What to Do After a Forward?

[regardner]

Folks:

After a year and a half of returns, I received my first forward yesterday. it felt pretty good!

My question to more experienced members is: What can I do to put myself in a position to succeed should the music library actually contact me? The music in question is a 1:30 sports cue. What sort of variations and stems would likely be requested, and is it wise to anticipate them by creating them now.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.


This was the listing:

Y181023HE
HIGH-ENERGY, EXTREME SPORTS-Style ROCK INSTRUMENTALS are needed by the CEO of a Production Music Library with placements in TV, Film, Commercials, and Trailers. They’re looking for Mid-to-Up-Tempo Instrumentals that could stylistically be right up the alley of (but not limited to) these references:

“Tick Tick Boom” by The Hives

“Champion” by Fall Out Boy

“The Quitter” by NoFx

Although the references have vocals, this request is for Instrumentals only!
Please submit heart-pumping Rock Instrumentals that will bring added energy and excitement to Major League-type Sports highlight reels and Extreme Sports shows. Your submission should be adrenaline-filled with authentic sounding Rock instrumentation, awesome melodies, and a killer rhythm section. If you can imagine hearing your Instrumental while watching extreme sports, this company wants it, and lots of it!

TAXI TIP: Please avoid using any Instruments that sound stiff or obviously MIDI-driven. The more believable and authentically Rock your performance and production sounds and feels, the better your chances are of landing this request!

All submissions should be between 1.5 and 2 minutes long, give or take. Non-Faded, button/stinger endings are recommended. Do NOT copy the referenced tracks in any way, shape, or form. Use them only as a general guide for tempo, tone, and overall vibe. Broadcast Quality is needed.

This company offers an EXCLUSIVE 50/50 deal, so please be sure the Instrumentals you submit to this pitch are NOT already signed with any other Libraries or Catalogs. You’ll get 100% of the Writer’s share, and the Publisher gets 100% of the Publisher’s share. You must own or control your Master and Copyright. Please submit as many Instrumentals as you'd like online or per CD. All submissions will be screened on a Yes/No basis - No full critiques. Submissions must be received no later than 11:59 PM (PDT), on Tuesday, October 23rd, 2018. TAXI #Y181023HE

[DannyWeber]

Folks:

After a year and a half of returns, I received my first forward yesterday. it felt pretty good!

Congrats! The first forward is an incredible feeling.

My question to more experienced members is: What can I do to put myself in a position to succeed should the music library actually contact me? The music in question is a 1:30 sports cue. What sort of variations and stems would likely be requested, and is it wise to anticipate them by creating them now.

Alt version, stems etc.. I would not worry too much about right now. Each Library has it’s own process for stems and alt versions. Some won’t even require them at all. If they offer to sign your track, they may ask you for different versions at that time.

Just a little advice..
A lot of us know how much of a struggle it is to wait on an email or phone call but you have to hang in there! Keep using TAXI’s help to improve your music and by all means, stay busy in your studio writing, mixing, mastering etc..

Also..
If you would like to post a link to your forwards, please do so. It’s is helpful to fellow members to hear the tracks that get forwarded and see how we can improve our tracks for future listings, Thanks. I would love to hear your forward as well because I really enjoy writing tracks like these too.

Good luck!

Dan

[songmaster]

Congrats on your first forward! That means you are on the right track. I don't do cues but I would suspect that they probably would ask for specific cues when the time came. I'm sure you will get more experienced help from the studio guys. Nice job

Tom

[regardner]

Thanks for the kind words, gents.

So, I guess the advice is don't worry about stems unless or until someone asks for them, and in the meantime, keep creating. Is that about right?

Dan, is there a way to post a link to the track from the Taxi servers?

[DannyWeber]

So, I guess the advice is don't worry about stems unless or until someone asks for them, and in the meantime, keep creating. Is that about right?

Yes.. the “keep creating” part is most important! That’s how we improve and we use the forwards as inspiration to keep going and to know we are on the right path. The TAXI members mantra (literally a bumper sticker) is.. “Write, Submit, Forget, Repeat”. Can’t beat that one.

Dan, is there a way to post a link to the track from the Taxi servers?

Yes there is but you might have to go through the steps below..

1. Make sure you are not logged in to your TAXI account if you are, log out. (not sure about this but I think you have to log out for the link that you find to work)
2. Go to this link.. https://www.taximusic.com/search.php#
3. In the “Keyword” search box type in your “Artist/Band Name”(your last name may be enough)
4. Click search

You should be able to find your TAXI music page and songs in the search results. Copy the link at the top of your browser and bookmark it too. Paste the link in any of your Forums posts.

I really hope this helps.. looking forward to hearing your track!

Best,

Dan

[regardner]

I am not listed in the artist search under my last name, or any name that I can find.

So, I just posted the track to Soundcloud.

Here's the link:

https://soundcloud.com/regardner/do-or-die-time

[DannyWeber]

Wow, you nailed the listing! Great track, spot on for the “Tick Tick Boom” reference song! Love the big and crunchy guitar sound. Sounds like a Marshall to me and maybe even an Angus Young type Gibson SG? Although the guitar your playing in the pic is not. Great engineering on that, Bob!

Good luck with the forward and please keep us updated as much as you can!

Thanks for sharing, Bob!

All my best,

Dan

[funsongs]

I am not listed in the artist search under my last name, or any name that I can find.

So, I just posted the track to Soundcloud.

Here's the link:

https://soundcloud.com/regardner/do-or-die-time

Bob - Congrats from another one-timer (only)... still - it's a start.

[regardner]

Danny and Peter,

Thanks for responding.

The guitar is a Les Paul (not the one in the pic, a guitar with an actual Gibson logo on the headstock) DI'd into an amp sim. I do have a '63 Fender Bandmaster amp, and I remember recording it for a track one time for a Taxi listing. The screener wrote something like, "I didn't *hate* your guitar tone." Ouch! My blackface Fender? How could anyone criticize? But I know how, actually, I'm recording in a crappy room in my basement, and to get the amp in the sweet spot, well,it's so loud the duct work rattles, among other problems.

So now it's amp sims, and a forward. Finally.

And, yeah, the sound on the recording is definitely a little Marshally, although it was tweaked from a preset for a cranked Super.

[regardner]

So, Peter, out of curiosity, what happened with your forward?