Need some help understanding this return

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WayneEdwardRoworth
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Need some help understanding this return

Post by WayneEdwardRoworth » Mon Sep 19, 2022 5:57 pm

Hello. Only on Taxi for a few months and definitely not an expert in producing and/or recording. I need some help on understanding some of the comments made on the return. The listing was for a patriotic Kid Rock sound a-like about America. I thought I nailed it. Obviously I did not. TIA for your comments and help. Wayne.

Here's the listing - https://www.taxi.com/listings/S220915CR

Here's the song - https://www.taxi.com/members/Vwh1hGKUSz ... -e-r-i-c-a

Here's the return - https://www.taxi.com/members/Vwh1hGKUSz ... n3-xfta4dA

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Casey H
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Re: Need some help understanding this return

Post by Casey H » Mon Sep 19, 2022 6:41 pm

I pasted the listing text since the link doesn't work once a listing has expired:

HIGH-ENERGY "KID ROCK"-Style COUNTRY/ROCK/HIP-HOP SONGS about AMERICA with Male Vocals are needed by a Music Supervisor for several (up to) $2,000 placements in a Hit TV Show streaming on Amazon Prime Video!

This Music Supervisor is searching for Mid-to-Up-Tempo Songs with Male Vocals in the general wheelhouse of the following references:

WARNING: The references may include graphic and explicit lyrics. Listener discretion is advised.

"My Kind of Country" by Kid Rock https://youtu.be/mJuIWCS49Jc

"We The People" by Kid Rock https://youtu.be/kyFnLqJx-uU

"American Rock ‘n Roll" by Kid Rock https://youtu.be/i7Aqg8SkGek

Quoting the Music Supervisor: "We're looking for some energetic Country/Rock and Rock/Hip-Hop in the vein of Kid Rock with lyric themes like: pro American exceptionalism, patriotism, Make America Great, etc."

Please send them top-notch Country/Rock/Hip-Hop Songs that are bursting with tons of impactful energy! Your submissions should have catchy melodies, easily memorable hooks, rockin' rhythms, and well-crafted lyrics centered around the themes mentioned by the Supervisor. Your arrangements can range from Country/Rock to Rock/Hip-Hop to a blend of all 3 genres – just be sure your instrumentation falls in the general ballpark of the references (think electric guitars, hard-hitting beats, etc.). Whichever approach you take, please be sure your production and any virtual instruments or samples you use are high-quality and not dated sounding. Top your submissions off with passionate, assertive, well-performed Male Vocals and you could have just what this Music Supervisor needs!

This Music Supervisor has specifically requested that your lyrics are completely clean (NO profanity). Lyrics should avoid references to specific names, dates, times, and brands, as well. Do NOT copy the referenced artists or songs in any way, shape, or form. Use the references only as a general guide for tempo, tone, and overall vibe. Do NOT submit any material with unauthorized samples of any other artists’ music, sounds, or any other form of media. Broadcast Quality is needed.

The estimated license fee for each of these placements is up to $2,000, depending on the ultimate use. This will be a Non-Exclusive, Direct-to-Music Supervisor placement, so you’ll get 100% of the Sync Fee, you’ll keep 100% of your Publishing and Master ownership, and you’ll also get 100% of any applicable performance royalties. No Publisher splits! You must own or control your Master and Copyright to submit for this opportunity. Please submit as many Songs as you’d like, online or per CD; please include lyrics. All submissions will be screened and critiqued by TAXI. NO DEADLINE EXTENSIONS for this request. Sorry folks, but we're on an extremely tight deadline, so please don't even ask! Submissions must be received no later than 11:59 PM (PDT) on Thursday, September 15th, 2022. TAXI # S220915CR

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Casey H
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Re: Need some help understanding this return

Post by Casey H » Mon Sep 19, 2022 7:01 pm

It comes down much more to the production, engineering, and performance here than the actual songwriting. That's mainly what I'm reading from the screener. Keep in mind that this is a pretty high bar listing, having an upfront fee of up to $2K. Your recording would be for use "as is" on a hit TV show. It has to be what's called "Broadcast Quality", which means maybe not as good as the radio hits but way up there in that direction. Do some A/B listens between the first Kid Rock reference, for example, and yours. Listen to the vocal performance, the sounds used (nothing synthy/dated), the clarity of the mix, etc. One thing that's easy to pick out from the get-go is your vocal sounds muffled.

I'm not a production/mix guy, but my advice is study production and engineering using books and videos. There are also lots of helpful folks here who can offer guidance. I strongly recommend you come to the Taxi Road Rally as there is a wealth of learning there as well as networking with peers. Also, consider collaborating with others who can help with the production side.

Others will chime in with more specifics on the production/engineering of your track. :D

Best,
:D Casey

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Re: Need some help understanding this return

Post by WayneEdwardRoworth » Mon Sep 19, 2022 7:05 pm

Casey.....thanks very much. Good stuff!

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Re: Need some help understanding this return

Post by Telefunkin » Tue Sep 20, 2022 2:08 am

Hi,
You do indeed have a patriotic song about America, but that's only one of the criteria. Here's the things that stand out to me from the listing...
- Country/Rock/Hip-Hop Songs that are bursting with tons of impactful energy!
- catchy melodies, easily memorable hooks, rockin' rhythms
- well-crafted lyrics
- hard-hitting beats
- please be sure your production and any virtual instruments or samples you use are high-quality and not dated sounding.
- Top your submissions off with passionate, assertive, well-performed Male Vocals
- arrangements can range from Country/Rock to Rock/Hip-Hop to a blend of all 3 genres

Also, the listing is for a music supervisor rather than a library and commands an upfront fee, so as Casey says, this is a high bar listing and they're probably looking for exactly the right song. As Kid Rock features in all the refs its a sure thing that they want something pretty close.

Based on all of that, if you do some serious comparison between your song and the refs you'd have to conclude that it comes up short in a few of those key areas noted above, and primarily the vocals. To me, they sound like they were recorded in a small room and then treated to try and dress them up, but that only makes them less clear. I'm also not feeling the passion and assertion, or getting impactful energy or hard hitting beats, the arrangement is pretty laid-back, and the production (as mentioned in the feedback) is closer to demo quality than broadcast quality. They're just my opinions though, so see what others impartial reviewers say. However, I'm no top producer, screener, library owner or music supervisor, but if I can hear these things then you can be 100% certain that they will too.

Anyway, I'm sorry if that all sounds a bit harsh, but its the kind of judgement that the screeners have to make, and also the music supervisor who's job it is to find top-notch material for the TV show they're working on. Anything that isn't broadcast quality will be eliminated immediately, but its not the only thing they will consider.

I hope that helps.
Graham (UK). Still composing a little faster than decomposing, and 100% HI.

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Re: Need some help understanding this return

Post by WayneEdwardRoworth » Tue Sep 20, 2022 5:26 am

Graham....thank you!

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Re: Need some help understanding this return

Post by cosmicdolphin » Tue Sep 20, 2022 6:18 am

It sounds to me like the whole thing needs a lot of work. I thought the first little section with the chanting in it was the best part but once the verse comes it all comes across as very lacklustre.

Arrangement and production wise it's got a very dated vibe to it, the guitar part in the verse is very repetitive and the drum part is quite plodding and lacking in excitement. Like the screener said it just sounds more like a rough demo than a finished song. I think even if the song was professionally arranged and performed it would still be lacking the drive and energy of the Kid Rock tracks , so that's more of a songwriting issue than a production one.

As mentioned by others the vocals sound very odd at the moment, like you've added some effect over them like maybe an ADT and it's making them sound like they've been processed through a flange pedal. I had a listen to a few other songs on your profile and they have much clearer sounding vocals than this track , so I'm not sure what went wrong here.

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Re: Need some help understanding this return

Post by WayneEdwardRoworth » Tue Sep 20, 2022 7:11 am

Thank you C.D. Appreciated!

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