Bitter Words about TAXI, So I've Heard...

[fallan]

Sept 30, 2008, 5:40am, weslong wrote:I've created a monster...not really its what discussion forums are all about.if we all agree then it becomes boring and a complete waste of time.Even those who you call "disgruntled" might just occassionally have a some good points doncha think?.

[enigmaduo]

The problem is (and I don't think you've been reading me here) that we've had NO forwards at all. We HAVE had loads of submissions that tell us that we're right on target for the listing, that they think the song is marketable (I can't even imagine a marketability rating of 2 or 3...that's gotta sting) but the song isn't being forwarded because it's "not right" for the requested type of song. What we were able to do was place the songs directly with the record company after TAXI told us they weren't quite "right". My question then is, why should we pay TAXI to do the job that we just did, when it's apparent that they can't do it? I can't say it's all been bad. Their feedback prompted us to seek out a third set of ears to mix for us and the results were extremely satisfactory. At the same time, one of the tunes that we had been hawking through TAXI ended up getting signed by the company in Wisconsin, and we had done that all ourselves. Please understand that I'm not bitter here. I'm just expressing a viewpoint. Our "original" music is amalgam of both mine and Carolyn's extremely eclectic backgrounds; Zeppelin, Alan Parsons, Eagles, Fogelberg, Tull, Joni Mitchell, Sting, Bob Wills (yes, you read that correctly), Blue Oyster Cult, Sabbath, Genesis, and I could go on forever. Still, when we write a tune it sounds like SOMETHING. I'm just not convinced anymore that TAXI does what they say they do.

[flyingtadpole]

Oct 1, 2008, 11:26am, enigmaduo wrote:The problem is (and I don't think you've been reading me here) that we've had NO forwards at all. We HAVE had loads of submissions that tell us that we're right on target for the listingyes I did read that clearly. No forwards is not a huge deficit on two forwards, which is what I have after 18 months of membership and another year or two of lurking before that. You clearly submitted a lot more than I did though. I suppose my expectations weren't/aren't high to begin with. Given the nightmares I've been through since 2002 trying to get a market for my music, "low" or "almost nil" wasn't an unreasonable expectation level, but I hadn't found any better potential avenue than Taxi. If you have better avenues, good luck and go for it!But for me, I knew from watching beforehand, especially watching the progress of Vikki/Hummingbird who I knew from another place, that Taxi would be "high bar". The bar feels high enough if you're chasing the almost anonymous Film/TV placement like I am; I guess it would be way, way higher if you're chasing "Songs wanted for recording artist" and stratospheric if you're chasing the "Artists wanted by label" slots. So even if right on target with good songs--just like my most recent return yesterday --the bar might still be too high to get over--"good" vs "very good" vs "great", insert bar somewhere. I find out by jumping. And going splat. But I'm learning to jump higher...(no tadpole leg jokes, thank you)...and put up with the splats getting harder too. It's the equivalent of an athlete's "pain barrier", I think.Quote:What we were able to do was place the songs directly with the record company after TAXI told us they weren't quite "right". My question then is, why should we pay TAXI to do the job that we just did, when it's apparent that they can't do it? It's not apparent that they can't do it: they're doing it all the time with some. But yes, I too got my first deal with a library well before my first Taxi forward, and it included a song which Taxi had returned. Ok Ok, it wasn't a great deal and I don't expect the music to get used any time soon from that particular library but it was sure encouraging! Now, just recently, I've had a really, really great deal appear outside Taxi. Really really. I'm still basking in the warm afterglow (and the red-tape mess of international taxation ) So, like you, I could at this point choose to happily continue on my own without Taxi. But I know I still have a lot I can learn from the TAXI screening. And also, because the TAXI calls are all high bar, I know that if I can get a deal via a TAXI submission, it's going to be a lot better than an ordinary outside deal (such as my first library contract).So, my question was "Why not have both?" My answer is "I will, I perceive it to be worth it", your answer appears to be "No, we perceive it not to be worth continuing with". Same situation. Different outlooks. Different result. Fair enough. But there's this too: Quote:I can't say it's all been bad. Their feedback prompted us to seek out a third set of ears to mix for us and the results were extremely satisfactory. I'd suggest that outcome has been worth your costs and angst. And your "inexpensive education" note suggests so too.I know with cold ego-shrinking certainty that if I hadn't had the kindly but cruel Taxi scrutiny and feedback, and the watch on this forum too, then the quality of arrangement, samples, production and general professionalism in the music that's landed that really really deal just wouldn't be there...I'd still be nowhere. Quote:I'm just not convinced anymore that TAXI does what they say they do. The industry accepts TAXI does what it says it does. As one example, see the Songwriters Market (which TAXI doesn't own or advertise in). From our direction, for some it works, for some it doesn't, for some like me it works in ways that were, um, unexpected! So all the best, and I'd better get back to the dayjob before they sue me...Wes is right, this thread has turned into a consuming monster, and I've said enough. More than enough...

[enigmaduo]

Oct 1, 2008, 6:22pm, flyingtadpole wrote:Oct 1, 2008, 11:26am, enigmaduo wrote:The problem is (and I don't think you've been reading me here) that we've had NO forwards at all. We HAVE had loads of submissions that tell us that we're right on target for the listingyes I did read that clearly. No forwards is not a huge deficit on two forwards, which is what I have after 18 months of membership and another year or two of lurking before that. You clearly submitted a lot more than I did though. I suppose my expectations weren't/aren't high to begin with. Given the nightmares I've been through since 2002 trying to get a market for my music, "low" or "almost nil" wasn't an unreasonable expectation level, but I hadn't found any better potential avenue than Taxi. If you have better avenues, good luck and go for it!But for me, I knew from watching beforehand, especially watching the progress of Vikki/Hummingbird who I knew from another place, that Taxi would be "high bar". The bar feels high enough if you're chasing the almost anonymous Film/TV placement like I am; I guess it would be way, way higher if you're chasing "Songs wanted for recording artist" and stratospheric if you're chasing the "Artists wanted by label" slots. So even if right on target with good songs--just like my most recent return yesterday --the bar might still be too high to get over--"good" vs "very good" vs "great", insert bar somewhere. I find out by jumping. And going splat. But I'm learning to jump higher...(no tadpole leg jokes, thank you)...and put up with the splats getting harder too. It's the equivalent of an athlete's "pain barrier", I think.It's not apparent that they can't do it: they're doing it all the time with some. But yes, I too got my first deal with a library well before my first Taxi forward, and it included a song which Taxi had returned. Ok Ok, it wasn't a great deal and I don't expect the music to get used any time soon from that particular library but it was sure encouraging! Now, just recently, I've had a really, really great deal appear outside Taxi. Really really. I'm still basking in the warm afterglow (and the red-tape mess of international taxation ) So, like you, I could at this point choose to happily continue on my own without Taxi. But I know I still have a lot I can learn from the TAXI screening. And also, because the TAXI calls are all high bar, I know that if I can get a deal via a TAXI submission, it's going to be a lot better than an ordinary outside deal (such as my first library contract).So, my question was "Why not have both?" My answer is "I will, I perceive it to be worth it", your answer appears to be "No, we perceive it not to be worth continuing with". Same situation. Different outlooks. Different result. Fair enough. But there's this too: I'd suggest that outcome has been worth your costs and angst. And your "inexpensive education" note suggests so too.I know with cold ego-shrinking certainty that if I hadn't had the kindly but cruel Taxi scrutiny and feedback, and the watch on this forum too, then the quality of arrangement, samples, production and general professionalism in the music that's landed that really really deal just wouldn't be there...I'd still be nowhere. Quote:I'm just not convinced anymore that TAXI does what they say they do. The industry accepts TAXI does what it says it does. As one example, see the Songwriters Market (which TAXI doesn't own or advertise in). From our direction, for some it works, for some it doesn't, for some like me it works in ways that were, um, unexpected! So all the best, and I'd better get back to the dayjob before they sue me...Wes is right, this thread has turned into a consuming monster, and I've said enough. More than enough...Ya know, if the service is working for you, more power to you. But I'm more than just a little disillusioned about what I've been getting for my dollar and we won't be coming back. 'Nuff said.

[claire]

I'm curious - if someone doesn't renew their Taxi membership, does all their information get deleted? Like all the songs you uploaded and all the biographical information and the submission history, etc? Or does all that stuff still stay on the site and is just reactivated if you rejoin?Claire

[fry112]

nope ! my stuff dident get deleted and I waited like 4 months to start mine back up.

[flood]

Glen,I take your point very well, and it is absolutely correct. I wonder if the Beatles would have broken through otherwise. How many artists SHOULD have broken through but never did.And the Beatles never gave up. Nor should any of us, especially the people in this thread who feel so strongly about their own work. Not everyone is equipped to appreciate a Picasso or Monet while he is still developing. For those who "see" the art and "get it", there is huge success. But not all those people will be found in one place like Taxi. It can only be one avenue of many you work on, as we have already seen in this thread.Off hand, we can probably name dozens or hundreds who are underappreciated or even unknown.I think those are far more typical.The stars lined up for the Beatles, the dice rolled all sevens, or whatever cliche you prefer.I do believe that if someone is good enough and committed enough for a long enough time, that someone will eventually notice. Maybe it won't be Taxi, as we are seeing in this thread.But who said it HAD to be Taxi.If picking the hits could be reduced to a formula, Taxi wouldn't exist and most of us would be employed in other exciting fields, like upholstery repair. (No offense meant, if that's your career).Creativity and timing of popular taste simply can't be measured and bottled for resale to the wider public.This is also part of the reason our field is so damned exciting. It is that thrill of emotion, the rising tide of the rushing heartbeat, and the thunder of a signed song or taxi forward. The adrenaline that drives the entire mess is, at the same time, our heroine and our albatross.I wouldn't have it any other way.

[weslong]

Oct 2, 2008, 7:22pm, flood wrote:Glen, How many artists SHOULD have broken through but never did.Creativity and timing of popular taste simply can't be measured and bottled for resale to the wider public.LOL! That's one of the oldest chestnuts around, isn't it? I think if we could distill that into a real-world solution we'd be billionaires...or the guys sitting in the board rooms at the Majors deciding who gets a 'pass' and hammering out what music the masses should be listening to next.

[flood]

If it COULD be broken down like that, we wouldn't be the wealthy ones. Big business has a way of squashing those who stand in the way, when mega-profits are at stake.I'd probably be selling vacuum cleaners door to door, to the very folks that ran us out of the playpen.

[weslong]

Nah, they don't actually touch vacuum cleaners. Those are handled by the hired help.