Are binaural beats really effective or just a scam?

Don't know.: Haven't seen any well designed studies on the matter. Binaural Beats are reported to help with relaxation, creativity, sleep & meditation.

Its Alternative: By definition, "alternative" is different than modern western medicine. Generally any drug, herb, treatment, or procedure that stands up to rigorous scientific scrutiny is included in modern medicine. The problem is that many alternative practices, herbs etc do not stand up to scientific scrutiny and cannot be shown to work. They therefore remain "alternative". Be careful and watch your wallet.