End of first year as a Taxi member

[rpittelman]

Hi allThis is my first post on this forum. I've read a lot on here about how long the process takes to get deals but I'm just curious to know if my experience so far is normal compared to what you guys have seen.I joined last April and got my first 3 forwards in the end of May. I've submitted now a total of 116 pieces and have had 33 forwards coming from 19 different listings (my last forward was in mid Feb). So far I have yet to hear anything from any of these forwards. I have renewed my membership already but I guess I just thought that I would have heard something on at least one of these forwards by now.I am in this for the long haul but I was just hoping to get some feedback from those who've been around here longer than me.Thanks,Robbie

[crs7string]

Robbie,Welcome to the Forum.Unfortunately, sometimes everything seems to move at a snail's pace with placing tracks in libraries. I just renewed my membership and started my fourth year. I signed my first deal in year two, signed a lot of tracks in year three, now in seven libraries. I view forwards a "favorable introductions". I continue to submit to new listings with the goal of adding another seven to ten relationships. Once a relationship is established there is an ongoing opportunity to add to a library.You have a decent forward rate that will most likely get better as the skill of "reading the listing" improves. I started, like you, with a "shotgun approach" and over time I've transitioned to a "rifle approach". My aim has gotten better and I'm getting better at hitting the target.You are, most likely, getting very close to enough critical mass to start getting some response from your forwards. Chuck

[mazz]

Robbie,What Chuck said!I didn't really get any action until year 3 either. I had a lot of forwards in the first couple of years but attending the Rally and learning a lot about the business and how to write for libraries, along with active participation here, really helped a lot to improve my skills across the board. And just doing a lot of writing and submitting is worth the effort because you are developing a catalog that you can offer above and beyond the piece that will eventually get you that first deal. These clients like to see that you're busy and active, not just a one shot deal, because they really do need us as much as we need them. Without music, they can't do business!! So keep developing your catalog, because with your forward ratio, it's only a matter of time before you get a "bite".Hang in there. One year in music business time is like 1,000 years in geologic time, basically just a blip. You're doing the right things, just keep improving your skills, business and music.Hope this helps.Mazz

[bmete]

Hi Robbie,Definitely what Mazz & Chuck said,My time line goes like this, Joined July 2007, first forward December 2007, signed first contract April 2008, ( from a rally contact ), signed more contracts Jan- Mar 2009 from direct Taxi listings forwarded in January of 2008, one was a year after the forward, one was fifteen months after the forward. Like Chuck said, a favorable introduction. I look at forwards like planting seeds, you never know which ones will grow and bear fruit.Good Luck, you are definitely on your way..... BobPS If you get a chance post some of your forwards with links so we can hear your music, would love to hear them.

[fusilierb]

Hey Robbie,I'm also new to Taxi and from the reading the amount of your forwards I feel that you are definitely on the right track here. I'm in year two and my first year I had zero forwards. So far this year I've had 13 forwards and zero contact's from those libraries. But from reading the posts here from the successful Taxi members, it seems like it is not uncommon for forwards to take over a year to develop into anything. What I do like about Taxi is that it keeps me focused on finishing specific cues in a specific time frame, which saves my lazy ass, cause without that, I'd have a hard drive full of unfinished pieces. That's how I roll. But since I am being forced to finish things, I've been submitting those finished pieces to libraries outside of Taxi and have signed with three of those. And I'm expecting (hoping really) that over time, the Taxi forwards will turn into something also. I'd say stick with it, cause your forward ratio points to the fact that its just a matter of time with you. And I'd also love to hear your forwards, so please post them up. They help everyone here to see what does make it through, as that means your music was on target, and being on target seems to be the trickiest part of this Taxi game.B

[rpittelman]

Thanks for all of the feedback guys. I really do appreciate it. I sort of figured it was like you guys said but you know how it feels during the middle of the process. Sometimes you feel kind of lost.If you want to hear some of my stuff just visit my taxi web page (I think I put a link in my signature). All but 3 pieces on there have had at least 1 forward ("The Answer" and "The Journey" have zero forwards. "Last Time, Never Again" also has no forwards but I haven't submitted it to anything yet so I don't know if that counts). The pieces with the most forwards are as follows....The Lost Temple 6The Princess' Flight 4Till Death Do Us Part 4I Wish I Knew 3Then there are a bunch of ones and twosI hope you guys enjoy my music, I'd love to hear any feedback you want to give. I'm also working on some songs (with lyrics) but they aren't ready for Prime Time yet

[orest]

I think it's just a matter of time for you. Liked your music, especially the orchestra action pieces! I haven't summed up my forwards yet my first year, because I'm waiting for the final 3 to be screened. I've had 37 so far, and I haven't heard anything yet either. I am signed to 2 libraries, but these contracts are signed indirect by Taxi via a member here at the forum. I've learned one thing, take peoples advices and redo your work if needed. Read books, buy the best software, never quantize and play each instrument one by one if you are aiming for the orchestra movie/TV/trailer thing.

[ciskokidd]

Apr 6, 2009, 12:59pm, orest wrote:I think it's just a matter of time for you. Liked your music, especially the orchestra action pieces! I haven't summed up my forwards yet my first year, because I'm waiting for the final 3 to be screened. I've had 37 so far, and I haven't heard anything yet either. I am signed to 2 libraries, but these contracts are signed indirect by Taxi via a member here at the forum. I've learned one thing, take peoples advices and redo your work if needed. Read books, buy the best software, never quantize and play each instrument one by one if you are aiming for the orchestra movie/TV/trailer thing. Orest, you are on fire my man!Robbie,I agree with all of the above. Matto and I have seen forwards take up to two years for the contact from the publisher to happen.This is mainly to do with the fact that these publishers (if they are doing their job) are ultra busy pitching their catalog to music supervisors and various other business interests. This is a very good thing as you will want them taking the same kind of work ethic when shopping your tunes once you sign them.In many cases when you finally get that contact, the song that was forwarded has long been signed to a different publisher. But it does indeed introduce you to a new client which is a very good thing.Eventually if you stick with it and keep focused you will see the first contacts roll in and you will have a nice sized catalog of songs to pitch to these potential clients.Believe me, you are doing very well and it is only a matter of time.Best,Ciskokidd

[rpittelman]

Thanks Alexander and congrats to you. 37 forwards seems like a lot in one year. Good job!I totally agree on playing the instruments one at a time and buying top notch samples. I must admit though being a guitar player first I do need to quantize most of my stuff when I play it on Piano Of course I never use it at 100% I'll go anywhere from 60-85% depending on the feel of the music. It just helps to "tighten" it up a bit for me.I have thought it seems strange sometimes when reading the critics I've gotten from Taxi though. I have pieces that have received much praise by certain listeners for how great the music and production is and then a different listener pans the same exact piece and says the exact opposite. It can drive you nuts if you take it too personally.I feel the most important aspect of the music business is often forgotten by so many of us and that is the fact that it is a business first. And like any business if the product sucks then it doesn't sell. If we make the decision to pursue this business then, like you said Alex, we need to take peoples advice because ultimately they are our consumers.It is good to know that other people have been in the same place I'm in right now and ultimately gotten deals out of it.Thanks again guys-R

[crs7string]

Robbie,I agree with you that the critiques seem to be all over the board. I made a mistake on one submission and sent the same track in twice. The same track was forwarded and returned for the same listing. (if listing fees were not an issue, this could possible be a strategy. send the same track in multiple times, hope for multiple screeners, one of them may like it!!!!) A break thru for me was sending a CD of 14 tracks to a new library relationship. 13 of the 14 tracks were returns and one was a new track that was never submitted. The library signed all 14 tracks!! I realized that even returns find a home BUT may not have existed without the TAXI listing and me writing a track to submit. This is when i started looking at forwards as a "favorable introduction".I do realize that the screeners are listening for a fit to the listing. A library owner is listening with a different goal, "can I pitch this to my contacts?"The best outcome from this is that I no longer put much emotion in a return. (I had a return today on a track that I'll pitch soon to one of my contacts).Chuck