I'm starting to feel the one year itch

[Kelil]

After all my forwards and no word back I'm starting to feel that one year itch and getting frustrated. Anyone else who just started out feel the same? What advice have you got to help me keep going? How many forwards did it take until you got word back?

Stephen

[Casey H]

What advice have you got to help me keep going?

Drink heavily.

Seriously, it's a long and slow process. Some folks hear back very quickly on forwards while for others it's even counted in years.

A few things to keep in mind. Pitches to labels are so highly competitive in today's music industry that odds of hearing back for anyone, regardless of Taxi or not, are very, very small. Film/TV placements, though not a cake-walk are much more accessible. So, make sure you are focusing on film/TV...

Focusing on film/TV must include pitches to general music libraries as well as the higher end direct to music sup and ad agency thing. Music libraries still provide a large percentage of what's on TV. While shooting for the stars with 5 figure opps, don't ignore the more steady, longer term ones.

You need to create more tracks. Pitching the same 1-2 songs to many opps is not as effective as many tracks to many opps. Build your catalog and your music library deals so you have as many quality tracks in as many libraries as you can. Numbers matter.

Good luck!
Casey

[Kelil]

Thanks Casey. I guess I am being cautious with creating new tracks as it costs me X amount of dollars to do. I wanna wait and see if I get word back from a long term listing ( and even the Y Listings ) Library before I go ahead and build anymore. I want to see if it's all worth it.

Thanks for the feedback. I hear what your saying too about the labels. I have only had one forward to a record label in a past month. And I have had about 10 forwards to Libraries, none of which have given me any word. But as you say these things can take even years at best to sprout some fruit.

Stephen

[cardell]

After all my forwards and no word back I'm starting to feel that one year itch and getting frustrated. Anyone else who just started out feel the same? What advice have you got to help me keep going? How many forwards did it take until you got word back?

Stephen

I didn't get ANY forwards in my first year.

I realize it's boring to hear this (but it's true): You just need to be patient.

Stuart

[admin]

Read this thread top to bottom:
http://forums.taxi.com/topic21279.html

If you wanted to be a pro golfer, and you were getting invited to play in regional tournaments, would you quit after a year of not getting invited to play in the Masters? There's a formula to becoming successful with TAXI, and you've already accomplished the hardest part. You're getting forwards!

Remember, the companies aren't sitting, waiting at the mailbox. They likely have several projects going at once, and each has its own time slot. The day they get to the "box" your music is in, is probably the day you'll get the email. If you stop now, and get "the" call a year from now, then you'll hate yourself for not filling the pipeline with many more possibilities during the year you weren't pitching. We hear that story ALL the time!

I've heard your music. It's very good and has strong possibilities. Obviously our screeners agree. Record more music. Invest in yourself. Diane Warren, who is arguably the most recorded songwriter of the few decades, worked TIRELESSLY, day in, day out, for 12 years before she got her first real cut.

Now she is rumored to make $20,000,000 per year. Good thing she didn't stop because she didn't get any cuts in her FIRST YEAR! If you weren't talented, I'd tell you to pack it in. You're talented, you need more songs, more pitches, and much more patience (said the boss lovingly).

Trust me, if we're forwarding you, you're doing something right.

Best,
Michael

[Kelil]

Read this thread top to bottom:
http://forums.taxi.com/topic21279.html

If you wanted to be a pro golfer, and you were getting invited to play in regional tournaments, would you quit after a year of not getting invited to play in the Masters? There's a formula to becoming successful with TAXI, and you've already accomplished the hardest part. You're getting forwards!

Remember, the companies aren't sitting, waiting at the mailbox. They likely have several projects going at once, and each has its own time slot. The day they get to the "box" your music is in, is probably the day you'll get the email. If you stop now, and get "the" call a year from now, then you'll hate yourself for not filling the pipeline with many more possibilities during the year you weren't pitching. We hear that story ALL the time!

I've heard your music. It's very good and has strong possibilities. Obviously our screeners agree. Record more music. Invest in yourself. Diane Warren, who is arguably the most recorded songwriter of the few decades, worked TIRELESSLY, day in, day out, for 12 years before she got her first real cut.

Now she is rumored to make $20,000,000 per year. Good thing she didn't stop because she didn't get any cuts in her FIRST YEAR! If you weren't talented, I'd tell you to pack it in. You're talented, you need more songs, more pitches, and much more patience (said the boss lovingly).

Trust me, if we're forwarding you, you're doing something right.

Best,
Michael

Michael thanks for your great post. I just wanna clear up the misconception that I'm a quitter. I'm not. I'm just an impatient wee Leprachaun I certainly am not planning to quit the great formula of Taxi. It's the only formula I have to get my music anywhere and heard by some of the top names in the industry. It's pure gold is this Taxi.

I've got the songs. I'm addicted to writing. I'm just not in the financial position to invest money into getting them recorded and done which I so badly want to do. If only some of the members knew just how bad my situation is I'm sure they would understand ( I dont even own my own guitar, I have it on loan ). BUT. I plan to try and get myself some courses done in sound engineering this coming April in the local college. Buy myself some equipment and give it the best shot I can give. I also plan to renew my membership in may for the long haul this time around and just keep on bangin doors down and submitting. Doing gigs and radio shows to boot this summer.

I'm glad you like the tracks I have recorded at the moment. And it's helping me realise I have a talent ( I think ) I should never give up that easily.

Thanks again,

Stephen


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[Casey H]

Stephen
Sorry you are in such tight financial straights.

Suggestion... Get some of those new songs laid down as rough recordings, even if just a guitar and vocal into a cheap tape recorder. Borrow a guitar if you have to and find a way to make a scratch recording as mp3 file. It can have bad sound quality- just get the SONG down.

Then post songs here for review and ask for collaborators who also do production work. By collaborating with someone who can do the production side, you can expand your catalog. They might contribute to the writing itself, and even if not, trading 50% of the ownership for the production is often well worth it. There are many talented folks here who if they here a good song, would most likely be interested.

THIS is why posting rude rants can have such negative effects on you. Someone who might be the future collaborator you need might pass on the opportunity because they don't want to work with a volatile, unprofessional personality. I'm not saying that to pick on you-- you apologized and I think learned from the experience.

You are a very talented songwriter. Don't let being broke stand in the way. There ARE ways around it.

Good luck!!
Casey

[Kelil]

Casey thanks for the advice and I'm taking it all on board. But what I'm struggling with his how you think my attitude within this thread is volatile?

[cardell]

Then post songs here for review and ask for collaborators who also do production work. By collaborating with someone who can do the production side, you can expand your catalog. They might contribute to the writing itself, and even if not, trading 50% of the ownership for the production is often well worth it. There are many talented folks here who if they here a good song, would most likely be interested.

Yes, I was thinking the same thing here Casey.

In fact, Stephen already has an open invitation from me. I've offered to work on some songs with him for nothing and sign a (free) work for hire agreement.

THIS is why posting rude rants can have such negative effects on you. Someone who might be the future collaborator you need might pass on the opportunity because they don't want to work with a volatile, unprofessional personality. I'm not saying that to pick on you-- you apologized and I think learned from the experience.

Casey thanks for the advice and I'm taking it all on board. But what I'm struggling with his how you think my attitude within this thread is volatile?

I guess Casey's referring to this thread:
http://forums.taxi.com/post272624.html#p272624

Stuart

[Kelil]

Thanks Cardell. *gulp* hehe. Yeah I'm extremely remorseful for that first Taxi rant of mine. And it aint me thats for sure. But I'm definitely not a bad guy to work with even though I do ( rarely ) get heated sometimes at the returns I may get.

But thanks everyone for the advice and Stuart thanks for the potential partnership in some tracks. I couldnt let you do it all for nothing and we'll get some share between us worked out on any tracks we do in the future and you can only imagine my reaction : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVQYhnacwPo