Relaxing Ambient Instrumental Return

[benalder]

Hey guys,

I just got some feedback on a couple of pieces that I submitted for listing S240525AM, relaxing ambient instrumentals. So far two of the five I submitted were returned, and I'm a little confused/surprised (obviously...why else would I be posting in the review station part of the forum ).

This first bit of feedback seems to me like the screener might have clicked on return but might actually have meant to forward it? The feedback literally says that it's fine in it's current state and suitable for the listing, but it's showing as returned, with no other visible reason given for why it could have been returned. I'm assuming this one is just human error and that I can flag it somehow, but wanted to get some other eyes on it first to make sure I'm not running foul of human error myself. Here's the feedback for 'Unhurried Drift':

https://www.taxi.com/members/2aaNhPU3TW ... 0u4qPnyxRw


I'm a little more unsure of the feedback for the second one that was returned, 'Find Your Rest'. The feedback was: 'This mostly works well as it is now. Ending is truncated a bit abruptly, so I think some of your other submissions may fit the listing and represent your music a little better'. I gave it another listen, and while I don't agree that the ending is truncated, I'm willing to take that on the chin and let that fade out run a bit longer. Seems like a small thing to return, but it's a small thing to fix, so hey ho. There's another ambient relaxing listing running right now, so I might be able to fix it and submit for that one, no problem.

What's actually bugging me is the reason given for the return: 'This is good, but some of your other music is a better representation of what you do'

I'm still a newbie with Taxi and have zero forwards at this point, so I am likely way off here. But my understanding is that screeners are checking to see if a piece stands up against the listing, and the listing alone, right? I'm know I'm feeling a disappointed (Write, Submit, Forget, Repeat, I know), but this is just confusing. If the reason for the return was 'the end is a bit truncated', I can work with that. I'd disagree, but I'd swallow my pride and change the ending, and work out my emotions in some healthy, offline way. But if it's, 'compared to this I think your other music is better', that feels like the piece isn't getting the shake it should? Maybe there's nothing to do about the feedback for this one, and I guess it's great that a screener is getting a sense of 'what I do', but it just seemed odd. If there's nothing to be done about it but vent here and move on, so be it, but here's the feedback for that one, just in case: https://www.taxi.com/members/2aaNhPU3TW ... 4lu9DSz-Nw

Of course, I do recognise that this feedback is overall generally really good, and that I'm getting closer to my first forward, so I'm off to go work on the next listing right now... Write, Submit, Forget, Repeat, Write, Submit, Forget, Repeat...

Grateful for any insight/thoughts you guys might have on these, especially on what to do regarding the one that perhaps was intended to be forwarded.

Ben

[Casey H]

On the first one, it absolutely looks like the screener accidentally just clicked the wrong box. I've seen that happen now and then. Contact Taxi right away and they'll check it out for you.

Best,
Casey

[AlanHall]

What Casey said ^^^^

On the second critique, it sounds as though the screener felt that they should help you 'put your best foot forward' by NOT forwarding it. Fix the tail, and that cue should be ready to go for the next appropriate listing. :thumbs up:

BTW, I got one forward out of 5 for that listing, most of the returns had nits that were easy to fix. Maybe Taxi is treating every listing as a high-bar listing?

I'm looking forward to visiting your Taxi page and hearing your takes.

[benalder]

Hey guys, thanks for taking the time, really appreciate the advice and the perspective.

As I was about to get in touch with Taxi, I noticed that I scored a straight up forward for this listing on one of the other tracks, which was great (my first), which had almost identical feedback to the one in question. I got in touch as Casey suggested and got a a really swift reply, and the Head Screener confirmed that there was a mistake made on that. Unfortunately they can't turn the return to a forward due to the automated system, so that sucks. They also are strongly recommending that it doesn't get added to the playlist that's sent to the client, even though it would have been if no mistake was made.

I'm a bit confused by that, I confess. If it earned a forward, why not forward it? I did ask them to forward it anyway, but they strongly feel that the better one was forwarded in any case, and I can offer the second track if the client gets in touch. Not the outcome I expected, but not a terrible one at all, I suppose. And I know it's strong enough to resubmit to another similar listing as well. It does support Alan's theory about treating every brief as a high-bar listing. Not that any of us are coasting, but that's probably only a good thing to assume for every listing we write for, right?

B

[AlanHall]

Weird that the correction does not result in actually forwarding the track, but...
it sounds like the Taxi "system" is being renovated and they don't have the capacity to do that now. I assumed that mistakes like that were forwarded in past. Can anyone confirm?

At the very least, Taxi could offer you a gratis submission on your next track, considering the track would have been forwarded, but not. As if you didn't submit it at all, right? Some sort of coupon code to fix the snafu?

[benalder]

Yeah, I did find that odd. As these are my first forwards (I'm counting the non-forwarded track as a forward, just for my own encouragement), I couldn't think why they wouldn't do that. The best, most generous speculation I had was that there was some limitation to the process after the client has the playlist of forwards and nothing new can be added. But, total newbie here, so that's an utter guess based on nothing whatsoever.

Taxi have been really apologetic and offered that exact thing, Alan, so I'm not down anything in that regard at all.

[Casey H]

I'm surprised that they still aren't forwarding it to the client. I had this happen to me a long time back and while they said, it will show as a return on the website (that part they can't change), but they will send it on to the client.

I guess in this case, since your best one was sent anyway, they felt that sending an "Oh, we screwed this up" to the client doesn't add value or may even take away value. A lot depends on the particular listing and client. If they haven't offered, ask for a $5 credit on your account toward a future listing. I'm sure they will cheerfully do that.

I can definitely understand your disappointment. I would probably be annoyed too, at least at first. Best of luck. Here's to hoping that the client contacts you after hearing the other one!! And you know you've got some good ones there.

Casey

[benalder]

That was my less generous read of it, Casey, that it would look bad to the client. Either it might appear as though I had sent it after the deadline and actually be a mark against me, or it might reflect poorly on Taxi themselves. It was definitely annoying, but to Taxi's credit, they held their hands up and gave me a credit...which helped when submitting it to another, very similar listing right after. Let's see how it all goes

[Casey H]

That was my less generous read of it, Casey, that it would look bad to the client. Either it might appear as though I had sent it after the deadline and actually be a mark against me, or it might reflect poorly on Taxi themselves. It was definitely annoying, but to Taxi's credit, they held their hands up and gave me a credit...which helped when submitting it to another, very similar listing right after. Let's see how it all goes

Hoping for a happy ending! (No, not the kind at the "Massage Parlor").