A Suggestion For TAXI Regarding Returns

[andygabrys]

this is a lively discussion, here's my 2 cents (and I apologize if it turns into 2,345 cents - and I am not trying to be rude, cheap or trashy)

What you are pointing out really Zac is the difference between making a pitch to get a relationship and already having the relationship - IMO anyways.

And I think you would agree Zac that in leveraging those relationships that have been built, there is some leeway to make a tweak, and usually your publishers (or ad agency music supers or tv music supers) are going to point it out if its worth doing - and I have no problem with that. That's the good thing about those relationships.

as Kayle noted - yes a lot of posters here have a number of relationships and aren't necessarily pitching that much to new opportunities - cause they are already writing lots, and sometimes those briefs already land on your desk directly from existing publishers.

[kclements]

My last thought on this thread -

This is a long term game - a marathon, not a sprint. In my experience/opinion, careers are not made or broken by one forward or return.

Cheers
kc

[Russell Landwehr]

Heya, Zac.

I fully endorse and +1 all of Kayle's comments.

I really think you're overcomplicating it Hummingbird!

I don't think Vikki over complicated this at all. If anything she over simplified it.

With a re-screening process, you've got to consider:

Added time to the screening process... a lot of time if there are a LOT of submissions that need minor tweaks.
Rescheduling the screener back to the offices.
A re-submission process.
FAIR guidelines about how this new screening process would happen.
And each of these points have complicated sub-points.

And then you've got to think about a lowering quality of initial submissions because people think they will have a chance to "fix it in the mix."

Plus, I could see this kind of thing blowing up into more discontented returnees. For instance, the screener says you need guitar instead of piano... so you cut a new part and re-submit. Then the screener doesn't like the guitar part you put in there. Should you get another chance to tweak? Or just vent in the forums because the screeners are too picky?

TAXI is employed by us, but it is a type of partnership. We need to realize that our support of TAXI's process and integrity is very important. TAXI has to walk a very interesting path of fairly and adequately representing the membership to our and their MUTUAL CLIENTS while presenting the PROPER product to those clients in order to have a continuing and future flow of opportunities for us.

I think the current system is about as efficient at this as it can be, and changes like you suggest would bog it down into a lumbering behemoth. Deadlines are there... and in black and white. If we don't PROPERLY meet the requirements in the time we have, then move on and try again. We will be off-course more than on-course, but in the end we will get where we are going.

Regards
Russell Landwehr

[VanderBoegh]

Added time to the screening process... a lot of time if there are a LOT of submissions that need minor tweaks.
Rescheduling the screener back to the offices.
A re-submission process.
FAIR guidelines about how this new screening process would happen.
And each of these points have complicated sub-points.

Good call, Russell. And that's leaving out the additional burden of new deadlines and their impact on existing listings. Each time you opened up a second wave of re-submissions, that takes the screeners away from screening other listings, which would conceivably lead to longer result times. People already get antsy enough when it takes 30 days to hear back on a piece of music. What would the feeling be if the normal response time was pushing 40-45 days?

And let's say the Taxi screeners went about their business as usual and just re-screened these second attempts when they had time (so as not to hamper their productivity and timelines of all other listings). Well, they might not get around to the re-submissions until 20-30 days after their 2nd submission, at which point, they listing party might have already found their perfect piece of music and moved on.

My advice is the same as what I'd mentioned here previously on Page 2: forget about it and write more stuff. Fix the issues the screener mentioned (if you want) and try it again in the future. And to echo Kayle's sentiments, rarely does one return or forward make or break a career.

~~Matt

[jonnybutter]

In addition to what Matt, et. al. said, and sort of echoing Kayle's comment: you should also consider the fact that often you already get a second bite at the apple. If music in a particular genre gets called for, chances are music in that the same genre will be called for again, so you can polish/fix and submit again - and sometimes it can even be the same listing party, just sometime later.

[Gypsygal]

Not to belabour anything, but today I have an example of a return that would fall into the category of "minor fixes" that could easily be fixed in probly less than 5 minutes, and I could have it back in the hands of whoever wanted it very quickly.

If you want to listen to the return it's "Think it Over" at www.taxi.com/dianeridaeus.

It was returned because "the ending was too abrupt".

I am not trying to be a know best or anything at all like that, for me it's all about getting the music to whoever can use it. If they want a less buttoned ending, I can do that, I'm totally willing to provide what it is that is exactly needed, and the opportunity to do so would take less time
than writing this post.

I think I'll email Michael about it, just to get it out there as an idea for consideration.

Anyways, cheers all
diane

[zacnelson]

Hi Diane, I listened to your track, extremely well produced. The mix and sounds were exemplary, and a great organic feel, so many piano tracks sound very `midi' but yours has a good feel and naturalness. What piano sample library are you using? And to get that gorgeous piano mix, do you also brighten it at all with EQ, or compress it?

[funsongs]

If you want to listen to the return it's "Think it Over" at http://www.taxi.com/dianeridaeus.
It was returned because "the ending was too abrupt". diane

I'm no tech by any stretch: but, fwiw, listening with headphones... there is clearly a sonic change in the last few seconds of the track that sounds awkwardly spliced/edited; and, it sounds like it jumps from piano to an acoustic guitar strum.
Is that possibly what the return is pointing out as being "too abrupt"?
To go back to a previous comment, certainly something like that would/could be caught via a Peer-To-Peer review, and corrected so that it's clean before submitting it.
my 2-cents "from the cheap seats in the Peanut Gallery".
hope that helps.
Cheers,
Peter R.

[Gypsygal]

Yes Funsongs, I hear it too, gets more pronounced with each listen. ha ha.

I think I'm just eager.

Newbie-itis I think I heard it called.

Well, onward and upward, it can only get better from here :)
kindest regards - diane

[zacnelson]

Diane, don't be too hard on yourself, I haven't heard your other music but this track doesn't sound like some `newbie'!!