Submissions, Forwards, Deals Survey

[Mark Crozer]

Not sure if this has been done before or if this is the right place for it even but my curiosity has been triggered from reading a post in the Success Stories forum. Another Taxi member posted that in 22 months of membership they'd made 75 Submissions and got 12 Forwards (and I think 1 deal from those Forwards.)

I'm very curious to know what everyone else's stats on this are. Purely out of curiosity and cos I'm nerdy that way when it comes to numbers.

Mine are:

26 months of membership since August 2007 (though I was a member back in the early 00s for a year or two with no forwards of any kind but don't have the details from back then any longer.)

111 Submissions (so that's where all my savings went!)
23 Forwards
2 Library deals (so far)

EDIT - Most of my forwards, until recently, were for songs that were already written but of the two deals I got, one was from an instrumental listing which I wrote something for specifically. I tend to submit more songs than instrumentals.

Anyone else care to share?

Mark

[kclements]

Here is my stats - I have changed my MO from trying to find songs that I have to fit a listing, to writing for the listings. So I hope to increase my submissions (and hopefully forwards) this year.

15 months of membership
20 submissions
6 forwards
100% instrumental music - It would be interesting to know (at least for me) how many of your submssions are songs and how many are instrumentals.


no deals yet! But I can feel one coming around the corner

Cheers -
kc

[jrkocian]

8 months of membership.

35 submissions.
10 forwards.
12 songs signed w/publishers & libraries, about 1/2 instrumental, 1/2 songs w/vocals.

genres:
black gospel, praise & worship, comedy cues (theme music for tv shows), rock, sultry jazz, reggaeton, pop/R&B

1 road rally!! (can't wait until November for #2)

Rarely using songs I've previously written, unless it's a *perfect* fit. Almost always writing for the listings.

[keithzizza]

Hi,

Looks like I have:

- 41 months of membership
- 105 submissions (almost half are from 2010 up)
- 42 forwards
- 2 deals as of this year!

All instrumentals: world, electronica, orchestral, the occasional pop / hip-hop / rock piece, various tv cues, etc.

I do have more forwards-per-submission from about 2010 and up. Working hard, composing output is higher, writing more effectively (well, that's the hope, anyway), and learning as much as I can!

[manninghollow]

Hey Folks! I've been a member since 5/11 ,done 15 submissions, 4 forwards (eeeks! the name of the first band I played in!), 13 returned, and 1 pending. Most are instrumentals. I really spend more time recording and producing my lovey wife's submissions (which is always a pleasure!) She has been a member since 2/11, done around 20 submissions and 2 forwards (one of those promptly returned from whoever Taxi forwarded to). Neither of us have had any deals or any contact at all from the sources that Taxi sent our material on to. Most of our success has been writing specifically for the listing. We keep a copy of it beside us duing the creation process and read it aloud between every note.(especially my wife) I have a lot of opinions about Taxi reviews and what they have forwarded from our submissions (most I keep to myself) But, I tell my sweet wife (who is a stellar songwriter-singer) the way music impresses people depends on, the day,the year, the decade,the weather, whether they are hung-over, their love life, thier family, what they had for breakfast, or did they get cut off in traffic before the listening session. Music is not percieved as math (although it is) ,and I'm not saying Taxi reviewers don't know what they're doing. I'm just saying music effects you differently according to what is going on in and around you. OK after all that, No deals. I guess I'll start selling the studio stuff I don't use often to buy groceries.

[sedge]

Taxi 14 months - 15 submissions for 5 songs (singer/songwriter), no submissions first year - head was west - 2 forwards pending for 2 of the tunes - 0 deals!!!

Here's to not sleeping enough, singing till the throat is sore, piston solid fingertips and enjoying the journey!

[jrkocian]

@ steve:

I hear what you're saying about subjectivity, but respectfully disagree as it relates to TAXI. You're right to say music is not quantifiable, like math.

However, the screeners are not judging whether or not a song is 'good,' or even 'great.' They have been given a framework, and try to find songs that fit the billing. I might have a great song, but if it's a round peg, they are not going to force it in to a square hole.

The returns hurt. But I've found two strong antidotes:
1. This FWD forum. Most people will post their tunes, and a quick listen usually reveals how and where I was off-track.
2. Realizing this is a business (I know you know this, other newer writers may not). The screeneres aren't making a personal commentary on us (although as sensitive creative-types, it feels that way!).
It's a business. You win some, you lose some. But you keep pressing on. If we listen to the screeners, we WILL get forwards. They are DIALED IN to the sounds, vibe, and trends. It's MY job to stay relevant.

Finally, I was getting frustrated a few months back b/c I had forwards but no deals. Then I realized:
My music may have been good enough to get over the first hurdle, but not good enough for the deal.

Ouch.

So I invested in my career a bit more, worked harder, and really got serious.

Shortly thereafter my first deal through TAXI transpired.

Not every song that gets a forward gets the deal, which frankly stinks. It's 10x worse waiting for the label/publisher/library/supervisor to call than it is waiting for the TAXI fwd/return notification.

That's why the smart ones around here say: write, submit, forget, repeat!

This was more for the newbies (and a reminder to myself) than anything. Let's keep getting those FWD's, and more importantly, those placements fellow TAXI riders!!

Let's make 2011 the best year of our careers!

[manninghollow]

Thanks James. We plan to do that and 1212 as well!

[mazz]

I've been a member since 2003. I submitted lightly the first year and then got pretty serious after my first Road Rally. I probably spent 350.00 to 500.00 a year submitting. Finally in my third year I got a deal and it's been a ride ever since.

I think it's all over the map for folks to get forwards and deals. I wasn't submitting to things like rock and pop and the friends that I know here that do have had more success due to doing those styles. It also helps that these folks kick major ass at those styles as well!! Sometimes a person comes in already writing at a high level and they just need to get their feet under them with the submission process and they're off and running. Some folks come in doing styles that are less frequently asked for or have a consistently very high bar. Some folks come in still needing work on their production skills or their business or pitching skills.

It's good to take a poll, but I wouldn't put much stock in comparing your success or lack thereof with other folks, except to look at what the successful folks do and learn from their processes and get tips from them. Otherwise, everyone's journey is different and everyone's pace to success will be different.

I can say from experience that hanging in there and continuing to learn as much as I can about the business, reading the listings, working with clients and networking with composers and potential clients has taken me a ways further down the path towards success. Taxi has been very instrumental in my learning process and helping me get my feet on the path. It's not easy to suck it up and read the returns, but believe me, the returns never end, even when one has a contract! I've been pitching to my clients and still get some stuff rejected for whatever reasons. It's just the way it is. Being a member since early 2011 is just enough time to start to get a handle on it, but it could take more time to get going.

Learn from the returns because the ones with critiques are very valuable and can help you learn better what the industry wants. I recently had a couple of library clients say words to the effect of: "Don't send me anything that you don't think will blow me away because I don't have time to give you feedback, it's either going to be right or it's not". So my question to you folks is: How do you know if what you're putting out there is blowing potential clients away? Wouldn't you rather have someone who is paid to give you feedback, and wants you to succeed, help you figure out how to write stuff that will blow clients away, instead of sending it to them cold and not ever knowing whether it's right or not?

Anyway, I think 3 years is the average, some go faster, some slower. It's all good and it's all about making music. What could be better than that?

Love and Blessings!!

Mazz

[Silversun]

Hi everyone

Been a member about 1 month I guess. So far 5 submissions, only heard back from 3 so far but 2 forwards.In my short time here so far i've learnt that :

1/ you've got to really read what they are looking for.Your throwing your 5 bucks away if you don't understand the listing genre's and what they want.

2/ Even if nothing comes of these forwards you gotta keep on truckin !

3/ There is a great community spirit here. Its a place to share, learn and bounce idea's off each other. Pretty cool and constructive.