Been in Biz for 30 years. Dissapointed in Taxi.

[Casey H]

I'm of the opinion that if you and I were screeners those listing companies would still be doing business with TAXI.

That's a pretty ridiculous statement. You're saying that if for the past 15 years, Taxi didn't use highly trained, industry pro screeners, they would have been just as successful. I don't even know how to begin to respond to that.

Do I disagree with screeners sometimes? Of course. Is it perfect? No, nothing is (except my wife)...

And what about all the members who've been highly successful with Taxi, getting many actual TV placements? Were the screeners who forwarded THEIR tracks idiots?

Casey

[shoodBworkin]

Casey, Casey, Casey. I'm saying precisely what I said, none of that stuff you added. I didn't call them 'idiots'. That was your term. I said nothing about TAXI's success rate, why would I? As far as I know TAXI might have a miserable success rate. If you maintain that our fellow passengers can't critique a song properly, I guess I just have a higher opinion of them than you do

[Kelil]

To be honest I always found my mother in law hard to impress until I met a taxi screener

I agree with the op. In my opinion the screeners will only forward what sounds like a hit single as opposed to what is a decent track. In other words out of an album you might have 4 killers and 6 fillers but taxi will only forward the 4 killers ( singles ).

They do need to lighten up just a bit. We all make mistakes sure, I recall watching these investors on tv just slay this guys pitch for his product and didnt think it would be succesful and now it has worldwide success the investors came back and said ''well ok, he was the one that got away and we were wrong.''

So thats what they ( investors/record companies ) get when they are too tight with their cash and afraid to splash out and take that risk. After all thats what each of us do when we spend loads of money on pushing our product, we splash out and take the risk.

[Ellwood]

Casey, Casey, Casey. I'm saying precisely what I said, none of that stuff you added. I didn't call them 'idiots'. That was your term. I said nothing about TAXI's success rate, why would I? As far as I know TAXI might have a miserable success rate. If you maintain that our fellow passengers can't critique a song properly, I guess I just have a higher opinion of them than you do

That's a pretty fair statement actually! Sometimes I think the tendency to be constantly pro Taxi can get a bit over the top.

[davewalton]

In my opinion the screeners will only forward what sounds like a hit single as opposed to what is a decent track.

Bingo! Have you ever seen a listing that said "Top record label not looking for hits, just decent tracks. Anything decent will do"

Here's the thing. Even if the industry lowered their standards so that more Taxi submissions could get through, the MUSICIANS aren't going to lower *their* standards are they? Is Paul Otten going to lower the quality of his music in order to give others a "fighting chance"? Or Jeff Greenleaf? Or Matt Hirt? Outside of Taxi, is Dianne Warren going to lower her songwriting standards? Or is Kara DioGuardi? Or Dr Luke?

So it won't matter if anyone's "decent" track gets through the Taxi screeners, at the end of the pipeline it just won't compete with a hit track from the top songwriters. None of us can compete against Dr Luke with a "decent" track.

Anyway, I think there's a common thread among those that are having success with their music, a "wakeup" call somewhere along the line that they needed to bring the level of their music UP to meet the industry standard.

[Casey H]

Casey, Casey, Casey. I'm saying precisely what I said, none of that stuff you added. I didn't call them 'idiots'. That was your term. I said nothing about TAXI's success rate, why would I? As far as I know TAXI might have a miserable success rate. If you maintain that our fellow passengers can't critique a song properly, I guess I just have a higher opinion of them than you do

Information about Taxi’s success rate is completely available and published often by Taxi. I didn’t say that as “rah-rah Taxi”, just that anyone paying to be a member, should do some research and ask questions.

I'm a member and human just like you. I disagree with screeners and get pissed off about returns that I don't think are warranted. However, as much as I respect my peers and the value they provide with reviews here, I do not at all think you can compare that to highly trained industry pros screening for Taxi.

My feeling is this... Nothing in the universe is perfect and everyone must decide if something's positives outweigh the negatives. Taxi isn't for everyone and if it doesn't work for you, nothing wrong with dropping out and trying other approaches. I pitch my music both inside and outside of Taxi. I have some deals I would never have if it weren't for Taxi and some I got completely on my own.

Taxi may error on the side of heavy screening. But you have to understand their business model. Clients get TONS of music from LOTS of sources. They don’t HAVE to list with Taxi--- there is SO much music out there, no one is desperate for more submissions! So Taxi needs to keep its value-add to clients at the highest level possible. I agree with them that if they let the quality drop (yes, “quality” is subjective to some degree—I do ‘get’ that), they would damage their client relationships.

Should Taxi “loosen up” and forward more? Remember, there will always be a line somewhere and some folks unhappily on the other side of it.

Best
Casey

[shoodBworkin]

Sheesh, I didn't post about the dern forwards and returns, dude. I posted about the critiques with the the following:

"After receiving several critiques that were just silly, contradictory, and a few that were flat-out absurd I came to accept that TAXI screeners' opinions are no more 'informed' than our own. Further, I doubt the screeners enjoy critiquing stuff, so I stopped ticking the 'critique' box. I accept the forward or return as is. I'll tell you, it's done wonders for my blood pressure lol . . . just my two cents"

* * *

So . . . I'm confident I've learned all I can from TAXI's critiques and as you feel differently, God bless ya! Request a bunch of critiques. Collect 'em. Trade 'em with your friends with my best wishes! It's all good
sBw

[Casey H]

Sheesh, I didn't post about the dern forwards and returns, dude. I posted about the critiques with the the following:

"After receiving several critiques that were just silly, contradictory, and a few that were flat-out absurd I came to accept that TAXI screeners' opinions are no more 'informed' than our own. Further, I doubt the screeners enjoy critiquing stuff, so I stopped ticking the 'critique' box. I accept the forward or return as is. I'll tell you, it's done wonders for my blood pressure lol . . . just my two cents"

* * *

So . . . I'm confident I've learned all I can from TAXI's critiques and as you feel differently, God bless ya! Request a bunch of critiques. Collect 'em. Trade 'em with your friends with my best wishes! It's all good
sBw

Different people have interjected different things on this thread so I was responding on thread as a whole, not just what you said there.

I find it hard to separate screener's critiques from the forward/return decision because they are so related. Some folks are suggesting that Taxi should forward more and be less selective. That was part of what I was addressing.

Casey

[shoodBworkin]

Surely you can see the source of my confusion, as you prefaced that post with a quote from me lol I guess when you accused me of calling TAXI screeners 'idiots' you really meant somebody ELSE called them idiots and I was just . . . handy?

[Cruciform]

However, as much as I respect my peers and the value they provide with reviews here, I do not at all think you can compare that to highly trained industry pros screening for Taxi.

Personally Casey, I have to disagree. How many major successes (musical, literary, inventions, etc.) were initially rejected time and again before they found someone willing to take a risk on them? How many major successes aren't even supported in their own lifetime and are only 'discovered' generations later? Pros are wrong all the time, especially when they are risking something themselves.

I also put more faith in the consensus of peer opinion than in the critiques of the screeners. I've signed nearly 100 individual pieces in the last year, all to good libraries and all under my own steam. Several of these pieces received revision based on peer feedback, some have been returned by multiple screeners and many more by one screener. Deals through Taxi? Still zero.