forwards but not connection, is it normal?

[ELM21]

20-30 Forwards was the ballpark for me to get a contact so if you've had one within 5 that seems like good going but ...if you did not like the sound of the deal I am also curious as every Taxi Library I've dealt with has standard deals

Mark

the deal had no split sync fee which didn't work for me, that's all. So lets say it wasn't bad but it wasn't how I want to work.

Sure. If they are getting sync fees then you ideally want a slice of the action.

That said it may be a moot point if :-

1. You are providing instrumental cues as they generally don't tend to attract Sync Fees

2. The Library operates under blanket deals so their clients aren't paying Sync Fees anyway.

OTOH If they are songs and the Library is well connected i.e. supplying major networks , sure I could understand why it would be a deal breaker. Depends what type of Library it is and who their clients are.

Mark

Thanks for your input. It was a composer owned library and not worth pursuing, in my very personal opinion. Also, for my experience blanket license deals make you penny. If they thought the tracks good enough to license then probably other better publishers will as well. Also, when asked questions about the contract everything became weird so I passed.. composers screwing other composers seems to be a real thing happening, as I have also been told a lot by more experienced folks...sad..but I really wasn't trying to make this post about that I was just wondering what the "response rate" usually is

[cosmicdolphin]

Thanks for your input. It was a composer owned library and not worth pursuing, in my very personal opinion. Also, for my experience blanket license deals make you penny. If they thought the tracks good enough to license then probably other better publishers will as well. Also, when asked questions about the contract everything became weird so I passed.. composers screwing other composers seems to be a real thing happening, as I have also been told a lot by more experienced folks...sad..but I really wasn't trying to make this post about that I was just wondering what the "response rate" usually is

Sorry your post has veered a bit off topic but it's a good one. Quite right to pass if it doesn't pass your own personal sniff test and you've faith in your music being snapped up elsewhere. You've done well to be offered a deal so early into your membership but that doesn't mean you should sign up for a deal that may not work for you. I do know of at least one Taxi Library that will share the blanket licence with composers if their cues were used but I agree it's not life changing amounts ....it's better than nothing though.

Taxi does usually vet the Libraries and their deals though and a lot of these "boutique " libraries were started by composers so I would hope they are not " screwing other composers". If they truly are it might be worth letting Taxi know so they can look into it and prevent your fellow composers from signing a bum deal. I know a fair number of the Libraries, shoot me a PM if you care to share which one it is. My biggest earning Library was started by a former Taxi member. Everything I've earned has been back end though. I would get a Sync Split if there were any - there just aren't for the reality shows my cues are placed on in my experience. I do almost all instrumental cues though, not songs but my best performing cue has exceeded $1,000 in backend royalties and was placed by a Taxi Library so sync fees are more like the icing on the cake and the backend is the bread & butter.

Mark

[ELM21]

Thanks for your input. It was a composer owned library and not worth pursuing, in my very personal opinion. Also, for my experience blanket license deals make you penny. If they thought the tracks good enough to license then probably other better publishers will as well. Also, when asked questions about the contract everything became weird so I passed.. composers screwing other composers seems to be a real thing happening, as I have also been told a lot by more experienced folks...sad..but I really wasn't trying to make this post about that I was just wondering what the "response rate" usually is

Sorry your post has veered a bit off topic but it's a good one. Quite right to pass if it doesn't pass your own personal sniff test and you've faith in your music being snapped up elsewhere. You've done well to be offered a deal so early into your membership but that doesn't mean you should sign up for a deal that may not work for you. I do know of at least one Taxi Library that will share the blanket licence with composers if their cues were used but I agree it's not life changing amounts ....it's better than nothing though.

Taxi does usually vet the Libraries and their deals though and a lot of these "boutique " libraries were started by composers so I would hope they are not " screwing other composers". If they truly are it might be worth letting Taxi know so they can look into it and prevent your fellow composers from signing a bum deal. I know a fair number of the Libraries, shoot me a PM if you care to share which one it is. My biggest earning Library was started by a former Taxi member. Everything I've earned has been back end though. I would get a Sync Split if there were any - there just aren't for the reality shows my cues are placed on in my experience. I do almost all instrumental cues though, not songs but my best performing cue has exceeded $1,000 in backend royalties and was placed by a Taxi Library so sync fees are more like the icing on the cake and the backend is the bread & butter.

Mark

Hey Mark great info, thanks! I didn't "report" it to Taxi because technically it wasn't really a scam, the guy was upfront with the fact that there was no sync, it just didn't work for me. Also I didn't like him getting irritated at legit questions about the contract so i figured he was not the kind of publisher i need to work with...

[cosmicdolphin]

Hey Mark great info, thanks! I didn't "report" it to Taxi because technically it wasn't really a scam, the guy was upfront with the fact that there was no sync, it just didn't work for me. Also I didn't like him getting irritated at legit questions about the contract so i figured he was not the kind of publisher i need to work with...

Sure..you have to go with gut on these things.

[Kolstad]

I think it's pretty normal yeah. As I understand it, the process is that the screener picks out a number of tracks that fits the brief and sounds useable from what they know of the music need, and then the next step is where a library, music supervisor, director or other decision maker chooses which of the forwarded tracks they want to sign.

You can be one of 3 or one of a hundred, so a forward gets you in the ballpark, but there is still some way to playing on the actual field. You are basically competing with all the other forwards.

This is why the forwards blog is such a great place to assess your submissions, the bar for the listings and what to go for next. You can hear your competition, and see where you're at, and then decide if you want to shoot for that type of thing the next time. Listings of certain types are often in demand, and will repeat in various forms throughout the year. I also choose very carefully what the deal is for the listings, and don't submit to listings with deals I know I won't sign, like you, blanket deals with no cut of the sync is definitely not something I will do.

At minimum, they have to offer a std deal, no hokey/ pokey. Like it's not a free ride, it's not a free drive either. Win-Win or nothing is my philosophy on the matters. Only way to sustain a business.

https://blog.taxi.com/forward/

[ELM21]

I think it's pretty normal yeah. As I understand it, the process is that the screener picks out a number of tracks that fits the brief and sounds useable from what they know of the music need, and then the next step is where a library, music supervisor, director or other decision maker chooses which of the forwarded tracks they want to sign.

You can be one of 3 or one of a hundred, so a forward gets you in the ballpark, but there is still some way to playing on the actual field. You are basically competing with all the other forwards.

This is why the forwards blog is such a great place to assess your submissions, the bar for the listings and what to go for next. You can hear your competition, and see where you're at, and then decide if you want to shoot for that type of thing the next time. Listings of certain types are often in demand, and will repeat in various forms throughout the year. I also choose very carefully what the deal is for the listings, and don't submit to listings with deals I know I won't sign, like you, blanket deals with no cut of the sync is definitely not something I will do.

At minimum, they have to offer a std deal, no hokey/ pokey. Like it's not a free ride, it's not a free drive either. Win-Win or nothing is my philosophy on the matters. Only way to sustain a business.

https://blog.taxi.com/forward/

thanks for your thoughts, I agree! Fun enough that was my second submission ever on Taxi so I was willing to see as I will for this year to decide if Taxi works for me or not. And yes a 50/50 split and 100% writer share is a standard deal and the minimum that I'd go for mostly. I'll check the forum more I am just now really "discovering it". As for the competition there is always plenty of talent out there and that pushes me so it's good

[EphJayMusic]

I have a really interesting and somewhat different experience I want to share:
Upon my third submission to Taxi as a newb, I was contacted by a trailer house who requested something to fit a more specific brief.
I went to work (very nervous) and sent them back a new piece of music. They liked it but had a number of changes they wanted.
No problem! That's perfectly reasonable. So, back I went to make the changes.
After the fifth round of changes, I was told that it's almost there and just one or two smaller things were needed. (Bear in mind that certain changes involved significant structural and instrument adjustments that are very time consuming to make.)

6 rounds of corrections later, I was hit with yet another list of "changes". At that point, I decided it was time to call it a day.
I asked our beloved Michael from Taxi who told me that for a library, that is an inordinate number of changes to request for a track, and to move on.
It fit the brief, I made the corrections, yet the list of changes was simply evolving with no end in sight. If it was going to a specific trailer and this was a matter of scoring correctly alongside a director, then of course that would be a different situation. In this case it was just going to a library that might be used later by someone.

So far I have had 10 tracks forwarded but no contact yet. Staying optimistic though!

[ELM21]

I have a really interesting and somewhat different experience I want to share:
Upon my third submission to Taxi as a newb, I was contacted by a trailer house who requested something to fit a more specific brief.
I went to work (very nervous) and sent them back a new piece of music. They liked it but had a number of changes they wanted.
No problem! That's perfectly reasonable. So, back I went to make the changes.
After the fifth round of changes, I was told that it's almost there and just one or two smaller things were needed. (Bear in mind that certain changes involved significant structural and instrument adjustments that are very time consuming to make.)

6 rounds of corrections later, I was hit with yet another list of "changes". At that point, I decided it was time to call it a day.
I asked our beloved Michael from Taxi who told me that for a library, that is an inordinate number of changes to request for a track, and to move on.
It fit the brief, I made the corrections, yet the list of changes was simply evolving with no end in sight. If it was going to a specific trailer and this was a matter of scoring correctly alongside a director, then of course that would be a different situation. In this case it was just going to a library that might be used later by someone.

So far I have had 10 tracks forwarded but no contact yet. Staying optimistic though!

sorry to hear about that, not the first time it happens though. Btw since writing this post I had more forwards and still no contacts.. On top of that I am seeing a lot of dispatch posts (i didn't join dispatch) that had already run as regular request.. If I was paying extra I wouldn't be happy about that.. I am starting to think it's all a big joke LOL (funny not funny)

[EphJayMusic]

I have a really interesting and somewhat different experience I want to share:
Upon my third submission to Taxi as a newb, I was contacted by a trailer house who requested something to fit a more specific brief.
I went to work (very nervous) and sent them back a new piece of music. They liked it but had a number of changes they wanted.
No problem! That's perfectly reasonable. So, back I went to make the changes.
After the fifth round of changes, I was told that it's almost there and just one or two smaller things were needed. (Bear in mind that certain changes involved significant structural and instrument adjustments that are very time consuming to make.)

6 rounds of corrections later, I was hit with yet another list of "changes". At that point, I decided it was time to call it a day.
I asked our beloved Michael from Taxi who told me that for a library, that is an inordinate number of changes to request for a track, and to move on.
It fit the brief, I made the corrections, yet the list of changes was simply evolving with no end in sight. If it was going to a specific trailer and this was a matter of scoring correctly alongside a director, then of course that would be a different situation. In this case it was just going to a library that might be used later by someone.

So far I have had 10 tracks forwarded but no contact yet. Staying optimistic though!

sorry to hear about that, not the first time it happens though. Btw since writing this post I had more forwards and still no contacts.. On top of that I am seeing a lot of dispatch posts (i didn't join dispatch) that had already run as regular request.. If I was paying extra I wouldn't be happy about that.. I am starting to think it's all a big joke LOL (funny not funny)

That's interesting as I am paying extra for dispatch at the moment. Wonder what's up with that?

[cosmicdolphin]

On top of that I am seeing a lot of dispatch posts (i didn't join dispatch) that had already run as regular request.. If I was paying extra I wouldn't be happy about that.. I am starting to think it's all a big joke LOL (funny not funny)

I believe the whole Dispatch thing is being rolled into the regular membership when they next increase the membership price