What kind of forward rate have you had this year?

[SteveBaruah]

9 forwards is a great (partial) first year!

I joined September 2015 and started trying to write that hit rock song, for which I had no forwards.

I started writing cues mid December 2015, of which I have now had 1 forward and 4 returns, so I guess I've got a 20% forward ratio (that first forward is so precious ). I have 14 cues I am waiting to hear back on.

Zero placements/signings yet, but these things take time.

[Telefunkin]

Been with Taxi Just over a year.
About 85 tracks submitted, and 21 forwards = about 25%.
A couple of weeks before the year mark I had my first track signed (which led to another direct signing)
Since then I've had a bad run of about 16 submissions without a forward.
[last return for a mid/uptempo rockabilly track simply said my submission 'felt too fast' ???]
Oh well, That's how it goes.

I know my biggest issue is targetting the listings (aside form the one above), but I don't know how to get better at that.
It sounds obvious - listen to the examples and come up with something very similar.
I find that putting that into practice is anything but easy though.
My suspicion is that most members have the same problem, but without posts like this one its hard to tell,
so thanks for posting.

Its easy to think 'they'll find any reason to reject my track'.
but probably much better to think 'I'm gonna give them every reason to forward my track'.
- I'm trying -

Yes, its a long road, hard work, often frustrating, but overall still great fun!

Graham.

[SteveBaruah]

Congrats on the signing!

I know what you mean, I poured my heart and soul into a 12 bar blues track, studied the reference tracks, paid for a professional singer, was really proud of it. Then it got returned because there wasn't enough flow to the storyline. Pretty annoying as it was for a tv documentary, so it would have been cut up, there's no way they would have played the full 5 minutes.

But hey-ho, we write, submit, forget, repeat; )

[mobster85]

25% with one library deal but more on the horizon.

[Onaginoffegin]

Too many submissions to sift through in 2015.
But my "track" record for December 2015/ January 2016 was 14 forwards, seven returns. So about 67%.
Many of those were in December.

But I agree with the sentiments of one of the above posters — I don't keep track of my forwards. Even though I have had some TV and library placements, too many forwards have resulted in nothing, at least as yet. So i don't get overly excited about them any more, like I used to when I initially joined Taxi.
It's all about the placement.

I do keep track of all screeners' comments. In fact, I write them down whether they're positive or negative. It gives me a "what I need to fix" list. Also, in reference David to one of your other posts, a screener's feedback can sometimes help me differentiate between a horror-tension and a CSI-tension cue.

Henry

[ComposerLDG]

...I do keep track of all screeners' comments. In fact, I write them down whether they're positive or negative. It gives me a "what I need to fix" list. Also, in reference David to one of your other posts, a screener's feedback can sometimes help me differentiate between a horror-tension and a CSI-tension cue.

Henry

Yes, same here. I have a spreadsheet for Taxi submissions where I keep dates submitted, forwards, and returns. I have a spot for it for all of the screener's comments on each song. Usually the screeners are 100% correct. It's nice to have the comments handy when reworking a track.

[Onaginoffegin]

" It's nice to have the comments handy when reworking a track."

Exactly, Loren.


Henry

[madkeys88]

since joining Taxi at the end of May 2015... 37%

[MattCurious]

Highly variable! I got off to a good start this year so it was in the 30s. Then I submitted a bunch more and had nothing but returns so it went down to something like 12. I've had a run of forwards recently so it's in the 40s. But I've got some submissions pending that could quickly knock it back down!

At the moment I'm only pitching on a narrow(ish) type of listing, so my numbers fluctuate wildly. It's best not to do the maths!

I'm not sure I agree that it doesn't matter unless it converts into a deal. A good ratio suggests you're getting better at targeting the listings and writing competitive music; my forward rate was mostly zero for a couple of years until I stopped treating it like a hobby and started to really focus.

[HenriettaAtkin]

Well, I would hate to have posted a few weeks ago after 12 returns in a row

But right now I have 6 forwards out of 22 submissions which is 27%!