5 Year Plans - how are you approaching it?

[Jeff196]

Hi all...can you advise how you pace yourself for the 5 year plan? Here are a few thought starters:

1) Do you compose for listings?
2) Do you resubmit your stuff to mulitple listings?
3) Do you submit outside of taxi to libraries?
4) How do you manage the cost side of things? Do you tend to do all playing/ singing yourself?
5) Do you focus more on instrumentals?
6) Do you maintain websites etc outside of Taxi?

[kclements]

Hi all...can you advise how you pace yourself for the 5 year plan? Here are a few thought starters:

1) Yes - as I see something that is interesting to go for.
2) That depends. If I get a forward, I generally sit on the track for a while and give the forward a chance to contact me. At some time, I either submit that track for a library I currently write for, or hold it to resubmit to Taxi. But, before I had any libraries signed, I would re-submit as needed to get my foot in the door somewhere.
3) Yes.
4) Yes, I do everything myself. OR, I work with a collaborator I met from Taxi / other friends... At that point, we share the track 50/50
5) Yes, 99.9 percent. I would like to do songs, but am terrible at writing lyrics - working on some Colabs in the future.
6) Yes - I have my own website, but I also use Soundcloud. In fact, I think I get more hits to Soundcloud than I do my own website.

Hope that helps.

cheers -
kc

[mikeymike2000]

1) Do you compose for listings? - Yes, but I also write for myself and other projects. I find that no matter what there is usually an opportunity to pitch everything sooner or later.

2) Do you resubmit your stuff to mulitple listings? Yes, until someone worthy accepts the song keep pitching it because even forwards will not always end up in a deal. So if it is close to the target, fire that sucker off.

3) Do you submit outside of taxi to libraries? Used to but found it to be way too time consuming. Does not hurt to work multiple roads but that can be a very easy distraction, especially if you are new to all this. Keep in mind libraries have tens of thousands of songs just sitting there, collecting space dust. They really don't need more songs unless they are specifically asking for it.

4) How do you manage the cost side of things? Do you tend to do all playing/ singing yourself? -For Taxi listings I used to do everything myself but I have moved more towards teaming up with people who are better at different things than I and we just split it. There are now about 4 (and counting) other Taxi members I work with on a fairly regular basis. - I am also in the process of getting real players for a few tunes that I deem worthy of the cost. This is a big risk though, just cause I hire someone to play does not mean someone else will want to license it. (there are also a lot of pit-falls that go along with hiring and producing real humans) so that is not recommended for the fresh composer. It's a good goal to work up to though!

5) Do you focus more on instrumentals? - I do but that does not mean there is not a crap ton of vocal opportunities. Also, my singing voice is crap

6) Do you maintain websites etc outside of Taxi? Yes

Hope that helps!

[DesireInspires]

I have had to refinance my 5-year plan into a fixed rate 15 for now.

LMAO!

[Cruciform]

I have had to refinance my 5-year plan into a fixed rate 15 for now.

LMAO!

[Cruciform]

1) Do you compose for listings?
Occasionally.

2) Do you resubmit your stuff to mulitple listings?
Occasionally.

3) Do you submit outside of taxi to libraries?
Definitely.

4) How do you manage the cost side of things? Do you tend to do all playing/ singing yourself?
Solo. Except for collabs and if a publisher offers a budget for musos/singers. I haven't paid a session player/singer yet but I certainly would if I had the budget to do so.

5) Do you focus more on instrumentals?
Yes. But if I found the right singer/songwriter to work with, I would do so.

6) Do you maintain websites etc outside of Taxi?
Yes, though to my knowledge, soundcloud has been the only one so far that has provided an ROI.

[davewalton]

I have had to refinance my 5-year plan into a fixed rate 15 for now.

LMAO!

Coming back from a long time without posting to say... That was pretty darn funny

I've had to refinance too

[davewalton]

1) Do you compose for listings?
True now but especially in the beginning definitely yes. Rather than writing "something" and then hoping that "something" might match up to a listing somewhere, it worked so much better to target the listing. Which, by the way, is exactly how it pretty much works in the real world. Sure you submit to libraries and they accept if they need it but a lot of times they send a broadcast email out to all composers asking for specific music. Much easier and a better chance of success to write something that matches exactly what they're looking for. Plus, that's what gives me direction, that specific target to write for.

2) Do you resubmit your stuff to mulitple listings?
Definitely. A car salesman will show the same car to as many people as possible until one of them signs the contract. Just because a customer says "I'll think about it" doesnt' mean the salesman pulls the car into the back and waits to see if that customer decides to come back.

3) Do you submit outside of taxi to libraries?
Definitely. But... most of those are things that were Taxi deals to start with. Naturally once you're in a library or libraries, you'll have pretty much direct access to submit. Once you're "in", you've already met their standard so they don't eye you as suspiciously as when you're trying to get in. Generally speaking, if your music is getting forwarded on a fairly consistent basis (we all go through dry spells though), then your music is probably up the standard that submitting directly would be potentially successful. But... if you're not yet getting forwarded, then it's much less likely that your music would meet the standard. Nothing is set in stone but once my music started getting fowarded, then things started to happen both inside and outside of Taxi.

4) How do you manage the cost side of things? Do you tend to do all playing/ singing yourself?
Home studio and co-writing for things that I can't do.

5) Do you focus more on instrumentals?
I don't know what the ratio is but I wouldn't be surprised if the potential for instrumental placements is 90% and the singer/songwriter potential is 10%. Still, there are more than a few members here who have and have had great success with vocal tracks. I guess it just comes down to what you're best at. Me... instrumental stuff, but have done and will be doing some co-writes with vocal/lyrics people.

6) Do you maintain websites etc outside of Taxi?
I do but I don't think that anything really comes of it anymore. Somebody using Soundcloud would probably do just as well. It's all about the music and as long as they can *click* and hear the music, that's what counts.

[brentmagstadt]

I'm only on a 5 year plan because Mazz, Matt, DaveW and a few others told me I was. Twice.

1) Do you compose for listings?
Yes. If nothing else, it hones my ability to focus on specifics. That in itself is worth the price of Taxi admission.

2) Do you resubmit your stuff to mulitple listings?
Yep. I have 2 main groups of music: specific writings for exclusive targets, and writings for calls etc that will remain non-exclusive (unless money talks, of course...). Oh and, gratuitous self-absorbed music for my own personal head space - I don't write enough of this in my opinion (but probably share far too much of it!).

3) Do you submit outside of taxi to libraries?
Yes, but very selectively. I've had a couple of experiences that were not too far from the negative side of the dial, so I pay attention and never let a file out of my hand unless I've had a convo/thread with the target. I used to spam my tracks, but frankly... it's too much work, they probably didn't get listened to, they didn't get placed, and to be honest, I doubt they were that good anyhooz. I'm waay more selective now. (And hopefully producing betta music.)

4) How do you manage the cost side of things? Do you tend to do all playing/ singing yourself?
I do everything, including midi drumkit, and vocals often, and bring in people when I need to. I have no problem paying a session player, and don't pay much attention to ROI for a given track. If it comes out cool and I dig it but it's absolutely not something that will get placed, I'm okay with it - for me it's about the music, in whatever shape that shows up as. (The caveat is if I am 'focused' - see above.)

5) Do you focus more on instrumentals?
Yes, mostly instrumentals, but I love to sing. And while I'm not great, I have fun and smile quite a lot. Mostly people don't leave when I do, so I feel that's a pretty significant bonus.

6) Do you maintain websites etc outside of Taxi?
I do, but frankly I could care less. I don't really maintain anything because it will always need maintaining then: websites = time. I don't have a FB user account (though I have a band account), and my online experience is most often either work-oriented or music focused. I do have RN, SC, and probably some other stuff I've forgotten (back when I was spamming, see above). (SC is good for pitching sometimes, depending upon targets.) This forum, while different than FB I admit, has a much higher level of value to me than tweaking out my web pages, or 'liking' this/that/the other... (near-rant over).

Besides, it's not about how far the bus is going, it's more about just getting on the bus, IMO.
Hope this all helps.

[Casey H]

3) Do you submit outside of taxi to libraries? Used to but found it to be way too time consuming. Does not hurt to work multiple roads but that can be a very easy distraction, especially if you are new to all this. Keep in mind libraries have tens of thousands of songs just sitting there, collecting space dust. They really don't need more songs unless they are specifically asking for it.

Hi Mikey
I have to disagree with this one and I think a great many songwriters and composers would as well. Libraries are always looking for good new material, especially what's most marketable for film/TV today. Many Taxi members submit to Taxi listings and directly to libraries as well. Success is spread around both ways and these two avenues compliment each other well.

It's not true that they don't need more songs unless they are specifically asking. When they hear something they think they can pitch now or in the reasonably near future, they will grab it.

Casey