s the job of the business to fashion its own business model and find its own source of LEVERAGE for profit and  to identify its source of future growth. 

Not making a profit as a novelist, for instance? Get the government to pass a law so publishers have to buy your book, right?? 

Nowhere did this audio equipment reviewer convince me that his services are unique, and deserving of payment for his services. He reviewed equipment with no contract, no legal obligation from the manufacturers that he would be compensated. 

And for all his business savvy, he’s angered that he’s not getting any compensation?

Really???!

I agree with the point that getting paid by the company whose products are being reviewed presents conflict of interest.  That is the reason why, for example, Consumer Reports purchases all the products they review and doesn’t even accept advertising from manufacturers — they aren’t obligated to review products positively unless that is their finding.

On the other hand, I understand that he wants to make a go of reviewing as a career and needs compensation for the hours he spends reviewing, recording, editing, etc.  Mr. Price indicates that he has a Youtube channel — perhaps he should seek advice from those reviewers who are already financially successful due to advertising revenue on Youtube and see if he could benefit from any of those suggestions.  He would still need to attract a subscribing audience and “likes” of his work.