Am I wasting my time?

[hummingbird]

Yeah, I'm always totally amazed at the Rally at how off target the music is at panels. The writer chooses which genre box their submission goes in... and when it's pulled and played... you shake your head.Knowing what genre & subgenre you write & produce in (and who your "a la's" are) is crucial when pitching for the commercial market.Not to mention that a screener hired to screen dance/pop electronica may not know about all the other possible listings, nor have the expertise to judge whether the track is sufficiently hip hop or effectively orchestral to have it rescreened by someone else for something else (and never mind the cost of rescreening the same piece twice).

[mazz]

Aug 3, 2009, 1:47pm, slideboardouts wrote:Aug 3, 2009, 11:50am, airproofing wrote:My question is a little bit related to this topic... I get responses back that often say that the song I submitted is very good, the reviewer liked it a lot, etc. but it is passed over because it should go to another listing. So why don't they yell across the room (metaphorically) to another listing department and say, "Hey, we got a good one here!" Are they really letting good songs go that could be placed elsewhere because they didn't fit the listing? Or does this happen, just hasn't happened to me? If it's the $5, I'm sure I would pay it if they asked and forwarded it on.Bruce2. Its the composer/artists responsibility to properly target the listings. This is a VERY important skill unto itself, not just for TAXI listings but for anything where you might be getting paid to write music. Its something that you MUST learn, and TAXI wouldn't be doing anybody any favors by sending a piece of music over to the "correct" listing if it wasn't properly targeted in the first place. Eventually, not knowing how to categorize your music will catch up with you.#2 is really the most important reason IMO. After you sign a few deals, you will likely have publishers/libraries/production companies etc. ask for specific types of music with descriptions not unlike the TAXI listings (in fact, the TAXI listings seem to be much more specific than what you get elsewhere). You have to be able to deliver a piece of music that is right on target. They won't say "this isn't exactly what we are looking for, but its a good fit for this promo we were working on so we'll use it for that." All they will say is "no" and that will be the end of it. Do that enough times and you run the risk of looking like an amateur that wastes their time.Being able to hit the bulls eye with your music is just as important as being able to write good music.HTH-SteveExcellent post, Steve!!So many times I laugh when I see folks complaining about how cryptic TAXI listings are! Yes, there is always room for improvement but it's really true that TAXI listings are generally more detailed than I've gotten from publishers and libraries. One library representative, when asked what kinds of music they were in need of gave me this reply: "We're looking for great music". OK, I'll get right on that!! LOLSteve, you've seen some doozys come through since you started on the daytime show gig! It's really up to the composer to interpret the request. Of course, asking for clarity is also an art. Since some clients don't speak music specifically (please modulate to A minor for the chorus), the onus is on us to get the information we need. Excellent communication skills are highly necessary in this business.Hang in there markdman, you'll figure out how to target the listings, it just takes practice. Learning how to categorize your music, as Steve says, will get you a long ways towards success.Cheers!!Mazz

[airproofing]

Steve, thanks for the reply. I appreciate it and your straight-forward answers.Bruce