Taxi feels more and more like a scam after all these years...

[collothen]

I'm curious to know if you have had success by other methods. Have other avenues worked for you?

Honestly, I've scored award winning documentaries, short films, YouTube channels and produced beats/tracks for multiple hip hop artists. My whole point here is that I've had success everywhere except Taxi. Who of which I have spent a lot of money on w/ absolutely zero results.

[collothen]

Hi Collothen,

Clearly, music forwarded by TAXI results in deals and placements, as you can see on this very forum.

forum7.html

It looks like you've submitted 53 times in 11 years. That's 4.8 submissions per year.

Your music has been forwarded 7 times.

I understand your frustration, but getting your music on the desk (or desktop of his/her computer) 7 times is a pretty small number. I think your fellow members might be able to chime in and let you know a little more about how the industry works, and what realistic expectations are. The people who are getting deals and placements are using the same service you are, ostensibly submitting to some of the same listings you are, getting forwarded to some of the same companies you are, and yes, some of them are getting deals and placements.

TAXI can't force the end users to sign our members, although we wish we had that kind of power

With tons of historical evidence to show that our members sign deals and placements that result from forwards all the time, that would clearly indicate that the listings are real, the companies and people who run them are real, and there is no scam. To use a baseball analogy 53 at bats and 7 hits in 11 years generally doesn't make for a winning record or a trip to the world series. That said, I'm sorry you're frustrated.

warmly,
Michael

You're seriously going to use a baseball analogy? Wow. I've scored award winning documentaries, short films, YouTube channels, produced beats/tracks for multiple hop hop artists and have had the honor of sharing the stage with many of my hero's. My point here is that I've had success with every avenue I have taken except Taxi. My frustration is that I have spent a lot of money w/ this establishment. More than any other and have had zero results. Oh and I have had way more than 7 forwards. Not sure where you're getting your numbers.

[collothen]

[quote="VanderBoegh"]Hey Collothen, well, I can assure you that Taxi most certainly is NOT a scam. I'll defend this company to the ends of the Earth. Why? Because I've managed to make a career out of writing music for TV, and I did it all as a result of Taxi. So yeah, I defend the company because I know it works from personal experience. Taxi is the only reason why I'm not still trudging into a corporate office everyday (which is what I did when I started my Taxi membership back in like 2008), or teaching college classes (which is what I did from 2010 - 2016).

So, you and I have been Taxi members for approximately the same amount of time. We've had the same amount of submission opportunities, the same learning opportunities, and have been given access to all the same knowledge. So why has it worked so much differently for me than it has for you?

Part of that is a result of your output. 53 submissions over the span of 11 years is a VERY small number. As a comparison, I submitted 70 times last year alone. And so far in 2018 I've submitted 22 times. That alone paints a telling picture of why you haven't received the level of success you clearly want. And, I've got to tell you, there are other guys here on the forums who have talked about getting 100 forwards in a single year, after making something like 250-300 submissions. Per year. So, I hate to point blame at you, but you're truly not going to hit any home-runs unless you step up to the plate and submit.

Beyond the Taxi listings, I've got to wonder if you're taking advantage of everything else Taxi has to offer..... I see this is your very first forum post. Which tells me that you've let 11 years slip by without ever taking time to learn and grow as a result of these forums. Honestly, I learned SO MUCH from posting, reading, and interacting here, that I can't tell you how valuable it has been to my career trajectory.

There's the Taxi Road Rally too, which is the Mecca of all music conferences, and it's free with your Taxi membership. Have you gone to that yet? I've been to six of them, and I'll never miss another one for as long as Taxi keeps hosting them. It's life-changing.

Lastly, there's Taxi TV, which is 90 minutes worth of incredible information every Monday. Even if you can't watch live, you can stream an archived episode on your commute to work.

So, after saying all that, I have to ask you for honesty here..... have you really been making the most of your Taxi membership? If not, then it's not Taxi's fault. They're giving you all the tools you need to succeed. If you don't use them, then that's on you.

I, on the other hand, use all the tools daily. I'm like the guy at the buffet who just won't leave because he wants more and more.... and look where it's gotten me. Not to sound high-and-mighty at all, but I was able to quit my day job in 2016, and I'm making more money now than I ever have in my whole life. And again, we both started at the same time, and had equal access to everything Taxi has to offer.

Just food for thought.

~~Matt[/qu
Well for one the numbers are completely incorrect. Not really sure where these

Wow. You really missed it. For one those numbers are completely incorrect. I've had a lot more than 7 forwards. Not sure where those numbers are coming from. I have to say though that I am not at all surprised at this reply. You must be on their payroll. My whole point here is that I have had a great deal of success with every avenue except Taxi. Yet I have spent the most money here without any question. I have scored award winning documentaries, short films, YouTube channels and written and produced tracks for multiple hip/hop artists. I have shared the stage with grammy winners as well as several of my hero's. This isn't about lack of participation. This is about my experience here. Just a lot of money spent and no results. Your reply has no heart or soul. It literally sounds like it was generated by Taxi CEO's themselves.

[eeoo]

It's pretty easy to look at your submission history and figure out the numbers, I'd be curious to know what they really are.

[hummingbird]

You're seriously going to use a baseball analogy? Wow. I've scored award winning documentaries, short films, YouTube channels, produced beats/tracks for multiple hop hop artists and have had the honor of sharing the stage with many of my hero's. My point here is that I've had success with every avenue I have taken except Taxi. My frustration is that I have spent a lot of money w/ this establishment. More than any other and have had zero results. Oh and I have had way more than 7 forwards. Not sure where you're getting your numbers.

Please provide your real name and a link to your work. It's hard to credit your comments with any validity since you have not identified yourself. It's easy to come here anonymously and tell us TAXI is a scam. So, let us hear your award winning music!

If you are so successful, why did you think TAXI would work for you? I hardly submit and I have deals through TAXI, and I've not scored anything award winning... yet. Why did you spend your hard earned money for 11 years, then? Year after year, someone twisted your arm?

A couple of hundred dollars a year isn't much. I spend more on steeped tea at Timmy's But it was your choice. If you don't like your choice, end your membership. But don't try to tell me TAXI is a scam. I have plenty of proof that it's not.

[lesmac]

I've scored award winning documentaries, short films, YouTube channels, produced beats/tracks for multiple hop hop artists and have had the honor of sharing the stage with many of my hero's

Ok, put em up so we can all see the quality of your work. Till then you are asking us to make a leap of faith here.

You've come in with a big whine and whinge and questioned the integrity of some genuine people here.

TAXI is the most transparent company I have seen. Personally I have not had the success you claim to have had but if it wasnt for Michael Laskow I wouldn't be pursuing a dream and getting better at my craft.

I have seen countless people on this forum alone who are progressing their careers as composers and making inroads to the industry. Many years ago I asked Brian Cadd about TAXI and he had peers who use TAXI's services.

I know my tracks aren't hitting the mark yet but I relish the opportunity to rise to the challenge and get better.

Till you post up some links to your work you are nothing more than a troll in my book!

[Tunesmith]

If this post is a scam to have us all chime in how great TAXI is, then I'm falling for i!

If Taxi was scam, I don't think it would have survived the 20+ years in business, and grown a huge membership! I am one satisfied customer for sure!

I was an early member and rejoined again a year and 1/2 ago. I have had a little success and am utilizing all I learn from being a member to have more! The community is awesome! Micheal Laskow who is one of the hardest working people I know, so transparent and really wants success for the members of Taxi..It is why he founded it for crying out loud!

There is a video interview of him from a couple months ago about his founding Taxi, etc. His personality comes through very clear.

He is not of the personality for scamming, nor his peers, nor the staff, nor the other folks who screen the material.

Happy Composing!

Linda C

[Casey H]

If you are so successful, why did you think TAXI would work for you? I hardly submit and I have deals through TAXI, and I've not scored anything award winning... yet. Why did you spend your hard earned money for 11 years, then? Year after year, someone twisted your arm?

A couple of hundred dollars a year isn't much. I spend more on steeped tea at Timmy's But it was your choice. If you don't like your choice, end your membership. But don't try to tell me TAXI is a scam. I have plenty of proof that it's not.

+1
Casey

[WeWillWriteUaSong]

Only a matter of time before I caught hold of this thread....

Ok.. so let's deal with what we've got here. TAXI is not a scam. No. Taxi is a vehicle. They don't promise fame or fortune or even forwards. If your music is good enough, TAXI will get you where you need to go (in the licensing world)....a vehicle, yes. Point blank.

I got in this vehicle 2 years ago. My first year I had over 120 forwards. Only 1 small library deal. Then I went to my first Rally and it changed my life. I met who I needed to meet...schmoozed when i needed to schmooze, and had drinks with people I now consider lifelong friends (but I'll get back to that). You see even though the forwards didn't turn to deals immediately, that wasn't the only part of taxi. The education, the people, taxi tv..... the rally. I had to go ALL IN.

Now I have 415 songs signed and published in 2 years, have been to 2 rallies, worked with many of the people on these forums and artists and producers from all over the world, have had music placed on almost 60 TV shows on almost 20 networks, and also have been having the best time of my life. I can singlehandedly thank ML and TAXI for all of this...but also...really I can thank myself. I work hard as sh*t for this. Bc I really want it. The number of forwards don't mean as much as what else you're doing to further your licensing career. 7 forwards or 700...there's just more to it than that. Paying attention to the other things you can learn from taxi is what sets you apart from the millions of other ppl doing this game. The forward let's you know you hit the bar. But it can't stop there. Let's say all of your forwards turned to signed deals. That still doesn't mean ANY of them will get placed. So you have to keep moving. Keep writing and submitting and repeating. But it's not TAXIs fault that these supes get hundreds of "perfect" songs and only need 1. That's the business. So you have to play the numbers if you wanna succeed in this side of the biz. Forwards and signings are only the first step. You still gotta work your a** off every single day bc we're competing with the best of the best. Especially in hip-hop, which is where I work as well. Don't forget the A listers are also licensing their music to the same shows that we want. TAXI helps us all get the info we need in order to even get on the same desks as these other top artists and producers. And taxi cannot force the supes to use your music. But thanks to taxi your music DID land on those desks too.

Now as far as someone being on the "payroll"...that's a bit offensive. Most of us here have all met eachother in person....and I have not even been a member nearly as long as you have. But because I got my a** across the country from Philly to LA, I can do a little more than assume about people on a website. I can actually learn about them as human beings. Matt is one of the hardest working producers I have ever met, cranking out thousands of cues and working with artists from all over the world, and a man I now consider a lifetime friend. The fact is none of us NEED to be on the taxi payroll in order to stand up for what we believe in. We actually can speak on this subject bc we use EVERYTHING taxi has to offer - and it turned into real success for us. You see I also have been successful outside of taxi, like yourself. Working in this biz since 2001 I have worked alongside more A list musicians and artists than I care to list here....but I really don't need to. Bc the people here have met me and heard my music, and can vouch for me.

I don't need to be on the payroll. None of us do. I would've went canvassing for taxi 2 weeks into my membership without a paycheck. Bc the heart and soul of the business and the man behind it is more than real. I have met ML in person..the staff as well. Got to spend the whole day at the office and participate with my mother on taxi tv about getting 300 songs signed in one year. I feel comfortable enough to call him Uncle Mike. You see all of us here are like a family....ready to stand up at a seconds notice to defend one of our own. It's not a scam...it's more like a cult. The greatest cult ever. We don't need to be on the taxi payroll...for thanks to taxi, we get paid.

[johnlewitt]

A lot has been written here. For me, Taxi is all about the Road Rally. I’m in some really great libraries because of the people I meet there. I have signed songs thru some listings, but honestly the libraries I’ve met from the Rally are the ones I’m proud and happy to be in. I’ve stated here before, if you don’t go to the Rally you are really, really missing out on what this company has to offer. If all you know of Taxi is there listings, you are missing out on things.