Taxi
| Not strictly a music library but if you are a composer and/or songwriter, please leave your comments and experiences with this company. We want to hear the good as well as the bad! Below is some general information but we make no guarantee of accuracy. Check with the company for all details. Please contact us for any corrections. | ||
| URL: | http://www.taxi.com/ | |
|---|---|---|
| Accepting Submissions: | Yes | |
| Submit Via Uploads: | Yes | |
| Submit Via Mail: | Yes | |
| Submissions Reviewed: | Yes | |
| Types Accepted: |
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| Charge For Submissions: | Yes | |
| Up Front Money: | Unknown | |
| Royalty Free: (non-broadcast use) |
Unknown | |
| Exclusivity: (Exclusive, Non, Semi) (Semi = Free to place on own but not with another library) |
Unknown | |
| Re-Title: | Unknown | |
| Set Own Price: | No | |
| Contract Length: | Unknown | |
| Payment Schedule: | Unknown | |
| License Fee Split: (writer/library) |
Unknown | |
| PRO Split Based on 100%: (writer/library writer/library/publisher or writer) |
Unknown | |
| Requires Licensee To File Cue Sheet: | Unknown | |
| Notes: | ||
Categories: Music Pitching | 
Tags: composer, music, songwriter, Taxi | 
277 Comments »
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Hi Guys
I joined Taxi a few years back about 2006 ish and ended up being unhappy with the reviews on my music.
At the time I was looking for clear direction off industry people and didnt think that was happening. I felt they often contradicted themselves and didnt really make a great deal of sense to me.
I ended up requesting a full refund (which I got) and would never subscribe to a similar set up again.
Taxi wasn’t for me
[Reply]
EA, July 22nd, 2010 at 1:06 pm Reply:
Paying for anything in this line of work is a scam. No way to prove that that anything was ever done.
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anon, July 24th, 2010 at 8:46 am Reply:
EA
Taxi is not for everyone. But it’s not a scam. As someone who has had doors opened because of Taxi and who personally knows dozens of others who also have, it bothers me to see them called a scam.
There are people who have done well with Taxi. There are others who found more success outside of Taxi. And there are others whose music isn’t yet at the point where it will find much success with or without Taxi.
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John (the other John), July 24th, 2010 at 10:52 am Reply:
TAXI has changed since they first formed. In the beginning it was more about getting song demos to artists. Now they’re basically a middleman for music libraries – which we can do without TAXI’s help.
Mostly due to the ever-changing Music Industry. Twenty-thirty years ago I could submit my songs directly to the big guys. 10-15 years ago, TAXI could get my songs to the big guys. Now it’s a different story.
One problem being that too many artists write their own material today (and many really shouldn’t) or have their own inside writers. It’s all about connections & forming relationships.
That’s one reason why TAXI shifted towards the library market (to stay adrift). TAXI is no longer into song demos for artists (at least not often). Most their listings are for broadcast quality tracks for inserting into film – or just for music library track collectors (again, which we can do ourselves).
Also, TAXI depends on a constant swarm of young new members. Many of which haven’t the slightest chance of being forwarded. I’d be surprised if more than 5 -10% of TAXI members ever got real deals. That’s why TAXI promotes their critique aspect.
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AccuracyHereIsMissing, July 24th, 2010 at 4:37 pm Reply:
EA…
You must be the same guy that said (regarding 5-Alarm Music) “BAD news library, not at all artist friendly and a 5 year exclusive deal, not worth dealing with.”
LOL
That’s the downside to this site… anyone with a grudge posts negative stuff about every single library listed here. Can’t be their music right? Has to be the library or it’s a scam or whatever.
John (the other John)…
On the Taxi site I counted 26 listings for film/tv and 81 listings for non film/tv opportunities, either listings for artists or for songwriters to write music for artists,etc. The very first listing “ALTERNATIVE/INDIE ROCK ARTISTS/BANDS a la Kings of Leon, Phoenix, Vampire Weekend, etc., needed by a VP of A&R at a Major label”. Major Label. That “taxi is no longer into song demos for artists”… it looks like they’re doing a LOT more listings for that which you say they don’t do anymore.
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oontz oontz, July 24th, 2010 at 5:16 pm Reply:
AccuracyHereIsMissing, why would you let facts get in the way of a nice rant?
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Anonymous, July 25th, 2010 at 3:41 am Reply:
“That “taxi is no longer into song demos for artists”… it looks like they’re doing a LOT more listings for that which you say they don’t do anymore”
Wow “AccuracyHereIsMissing”, you’ve got a lot of time on your hands tabulating all those listings. I reckon I should have considered other genres that don’t pertain to me like the Country listings.
Okay, I’ll take your word on it (I’m not going to re-tabulate), but IMO the real opportunities still lie in the music library listings. Listings for artists don’t apply to us songwriters and composers. And many of the instrumental film opportunities aren’t being submitted directly to a film job, but rather just to be included in a music library (which we can do ourselves).
So I’ll re-word my statement – “TAXI is moving more & more towards being a middleman for music libraries”.
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AccuracyHereIsMissing, July 25th, 2010 at 5:44 am Reply:
“So I’ll re-word my statement – ‘TAXI is moving more & more towards being a middleman for music libraries’.”
What do you base that on? In order to know whether they’re moving towards or away from music libraries, you’d need their bi-monthly listing information compiled over at least a year… a five year trend would be even better.
This is my problem … people just make “statements of fact” without any *real* idea of whether or not what they’re saying is true. Obviously nobody can say where Taxi or any business is heading towards or away from without having a lot of information. The only thing that we really do know right now in this discussion is that the ratio of non film/tv to film/tv is more than 3 to 1 in the current listing. How that breaks out and how it relates to anyone in terms of Taxi’s potential to them as an individual is another thing.
Regarding the listings for Taxi or FMN or any other “listing” based company… at least with Taxi and FMN the listings are free and available to anyone. The little count that I did took about three minutes. Going to their sites, looking through the listings, making notes about which listings I could submit for and then (after a month or two of doing that) deciding whether or not they have enough listings in my genre(s) or whether their business model fits my goals… that takes longer but very few musicians will take the time to do that.
For example… “Children’s Music”. There’s not a lot of listings for Children’s Music. Right now there’s none. If I were a writer of Children’s Music, joining Taxi would definitely not be for me.
Anyway… it takes a little time to actually do the basic homework before joining or not joining but it’s worth the effort.
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Anonymous, July 25th, 2010 at 6:12 am Reply:
Deleted
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John (the other John), July 25th, 2010 at 6:19 am Reply:
Dave, first off; congratulations on your success with TAXI.
I’ve been following TAXI listings from their first year on. I’m certain the library listings have substantially grown and the “song demos to artists” have substantially decreased.
To what extent? Yes, I would have to cross-reference all listings through the years. That could only be done by TAXI itself. If that kind of data needed to be acquired before opinions could be expressed, there would be no opinions.
Peace…
[Reply]
AccuracyHereIsMissing, July 25th, 2010 at 8:27 am Reply:
This is as much as defense of this site (MusicLibraryReports) as it is anything else. If this site (MusicLibraryReports) is to remain as a credible source of information, opinions need to be accompanied by some kind of fact that supports the opinion. If someone says (regarding Taxi) that “Most their listings are for broadcast quality tracks for inserting into film – or just for music library track collectors” certainly would carry more weight with a link to their listings page if indeed what was said was true. But here that statement wasn’t at all true or even close because there’s more than three times the listings for non-library stuff as there is for library stuff.
MusicLibraryReports has value but the ongoing value in terms of credibility is going to be determined by each individual poster. I think everyone should be giving facts to support their statements or opinions and also asking for facts from each poster or to remind them that these posts are supposed to be limited to our personal experience.
[Reply]
Anonymous, July 25th, 2010 at 8:57 am Reply:
Mine was a personal opinion based on my personal experiences. And yes, through my listing genre(s) I’ve seen that definite change in TAXI. So your statement “wasn’t at all true” – wasn’t at all true.
BTW, most TAXI listings do ask for broadcast quality (in my experience).
I think most people realize this site is based on personal experiences and opinions. Much truth can be found weaved through these experiences and opinions.
So yes, our opinions may be tainted to some degree by our successes and failures. Much like yours is in defense of TAXI.
This website created by Art is unique. If every statement and opinion had to be verified, censured, and accredited with a stamp of authenticity (which is impossible), this site would only contain the opinion of its censors.
I can imagine this TAXI thread being monitored/ censored by you. It would definitely be sugar-coated in defense of TAXI.
Better to let you have your opinions, and let the rest of us have ours.
BTW, I’m not against TAXI. I’m just disappointed in the direction it’s going. I was once a strong advocate for TAXI.
[Reply]
Gael MacGregor, July 26th, 2010 at 3:48 pm Reply:
@ Accuracy,
This is not a court of law, but a site where professionals can relay their PERSONAL experiences.
As such, those experiences are going to cover a broad rage of success (or lack thereof). Some can be attributed simply to the styles of music being suited (or not) to the various listings, some to quality, some to having perfect fits (or not) for the listings as stated, some because the listing is not really reflective of what is being sought (as a supervisor, I can tell you that happens all the time because many directors don’t have a clue as to how to relay what they really want), some simply because a screener does/does not like the artist/composer’s work and chooses to (or not) pass along the respective work(s) submitted for a listing.
I’d hazard a guess that few (if any) have kept all ill-worded contracts sent to them, bad reviews, snarky posts, unsuitable listings or other non-essential emails, screen shots or physical copies of same, or any other such “proof” of deals that did NOT happen. Anyone who says they have everything that has crossed their desks is either a liar or a hoarder.
I will again use the elephant/blind men analogy…
No one can negate the descriptions that vary dramatically, based on the part of the elephant the man had touched. Each was “true” in its own way.
In that regard, each person’s experience is going to reflect many elements, including how they perceive they have been treated, the suitability of the service for the type of music they create, etc., etc.
To keep on with this demand for “proof” of one’s experiences smacks of paranoia — and makes me wonder exactly who “Accuracy” might be, since the wording in this post is very similar to Mr. Laskow’s on another composer’s forum.
Simply acknowledge that another’s experience with the same service can be much different than your own — regardless of any “why” involved.
If, however, you only want personal experiences that reflect your own, and hold to the opinions YOU hold, then you’re not in the right place.
This forum is not designed to be a spot for sycophants to paint a universally rosy picture of their company, or to serve as some sort of PR repository for any library or service.
This is a spot for composers/artists to post their own experiences (positive and negative and in-between).
If your experience does not mirror that of another’s, so be it. It does not, however, make their experience any less true than your own… merely DIFFERENT.
And one need not tally five years of data from one source and tabulate it through a computer program to see industry trends. There’s enough info out there to see where our industry has been and where it’s going.
The big test is figuring out a way to monetize one’s product within the ever-changing marketplace.
This site assists composers/artists in doing just that — by allowing professionals to relay their own experiences, regardless of what they may be — and providing an open forum in which to exchange ideas, thoughts and advice.
Oh yeah… and it’s free.
[Reply]
John (the other John), July 26th, 2010 at 4:26 pm Reply:
Very elegantly said Gael! That’s what I was trying to convey in my primitive style.
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anon, July 25th, 2010 at 6:30 am Reply:
Accuracy is right. You will read a lot of things about Taxi, libraries, services, etc that arent at all based in fact or are slanted with misplaced negativity. As an aside, I’ve seen comments about Scorekeepers and 5 Alarm Music which were way off base in terms of their track records, how much good they’ve done for composers, etc. But back to Taxi…
I think people conclude that Taxi is only about being a middle-man to music libraries because that’s where the majority of success stories are. But what’s important to remember is that *the ratio of film/TV successes to label or major publishing deals represents how things are in the industry as a whole, not just Taxi*. Getting a label deal, a publishing deal in Nashville, an artist cut, etc has never been harder. Record labels are falling apart and taking very few chances with new artists. Nashville has thousands of great songwriters struggling to one day get that cut.
Many songwriters and indie acts have switched to making film/TV music because that’s where the opportunities are.
If you make excellent (usually contemporary sounding) music you will succeed with libraries and placements regardless of whether you go direct, through Taxi, or both. For me personally, for $300/year ($200/yr renewals) if one forward & deal brings me an important new relationship it’s worth every penny. I use Taxi, FMN, and direct pitches to libaries. I’ve found that when I’ve been contacted after a Taxi forward or an FMN submission I have a door open that may or may not have opened otherwise.
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Gael MacGregor, July 26th, 2010 at 4:03 pm Reply:
As a supervisor, I can say that what is requested changes from day-to-day.
While there might be a “rush” on certain styles of music for a short period of time because of some film/show’s success with using that kind of music, what is needed and wanted will always change with what the movie or scene requires.
As for submitting outside material to artists — a lot has changed in how that occurs, and it has become a much more closed circle, partially due to the number of lawsuits over the years. Artists and their reps are much less likely to accept unsolicited material than in the past, and even solicited listings are exceptionally limited — and most of those come “through the grapevine” via trusted sources, rather from any formal listings.
So looking at current listings on a site isn’t necessarily an accurate reflection of a service’s potential for success. What’s there this week may be completely different than what’s there next week.
Some listings at various services haven’t even been placed by the folks seeking the music (had that happen with a film I was supervising, and neither I, or the filmmaker, had requested the listing — it was only after I emailed the owner of the site that the film was locked and set for distribution that the listing was removed from their site).
So there’s no proof for folks on the other end to even know if specific listings are accurate, hence the skepticism for some whose experiences may not have been positive with a service.
Cheers!
Gael
[Reply]
I have seen taxi change in the past three years or so. They have become super picky to the point of being ridiculous. In the past my tracks were usually good enough to be forwarded to music library listings and cable direct opportunities. But now my tracks don’t even get forwarded to listings for MTV even if the songs are a perfect fit for what is asked. And trust me I know what is a perfect fit for MTV listings as I have had dozens of placements with them through libraries. And the listings for artists looking for songs are almost impossible to get through to at all. Meanwhile thourgh other sites you can submit to THE SAME LISTINGS direct with no critique or rejection. Everything has a time and place and then things change and you have to move on. I thank taxi for what they have done for me in the past, and I recommend them to those “starting out”, but I will not renew my membership next time. Musiclibrary report is all I need!
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Gael MacGregor, July 15th, 2010 at 1:49 pm Reply:
Art has done a great service to composers and artists with this site, and all those who participate by giving honest feedback on their personal experiences deserve kudos for contributing.
MusicLibraryReport.com is a terrific way to gauge what circumstances and library(ies) might be the best fit for each individual.
I hope all are (literally) singing its praises to their colleagues!
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Art, July 15th, 2010 at 2:42 pm Reply:
“I hope all are (literally) singing its praises to their colleagues!”
Can I get an “Amen”!
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Emmett Cooke, July 15th, 2010 at 2:46 pm Reply:
http://images.icanhascheezburger.com/completestore/2009/1/19/128768660752064689.jpg
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oontz oontz, July 15th, 2010 at 3:06 pm Reply:
My issue with TAXI stems from the time I saw a listing to submit music for a sports network, which was posted by the music supervisor of said network.
Then just below that listing was that of a “retitle” library that was literally taking all of their taxi-vetted accepted cues and feeding them directly to the same sports network that ran the listing above.
That redundant listing cost composers hard earned money by way of submission fees, not to mention the 50% commission that the retitle library was taking for forwarding cues to the exact same place that the composers could reach out to anyway..
The ironic thing about this was the music supervisor in question went on his facebook page to specifically ask composers to send music immediately. Of course the supervisor was not charging submission fees or taking a piece of the performance income.
Facebook is free. Taxi is not.
[Reply]
Discouraged..., July 15th, 2010 at 4:26 pm Reply:
One issue I have is with their Dispatch listings These are listings that are needed in a hurry by the client. Sometimes you’ll wait 2-3 weeks to receive their acceptance/rejection email. If they take that long to send these tracks to the client, chances are it’s already been filled. My last dispatch forward I wasn’t even notified. I discovered it on the TAXI site.
[Reply]
blastbeet, July 16th, 2010 at 11:55 am Reply:
Or sometimes the “urgent” dispatch listing ends up being in the body of the normal listings the next time they come out. So is it “urgent” or not?
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Dave Walton, July 16th, 2010 at 1:40 pm Reply:
I’ve never had a dispatch listing take longer than 4 days or so. One exception… recently there was a dispatch listing looking for a theme for a paranormal tv series. That took something like 10 days or so to get the results… not sure why. You’ll always have notification on your personal Taxi Music page. The email notification doesn’t work for me (but it has in the past). To be fair I haven’t called them about it either so they can’t fix what they don’t know about. I just check the site… no big deal.
Regarding the “urgent” question. I know that a few of the libraries that I’ve gotten deals with, they run dispatch listings as well as regular listings because they’re providing music for a show… they need music right away for the first few upcoming shows AND they need music for the later shows so they run a regular listing because they’ll get a much bigger selection through the regular listings. That’s one reason that I know of that companies run both.
[Reply]
a-non-y, July 16th, 2010 at 5:28 pm Reply:
I have had dispatch listings take as much as 10-14 days. Many have been 4-5 days. However, I just had a Taxi deal offer off a dispatch listing and as long as there is potential to sign deals, I’m fine with it. Sometimes the reason it takes longer to get the forward/return is the listing party is doing the screening themselves and their own schedule is the timing issue.
One suggestion: If you have a concern about Dispatch listings and how long it takes to get results back, why sometimes the same listings are run as Dispatch and regular, etc, etc– post it on their forum. Often Michael Laskow (Taxi CEO) will come on the forum and explain. Sometimes there are reasons for things that actually are good for members but it’s not always obvious.
[Reply]
Hey folks,
I’m the longest running Taxi member I think I set the record I joined in 93-94 there were a few years where I was out of touch, but they got me in the Biz so to speak, got a “Friends’ clip for my first good check. But its a different business now, there are so many writers and licensing companies and the monies way low….. I’ve got 400 songs with various Publishers but i still have to give guitar lessons and play bars to make the mortgage. yes their screeners are a tough bunch and i used to get real moody about it all, then I started working on my own and all those songs are now in use, I’ve found what one person doesn’t like another might, and I developed a a “I’ll show them attitude” its a hard business 95% rejection. But Taxi’s is so copied now.. Michael to bad you couldn’t have patented your idea.
Denny
[Reply]
Gael MacGregor, July 21st, 2010 at 3:49 pm Reply:
@ Denny,
There will always be someone to jump on the bandwagon when money is to be made at (what can be interpreted as) the expense of the artist/writer.
Taxi is not unique in its business model, nor was it the first to employ the “pay in advance to have your music heard” scenario. It has, however, become quite successful in its showy, flashy fashion.
I was a member very early on (when the listings were delivered via snail mail) and saw its inherent flaws even then. After one very disappointing road rally, much research and rejections for songs, I decided to go directly to supervisors, filmmakers, directors, editors, etc. (songs which were later licensed in scenes/films that almost identically mirrored Taxi listings for which they’d been rejected — not even forwarded).
A&R is very subjective.
As a supervisor, I feel it a “cheat” to go to an outside intermediary to screen material I may choose to send to a director/filmmaker. After all, I am being paid to do a job, and much of that job is to listen to music and ferret out new, fresh, appropriate music for a project. If I am unwilling to do that job, I should find another profession.
I don’t see Taxi as a particularly viable tool as a supervisor, since I know from my own experience, and that of countless others with whom I’ve communicated, that outside screeners may very likely NOT forward to me music that is perfect for my needs.
In fact, I had one artist who contacted me directly on a project for which my colleagues had been using Taxi to pre-screen material. It turned out that a Taxi screener had rejected her song/recording as inappropriate to the listing. Coincidentally, and not knowing she was reaching someone working on the very project for which her track had been rejected, she approached me directly.
I think you see where this is going…
Her song was licensed for a major film company’s feature release. It was only AFTER we’d licensed it that I discovered her story about the Taxi rejection.
Had I merely gone along with my colleagues and Taxi screeners, I would have missed the perfect song for the scene. The director fell in love with it, it was used over a feature montage, and it turned out to be his favorite track in the entire movie.
Taxi and other pay-to-listen services may work for some — especially for libraries seeking staff composers who don’t want to have to weed through hundreds of applicants to find suitable candidates, or for very prolific composers who want to wallpaper their tracks and re-title/re-purpose them for anyone who wants ‘em — but it did not work for me from either side.
Cheers!
Gael
[Reply]
I totally LOVE this site! I just finished reading all the comments about TAXI and was impressed. Some years ago I toyed with joining, but decided that it would not work for the type of music I write. I loved Gael’ comments – very fair.
My take on the “pay to review” things is that you’d better do some serious research before parting with any $$$. (Which really applies to anything where you and your hard earned cash are asked to part company).
The bottom line is that marketing your music is very hard and time consuming work – period. There are NO short cuts, unfortunately.
[Reply]
I have been a TAXI member for 4 1/2 years. I have attended three Rallies in LA and already have my airflight booked for this November.
An aspect of TAXI that is never discussed in any of the “objective critiques”, is the community of songwriters and composers that have a vehicle to connect with one another.
Before I attended my first Rally, I spent time on the TAXI Forum and started to get to know other folks who were doing what I was interested in developing. (composing instrumentals for TV and film) One of the Forum members came up with the idea of members adding a “dot” to our name tags to be able to more easily find each other in the crowd of 2500 or so attendees.
From this first Rally, I now have a network of kindred spirits that live and work in LA, San Francisco, Nashville and various other parts of the country and the world. We help each other in navigating the production music world as well as technical issues with software etc.
We are also collaborating and functioning as virtual studio musicians for one another. I recently did a work for hire guitar part for a friend who is very successful in production music. He has gotten to the point in his career where he is producing CDs with upfront money,
Last Spring several of us convened in Nashville for “Composer Camp” at my house. We spent three days sharing ideas on everything related to producing music for tv and film. Two of the composers have extensive independent film scoring credits. All of us are composers for a successful daytime tv show.
Shortly after I attended the NAB Show is Vegas with three of my TAXI composer friends. We had the opportunity to interact on a very favorable basis with many high end libraries.
Again, none of this would have come about without TAXI and opportunity to meet other members at the Rally.
TAXI is not, and will most likely, never be perfect. Largely due to the “people element”.
The critiques and returns from TAXI don’t always make sense. But. the returns from libraries don’t always make sense either. The entire “system” will never be perfect.
I view TAXI as a “service” I use to secure “favorable introductions”, not only to libraries, music supervisors and now ad agencies (fairly new TAXI development) but also to other composers who have introduced me to library owners.
Any “service” is imperfect. I use a pest service at home, but still get bugs. I have a great accountant, but still have been audited by the IRS. I used a great DAW builder, but my computer still crashes.
I still use these services in spite of the imperfections. (and I don’t go on a public forum and complain when they don’t work for me)
TAXI works for me and my life is better because of my membership.
Chuck
[Reply]
Making a living, July 25th, 2010 at 9:07 am Reply:
TAXI works for me and my life is better because of YOUR membership.
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Gael MacGregor, July 26th, 2010 at 4:49 pm Reply:
@ crs7string,
I’m happy you have been able to network via your TAXI membership and that it has been valuable to you. Your personal experience has obviously been a positive one.
What you’ve described, though, is what many have been doing for years (for free) via Yahoo groups, other online forums and various songwriting, composer and other music organizations around the world. I know some composers who are co-writing and recording with other composers on different continents (gotta love the ‘net, eh?).
As an FYI, I participate in panels and as a guest speaker at many symposiums, meetings and events.
I specifically choose a lot of low/no-cost events so that those who are struggling to get a foot in the door (both career-wise and financially) can receive useful information without emptying their wallets just to get heard.
I think this is one of the main objections some have with any service that charges in advance for a composer/artist to merely have the possibility of having their music heard by those actually making the placement decisions.
There can be a perceived sense of unfairness in paying not only a yearly membership fee, but an additional fee for every submission. When that submission is not forwarded to the end user, then the composer/artist has paid twice to have their music NOT heard by the person who is seeking tracks for their project. Many cannot make the trek to L.A. for the Road Rally because of the costs involved, so that may not necessarily be a selling point for the composer in Skagway, Mobile, Des Moines or Mamaroneck.
In addition, if any connection with an end user IS made, the composer/artist is left on their own to negotiate and paper the deal. This means having someone else vet the contract, and depending on the placement, the composer/artists may make nothing, or take a loss, on the actual placement.
Paying in advance for information that is readily available from other sources and then have to run the A&R gauntlet before any chance of having one’s music actually heard by the end user is not my idea of a service I want to support.
I don’t care who runs it, how long it’s been in existence or who got what placement or made what connection as a result of their membership.
Lots of people shop at Wal*Mart, too. It doesn’t mean I will ever set foot in one of their stores.
If I don’t believe in a business model, I can choose not to support it.
I can also voice my opinions about my decisions.
I also have to be ready to hear other people’s opinions and experiences and realize that even if I disagree with the policies of a company, it doesn’t mean that everyone will — so have to rely on “chacon a son gout” (or as my grandmother put it “suseach his own”)
Cheers!
Gael
[Reply]
Confused, July 27th, 2010 at 1:35 pm Reply:
“In addition, if any connection with an end user IS made, the composer/artist is left on their own to negotiate and paper the deal”
Of course libraries and such do negotiations/paper for us (for placements) once we sign but we still have to deal with the contractual issues of the deal with the library! So really any deal whether through FMN, Taxi or on our own brings with it the responsibility of dealing with the negotiations (if any at all) and the paperwork. Not sure that’s “Taxi specific” issue.
[Reply]
Gael MacGregor, July 27th, 2010 at 5:31 pm Reply:
It’s any “pay in advance to have your music heard” service that removes themselves from the process after making a general connection between the parties.
Once you’ve signed on with a library, they usually handle all the negotiations and licenses, etc., but yes, you always have to do your own due diligence before signing with any of ‘em.
[Reply]
Gael,
One of the things we have taught our daughter is that in all encounters one can choose to tear someone down OR choose to build someone up.
I have no problem if you choose to tear down TAXI and what it does. It just doesn’t seem to help build you up.
Disagreeing with the policies of a company is all well and good, but I doubt you stand outside of Walmart with a sign to demonstrate that you don’t like them. It would be an exercise in futility and you probably would not be projecting a very professional image.
There are costs involved in a TAXI membership and a trek to the Rally. But compared to the expenditures I’ve made to have a top notch home studio, the costs are a drop in the bucket.
I believe that if one complains about TAXI charging for membership and submissions they should not be a member.
Also, based on some of your earlier comments, it seems you are drawing on some out- dated information about TAXI. For instance, last year there was a panel at the Rally of the top agent for video game music and three of his top composers. A listing followed and several TAXI members are now in the fold.
Recently, there have been additions of folks in Nashville and New York to expand opportunities for members.
The monthly live broadcasts are also relatively new and people are finding them to be very helpful, And, one does not have to be a member to participate.
As I stated in my earlier post, TAXI has, and is working for me. Is it perfect? Once again, no.
I’ve signed numerous tracks to libraries that were returned for a TAXI listing. But, the track may not have existed to begin with if I didn’t create it for a listing. Is there any value in that, probably.
Finally, if at some point, I no longer find TAXI to be of value for me, I will choose to not tear them down, privately or publicy. Even my fifteen year old daughter would choose that approach.
I don’t expect my comments to change the way you feel and I don’t plan on engaging in a debate on the merits of this, that or the other.
Respectively,
Chuck
[Reply]
Gael MacGregor, July 26th, 2010 at 7:32 pm Reply:
@ Chuck,
This site is supposed to be a spot for professional adults to freely post their experiences with particular libraries and services. The last I heard, it’s not designed to impart object lessons to children.
Professionals often disagree because their experiences and/or opinions about what is right and fair differ. Pretty simple and straightforward — no animosity, no angst.
One can object to a business model and still respect those who choose to utilize that company’s services. One can disagree with another’s point of view without demanding proof of their experience or otherwise denigrating an experience which differs from one’s own.
Obviously, one’s experience can easily be tempered by one’s success or failure within the business model — but it’s not an absolute. Those with success will likely have a more positive spin, and those who have experienced something less than expected may not — but sometimes folks CAN see both sides of the coin and come to differing conclusions.
If you’ll look at some of the other posts, you’ll see that a number of folks have had good AND bad things to say about this particular service and/or its business model.
And just because you may categorize those whose opinions differ from yours as a choice “to tear someone down” doesn’t make it so.
It simply means that their experiences differed from yours and they came to different conclusions based on their respective experiences.
My info is not outdated. While my own experience with this particular service as an artist is from long ago (and freely admitted), I have access to many artists whose experience is in present time (with mixed opinions and results). I’m working on a new film as a music supervisor, so I guess my experience there is also current. Just because someone doesn’t plunk down a membership fee doesn’t mean they’re ignorant about how something works and how it has changed over the years. There’s a lot of info available, and it doesn’t take a degree to ferret it out.
As for “I doubt you stand outside of Walmart with a sign to demonstrate that you don’t like them. It would be an exercise in futility…”
Actually, I HAVE protested Wal*Mart practices and taken part in efforts to curtail their illegal actions against workers (they keep losing lawsuits, too. so I guess the efforts of those who have taken part haven’t been so futile, after all).
In case you have any interest in a professional’s personal experiences in that regard, there’s a great book by Barbara Ehrenriech entitled “Nickel and Dimed: Or (Not) Getting By in America” : http://www.barbaraehrenreich.com/nickelanddimed.htm. Great reading and a wonderful eye opener.
Some folks will always tilt at the proverbial windmills and fight for the little guy.
Just because others choose NOT to do so does not mean the efforts should be dismissed, demeaned or inaccurately categorized merely as an attempt to “tear down” a person. In this instance, my objections are about a business model and speaking out against the concept and philosophy, not necessarily an individual, company or organization.
One can appreciate another’s success via a particular avenue and wish them well without choosing to walk down the same road.
I wish you all the best in your endeavors.
Respectfully,
Gael
[Reply]
In my opinion Taxi is not a scam…but it is also terribly ineffective in getting placements and incredibly inconsistent and nonsensical in what is forwarded and what is rejected.
And they do nothing that you can’t do for yourself on your own.
My personal opinion is that Taxi’s usefulness was outlived looooong ago.
[Reply]
C'mon, At least give all the facts!, July 27th, 2010 at 12:49 pm Reply:
From “Taxi Success Stories” on the Taxi forum:
********************************************
How cool isn’t this? (placement in the game “rock band”)
C&O (Mark Canty and Alexander Orest) have placed a song in the game “rock band”.
It’s REALLY cool to see your song performed with animated rock stars!!
********************************************
Mark
Don’t you think it’s a little disingenuous when you: Leave Taxi, have a success through Taxi by working with a Taxi member co-writer (who you wouldn’t even know if not for Taxi), and bash Taxi here?
[Reply]
Mark Canty, July 27th, 2010 at 5:18 pm Reply:
Taxi had zero to do with the Rock Band placement. I AM glad I met my co-writer through the forums but that is the extent of Taxi’s worthiness to me.
I also didn’t place that on the message board
[Reply]
Gael MacGregor, July 27th, 2010 at 5:27 pm Reply:
@ Mark,
The owner of the company said on another board that such success stories were posted by members. Was it posted by your co-writer, perhaps?
[Reply]
anon, July 27th, 2010 at 6:04 pm Reply:
Your co-writer posted it under “Taxi Success Stories”.
[Reply]
Anonymous, July 27th, 2010 at 6:10 pm Reply:
I’ve heard much the same about other TAXI success stories.
[Reply]
C'mon, At least give all the facts!, July 27th, 2010 at 6:49 pm Reply:
Yes, there have been a number if instances where someone left Taxi but later co-wrote with a member and had Taxi successes as a result of those co-writes. Then that person went on to say negative things publicly about Taxi…. Now that’s Chutzpah!
[Reply]
Mark Canty, July 27th, 2010 at 7:06 pm Reply:
Once again…my placement with Rockband was not achieved through Taxi and Taxi had nothing to do with it whatsoever. I feel like you are trying to distort the facts to be honest, “c’mon”. I think you need to heed the advice of your screen name.
In fact none of my placements have been the result of Taxi.
It’s my opinion that Taxi is a waste of time and money. That’s based on being a member, getting nonsense reviews and very few forwards….while at the same time placing vocal compositions in video games and
most recently a feature film just through my own persistence and networking.
[Reply]
Mark Canty, July 27th, 2010 at 7:10 pm Reply:
Oh yeah….my co-writer may feel differently than I do about Taxi. I don’t demand that he thinks exactly as I do. I’ve never really asked him. As for me, Taxi was not and is not helpful
[Reply]
C'mon, At least give all the facts!, July 27th, 2010 at 7:22 pm Reply:
But that’s not my point. My point in my other post (below this I think) is you really are benefiting from Taxi because your co-writer is. Nothing wrong with that. But to reap the benefits of Taxi on one hand and bash them publicly with the other… well, that’s what bothers me.
If you and your partner are having successes out there (and I’m happy for you)… Can you really say that Taxi hasn’t contributed to that success? I’ve watched your partner’s growth with Taxi via the forum since 2008. He’s gotten better because of Taxi. That makes what comes out of your collaborations better too.
MHO is indirectly or not, Taxi has helped your career.
[Reply]
Mark Canty, July 27th, 2010 at 7:31 pm Reply:
You don’t know what you’re talking about. Neither of us has submitted any of our co-written songs through Taxi. I know I haven’t and I’m pretty sure he hasn’t. None of my placements have come as a result of Taxi. None of his either to the best of my knowledge. So I’m not sure what your point is
[Reply]
C'mon, At least give all the facts!, July 27th, 2010 at 7:06 pm Reply:
Hmmmm…. Mark:
One of your own bios says:
********************************************************
Mark Aaron Canty is a producer, singer, and songwriter and one half of the music production team Canty & XYZ. Canty & XYZ has placed songs in television shows on CBS and Out! Network as well as documentary films. (I left your partner’s name out on purpose- it’s not relevant and he’s a good guy who I like and respect).
*********************************************************
From what I see, your partner has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience as a Taxi member. So now you are not a member, are partnered with someone you met because of Taxi, whose skills have improved because of his Taxi membership, and are making placements because of that…. But Taxi is worthless? Shame on you.
[Reply]
Mark Canty, July 27th, 2010 at 7:24 pm Reply:
Ok, Taxi’s worth to me was that I met a valued co-writer on their message board. I don’t understand how that makes Taxi’s services worthwhile.
[Reply]
C'mon, At least give all the facts!, July 27th, 2010 at 7:26 pm Reply:
Because your co-writers skills improved as a result of his Taxi membership. That’s what I’ve been saying, Mark. His improved skills benefit you, don’t they?
[Reply]
Mark Canty, July 27th, 2010 at 7:33 pm Reply:
So without the taxi membership his skills would not have improved??? That’s a bit absurd
[Reply]
Anonymous, July 27th, 2010 at 7:46 pm Reply:
Mark,
Your partner has over 2000 posts on the TAXI Forum.
Not one of them seems to be discussing the weather in Sweden.
By tapping into the collective knowledge on the TAXI Forum, he most likely has improved his skill sets at a much faster rate.
I am also aware of one of his TAXI deals that have resulted in many, many tracks being signed which have required a lot of output which by itself increases one’s skill set. (this is first hand knowledge, I have the Excel spreadsheet. )
Have his skills grown while he’s been a member-absolutely!!
[Reply]
Mark Canty, July 27th, 2010 at 8:06 pm Reply:
I can’t really speak for him. My point (once again) is that Taxi has never led to a placement for any song I’ve been involved in.
He’s a talented guy (far more talented than I am) and he can speak for himself.
But as for me, Taxi was a complete non-factor.
Sorry it offends so many of you apparently but it is what it is.
[Reply]
Mark Canty, July 27th, 2010 at 8:09 pm Reply:
I will also point out that he writes tons of music without me and I write songs on my own as well. I’m speaking only for myself and my own experience with Taxi.
[Reply]
C'mon, At least give all the facts!, July 27th, 2010 at 7:47 pm Reply:
Can’t say what would have happened had he never joined Taxi (other than you wouldn’t have met him)… But the impression I get from his forum posts is that Taxi has helped him grow a lot in the film/TV music world.
[Reply]
Mark Canty, July 27th, 2010 at 8:13 pm Reply:
Maybe it has, maybe it hasn’t. I’ve never asked him about it. I am not sure why we are even discussing a co-writer. I’m speaking of my own experience. That experience is that for me PERSONALLY….Taxi has not helped. Not sure why it’s so offensive or hard to grasp
[Reply]
Dave Walton, July 27th, 2010 at 8:08 pm Reply:
You know my story… *my* skills improved significantly through Taxi. Probably half through the critiques and half through the forum and forum members. The third half was of course through hard work.
In 2004, this was my “CSI” music (not ever used for anything and probably never will be)…
http://www.DaveWaltonMusic.com/MyMusic/CaveDwellers.mp3
In 2009, this was my “CSI” music (this time used in a CSI promo through a Taxi deal with The Music Kitchen)…
http://www.DaveWaltonMusic.com/MyMusic/AmIDreamingThemeEdit.mp3
Geez… I’m very proud of that and very grateful for the opportunity and experience. I’ve met some great musician/composers through Taxi, the forum and the Rally. One of my recent project/placements is a co-write from a Taxi gal from the UK where we wrote a children’s song. The placement came directly from another Taxi member. Another recent placement is a co-write with another person who I met through Taxi. That placement was through Alan Ett Music Group (or whatever they are now), a library deal I picked up on my own. Crucial Music picked up another track of ours too not long ago, an angry teen pop kind of song. That I got on my own too.
Anyway, I feel that both myself and my co-writers each benefit from the others expanded experiences.
FWIW…
Dave
[Reply]
Gael MacGregor, July 27th, 2010 at 8:00 pm Reply:
@ C’mon,
It’s pretty cheeky to assume that someone’s talent and skills have developed merely because they’ve paid a membership fee and participated in a group’s online forum.
How do you know whether this person’s development wasn’t from his own maturing as an individual and his association with OTHER musicians or mentors or whatever? Have you listened to his work over the years? Have you assisted in his development? Have you critiqued his work and given him suggestions on how to improve it?
Unless you’re in the bed or under it, it seems that one should actually pay attention to what the person whose music is the subject of the discussion is saying.
Mark has freely stated that he met a co-writer via this service’s online forum, but that the writing & placements they have done together were made OUTSIDE the scope of the service and what it provides.
To assume he should be a cheerleader for the service simply because he met a current co-writer through their online forum is like telling me that since I met my producer and co-writer because we were hired by the same horrible band I should be singing THEIR praises instead of HIS. They didn’t have a thing to do with his #1 Billboard hit or our mutual success in placing his/my/our music.
You can meet all sorts of folks under all sorts of circumstances, and just because you met someone at a conference or a symposium or a party or whatever, it doesn’t mean you attribute the person’s talent, success or your association with them to anything other than their inherent talent, your creative connection and the happy coincidence(s) that brought you together.
Cheers!
Gael
[Reply]
C'mon, At least give all the facts!, July 28th, 2010 at 5:33 am Reply:
With all due respect Gael, unless you’ve been reading the Taxi forum for the past few years (as myself and many others here have), you really can’t make an informed response here. It’s not at all cheeky if one has been on the Taxi forum. It’s clear as day. His partner didn’t just “pay a membership fee and participate in an online fourm”… As someone said, his 2000 posts are not about the weather. In fact, it is more cheeky to say his skills haven’t improved because of Taxi.
But please understand, my posts to Mark are really not about whether Taxi is good or bad, we like or don’t like the biz model, etc. Mark made a specific post here bashing Taxi as ineffiicient, ineffective, and having outlived its value a “looooong” time ago. My entire set of posts is to say it’s bad style to publicly bash a company that may have acutally helped your career. Had Mark never made that post and I wasn’t aware of the things I mentioned, I wouldn’t have felt so compelled to respond.
You don’t have to be a cheerleader, but you can also say nothing.
There’s more… Mark is a former Taxi member who used to post on the forum when his submissions got returned for production and performance issues. (I feel your frustration and pain, Mark… BTW… been there!)… He then went on to collaborate and have more industry success that way. Again, I’m happy for him! I want to see folks succeed! But had Taxi not returned his submissions, would he have even realized he needed to collaborate to succeed? From my POV, one needs to look at the whole picture, especially before that kind of public comment.
So it isn’t about Taxi’s business model… It’s about personal style and professionalism and maybe a little gratitude?
BTW, I do not work for Taxi. I’m just another member here.
[Reply]
Gael MacGregor, July 28th, 2010 at 6:48 am Reply:
@ C’mon,
With all due respect, I have followed MANY forums over the last decade and pop in from time to time to watch trends, stay informed and otherwise keep a finger on the pulse of many different services, etc., including the one of which you speak. Don’t assume what I — or others here — do to keep abreast of what’s going on in our industry.
Mark’s original remarks were pretty innocuous, and what has he gotten?
“Shame on you” and accusations.
“…your partner has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience as a Taxi member” — and you know that for certain… how? Have you had the privilege of reviewing his music over the last few years?
“…your co-writers skills improved as a result of his Taxi membership…” — perhaps you know that for certain because you’ve seen critiques on his submitted music?
A few folks here jumped on Mark’s case, basically declaring him a traitor merely because he happened to meet a co-writer on an online forum, but (based on his own experience) has said he doesn’t really see that the service itself is a valuable tool for him in today’s marketplace.
I say again, that just because I met my producer/co-writer in a lousy band doesn’t mean THEY deserve the credit for his success, my success or our combined successes. We did that on our own. The band was merely the place we met — nothing more.
“…had Taxi not returned his submissions, would he have even realized he needed to collaborate to succeed?”
Well, now… I guess the only one who knows that is Mark. Only he can say whether he’s ever gotten feedback from more than one source about his music over the years, and whether he has collaborated with more than just one person during the course of his professional life.
But no-one really ASKED him, they just made assumptions FOR him and accused him of wrongdoing based on a number of assumptions that turned out to be completely incorrect.
Mark himself said: “…I write songs on my own…” and “Taxi has never led to a placement for any song I’ve been involved in…”
What is so hard to grasp about that? Pretty succinct, I’d say.
Enough Mark bashing, already.
Not that he has to, but he has more than justified his personal experiences and yet some keep bringing his co-writer into the mix — as if they are somehow joined at the hip as one entity and aren’t allowed to have differing opinions just because they happen to do some writing together.
And when you say “You don’t have to be a cheerleader, but you can also say nothing” I think you’re missing the point of THIS forum.
It is to discuss experiences — good, bad or in-between — about specific libraries and services, and to put forth personal perceptions about those experiences — all in the spirit of a free exchange of ideas, opinions, successes and failures.
Cheers!
Gael
[Reply]
Mark Canty, July 28th, 2010 at 7:13 am Reply:
It’s a little annoying to me that a nameless poster like you pretends to know my life story, when in fact nearly all of your facts are wrong. My song “I’m Comin’ Home” was just placed in a feature film. It’s a solo work. My entire catalogue is not comprised of collaborations and it’s also false that the majority of my “success” is due to collaborating. I think I know who you are, and frankly it should be beneath YOU but I’ve had enough experience dealing with you to realize it’s not.
If the stated purpose of Taxi was to connect me with a brilliant co-writer via its forum then I’d say it’s a smashing success.
However, that’s not really the stated purpose of Taxi. For doing what Taxi is supposed to do, I found it terribly slow, ineffective, and expensive. And i also found that I could make the contacts myself in most cases.
The whole purpose of this forum is to tell about your experiences, right? Well I’ve told about mine. Taxi was not useful for me and in my opinion it is just not that necessary. The annual fee and $5 a submission makes it even more obsolete IN MY OPINION.
It’s not like the Taxi loyalists are going to change my experiences but by all means keep trying!!
[Reply]
Gael MacGregor, July 28th, 2010 at 7:57 am Reply:
Hey, Mark,
I feel that you should get something for being raked over the hot coals for no good reason…
Would you email me (gaelmacgrgor@yahoo.com) with some links to your music (including songs) that are representative of the work you’re seeking to license for film & TV?
I’d like to take a listen.
Thanks!
Gael
[Reply]
John (the other John), July 28th, 2010 at 9:38 am Reply:
Hey Gael, I’ve been raked over the coals my whole life. Don’t I deserve something.
John
[Reply]
Gael MacGregor, July 28th, 2010 at 5:34 pm Reply:
Sure, John,
Send me a direct link and I’ll listen.
Cheers!
Gael
[Reply]
John (the other John), July 28th, 2010 at 5:41 pm Reply:
Thanks Gael, I’ll do that.
I gotta be honest though. I’ve been very fortunate in life. Never been raked over the coals. Maybe I don’t deserve something after all.
[Reply]
Mark Canty, July 28th, 2010 at 3:06 pm Reply:
Gael: I sent you an email. Did you intentionally leave the “e” out of your last name in the email address??
[Reply]
Gael MacGregor, July 28th, 2010 at 4:56 pm Reply:
Ooops, Mark…
A slip of the ol’ fongfers (that’s “fingers” in Typonese).
gaelmacgregor@yahoo.com
Look forward to hearing your work.
Cheers!
[Reply]
Rob (Cruciform), July 28th, 2010 at 5:11 pm Reply:
Hi Gael, I emailed you a suggestion the other day but haven’t heard back yet. Have you given it any thought? Cheers.
[Reply]
Mark Canty, July 28th, 2010 at 3:09 pm Reply:
I think the reason Taxi and its loyalists have such a problem with this forum is because they can’t censor it as they do their own forums. I wonder why they have to censor?? Hmmm
[Reply]
John (the other John), July 28th, 2010 at 4:19 pm Reply:
Are you sure that’s a fact Mark? Did you do the proper research?
[Reply]
AccuracyHereIsMissing, July 28th, 2010 at 5:16 pm Reply:
I’ll make my last post here by saying that in the Smashtrax section someone posted without any supporting information, “they retitle and claim your writers share!”.
I’m in Smashtrax, so I got out the contract and posted the correct details. John (the other John) then thanked me for clearing that up and asked about another detail. I posted a reply which gave him exactly the information he was asking about.
So accurate information does have value doesn’t it John (the other John)? Or at least it had enough value earlier today for you to ask me to give you information you wanted. How much value was there in thinking that Smashtrax rips composers by claiming the writers share?
And how much value is there in thinking that Taxi members censor their own forum? You decide based on the value of the information I gave you for Smashtrax.
Last post… good luck all
[Reply]
Gael MacGregor, July 28th, 2010 at 5:47 pm Reply:
I recently was asked to review a library contract sent to a composer that was anything but the library’s “standard” contract. It was was actually asking for a buyout for a specific program that was contrary to the contract already signed by the composer.
They wanted an immediate answer, and partial writer’s buyout WAS a part of the new contract being presented.
What is presented to one composer might not be presented to another. I know for a fact (’cause I’ve seen the agreements) that there are some services and libraries which have different contracts for different “levels” of composers and/or artists with different terms and conditions.
Which means that your contract might differ from the one they present to me.
So there’s always a caveat when dealing with contracts…
If one questions the potential contract, best to go to the source (the library/service) and ask to review the agreement prior to moving forward.
If the library/service won’t provide a copy in advance for the composer and his/her attorney to review, then run away, ’cause that means they definitely have sumthin’ to hide.
Cheers!
Gael
[Reply]
slideboardouts, July 28th, 2010 at 5:29 pm Reply:
Taxi members don’t censor their forum, and I personally have no problem with this site/forum. I think its a good tool.
[Reply]
Gael,
My observation about “tearing down” was in reference to TAXI and its business model.
Just because one doesn’t agree with the business model and may not feel it works for them there is no reason to tear TAXI down, IMO.
There are some very successful TAXI members who continue to renew their membership every year and attend the Rally. Are they “duped” because they pay a membership fee and a submission fee?
Comments from those who disagree with the TAXI model would lead one to believe that is the case. Count me as one of the “duped”.
I also use other paths in addition to TAXI. I have found, however, that my fellow members (with whom I interact with face to face many times per year) are fast becoming a valuable source for favorable introductions. Generally speaking, a referral is better than a cold call.
This has only come about because we have face time at the Rally and other times during the year in Nashville, LA and San Francisco.
A trust relationship, IMO, is much easier to create and sustain with face to face interaction.
Being a composer can be a very lonely career. It is great to have an ever growing group of kindred spirits who can be collaborators, co-writers and the technical help desk on many occasions.
All of this could be accomplished by not being a TAXI member. It could possibly take much longer and certainly would not be as much fun!!! AND, why be on this journey if you can’t have fun.
Gael, if we could sit and chat over a cup of coffee we would most likely become friends, even if we never did any business together. Due to the way we all communicate these days (including this site) we have forgetten the power of building trust face to face.
Respectfully,
Chuck
BTW While we are recommending books, if you haven’t yet, check out “Drive” by Daniel Pink.
He is th author of “A Whole New Mind” and has some very interesting thoughts on creativity, as well as how we are motivated.
[Reply]
Gael MacGregor, July 26th, 2010 at 11:11 pm Reply:
Chuck,
I can separate a person’s success via a particular avenue and my opinions about the road to that success. I have a hard time sitting idly by, however, when I’m asked about a particular service whose business model I find to be less than exemplary.
That is part of what this forum is about — putting one’s experience out there for others to review. This way a composer/artist can have a sense of “the good, the bad and the ugly” instead of just the company’s rosy PR campaign slogans and flashy website promo.
It doesn’t mean that a person who chooses to be involved with a particular “pay in advance of possibly being heard” service has been “duped” or “scammed” — If they know exactly what they’re getting into, what the risks are, whether they feel the output of funds can give them potential placements/successes that exceed their investment, and/or if they inherently believe the business model is fair, more power to them. I hope they succeed with it.
Unfortunately, so many new, eager, unconnected composers/artists jump at the chance just to be heard by ANYONE “in the biz” with a few credentials — much in the same fashion many bands did the whole “pay to play” club scene in L.A. for so many years. It wasn’t until a lot of the artists and bands got together and fought against that system that there were some changes made (still not perfect by any means, but not anywhere nearly as bad as it was in the 1980s and ’90s).
I happen to disagree with any business model built upon a “pay in advance for only the possibility to be heard by people who need music for their projects” philosophy. The company under discussion in this thread is one of those companies, although NOT the only one out there.
I have friends and/or colleagues who are/have been screeners for the service and others who obtain composers for their libraries via the service (the former get paid for their efforts and it’s free for the latter to troll for talent, so why shouldn’t they be advocates, eh?).
I don’t discount those whose experience has been positive and have led to placements and/or contacts.
I am an advocate for local groups and face-to-face interaction whenever possible. It certainly can be a lot of fun and can definitely help to build trust amongst the participants. It is why I participate in such events — to support those groups which I believe are truly looking to be advocates, allies and/or avenues for composers and artists to interact.
I stay clear of those I believe are exploiting a substantial portion of their membership with false hopes and/or a murky sense of what exactly is being paid for. If such services would simply say “We have a lot of professionals willing to give you feedback on your music, but it’ll cost you $X a year to have access to them — and, oh yeah… in the course of reviewing your work, if we think it’s suitable for a project we have on hand we’ll send it along” that’d be one thing… but the shot in the dark approach using “if we think it fits a pitch we might forward it” as bait seems a little duplicitous. A yearly fee, plus an additional per submission payment (for whatever the stated reason[s]) gives the appearance of double dipping into the composers/artists’ pockets. I’ve yet to hear a satisfactory spin to adequately (IMHO) justify BOTH fees.
I think the reason so many composers/artists may be passionate about this particular service is that those who have had success often appear to be blind to the fact that (just as in record label A&R), a very few achieve success, while the bulk of the participants appear to languish in obscurity. Those who have not achieved success are often lambasted and asked “Are you sure it’s not your music?” as if that were the only criteria involved. They are most often criticized and marginalized, with their opinions and experiences negated and/or dismissed by those some have dubbed “cheerleaders” for the service.
A relatively recent report from a major label indicated that the average number of units sold by their signed artists averaged out to 800 (yep, eight HUNDRED) units sold per act. The labels blame the acts, yet put little money, time or effort into most of them, holding their ad dollars for whoever they think can give them the fastest turnaround for their buck. So that $20million in advertising goes into whatever act or two (or maybe even three) they think can be shoved down the public’s throats as the “new best thing” — much to the detriment of the other acts who received little or no attention, budget or push. The handful of success stories is far outweighed by the failures, yet the PR (understandably) focuses on the ones who succeed — giving the new crop of wannabes who get signed the false hope that THEY will be the “next big thing” at the label. The artist only gets 14% of that pie, too — with 86% of it going to the label — and the artist has to pay everyone (including the label) for services, etc. Regardless of what one might think of her or her music, Courtney Love nailed it on the head with her speech to the Digital Hollywood online entertainment conference in New York in May of 2000 (http://www.salon.com/technology/feature/2000/06/14/love). Most of it is as true today as it was then (although the Copyright Law change to which she refers WAS repealed).
I think that is part of why those who may have had a bad experience with the service might feel a little put upon — that perhaps they haven’t gotten a fair shake at actually having their music heard by the decision makers — but stopped at the gate by an in-house A&R guy/gal who may or may not be on the same wave length as the director or supervisor seeking the music.
I’m only supposing — based on a lot of the artist/composer feedback I’ve gotten from both sides of the fence, so perhaps some of them can speak up as to why the passions run so deeply here (regardless of whether it’s pro or con or somewhere in-between).
Cheers!
Gael
[Reply]
Gael,
One aspect of TAXI that I see played out by a member (or former member) who complains it doesn’t work is that it doesn’t work is because the the member didn’t work.
Let’s face it, it is hard work to compose music, develop a catalog of hundreds of tracks and get them to the market. Along the way there is little revenue and much outflow to have the tools to compete at the highest level of the game.
Then there is the aspect of continuing to learn and study music and musical styles.
Who in their right mind would want to do this to begin with?
I believe this set of circumstances sets one up in advance to fold before any success can be achieved. It is a natural human tendency when failure occurs to look elsewhere for the source of failure. For instance, if I only had better equipment, if my wife was more supportive, if TAXI forwarded my great music, if the screeners weren’t such idiots AND on and on.
It is hard to become successful and sustain that success over along period of time. And, there are few short cuts.
I signed up for a three year membership when I joined TAXI. I did not want to have to evaluate my success or failure after just one year. I knew it would take longer to get a foothold.
A very common occurance on the TAXI forum is a first year member posting that they are not renewing their membership because they submitted 6 tracks, had one forward, 5 returns and no deals. Is this a formula for success? Furthermore, this person is now a great ambassador for TAXI. (“TAXI sucks and is a rip off”) This same “ambaasador” may have also exercised the money back guarantee that TAXI offers in the first year.
I also have first hand knowledge of a screener being fired. Again. a great new “ambassador” for TAXI.
The amazing thing to me is the need to throw mud on a service that didn’t work and it is very often the members fault that it didn’t. My pest service wouldn’t work if I didn’t let them in the house to spray for bugs, My accountant could not complete my return without my W2, 1099s and business expenses, and my DAW would function properly if I don’t spent the time learning how to use it.
For me to get on a public forum to complain about how my pest service, my accountant and my DAW builder are scams or outdated or fleece their customers seems a little beyond any common sense. (maybe people actually do this and I just don’t know where those forums reside)
I know if I can’t sustain success as a composer it will because I choose to fold, it certainly won’t be TAXI’s fault.
Chuck
[Reply]
the other Steve, July 27th, 2010 at 6:44 am Reply:
First of all, this is a public forum created to talk about companies and services based on personal experience. If you don’t think that is a good idea, then why are you here?I think the first thing a person should do is to allow others their opinion without bashing them for it. This site is about personal experience. If it doesn’t match yours, then move on and shut up. You can say everything is rosey and the next person might think the opposite. Neither is wrong, except when you insist the other person must be lying or a lousy musician because their experience didn’t match yours. You can’t take back anyone else’s personal experience and replace it with your own and you can’t stop people from talking about their own personal experience with a company. Talk about your own experience and leave others alone. We are all entitled to post our opinions without being corrected like third grade children. If you don’t like what is said, report your own experience and stop bashing those whose experience differs from yours.
I wish I was half as eloquent as Gael. It’s taken me months of Art removing my curse words to get this far
, but it whacks me off when people INSIST that one should not be giving an opinion on an open forum created for that purpose because it doesn’t match yours.
Many thanks Art, for allowing our opinions to be openly expressed.
And YES there are forums where people complain about their pest service, their accountants, and their equipment (if they don’t work properly). Try Angie’s List for a start.
[Reply]
John (the other John), July 27th, 2010 at 7:42 am Reply:
Amen!
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Anonymous, July 27th, 2010 at 8:10 am Reply:
Steve,
Thanks for your reply and thoughts.
And the invitation to leave, it’s the best suggestion I’ve had all month.
As I said earlier, you can choose to build people up or tear them down. Thanks for tearing me down. It sure makes me feel better about being a new participant here and possibly offering some thoughts and insights based on my experience with many music libraries.
I just get very tired of all the TAXI bashing that is NOT based on personal experience but the third hand comments of disgruntled former members.
I do not feel I need to defend TAXI and I certainly don’t need to defend myself.
Chuck
(A former participant on the Music Library Report Forum.)
[Reply]
Art, July 27th, 2010 at 9:09 am Reply:
Sorry to see you go Chuck. You are always welcome to come back.
My personal experience with Taxi (as I have mentioned here before) is this. I have tried Taxi 3 times over the last 25 years or so. My instinct has always been that this was an overpriced service but I’m always open to have my point of view changed. The end result is that I have never had any luck with them. The last time was just a few years ago as I was starting out writing library music. Once again nothing but a few forwards. This was the same music that was (and is) being run on the air constantly. I had much better success with FMN Submit Direct and for a lot less money. My experience and frustration with Taxi was one of many reasons that I started Music Library Report.
[Reply]
=============
“Sounds like library music is really quite non productive as all I keep hearing is “May never get placed” or “takes 5 years and that’s when you have gone through the mill if your lucky” and so on
=============
This is from the Crucial Music section of MLR and the result of the kind of dopey misinformation that gets put forth (without any supporting facts). The idea that as an industry, that library music isn’t productive is just laughable looney tunes except it’s not very funny because this guy has been led in the wrong direction by all the negative, unsupported posts. It’s an illustration of the ridiculous notion that “all posts have value” because they’re someone’s opinion. Too bad for that guy… not much value in the disgruntled posts that brought him to that misguided conclusion.
The posts that have the most value are accompanied with some kind of supporting facts. Try submitting your college thesis without supporting facts, see how far you get.
[Reply]
Gael MacGregor, July 27th, 2010 at 2:59 pm Reply:
It’s pretty easy to discern the wheat from the chaff, Accuracy.
The posts that focus on personal experience — whether positive or negative — can be separated from posts which make suppositions as to the “whys” behind success and/or failure or lean heavily on innuendo or rumor.
Those which read like a disgruntled ex-employee’s generalized rants are completely different from reasoned arguments for/against a particular company and/or its practices. The latter almost always have the writer’s personal experience as part of their pro/anti stance.
What’s most bothersome to me is that while many of the “anti” side of an issue seem to be able to acknowledge others’ success, and often then say “but it didn’t work for me and here’s why,” the “pro” side seems to often demand “proof” from those who take an opposing view — as if by merely disagreeing with the “rah-rah it’s great” stance (held by those whose success would naturally makes them more prone to a positive opinion), and then automatically call into question the veracity of the person disagreeing with them.
To put it bluntly, when one calls a person a liar (straight up or in a roundabout fashion) for simply stating their experiences and opinions, it tends to make ‘em a little hot under the collar.
Can we not simply accept the fact that each person’s experience will differ, and that if you say yours was good, and another says their’s was bad, we can acknowledge both as valid experiences instead of giving a knee-jerk reactions against anyone whose opinion differs from our own?
This is an online forum for professional composers/artists, not a college masters thesis board — and (as with ANY forum, group — whether it be professional or amateur) there will always be differing opinions and experiences. I know a lot of music supervisors and we all have a broad range of opinions and methods in how we work, find music and do our respective jobs. It doesn’t make any ONE way the “right” way (sounds pretty rigid and unworkable to me).
Perhaps we can all be a little more accepting of each others’ personal experiences and points of view and stop demonizing those whose opinions don’t coincide with our own?
It’s not ALWAYS just about the music, ya know…
Cheers!
Gael
[Reply]
Dear god 15 email updates on Taxi in the last hour – I really have to unsubscribe from this thread lol
[Reply]
This is my 2 cents,
I joined TAXI a little over a year ago, and for me its been a mostly positive experience.
I’ve signed with 6 libraries that I would not have had access to (or wouldn’t have known of) without TAXI.
85% of the time I think their reviews are accurate, the other 15% not so much.
It isn’t for everyone (obviously from this thread), but for me it’s been good. The Road Rally was extremely cool!
[Reply]
The road rally alone is worth the price of membership. As much as I don’t like the aspect of paying to submit music to companies that you can contact on your own, the road rally has a great reputation among many top composers and supervisors.
[Reply]
anon, July 27th, 2010 at 12:36 pm Reply:
Yes, oontz ABSOLUTELY…. The rally is worth the price of membership. It’s an amazing event. Taxi invests a very large amount of time and money to make that event happen. I do ‘get it’ that there are travel expenses for people to get there. But being serious in this biz means some investment- gear, recording equipment, computers, and yes– marketing and conferences.
Although Taxi does run some library listings for libraries which take submissions directly, there are many opportunities that would be much harder to find on your own. Someone earlier in this thread mentioned “favorable introductions”. It’s important IMO not to minimize the value of these. Just a few of these can make a lot of difference. I’ve been introduced to people because of Taxi that I may not have been able to start a relationship with on my own.
BTW, a number of recent film/TV listings are direct to music sups, not to libraries.
[Reply]
Paul, July 27th, 2010 at 1:51 pm Reply:
Anon, I think you’re missing a point. For a lot of people paying for a road rally is a major major financial stretch. It’s true that to be serious in this biz you need to own some gear and other things and it’s great that Taxi makes the rally available but not everyone has the means to go and for a lot of people it isn’t appropriate.
[Reply]
oontz oontz, July 27th, 2010 at 2:37 pm Reply:
If paying for a yearly road rally is a major financial stretch, those people have bigger things to worry about than their music career and shouldn’t sign up with taxi in the first place.
Also, the road rally is free to taxi members. And anyone with 15 minutes to spare on the internet can look up how to accrue frequent flier/hotel points to book a first class plane ticket and hotel suite for about $75 TOTAL.
BTW, I’m not recommending Taxi to anyone. But those who choose Taxi need to go to the rally.
[Reply]
Paul, July 27th, 2010 at 3:17 pm Reply:
I live in Germany. If there’s a way I can get to the road rally for less than $1000 incl I’d like to hear about it.
[Reply]
oontz oontz, July 27th, 2010 at 8:13 pm Reply:
Absolutely, I went to Germany a few years ago using this same principle..
Get yourself a hotel points earning credit card, the sign up bonus alone should cover your hotel stay for 2 days at a safe, somewhat stylish hotel in the LA area.
Lufthansa flies direct from Frankfurt – Los Angeles for about $800 USD.
If you don’t want to get a new credit card, there are budget motels in Hollywood for $40/night.
I believe the road rally is free for Taxi members, so you’re all set. Although i would recommend the Billboard/Hollywood Reporter conference ahead of the road rally. Billboard charges about $375 for a conference ticket though..
Hope that helps!
[Reply]
Gael MacGregor, July 27th, 2010 at 4:37 pm Reply:
If they would simply say, “Okay, guys, here’s the deal… we want to do this big thing every year and that’s what your membership fee covers. It’s a valuable tool in your arsenal, and will help you connect with folks ‘in the biz’ who might want your music, and a place to meet other composers and artists, too” that’d be honest.
Saying “You get a second ticket to bring a friend to see if they want to become a member, too” would also be honest.
A critique would be categorized as a “screener’s fee of $5-$15 per submission (1-3 tracks)” — and would go a long way in raising the credibility factor.
Straightforward, honest and to the point — that’s all.
It would then be no different than any other symposium for which one would pay to attend (as an FYI, this year’s Billboard/Hollywood Reporter’s early bird registration fee for their Film & TV Music Conference @ the Hyatt Regency is $349) or a critiquing service (such as are readily available to novelists and screenwriters).
Let’s face it though… The dangling carrot of “we might send your music to a supervisor, library or artist” is what continues to bring in the membership fees, however. It’s the selling of a dream, not selling the reality of the services being provided.
Fact: Supervisors and libraries seeking composers pay nothing to find you and your music via their service.
To call a big yearly event “free” to members (+1) is kinda disingenuous, IMHO.
Just how do you think they PAY for such an event and who is paying for the music to be heard?
Fact: The composers and the artists.
To the tune of at least $2million per year (based on a claimed 9,000 membership roster at $250 a pop — some paying $300, others $200, whether or not they are new or renewals, so splitting the difference & going lowball here).
What percentage of those composers and artists are actually getting deals?
Here’s what they say on their site:
“You’ll get more than 1,200 opportunities a year in just about every conceivable genre of music.”
Just how many will be appropriate for your kind of music/tracks? Check out their listings over a period of time to see whether what they seem to be seeking fits what you have to present. During that time of discovery, start working on developing personal relationships so you can be a ‘go to guy/gal’ instead of just another ‘forward.’
“Our success rate for members who score deals usually runs about 6% per year. The number is probably a little higher, but not all members who get deals remember to call and let us know.”
So let’s translate that into real numbers:
With the stated “more than 1,200 opportunities” per year, and
…looking at a 6-10% success rate
…it’s either 72-120 placements per year (maybe a little more, depending on the actual number of opportunities) — OR, if the “success rate” percentage is actually based on a percentage of members achieving placements (not opportunities, and, perhaps multiple placements by a single composer/artist), then we’re looking at 540-900 placements from an unspecified number of composers/artists… but there doesn’t seem to be a way of adequately discerning from which number the percentages are being derived (help me out here, math geeks) [lol].
Cool for those who get ‘em, but regardless of the final numbers, EVERY member is paying for the success of an admittedly small percentage.
Be honest about what the dollars are paying for, and my level of respect would rise.
Respectfully,
Gael
[Reply]
slideboardouts, July 27th, 2010 at 7:16 pm Reply:
============================================================
If they would simply say, “Okay, guys, here’s the deal… we want to do this big thing every year and that’s what your membership fee covers. It’s a valuable tool in your arsenal, and will help you connect with folks ‘in the biz’ who might want your music, and a place to meet other composers and artists, too” that’d be honest.
============================================================
Actually, saying that would be dishonest. The Road Rally didn’t start until several years after TAXI had been in business, and the membership fee has stayed the same since TAXI started. So the Road Rally really is a free add-on to the membership, because there was always a membership fee but there wasn’t always a Rally. It was added later.
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Saying “You get a second ticket to bring a friend to see if they want to become a member, too” would also be honest.
============================================================
Well, I can’t speak for anybody else’s level of intelligence, but I was certainly intelligent enough to realize that they were giving me a free ticket to give to a friend in order to recruit more members. Duh. Just like when AT&T sends me offers for free phones. They want to give me a free phone in return for signing a new 2 year contract so that they have a guaranteed revenue stream from me for 2 years. Now, they don’t say “Hey, we’re going to give you this phone so that we can make a ton of money off of you for 2 years,” but I know that that is why they are offering me a free phone. They want my business and I don’t have a problem with it.
============================================================
To call a big yearly event “free” to members (+1) is kinda disingenuous, IMHO.
Just how do you think they PAY for such an event and who is paying for the music to be heard?
Fact: The composers and the artists.
============================================================
Again, there was not always a Road Rally, and when it was added the membership fee REMAINED THE SAME. The membership fee has NEVER increased. It hasn’t even increased to keep up with the rate of inflation, so in real terms it has actually DECREASED. TAXI added the Rally several years after they opened for business. Talk about no good deed goes unpunished.
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“You’ll get more than 1,200 opportunities a year in just about every conceivable genre of music.”
Just how many will be appropriate for your kind of music/tracks? Check out their listings over a period of time to see whether what they seem to be seeking fits what you have to present.
============================================================
Well, it really only takes one to make a difference and change your life. And I can say that from personal experience. Like I said in my post below: TAXI is a cheap cheap cheap expense when talking about the costs of running a business.
And of course, the listings ARE something you have to look at before deciding to join. If all you do is Arabic music and Arabic music is the only thing you ever want to do for the rest of your life, then yeah you might not want to join TAXI or any listing service for that matter. If you are only going to do one or two things, regardless of what it is, you have a tough row to plow no matter what.
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During that time of discovery, start working on developing personal relationships so you can be a ‘go to guy/gal’ instead of just another ‘forward.’
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If you are not in a city like LA or at least close to a city like LA, “developing personal relationships so you can be a go to guy/gal” is easier said than done. Doable, but tough. Especially since there are some fantastic companies out there who have no web presence and/or don’t take unsolicited submissions. They can be pretty hard to find out about if you are not in the loop so to speak.
BTW, I *am* a ‘go to guy’ for some of the companies I signed with through TAXI. They have made me a good deal of money, and I have made them a good deal of money. So I haven’t found myself to be “just another forward.”
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Cool for those who get ‘em, but regardless of the final numbers, EVERY member is paying for the success of an admittedly small percentage.
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Huh? I don’t even know what to say to this. Its almost like you are comparing TAXI to some kind of ponzi scheme.
I personally don’t see TAXI’s business model as being unethical, questionable, or misleading. I’ve never once felt like they were “selling me a dream” or any of that other nonsense. Their literature was pretty straightforward to me, and they have held true to their word. I didn’t see anything misleading about what they do back when I joined, and certainly don’t now. I knew that joining was a risk, and that there was a very real possibility that absolutely nothing would happen. On the TAXI website, they even say that TAXI isn’t the best way to have a career in the music business, and that the success rate is quite low. Of course I read this, and I understood what I was getting into.
Now, whether or not somebody should join is another discussion and the answer is completely unique to each person.
[Reply]
Gael MacGregor, July 27th, 2010 at 8:07 pm Reply:
Steve,
As someone who has seen companies begin and develop on many fronts, I know that there are always things in one’s business plan which are rolled out in a very deliberate fashion in order to develop the PR buzz and image.
When you say: “The Road Rally didn’t start until several years after TAXI had been in business” that is certainly true, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t plans to develop such a program once the coffers were full enough to sustain the expenditure. We’ll probably never know for sure.
You also said: “Its almost like you are comparing TAXI to some kind of ponzi scheme. ”
Anytime the many are paying for the success of a few I am suspect.
You and I will never agree on this business model, so perhaps we should just “agree to disagree.”
Cheers!
Gael
[Reply]
I’ve posted on this thread and others here as Steve, but since there are SO many Steves here, I’m going to use the SN that I use for other sites. I’m mentioning this because I don’t want Art or anybody else to think that I am trying to pose as a different person. It just seems like all these “Steves” on one thread might get a little confusing
So anyways, on to TAXI….
I’ve been a member of TAXI since September 2007. So far I’ve landed 4 deals as direct results of TAXI forwards. One of which is with a company that is only accessible through TAXI or personal referral.
This year, I estimate that I will make approximately $20,000-$30,000 off of *ONE* TAXI deal. And this so happens to be the one company that only hires composers from TAXI listings or through personal referral.
At this past years Road Rally (2009), I met a very successful Film/TV composer who has referred me to a couple of great companies. This year alone I have made $7,800.08 from ONE of those companies he referred me to. I certainly wouldn’t have made that connection through Yahoo Messenger, an internet forum, or anything else. There really is no replacement for face time. Not even iphone 4’s “Face Time” feature
My reason for this post isn’t to try to convince people to join TAXI. It certainly isn’t for everybody, just like running a business isn’t for everybody whether it be a music business or a hot dog stand. The reason I’m posting this is more along the lines of what AccuracyHereIsMissing mentioned above about a guy being led in the wrong direction from negative, unsupported posts.
I am fortunate enough to now make a living writing music for TV shows and commercials, and it is 100% because I joined TAXI. Had I followed the sage advice of Gael and others here, I would still be sitting behind a desk using my crappy business degree and hating life.
My point is, in regards to joining TAXI or doing anything else in life, don’t listen to me, Gael, Chuck, or anybody else for that matter. You have to do your own research and make the proper decision based on your individual situation. Just because one person has a good or bad experience does not mean you will. It would be a damn shame for somebody to come on here, read some posts about how somebody doesn’t agree with company X’s business model, and then miss out on a ton of opportunities and $$$. You will never know what is going to work for YOU until YOU try it.
One thing that I have learned is that you really need to exhaust all possible outlets for marketing your music. TAXI is a pretty cheap marketing tool IMO. Especially when you start paying the renewal price. I won’t even spend $300 on TAXI this year. When you factor it out as a monthly expense, you see how inexpensive it really is. I have the cheapest, crappiest cell phone plan that AT&T offers and I pay more for that than I do for TAXI, and I get way more from TAXI IMO. My cell phone bill is $48.13 per month, and TAXI this year (with a last minute upgrade to dispatch at $19.00) will end up being about $25 per month. I more than pay for that with sales on Production Trax.
I remember when I was first thinking about joining TAXI, I really didn’t want to drop the $300. I talked with my boss who owned the business I worked for about it. He asked me why I hadn’t signed up yet, and I told him that it was $300 for the first year and I REALLY didn’t want to spend $300. His exact words to me were:
“Stop being such a cheap a**. Do you know how much ****ing money I spend to keep this place open?”
That really put things in perspective for me. When you think about traditional brick and mortar business owners who pay $40,000 or more per year JUST to stay open, a couple hundred bucks a year on TAXI doesn’t seem too bad.
So in conclusion to this long and what will probably be an ill-received post:
I’m glad I joined, and it has worked out for me. Your mileage may vary of course, but if you are just starting out I really do think it is worth a shot. Just make sure that the decision is truly YOURS by doing the research and HONESTLY evaluating yourself to see if TAXI is a fit for YOU. Only you will know if its a good idea to join. Don’t listen to any of these a**holes on here or anywhere else, including myself.
-Steve
[Reply]
oontz oontz, July 27th, 2010 at 2:39 pm Reply:
Dude you seem awesome we should cowrite.
[Reply]
slideboardouts, July 27th, 2010 at 7:17 pm Reply:
Can you sing by any chance?
[Reply]
Gael MacGregor, July 27th, 2010 at 5:25 pm Reply:
@ slideboardouts (Steve),
First off, let me congratulate you on your success with the service. It truly is a sincere “well done” to you in being able to live your dream.
But let me get this straight…
We’re looking at a business model that uses money from all for the success of a few — and that is okay if you’re one of the few to succeed…
And anyone posting here is an a**hole (including yourself) and their experiences and opinions mean nothing…
And getting introductions via personal efforts or developing professional relationships via other groups is a waste of time and has no value…
And those who choose to create their relationships via other avenues “would still be sitting behind a desk… hating life,” because there’s no chance that any of them would have had the tenacity, drive and talent to develop lucrative, successful, professional relationships without paying a membership fee for the possibility of their music being heard by an end user?
I guess that negates the multitude of success stories I’ve heard over the years, then.
Of course, I only have the WORD of those with the successes [okay, maybe their IMDb pages proves some of what they say
].
Nowhere in this thread, or anywhere else have I negated the fact that SOME will achieve success via any “pay in advance to have your music possibly heard by end users” service.
I question the business model that perpetuates the idea that the best or only or most valid way for an artist or composer to succeed is to pay someone to be an intermediary in a fashion that is NOT within the parameters of industry standards (e.g., an agent’s or manager’s commission or a plugger’s “finder’s fee” is paid only WHEN A DEAL IS SECURED — NOT BEFORE).
I don’t say that some will be successful via this road — I question whether it is fair to ALL who are contributing to the kitty.
This service, and others like it, take money in advance from composers/artists. Only 6-10% of those who pay to become members will ever see a return on their investment.
Now, from an investment standpoint, is a 90-94% failure rate entice you to invest?
Of course not… so let’s sell the DREAM, not the reality. It’s sexier.
I will again say, that as a supervisor, I get paid to do a job — and much of that job is to listen to YOUR music. If I’m not prepared to DO that job then I should find another line of work.
I’m not going to charge you to listen to your music. Ever. I might not need what you have right now, and if I’m really busy on multiple projects I may not listen right away if your style(s) aren’t what I currently need, but when you’ve got what I DO need, your sound file will be in my iTunes folder.
Of course, many supervisors are not also composers or artists, so they don’t look beyond their own immediate needs, and since they pay nothing to have music pre-screened for them, why should they care how they get what they want/need?
As an owner of, and advocate for intellectual property, however, I DO care about where I get the music I place in a film or TV show. I do my best to make sure that artists and composers are not exploited in the process. That’s just me, though. MY opinion, MY way of doing things. I can’t expect others to follow the same road, but it doesn’t make them any better or worse than me — simply different.
If you think that such a pay-in-advance service is, remains or might be a successful avenue for you, then go for it.
It doesn’t mean, however, that I need to extol the virtues of such a service — especially when I object wholeheartedly to the foundation on which such services are built.
There will always be services that exploit the many for the benefit of a few.
I simply choose not to be a part of that exploitation, just as I choose carefully where I purchase any goods and services. Part of my decisions are based on whether or not I feel the company is fair to its employees, workers and/or suppliers.
I do not begrudge ANYONE their successes — regardless of the roads on which they travel, and respect their opinions, regardless of whether or not I agree with them.
I wish that those who choose to brand others with a sweeping “negativity” moniker would simply do the same.
We CAN agree to disagree and still remain respectful with each other.
A**hole
[obviously, tongue-in cheek and just kidding -- emoticons can be so tricky sometimes]
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slideboardouts, July 27th, 2010 at 7:46 pm Reply:
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“And anyone posting here is an a**hole (including yourself) and their experiences and opinions mean nothing…
And getting introductions via personal efforts or developing professional relationships via other groups is a waste of time and has no value…
And those who choose to create their relationships via other avenues “would still be sitting behind a desk… hating life,” because there’s no chance that any of them would have had the tenacity, drive and talent to develop lucrative, successful, professional relationships without paying a membership fee for the possibility of their music being heard by an end user?
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WOW. I never said ANY of that. Or even implied it.
My main point was for people to not overlook any avenue or opportunity because you never know what is going to work for you. TAXI has been great for me. It could work even better for someone else, but there is also quite a good chance that it wouldn’t be nearly as effective for someone else. For me, I’ve had a terrible time with cold calling. But for others, it has worked fantastically well. So, I could say that in my experience cold calling is a total waste of time, which for me is worse than a total waste of money. I can make more money, I can’t make more time. At least not until I can get a hold of a DeLorean. But for others, cold calling has worked. So I couldn’t tell somebody not to try it just because it didn’t work for me.
I really don’t think that TAXI exploits anybody. They are very clear as to what the deal is, and its just a tool, really. And a cheap one at that. I paid for my computer and sounds, I pay for TAXI. I make money off of both. My boss at my old job paid for a phone book ad to bring in more customers. Some months the phone book ad didn’t pay for itself. Was the phone company exploiting him because they were using his money to put out a book that was making other companies money while not returning a cent to his company? Eh… its just another business expense to me.
TAXI offers a lot of resources, not just to members but non-members as well. I suggest everybody check out their videos section and become a member of the forum. Its free and very beneficial. That doesn’t seem like exploitive behavior to me. They’re giving you free information. Even to the people who disdain them.
Anyways, I am done with this thread. I’ve wasted way too much time and energy on it. I hope what I’ve written is beneficial to somebody out there. Its a tough business, and my advice is to do your research and give everything a try. You never know whats going to work for you.
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Gael MacGregor, July 27th, 2010 at 8:16 pm Reply:
“…my advice is to do your research… You never know whats going to work for you.”
On that point you and I can agree.
Cheers!
Gael
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AccuracyHereIsMissing, July 28th, 2010 at 4:25 am Reply:
“And anyone posting here is an a**hole (including yourself) and their experiences and opinions mean nothing…
And getting introductions via personal efforts or developing professional relationships via other groups is a waste of time and has no value…
And those who choose to create their relationships via other avenues “would still be sitting behind a desk… hating life,” because there’s no chance that any of them would have had the tenacity, drive and talent to develop lucrative, successful, professional relationships without paying a membership fee for the possibility of their music being heard by an end user?
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WOW. I never said ANY of that. Or even implied it.
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Gael…
There was a lot of accuracy missing here. You could have copied/pasted his text and then commented on his exact words in context but you didn’t. You used our own words to surround a few of his words and then by association attributed the entire context to him, wildly mis-characterizing what he actually said. Paraphrasing from your point of view and then commenting on your own paraphrase is a far cry from commenting on what he really said (and meant). You made my exact point about what’s missing here.
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Gael MacGregor, July 28th, 2010 at 6:11 am Reply:
@ Accuracy,
I suppose I should have use question marks, because my remarks there were questioning in nature. I was questioning Steve’s remarks that were coming across to me (and to some others who had emailed me privately about the posts) in precisely the ways I characterized them. (Does that make sense? It’s late/early [lol])
“Don’t listen to any of these a**holes on here or anywhere else” doesn’t exactly come off as friendly or constructive.
“I certainly wouldn’t have made that connection through Yahoo Messenger, an internet forum, or anything else” certainly negates the personal experiences of others who HAVE had success in that manner. How can anyone know for certain that they wouldn’t have made such connections in a different fashion?
“Had I followed the sage advice of Gael and others here, I would still be sitting behind a desk using my crappy business degree and hating life” demeans those who have presented their differing experiences here — and dismisses them — as if merely by questioning the efficacy or fairness of a service it automatically means that one would miss out on all potential successes.
“I’m posting this is more along the lines of what AccuracyHereIsMissing mentioned above about a guy being led in the wrong direction from negative, unsupported posts” gives the impression that anyone who has posted a negative experience about the service is lying because they haven’t provided “proof” that their experience was real and valid for them.
So there are the actual quotes that led to my query that evidently didn’t come off as a query to you or Steve..
If the questioning nature of my response didn’t come through in a succinct fashion, my apologies.
Gael
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Why Taxi doesn’t work for ME anymore:
My songs are no longer forwarded to anything! Meanwhile my quarterly statements are showing that my entire catalog of songs are being used everywhere, Network primetime placements on down the line.
I have had songs placed with artists that were not forwarded to similar listings on taxi. They seem to always come up with some very minute reason not to forward. Meanwhile the songs placed with artists always went through a re-write (change a word, get a third!) to suit the vibe of the artists, essentially they critiqued them themselves. If they never heard the song in the first place they would never have had the chance to modifiy them to what they need. Either the songs had hooks (which I guess in the artists opinion they did) or they didn’t. Every other detail after that is merely “production”.
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The biggest problem I have with Taxi is the vagueness of some of their listings. I also have to fault myself in that I can never figure out what other artists my songs sound like. Don’t know how many others have the same problem…there’s even a topic on this site that was started and then fizzled out…if anyone is interested, or needs help in figuring out what other artists their music sounds like, try here:
http://musiclibraryreport.com/music-miscellania/music-metadata-descriptions-keywords-genres-and-soundalikes/
I still check it out from time to time…hopefully it’ll get a jump start and be helpful to others.
[Reply]
slideboardouts, July 28th, 2010 at 1:19 pm Reply:
Hey Harry,
Unfortunately, the vagueness that you speak of with the listings is the same vagueness that you receive when you are getting requests directly from clients. At least in my experience. In fact, the TAXI listings look like highly detailed blue prints compared to some of the stuff I’ve seen come down the pike. Usually the best I get is some general, blanket request for “pop rock” or “dramatic hip hop.” I like seeing that because In that case its basically just write whatever sounds good and current. I’ve found that the more specific a client gets with what they want, the more confusing things get. They start using words that they don’t know the meaning of and sometimes they just make up words to describe what they want. I’ve even had clients request one thing when in reality, they wanted something totally different. That is a more extreme case, but it does happen.
The best advice I can give for interpreting listings is to try to find a commonality between the artists that are listed. A recent listing that I submitted to and got forwarded/signed for asked for Hip Hop party songs a la Chiddy Bang, Black Eyed Peas, B.o.B., etc. Now, each one of those artists sounds quite different. Especially throwing BEP in there. That group is all over the map. So what you have to do is look at the vibe that those artists create and the type of track that the company is asking for. In this case, all you can really infer is that they want something upbeat, something about partying, and they want a hip hop element in there. And, it should go without saying, they want it to be catchy.
Your goal isn’t necessarily to COPY an artist, but you want to capture the vibe so that if you had a playlist with all of those artists on it and your song came up, it wouldn’t sound out of place. The writing, production, and engineering should all sound on par with what those artists do.
Easier said than done I know, but with some practice you’ll get it. I used to stress about that stuff too. Unfortunately there isn’t a secret trick to it, its just one of those things you start to get a feel for as you gain experience.
Figuring out which artists your music sounds like is a little bit harder to explain. I don’t think I could help with that without knowing what genre(s) you are writing in and whether or not you are going for instrumentals or vocal songs. Let me know what genres and types of tracks you are doing and I’ll see if I can help you out.
-Steve
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