DIsappointing returns (s).....

[CHuckmott]

Let me put it another way. If you are prolific enough (in my case I do instrumentals, so prolific enough imeas say, 50 tracks a year) and are consistently submtting, are you seeing your rate of forwards, and from there, deals, continue to improve? As far as self improvement, with me being in my second year, my 17% rate of forwards for a second year guy is kind of keeping right in line where it seems I should be. I looked at this some time back and adopted the opinion if you are getting forwards at a rate of around 20% you are doing o.k. I actually got more forwards the second year with fewer submissions, so I think it is more about the quality and the targeting of the submissions then it is about numbers submitted.

I tend to write new tracks for each submission for the most part. If my stuff gets returned I try to put it to work elsewhere and hope for the best. Maybe I'm in a hurry, bu say I take a few days, write a track, submit it to taxi, then wait another 30 days to get the return or forward, then wait for the library to get ahold of me, then send my stuff...

A short version of the question: I know there are lots of great experienced Taxi members that do it anyway so I am not trying to make an argument why to not join/remain a member. I guess what I am asking is you're still here so why? The quality of the contacts? The networking makes it worth your while to keep renewing the membership? The membership pays for itself? The free Road Rally and the contacts you make there? You've obviously made some contacts so what are your reason for keeping Taxi in the mix?

For the record my third year goal, which would start in April, is to actually have something used.....unrealistic?

I wanted to add, at the risk of oversharing, I'm 52 years old now. WHat I am shooting for is to write 2 quality tracks a week anyway so that by the time I am 62 , best case scenario, I can retire from the day job and just write music. That's the ultimate goal. It would mean hitting the income requirements f my current profession , which while being professional person is still relatively modest. My other goal by that time is to have paid off my mortgage....

[crs7string]

Chuck,

I am a seven year TAXI member and will renew for two more years in February.

The biggest thing I have learned in my time with TAXI and writing production music is to focus on writing and producing music and let everything else go.

None of us have any control of many parts of the process to get our music used in some form or fashion.

If you analyze just the process we engage in with TAXI here is the breakdown:

What we can control:

1. Join TAXI
2. Get the listings
3. Read the listings
4. Read into the listings
5. Write for the listing
6. Submit the track by the deadline
7. Our reaction to the outcome:
a. Forward- celebrate the small success
b. Return- depression, frustration, anger, rant on the Forum, kick the dog
8. Read the next set of listings and start the process over.
9. Continue to renew our membership
10. Attend the Rally
11. Use the other resources TAXI offers (the Forum, TAXI TV, start a local hang etc.)

What we can' t control:

1. Who screens the music
2. The mood the screener is in when they secreen the music
3. One person's opinion of the music
4. Whether the music is forwarded or returned
5. If the music is forwarded, whether the listing party contacts you for a deal
6. If the music is signed by a library, if it is ever placed
7. The placement (the show, the length of play, how often the show is replayed)
8. When we get paid (usually six months later, but not always. Sometimes cue sheets are not filed on a timely basis)
9. How much we get paid


No matter how much we try, how long we do this, how great our skill sets, how great our reputation etc. etc. etc., we will never have control of the "what we can't control" list.

However, over time we can have more "influence" over the outcome. For instance, several libraries that I work with (from TAXI connections) have Custom Composer opportunities. The composers write for a specific show, the music that is accepted goes directly to the editing bay, and there is a much higher possiblity of usage, resulting in a shorted time between the cue written and placement and payment.


Reading your posts, IMO, you are focusing on the wrong list. I just focus on the first list, and write as much music as I can. And, BTW, these lists are not just TAXI specific, this is the production music business.

TAXI did not create the production music business, so whether you are successful or not, is not because you renew your membership or don't renew. If you continue to focus on the second list, you will still be frustrated.

Chuck

[RonKujawa]

Chuck,

Regarding your goal to get something used, in my opinion it's better to set goals on things you can control rather than what you can't. In other words, you control how many tracks you write, how many libraries you research, how many you submit to, etc. You can't control whether they accept them or whether the tracks will get placed no matter how outstanding they might be.

I'm in my third year now. I have a dozen tracks signed. Ten tracks in a smaller library and two songs in a big library. Still waiting on a placement.

I decided when I joined that I was going to be in this for the long haul, so there is no pondering the question of whether I'm going to renew my membership each year. I just do it. My reasoning is that I have opportunities through TAXI I can't find on my own. I also value the feedback from listings. Although the forums and taxi tv are free, I think they are incredibly valuable and I like knowing my membership helps make those things available.

I just returned from my second Taxi road rally, which is free for members. The road rally alone would be worth the price of membership. In fact, the hotel lobby at the rally would be worth the price of membership. I think it's incredibly valuable to have that time hanging out and connecting with our peers from this community. It was also great to make some new contacts - songwriters, musicians, music library owners, etc. Then add in the incredible amount of education you can get in a single weekend and it really is a no brainer. Yes, travel, food and lodging cost money, but so do computers and software and guitars and microphones.

Again, for me it was a matter of committing to this when I decided to join. It's not even a consideration when the renewal notice comes. Maybe in five or ten years I'll reevaluate. Maybe. I have also taken note that many of the very successful taxi members have been members for much longer than two or three years.

Hang in there, Chuck!

Ron

[Casey H]

This is an awesome post, a great reference to keep us on track. Perfect, Mayor Chuck!

Casey

Chuck,

I am a seven year TAXI member and will renew for two more years in February.

The biggest thing I have learned in my time with TAXI and writing production music is to focus on writing and producing music and let everything else go.

None of us have any control of many parts of the process to get our music used in some form or fashion.

If you analyze just the process we engage in with TAXI here is the breakdown:

What we can control:

1. Join TAXI
2. Get the listings
3. Read the listings
4. Read into the listings
5. Write for the listing
6. Submit the track by the deadline
7. Our reaction to the outcome:
a. Forward- celebrate the small success
b. Return- depression, frustration, anger, rant on the Forum, kick the dog
8. Read the next set of listings and start the process over.
9. Continue to renew our membership
10. Attend the Rally
11. Use the other resources TAXI offers (the Forum, TAXI TV, start a local hang etc.)

What we can' t control:

1. Who screens the music
2. The mood the screener is in when they secreen the music
3. One person's opinion of the music
4. Whether the music is forwarded or returned
5. If the music is forwarded, whether the listing party contacts you for a deal
6. If the music is signed by a library, if it is ever placed
7. The placement (the show, the length of play, how often the show is replayed)
8. When we get paid (usually six months later, but not always. Sometimes cue sheets are not filed on a timely basis)
9. How much we get paid


No matter how much we try, how long we do this, how great our skill sets, how great our reputation etc. etc. etc., we will never have control of the "what we can't control" list.

However, over time we can have more "influence" over the outcome. For instance, several libraries that I work with (from TAXI connections) have Custom Composer opportunities. The composers write for a specific show, the music that is accepted goes directly to the editing bay, and there is a much higher possiblity of usage, resulting in a shorted time between the cue written and placement and payment.


Reading your posts, IMO, you are focusing on the wrong list. I just focus on the first list, and write as much music as I can. And, BTW, these lists are not just TAXI specific, this is the production music business.

TAXI did not create the production music business, so whether you are successful or not, is not because you renew your membership or don't renew. If you continue to focus on the second list, you will still be frustrated.

Chuck

[Casey H]

Hi Chuckmott

I think the thing that bothered me the most about your original post was you saying you didn't want to hear about Taxi TV and the Road Rally.

First, all Taxi TV episodes are available for on-demand viewing after the fact. I know you said you don't learn best that way but sometimes we have to adapt our styles a bit.

As far as the rally goes, I *get* that the travel expenses don't come easy for many people. We all have to juggle where we spend our disposable music money. I will say that I've seen people work hard to cut their expenses associated with attending-- sharing a room, living on cheap cracker-pack lunches, etc.

One more thing... Have you ever collaborated with members who get more forwards? Many members find that collaboration is what gets them from "very good" songs that just miss getting forwards to great songs that routinely get forwards.

Best,
Casey

[CHuckmott]

I'll go back through and check out the Taxi TV episodes. Sure there is a lot of stuff to be learned there. I went through some training on learning styles awhile back and am of the opinion I learn better through the written word then through video. I have severa videos on things like mixing, etc and find myself generally returning to the books. Not becaee the nooks are necessarily better but learnig from the printed word is how I learn best. Most peopel have probably heard of this stuff, but if your unfamiliar this is a good link.

http://www.learning-styles-online.com/overview/

Part of my training is my other career involves crunching numbers as the "best way" to see if something is owrking or not to help you achieve your goals, so if I talk a lot about percentages, etc. comes from there. Here on of those numbers that seems to hold up is that if you are getting returns 80 percent of the time, even as an experienced member, that is a good thing.

I'm a counselor by profession. Most of the questions I ask clients when they are trying to change something in their lives is how well what they are doing now is working for them , what's not , and what do they need/ want to change to make reaching their goals possible so it's part of my nature to ask pesky, annoying questions. and usually continue to ask until things take shape.

SO not so much a trying to control things as seeking to understand.

SOmetimes seeking to understand is not the best way to approach things. A favorite story/joke is about a counselor going to his supervisor and saying, "Ya know I've done evrything I know with this client. Everyday he walks this same path and keeps falling into this hole in the ground. We've talked about his mother, his upbringing, his brothers and sisters, even tried hypnosis, none of it working" So the supervisor asks the obvious question: DId you ask him to walk around the hole? Maybe I should look at that story in the context of what we are talking about here. Plus I'm spending more time talking about this then writing. Or watching Taxi TV. I'll check in on this thread from time to time, but I ca't think of anything else to say or ask that isn't a rehash of what I've said already. Will definitly keep checking in though so keep the good advice happenin. Thanks everyone.

[bobporri]

I submitted at least 30 times my first year with Taxi with zero forwards. So that amounts to what, about a 0% forward rate? (Luckily I had joined for 2 years.) I have never been upset by returns. Maybe I roll my eyes a bit at the email subject line, but really that is all. Maybe it's because I'm 58 and have an extra layer of skin or something. I really think the reason is that I knew from the start this was a learning curve thing and also believed that Taxi, Michael, the screeners, the members, (a real community), ALL want each other to succeed and be able to crack this nut. Many obviously do, and there are real reasons for that and we all need to figure those reasons out if we want to increase our odds of success. I am totally still in the early stages of figuring that out so this is FWIW.

In my last year of Taxi, I have had 4 forwards so far for about 30 or 40 submissions. A 10% forward rate if I discount the first year as just a learning experience. That's pretty darn thrilling for me. (I was a member for 2 years about 12 years ago and had 1 forward at that time, but lapsed for a number of reasons that were not Taxi's doing),

Well, I certainly hope that next year will see my percentages go up, and if they don't, I hope the skin stays as thick. But really, using the short suggestions I get on the returns, adding in things I learn on the Forum and in book suggestions (most through Taxi), and attending the Road Rally this year, I would be surprised if I did not see higher percentages.

Bottom line, yes, everyone has to follow their own drummer, but from everything I have read on this thread, Chuck, it sounds like your music has improved dramatically, and a certain part of that seems to be due to your involvement with Taxi. That's going to be a huge deal in whatever you decide to do. In my case I think it is a 50% using what I learned and applying it to the music I make and 50% using what I've learned about targeting the right songs to the right listings.

I too, unfortunately work during most Taxi TV sessions. I catch what I can and watch the ones on the website when I can.

Good luck with your assimilation of all the posts here, and there have been some excellent ones.

Bob P.

[CHuckmott]

Other then the books that I bought that were suggested here, ANY improvements or gains I've made have been a direct result of listing in Peer to Peer, reading the forums, reviews of my stuff......absolutely a huge deal and I'm really grateful for that. My first forwards were a cue for me that I could maybe actually starting submitting stuff elsewhere. Words don't say it. If staying here means continuing to grow as much as I feel I've grown in the past year (knowing I'm still light years from where I want to be ) that would be reason enough.

[uncleb]

Hey Chuck,
I'd encourage you to renew. It took dozens of forwards before I got my first deal, between 1995 and 2000. Then that first deal led quickly to three more; now my BMI is about half my income! Things still run hot and cold: I'll get no forwards for months, then a bunch, then a deal offer.
TAXI is that rare showbiz company where you can say it and the word 'honorable' in the same sentence. After almost twenty years, all seventeen Rallys, tons of critiques and TAXI TV, I trust TAXI to find homes for many of my tunes...eventually. So please consider renewing and press onward!

[CHuckmott]

Thank you, ggod to hear......