3 up, 1 down

[andreh]

Hey Gang-Thought I'd share the good news about my first 4 submissions...3 were forwarded! They were for Dispatch listings D061002LA, D061003AS, D061003AF, and D061003ME (all the same listing except for the musical style; I've combined them into one listing below):Quote:Authentic-sounding AFRICAN, ASIAN, MIDDLE EASTERN, and LATIN SONGS & INSTRUMENTALS in ALL STYLES are needed by an Online Music Licensing Co. that supplies music to film, TV, video game, corporate, internet, and DVD projects. All regional music from Africa/Asia/Middle East/South America is OK. All tempos OK. Male or female vocals are OK [regional languages and English are OK]. They’ve been in business for 10 years and have had over 40,000 licensing sales transactions in that span. Just a sample of some of the companies that have used their service: New Line Cinema, Pixar, Disney, Miramax, Discovery, PAX TV, and Warner Bros. They offer a non-exclusive, 50/50 deal -- the revenue generated by a license is split down the middle between you and the company. And of course, you receive Performance Royalties. Broadcast quality needed [great sounding home recordings are OK]. Please submit one to three songs online or per CD. All submissions will be screened on a YES/NO BASIS ONLY - NO CRITIQUES FROM TAXI. For ground submissions, please enclose a S.A.S.E. if you would like a response. As always, we will notify everyone via e-mail, whether your submissions have been Forwarded or Returned. Submissions must be received no later than 2:00 pm, Pacific Standard Time (California time), Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2006.If you'd like to hear them, they're up on my Broadjam page:http://www.broadjam.com/artists/artist_ ... D=37060The tracks are:"Footfalls" (African/new age)"Lost Incarnation" (Asian/new age)"Black Tear (Middle Eastern/Orchestral)"La Fuega" (Latin/Pop)See if you can guess which one was returned...I wasn't too surprised when it came back, but I thought it was worth a shot since the song was already in my catalog (as were all those I'm submitting intitially).Since there were no critiques given for these, I didn't get much feedback about them stylistically (except from some helpful members on the board, especially Aub)...but I do have some take-aways from my first submission experiences:1. Although I'm quite happy to have several songs forwarded, the listing party turned out to be an online library that accepts demo material from anyone at anytime; in fact, they seem to encourage it on their site - this listing was more like an advertisement for them as far as I can tell. Of course, I hadn't even heard of the company before this, and they seem to have good quality work on offer...so it was worth the submission to make the contact.2. Dispatch listings get turned around quickly! These were reviewed and forwarded/returned the day after the deadline expired. I submitted several songs for normal listings that expired several days before these, and they haven't been reviewed yet (nor would I expect them to have been).3. The jury's out on the value of the whole Dispatch thing. While it's true that these listings expire sooner, that's about the only thing that seems to be different about them from the normal listings. I was under the impression that Dispatch listings were going to be oriented more toward projects that have an immediate need for new music (likely in a film/TV context), and would therefore be more likely to yield a placement deal quickly. The listings I've seen so far are clearly persistent opportunities, so it looks a little like they're being placed in Disptatch just to take up space there. In my view, these kind of listings should be available to everyone who's a Taxi member.To balance out my criticism above, I've only just begun submitting for regular OR Dispatch listings, so I'm happy to see how things progress down the line. Plus, I'm grateful for the renewed enthusiasm with which I'm approaching my music since I began submitting to Taxi, and that's worth the price of admission alone.Thanks for listening,Andre

[edteja]

The music is very good Andre. Its curious, because it is not what I expected to hear forwarded for a listing like this at all, however. But then I have trouble figuring out listings such as this one. What is unauthentic new age, African or otherwise? I didn't submit to this one because my erhu sound is not authentic enough yet, and that is sort of thing that I seem to get constatnly on critiques. For instance, the Asian tune doesn't sound at all Asian to me. I lived in Hong Kong for a few years and used to attend concerts all the time. And I listen to Chinese and Malay music constantly. The instrumentation doesn't have much to do with that. That isn't meant as a criticism of your track, I just don't understand the use of the terms I guess. In this case they must have meant "exotic" which your tracks certainly are.Improper listing interpretation seems to be my major rejection for the song not being forwarded.

[edteja]

And congratulations and such a good result.

[matto]

Quote:3. The jury's out on the value of the whole Dispatch thing. While it's true that these listings expire sooner, that's about the only thing that seems to be different about them from the normal listings. I was under the impression that Dispatch listings were going to be oriented more toward projects that have an immediate need for new music (likely in a film/TV context), and would therefore be more likely to yield a placement deal quickly. The listings I've seen so far are clearly persistent opportunities, so it looks a little like they're being placed in Disptatch just to take up space there. In my view, these kind of listings should be available to everyone who's a Taxi member. Congratulations on your forwards Andre! Remember it's up to the listing party to decide what turn around they want. If they want a turn around that's too fast for regular listings (keeping in mind that some members still get the listings via snail mail), Taxi pretty much has no other choice than to put the listing into dispatch. Dispatch was originally started to accomodate "last minute" requests and there are still many Dispatch listings of that nature, but now that it's established you have to give your listing companies the choice on how quick they want stuff turned around.Quote:Its curious, because it is not what I expected to hear forwarded for a listing like this at all, however. But then I have trouble figuring out listings such as this one. What is unauthentic new age, African or otherwise? I didn't submit to this one because my erhu sound is not authentic enough yet, and that is sort of thing that I seem to get constatnly on critiques. For instance, the Asian tune doesn't sound at all Asian to me. I lived in Hong Kong for a few years and used to attend concerts all the time. And I listen to Chinese and Malay music constantly. The instrumentation doesn't have much to do with that. That isn't meant as a criticism of your track, I just don't understand the use of the terms I guess. In this case they must have meant "exotic" which your tracks certainly are.Ed, if Andre copied the listing correctly and it reads "authentic-sounding (e.g.) African music of all styles" then that would include such styles as African pop, worldbeat, ethnic crossover, in addition to traditional music. Thus Andre's tracks, though far from traditional ethnic folk music, still fit fairly comfortably under that wide umbrella.As far as your Erhu not sounding "authentic" enough, perhaps what the screener was trying to say is it doesn't sound "real" enough, in other words too much like a sample? Just a thought. That's yet another possible use for the word "authentic" ...:-/. And yes I agree it can be a bit tricky to interpret listings sometimes. If in doubt, you should always post your questions here...Hope this helps a bit matto

[edteja]

Thanks for that Matto, the mention of erhu was metaphorical for a number of comments (I happen to be trying for that at the moment--sampled erhu, not metaphor ) not a concrete example. In some cases you are exactly right, it was realism, not authenticity. In others it is less clear. I didn't mean to imply that I thought it had to be ethnically correct, although I would have expected there to be a requirement for some versimilitude, else why bother to specify the cultures, and not just say "world" or "anything goes." Perhaps I just don't have a broad enough understanding of some of these implied factors (yet ). I am still perplexed by the term "authentic-sounding". Many listings seem that way--if I take them literally "Authentic sounding" should mean using the sounds of the culture, I would think, my interpretation is too narrow. If I interpret them broadly then I haven't met the listing criteria. For instance, if the Carribbean islands (specifically, the Windward islands) had been in this listing, would it have been reasonable to submit rap and hip hop music, since they are popular forms of music in Grenada? Ah well, I doubt there is a succinct useful answer to that ramble, and it is mostly rhetorical. But just maybe if I run my head into these walls enough times I will find the doorways.

[hummingbird]

"But just maybe if I run my head into these walls enough times I will find the doorways." Now there's a succinct description of the business of songwriting

[andreh]

Thanks for the kind thoughts and feedback, Ed and Matto.As for the music fitting the listings, I think Matto's right that the words "in ALL STYLES" opened things up pretty wide. However, it seems to me there are several key instruments in each piece that associate them with each genre (or locale, in this case) to most listeners: the tribal percussion and chants in the African piece, the Asian flutes, percussion, and koto in the Asian piece, and the rhythms and salsa piano in the Latin piece. I could go into more detail with specific instrument names (though I'd have to google a few), but to me, there are several clear authentic sounds in each piece.Ed, would you be willing to post an example or two of your pieces in one of these styles that were returned? You've got my curiousity piqued.Matto, as far as the dispatch listings go, I think you did mention previously that the listing party decides where the listings go, and it makes sense to me that there should be a different section for shorter-term listings.However, it's still hard for me to see that Taxi members are getting any extra value or opportunities from these if they are largely the same type of listing only on a shorter timeframe. Especially since it's not made clear that all listings are not included with the initial Taxi membership (not a mention of it anywhere in the "About" section, though it is talked about briefly in the "Membership" section), it seems a little like Taxi is just using it as a way to get more $'s from us for something that should be included in the initial cost.I hope to find over time that the Dispatch listings offer more value than I'm currently perceiving, and I'm still quite happy about having joined Taxi.Hope I don't sound like a whiner! Andre

[davewalton]

Hi Andre,Congrats on the forwards. Nice to place some music with the face and personality. I love listening to music from the people on the boards. So many different styles and approaches, really interesting.In your case... good stuff! Dave

[edteja]

Andre,I think the way I stated my confusion confused you. I did not mean to imply that Taxi screeners rejected me for that listing because of the instrument sounds. The fact is that I refrained from submitting a piece because of my interpretation of the listing based on critiques of my instrument sounds for other listings. (Confusing enough?) It isn't that I KNOW something would have been forwarded, just a groan that I didn't submit, but for the wrong reasons. I am working on pieces that have some of those flavors, yes, but they haven't (yet) been rejected. Much of my confusion actually arises from a combination of previous listing critiques which I am still digesting and simply trying to figure out which square holes I am supposed to be pounding my round pegs into. Never fear, I'll just put my bruised noggin back down and work more on the music and worry less about the listings. When I get something that might be right for one of these, I will take you and Matto up on the offer of some specific feedback. I'm just slow guys. Thanks for your patience. It should be more than 10 to 15 years before I start to see the light.

[matto]

Quote:However, it's still hard for me to see that Taxi members are getting any extra value or opportunities from these if they are largely the same type of listing only on a shorter timeframe. Well I got the Oprah gig out of Dispatch...I'd say that qualifies as "extra value" ...this was a listing that quite simply would NOT have been run by that company if the turn around had been two weeks or longer.Quote:Especially since it's not made clear that all listings are not included with the initial Taxi membership (not a mention of it anywhere in the "About" section, though it is talked about briefly in the "Membership" section) That's a good point, I agree this could be made clearer, and I've brought this to Taxi's attention.Quote:it seems a little like Taxi is just using it as a way to get more $'s from us for something that should be included in the initial cost. Andre, as (I think) I explained to you before, the choice was/is to either raise the regular Taxi membership substantially for all members and include Dispatch, or have Dispatch be an additional service available at an extra cost. The way it is now, if you find Dispatch is not providing you with value (which some members undoubtedly do), you can decide not to pay the extra fee. If Taxi had gone with the former option, you wouldn't have that choice. To me, considering the vastly different backgrounds and goals of Taxi's members, some scalability of the membership is desirable.