1 Year in, 10 submissions and so much learning.

[BradGray]

Hey All,

It just hit me that I just made my 10th submission, and will be completing my first year of Taxi. While I've yet to have any forwards, I certainly have learned quite a bit so far...learning from mistakes. I'm starting to look back and I can say out of my 10 so far:

1) The first 3 were not good. They were both off target for the listing, and sub-par.
2) The next 4 were getting better. One had very good feedback, despite being rejected for the listing, as it wasn't quite on par with the era. I still wound up with a song I'm both pleased and proud of.
3) These newest three have yet to be reviewed; some submitted about 6+ weeks back, newest tonight. I think all three of these benefited from my earlier rejections. Hopefully, at least one gets to the next stage.

Over the year I've found I've really changed my workflow, and I'm finally starting to "hear" when I've gone off the mark when creating a submission. While not submitting faster, I'm certainly creating faster than before. My most recent submission was really 1/2 that I was working on in parallel. While both were to be for a country-rock type of submission, the first accidentally had such a great vibe and veered off target, that I just parked it, and finished the second. That said, the other track will make a pretty cool song on its own.

Now all that said, while 10 submissions is definitely "too low" I'm pleased I'm averaging at least one a month. The fuzzy math comes from the fact I took three months off to study and complete my CISSP this year too =) . The upcoming year, I will work to increase it to 2 or 3 submissions per month...and hopefully quality ones that make it to the next stage! =)

Here's to year two!

Cheers,
Bee!

P.S. How long did it take all of you, to get your first forwards?

[cosmicdolphin]

Congrats on your anniversary !

Yeah 10 seems like a really really low number to me if we are talking about cues ? ( I think I've heard some of yours on the forum )...Songs take longer for sure.

I think you need to be shooting for at least 50 tracks per year otherwise you'll never build up a large enough catalogue to get anywhere. Like you say, you learn on the job and by being more productive and cranking out a lot more music those skills are going to come to you a lot faster.

Put it this way. At your current run rate it will take you 7.5 years to produce the same number of cues as I did in Year One !

To answer your question about how long to get the first forward, my first Forward came from the 5th submission...so that would have taken 6 months in your timescale...but it was within the first month for me as I submitted 9 cues that month.

Most of the 75 cues from that first year are signed to Library somewhere ( one Taxi friendly ) and 8 of the 75 cues have earned something as of now but it probably amounts to less than a year's Taxi Membership if I add up all the royalties from them.

I look back on the first 100 or so cues as learning the ropes ( not that you ever stop learning ) but once you've been through the process that many times things start to become automatic. But really is a numbers game even after you've got to the stage where you can knock out licensable tracks consistently so I hope you can increase your output.

BTW I have a full time job and a wife & 3 kids ..so no excuses ! Good Luck with year 2.

Mark

[BradGray]

Thanks Mark,

I agree on the numbers per month, and I'm up working on that too. I am going too slow at the moment, but starting to speed up and really do wish to get to a point where I'm doing at least one per week. I've recently have really revised my overall workflow, and it's made a difference in the time to create for me. Hence, why I'm up now. =) The learning curve, with regards to the creation and even my DAW that I thought I knew well enough (apparently not), was slowing things down a bit too, and there were still a number of cues semi-created, and a song or two that were parked. But those are excuses, and learning time, so I'll get things turned up to 11!

Happy Monday!
Brad

[jaywilliams]

hey Brad -

sounds like you're having fun and learning a lot, I think you have the right attitude

in regards to forwards, somehow I got a Forward on my 2nd submission, and from a track I had completed prior to joining Taxi no less. I didn't change a thing, just uploaded it and sent it in.

getting a Forward is a sign of something (you wrote a track that the screener felt fit the listing), but I'm not so sure it's the Holy Grail it's made out to be.

I have a few Forwards and Returns in the last couple of years but no contact from the other side.

I've also written tracks for Taxi listings, that were Returned, then got signed right off of my SoundCloud page.

so, you know, keep doing your thing, write what you enjoy, level up, and create your own version of success.

Jay

[cosmicdolphin]

I have a few Forwards and Returns in the last couple of years but no contact from the other side.

I thought you signed up some drone cues Jay ?

[jaywilliams]

I have a few Forwards and Returns in the last couple of years but no contact from the other side.

I thought you signed up some drone cues Jay ?

those were the ones signed off of soundcloud, non-taxi

I've had a ton of those Forwarded though

[cosmicdolphin]

I've had a ton of those Forwarded though

You and most of the rest of the Taxi members....it's lowest common denominator stuff

[jaywilliams]

I've had a ton of those Forwarded though

You and most of the rest of the Taxi members....it's lowest common denominator stuff

Hey Mark -

Yep, you've said that before, I'm glad you are unwavering in your opinion on the matter.

Why do you feel the need to say so again?

Are you trying to discourage folks from writing drone cues?

That's a ton of five dollar bills that Taxi will stop collecting, if that's the case.

Jay

[cosmicdolphin]

Why do you feel the need to say so again?

Because it's true

Are you trying to discourage folks from writing drone cues?

I don't need to - just study the Forwards Blog for any length of time.

That's a ton of five dollar bills that Taxi will stop collecting, if that's the case.

Those $5 bills just go to the screeners anyway but, ML has told the cautionary tale more than once about the guy that had a lot of Forwards ...pretty sure it was well over 100...and got nowhere...then complained....and it turned out they were all drones.

Submitting drones is like entering Masterchef because you know how to heat something up in the microwave.

[jaywilliams]

Why do you feel the need to say so again?

Because it's true

Are you trying to discourage folks from writing drone cues?

I don't need to - just study the Forwards Blog for any length of time.

That's a ton of five dollar bills that Taxi will stop collecting, if that's the case.

Those $5 bills just go to the screeners anyway but, ML has told the cautionary tale more than once about the guy that had a lot of Forwards ...pretty sure it was well over 100...and got nowhere...then complained....and it turned out they were all drones.

Submitting drones is like entering Masterchef because you know how to heat something up in the microwave.

ok, if the drone cues are so abundant, why do we see Taxi listings for them multiple times a year?

hey Mark -

I have always suspected that the screening fees went straight to the screener.

But I specifically asked Lasko about that on a Taxi TV and he denied that.

I'm sure your sources are stronger than ML though?

I do have to ask, if the market for dark drone cues is so glutted, why does Taxi run listings for them multiple times a year?

Because right about now, based on your comments, that looks like nothing but a cash grab for unsuspecting newbies.

I'd rather not think that's the case, cosmicdolphin or anyone else feel free to make your case either way.

Thanks!

Jay