5 Year Plans - how are you approaching it?

[Jeff196]

Casey:

How did you build your network of library contacts? Would be interested in learning more.

[andygabrys]

interesting thread:

1) Do you compose for listings?

yes

2) Do you resubmit your stuff to mulitple listings?

sure, if it looks like a match, otherwise see #1

3) Do you submit outside of taxi to libraries?

sure, I had other contacts before joining TAXI, seems only right to keep working all the angles

4) How do you manage the cost side of things? Do you tend to do all playing/ singing yourself?

I play or "produce" everything I do. If there is something that is not part of my usual expertise, I collab or hire somebody outright to do it (Work for hire scenario). I do mix and master my stuff as a matter of course and do that for others on a collab or work for hire basis as well - some TAXI members, some not-TAXI members

5) Do you focus more on instrumentals?

Yes, for me they are easier, faster and cheaper.

6) Do you maintain websites etc outside of Taxi?

yes, a soundcloud account and a simple website. I use Soundcloud because it has html5 capability and works on mobile devices, and i embed it into my primary website as a player. The primary drawback to the TAXI profiles right now is that they work on flash, and I am too much in a hurry to make streaming links a la iTunes

[Casey H]

Casey:

How did you build your network of library contacts? Would be interested in learning more.

Well... I've been learning this biz, how to make better music, and making contacts for around 13 years now. So it's hard to give a simple answer. Some key things...

Taxi forwards

On-line research

Collaboration with other writers who have contacts

AND it's about people and relationships with peer relationships (other composers) being very important. That doesn't mean other writers will simply hand you their contacts. On the contrary, most won't. However, as you build trusting relationships and mutual respect, your peers will share more.

I strongly recommend coming to the Taxi road rally. A great networking event whereby you'll meet both peers and pros... and have a great time!

Casey

[andygabrys]

[Taxi road rally. A great networking event whereby you'll meet both peers and pros... and have a great time!

Casey

yup its a good one. not to be missed if you can swing it.

[Jeff196]

Casey:

How did you build your network of library contacts? Would be interested in learning more.

Well... I've been learning this biz, how to make better music, and making contacts for around 13 years now. So it's hard to give a simple answer. Some key things...

Taxi forwards

On-line research

Collaboration with other writers who have contacts

AND it's about people and relationships with peer relationships (other composers) being very important. That doesn't mean other writers will simply hand you their contacts. On the contrary, most won't. However, as you build trusting relationships and mutual respect, your peers will share more.

I strongly recommend coming to the Taxi road rally. A great networking event whereby you'll meet both peers and pros... and have a great time!

Casey

Great points...like everything in life. I am new to this, and really excited about the opportunity. Appreciate community here too.

[mikeymike2000]

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

Hey Casey,

Sorry for the lag in reply it has been an unusually busy week here...

I was just sharing my opinion based on my experience. From someone who is prob still considered new to all this to someone else who appears to be new.

As with anything I say or anything else anyone says, you can take it or leave it. The one thing I think everyone will agree on is what is good for one person is not necessarily good for another person.

I simply wanted to caution the original poster to focus on writing as opposed to focusing on door knocking. Also, there was a guest on Taxi TV recently that mentioned how many songs are in libraries. If we pick any library at random they will prob have at least 10,000 songs there for use. The guest also mentioned there is not one person at that library who knows every song. I would be shocked if he said otherwise.

My personal opinion about libraries (and this is only my opinion) is that libraries are evolving to be more exclusive and more focused on genre (as opposed to having a little bit of all genres) and that music supervisors are going to build their own libraries. The library is the middle person in the transaction and I believe that the end user will start to branch out more and more to have their own stash. As a bonus this would open the door for the end user to make a cut off of what they place. - That will also be the motivation for them to hand pick songs. - Not sure if this is a conflict of interest or if "duel agency" will be acceptable in our business but I have a hunch that this is where we are going.

[Casey H]

Hi Mike
Well you are right that there is a lot of saturation in the library market and that things are evolving with a trend to more exclusive. And we are seeing some cases of production companies/sups starting their own libraries but if that's a trend, I think it's a much slower one and currently a small percentage of the market AFAIK.

The change to more exclusive really doesn't play in to whether or not music libraries are still the most viable way for most of us to get our music on TV. That's just different contract terms.

As far as the saturation, yes, if you write rock guitar cues and libraries are already full of thousands of those, either they won't be as interested in signing or, if they do, your track will be a needle in a haystack. So, uniqueness, niches, following current a la trends, etc. help make your tracks in more demand.

Spending your time writing vs. knocking on doors? You always have to do both. Nothing wrong with setting a target of writing X cues before next round of knocking, but it's never an either/or... To be successful, you need to do both. And that can include submitting to Taxi listings, which is a way to knock on doors.

From what I see, for most of us, music libraries are still the most viable way to get our music placed in film/TV. The majority of placements still come from libraries.

Best,
Casey

[Jeff196]

Hi Mike
Well you are right that there is a lot of saturation in the library market and that things are evolving with a trend to more exclusive. And we are seeing some cases of production companies/sups starting their own libraries but if that's a trend, I think it's a much slower one and currently a small percentage of the market AFAIK.

The change to more exclusive really doesn't play in to whether or not music libraries are still the most viable way for most of us to get our music on TV. That's just different contract terms.

As far as the saturation, yes, if you write rock guitar cues and libraries are already full of thousands of those, either they won't be as interested in signing or, if they do, your track will be a needle in a haystack. So, uniqueness, niches, following current a la trends, etc. help make your tracks in more demand.

Spending your time writing vs. knocking on doors? You always have to do both. Nothing wrong with setting a target of writing X cues before next round of knocking, but it's never an either/or... To be successful, you need to do both. And that can include submitting to Taxi listings, which is a way to knock on doors.

From what I see, for most of us, music libraries are still the most viable way to get our music placed in film/TV. The majority of placements still come from libraries.

Best,
Casey

Casey - you talk about niches...which is interesting. I am a big believer if that for other business ventures I am part of. That being said, what is a niche in this world?

A) is it acoustic pop with a Jack Johnson style?
Or
B) is it Polka?

Does a niche in the commercial music world mean a sub set of a popular music genre (A above)? Or is it to find a small music genre and dominate it (B Above)?

[Cruciform]

That being said, what is a niche in this world?

A) is it acoustic pop with a Jack Johnson style?
Or
B) is it Polka?

Does a niche in the commercial music world mean a sub set of a popular music genre (A above)? Or is it to find a small music genre and dominate it (B Above)?

Hi Jeff,

IMO, there seem to be two main ways to become successful at this. Become really good at many styles and crank out the cues and songs to maximise income potential through diversified channels. Or become really great at one style such that you become a "go-to guy" for that. If you can manage both those roads, the sky is the limit. For myself, I don't have nearly as much time as I would like which is partly why I decided to focus intensively on one niche market and within that to further specialise in one subset. If that's too vague, to specify what I'm saying, I write 90% trailer music and within that I focus on heavily electronica biased hybrid writing. The other 10% of what I do is really varied across styles and genres.

I don't think that specifically answers your questions but it touches tangentially.

[Casey H]

With the niche thing, all I wanted to say was: In any field, music or other, the way to make more money is to find something in demand, that you do well and enjoy, and that not a lot of others are also doing.

BTW, I'm not suggesting that anyone stop making cues similar to what's already out there. If you are doing well that way, don't stop doing what's working for you. I was responding to Mikey's comments about libraries already having many thousands of tracks.

One example that comes to mind.... Our good friend, Al Di Cicco, writes accordion tracks and that's pretty much his focus. These tracks are good mood setters for many film/TV scenes and libraries, not having a ton of those, tend to grab them. He can send 12 accordion tracks to a library and often get much better response than if someone sends, for example, 12 rock guitar tracks.

Casey