How Long it Takes Before a Deal -- Tell Your Stories Here!

Did you get a deal through TAXI? Lets hear about it!

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Russell Landwehr
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Re: How Long it Takes Before a Deal -- Tell Your Stories Here!

Post by Russell Landwehr » Sat Dec 17, 2016 10:32 am

Wow, Michael. As much as I've shared my deals in other parts of the Forums, I've completely skipped over this one... So sorry.

Here is my timeline:

Februray 2011 I joined TAXI
-----five months later-----
July 2011 I submitted to my first listing with a New Age Instrumental (it was forwarded but never signed)
-----two years and three months later---
October 2013 After changing genre focuses a few times I signed some Chillwave to a Non-Exclusive Library from a TAXI forward and continue to write for them
-----three months later-----
January 2014 I signed a single cover song to an Exclusive Library from a TAXI forward
-----one year and five months later----
June 2015 I signed some Hip-Hop Cues to a Non-Exclusive Library from a TAXI Forward and continue to write for them
-----two months later-----
August 2015 I signed Tension and Investigative Cues to a Non-Exclusive Library from a TAXI Forward.
-----seven months later---
March 2016 I signed a Latin Instrumental to an Exclusive Library from a TAXI Forward
March 2016 I signed Tensions Cues to a Non-Exclusive Library from a TAXI Forward

In the nine months since March 2016, I've signed additional music to several other Libraries because of TAXI members inviting me to co-write with them.

I now have over 700 tracks in ten Music Production Libraries in USA, Canada, UK, Australia, and Singapore.
As of September 2016 (after 8 quarterly royalty payments all because of TAXI Forwards) I've received royalties for 23 pieces of music used in 29 episodes of 10 shows on 8 networks in 12 countries. (that number will change in about a month)

You may notice some long "dry" periods there in my timeline. Those can be frustrating and somewhat disheartening.
But the key to perservering is two-fold.
I've got a plaque on my desk quoting a famous businessman's secrets to success:
"Love what you do. Never give up."

Russell Landwehr
Multi-Genre Composer and Producer of TV and Film music Providing Easy to Use Cues for Every Scene

http://www.sensawehr.com
https://www.taximusic.com/hosting/home. ... l_Landwehr
http://soundcloud.com/russell-landwehr

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Re: How Long it Takes Before a Deal -- Tell Your Stories Here!

Post by songmaster » Thu May 11, 2017 3:01 pm

I joined Taxi in 2010. I don't run a studio or record my own songs. I am simply a songwriter. I sing enough to get the melody across and I play guitar. I got my first placement after about six and a half years of stubborn trial and error. The company wanted a song ala " Justin Bieber, Katy Perry or Lady Gaga " for some reason they picked my song. If they ever find out that a retired 67 year old truck driver wrote the song, they may want thier money back :lol: Too late!

My point is DON''T GIVE UP ! Go on the forums and also get your song critiqued once in a while for 20 bucks. It is so worth it !!!

Tom

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Re: How Long it Takes Before a Deal -- Tell Your Stories Here!

Post by ttully » Tue May 16, 2017 10:44 am

I'm even starting to get a little disheartened, and I have had tons of success with Taxi.......
It's been over 2 years since I've had any of my forwarded tracks accepted into any libraries or shows.
Over 100 forwards and nothing.
I do have libraries that I currently deal with contact me for new stuff...but I have not heard anything back from any forwards in the last 2 years.

Still pluggin away!

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Re: How Long it Takes Before a Deal -- Tell Your Stories Here!

Post by Gregbouts » Thu Feb 18, 2021 8:49 am

The 1st track I submitted when I joined TAXI was forwarded on 4/12/2016 and my most recent was forwarded 11/4/2020. Between these 2 I've had 60 forwards (give or take 2 - 3 because I couldn't find the corresponding review). In those 4 years I've NEVER heard anything about them. It's as if they went into a black-hole. I just received a letter indicating I'm up for renewal. Tough decision.... what do you think?

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Re: How Long it Takes Before a Deal -- Tell Your Stories Here!

Post by daveydad » Thu Feb 18, 2021 8:58 am

Taxi has worked for some. Never did for me. I left a few years ago and have done well on my own.

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Re: How Long it Takes Before a Deal -- Tell Your Stories Here!

Post by cosmicdolphin » Thu Feb 18, 2021 9:54 am

daveydad wrote:
Thu Feb 18, 2021 8:58 am
Taxi has worked for some. Never did for me. I left a few years ago and have done well on my own.
Congrats...Good to hear you have been successful away from Taxi

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Re: How Long it Takes Before a Deal -- Tell Your Stories Here!

Post by calumupton » Thu Feb 18, 2021 10:22 am

Gregbouts wrote:
Thu Feb 18, 2021 8:49 am
The 1st track I submitted when I joined TAXI was forwarded on 4/12/2016 and my most recent was forwarded 11/4/2020. Between these 2 I've had 60 forwards (give or take 2 - 3 because I couldn't find the corresponding review). In those 4 years I've NEVER heard anything about them. It's as if they went into a black-hole. I just received a letter indicating I'm up for renewal. Tough decision.... what do you think?
The fact that you've had 60 forwards suggests quality isn't an issue, so I think you could probably have more success with deals if you're able to escalate your efforts this year in some way, for example by submitting more or specialising more.

Aside from deals, I'd also think about whether you get any other benefits you get from membership, and whether they are worth the fees. For example, does it help improve your work / build your catalog / stay motivated...?

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Re: How Long it Takes Before a Deal -- Tell Your Stories Here!

Post by gitanosoy » Thu Feb 18, 2021 10:51 am

Hi Michael,
I joined April 30th 2018

1st FW JAN 7th 2019
2nd FW April 15 2019
3rd FW DEC 3 2019-signed to a library Jan2 2020 first one

signed to 2nd library April15 2020
signed to 3rd Library Dec 3 2020

so far 80 submissions
25 forwards
5 tracks signed to 3 different libraries

No placements yet through Taxi but certainly looking forward to it with a big celebration. :D

If you are not in it ,you can't win it.

Thank you Taxi.

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Re: How Long it Takes Before a Deal -- Tell Your Stories Here!

Post by Gregbouts » Thu Feb 18, 2021 11:53 am

calumupton wrote:
Thu Feb 18, 2021 10:22 am
Gregbouts wrote:
Thu Feb 18, 2021 8:49 am
The 1st track I submitted when I joined TAXI was forwarded on 4/12/2016 and my most recent was forwarded 11/4/2020. Between these 2 I've had 60 forwards (give or take 2 - 3 because I couldn't find the corresponding review). In those 4 years I've NEVER heard anything about them. It's as if they went into a black-hole. I just received a letter indicating I'm up for renewal. Tough decision.... what do you think?
The fact that you've had 60 forwards suggests quality isn't an issue, so I think you could probably have more success with deals if you're able to escalate your efforts this year in some way, for example by submitting more or specialising more.

Aside from deals, I'd also think about whether you get any other benefits you get from membership, and whether they are worth the fees. For example, does it help improve your work / build your catalog / stay motivated...?
Thx for the reply and I'm trying to take into account your many good points. To answer your questions I live in NY so I don't get out to the Road Rally etc. However, it does keep me motivated by creating deadlines. I've submitted about 100 tracks over the course of 4 years - so I'm approximately 50% forwards. Reviewing my forwards I noticed many of the 'droney' tracks were forwarded and recently 'investigative tension' tracks are getting forwarded as well. But, unfortunately, no responses - it very disappointing. I've done much better with Broadjam where I signed 18 tracks with publishers last year. I just don't get it about TAXI - I'm getting to the point it feels like throwing "good money after bad" if you know what I mean.

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Re: How Long it Takes Before a Deal -- Tell Your Stories Here!

Post by calumupton » Thu Feb 18, 2021 1:37 pm

Gregbouts wrote:
Thu Feb 18, 2021 8:49 am

Thx for the reply and I'm trying to take into account your many good points. To answer your questions I live in NY so I don't get out to the Road Rally etc. However, it does keep me motivated by creating deadlines. I've submitted about 100 tracks over the course of 4 years - so I'm approximately 50% forwards. Reviewing my forwards I noticed many of the 'droney' tracks were forwarded and recently 'investigative tension' tracks are getting forwarded as well. But, unfortunately, no responses - it very disappointing. I've done much better with Broadjam where I signed 18 tracks with publishers last year. I just don't get it about TAXI - I'm getting to the point it feels like throwing "good money after bad" if you know what I mean.
Yeah I understand totally. There might be something in the genres you mentioned being quite competitive - I've seen some long lists in the forwards blog for those listings. In these cases, it could be easier to stand out if you contact libraries directly (I recommend finding a library with a hole, and offering them a finished album to fill it).

I have a similar thing with Dramedy. My experience:

TAXI member for 12 months in 2018. 65 track forwards from 97 submissions.

Deal 1 - Unsure what the listing was... contacted Aug 2018.
Deal 2 - Hybrid Trailer listing - forwarded Oct 2018, contacted Feb 2019.

I had 30 Dramedy forwards and no contact in relation to those tracks, but I was also contacting libraries directly during 2018. All of the Dramedy tracks composed for TAXI listings ended up signed to libraries, just not via TAXI.

Being 'in' with a few new libraries kept me busy, so I didn't renew TAXI beyond 2018.

In the last 6 months some of those Dramedy tracks originally composed for TAXI listings have started to pay royalties, and I'm again looking to grow my unsigned catalog, so I've renewed on a 2-4-1 deal to restart the cycle.


In short, I'd recommend knowing why you're using TAXI and remembering that you can always switch it off / on.

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