Submitting Co-Writes Done With Non-Tax Members

[regardner]

I recently located a desperately needed mixer/producer in my hometown who will help me up my production values by producing and mixing music I have written. This non-Taxi member accepted my offer of a 50/50 split on any material that we work on that ends up getting placed. I believe his non-Taxi status should prove no impediment to submitting to Taxi Listings as I have heard Mr. Laskow specifically address this issue in an episode of Taxi TV.

My question is about this producer's subsequent proposal to me. He has a large number of unused pieces of music that he has written, and he wonders if I would submit them to any appropriate Taxi listings under the same 50/50 deal I offered to him. He feels the music is just lying dormant and unused on his hard drive, so why not?

Is there anything wrong or prohibited about that? I might be involved in rewrites on some of this music, which would give me standing as a co-writer, but conceivably some of the tracks might be ready to go as-is, in which case I am merely a conduit.

[andygabrys]

Here is my opinion (which is born out of my experience):

1) Nobody cares or has an interest in how you split ownership with any other party on any piece of music.

If you want to split ownership 50/50 with someone who produces / mixes / masters your material thats up to you and there are many who operate in that way.

Same thing if the tables are reversed. Same thing if there are 4 lyricists and one singer and one producer - you can make an agreement that everybody is happy with.

In every case this allows a piece that ordinarily wouldn't make broadcast quality to make it into a library or publisher or direct to an ad agency or music supervisor.

Most people will consider "co-productions" to be jointly owned whether or not they get signed or placed.


2) When it comes to whether or not you should be submitting co-productions to a taxi listing - as long as one of the WRITERS of the piece (which is either of you as long as you are splitting the song 50/50) you can submit to a TAXI listing.

3) If you have worked on the piece, helped write it, helped produce it, or polished the piece - even just by listening to it and saying "its a good pitch for this listing" and you want to split ownership 50/50 - that's up to you.


In any case - if you get a deal, and you are looking to submit more music - just be selective with what you send. Its not a cattle call for any piece of music - it has to be carefully considered for the brief or listing just the same as the first piece you sent that got you the opportunity.

Keep the quality up and you will likely get placements on your pieces. Submit any old thing, especially way off target, or dated in sound, and you could cool the relationship you have with the library and in some cases they may ask you to stop submitting.

Same thing if its only for TAXI listing submissions. I you are submitting it then you are considering the pieces 50/50 ownership. You will both have to sign paperwork for those pieces if you get an actual deal. Be selective, make good pitches and hope you get decent placements over time.

Good luck!!

[regardner]

Hello Andy,

Thanks for the reply. That's very helpful to me.

And just in passing, I want to say I lurk on the forums and have seen any number of your posts and heard a lot of your tunes. Your music is great, but I'm sure you already know. Best wishes.

[andygabrys]

Thanks for listening!

Take care,


Andy