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

[collothen]

Is it just me or does anyone feel like Taxi is probably just the most well played A&R scam out there?? I have been a consistent taxi member/subscriber for 11 years now and have had countless "Forwards". Yet I have not been contacted even once by any so called clients. Not 1 email, phone call, or voice message. Nothing. For years I just thought that's probably how it goes but after 11 years of "Forward" after "Forward", great "Critique" after great "Critique" and nothing but silence you start to wonder.

[admin]

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

[andygabrys]

In addition to what ML has written, check this out for perspective:

https://www.soundonsound.com/music-busi ... sic-part-5

TAXI is an authentic vehicle for getting your music out there (sorry for the terrible pun).

Good luck!!

[ChazAldi]

Michael I really appreciate how you addressed that question. Using facts and offering advice and encouragement. You get so used to people arguing everywhere online these days, its nice to see it done differently. Well done my man!

[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

[funsongs]

... 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

Right on, Amigo - but you're still "The Professor" to me; respectfully.
I'm still in the poster's "Peanut Gallery" when it comes to number of submits - I have my own hurdles to get over to do more;
meanwhile, networking here still pays dividends that money cannot buy.
Cheers.

[DesireInspires]

Is it just me or does anyone feel like Taxi is probably just the most well played A&R scam out there?? I have been a consistent taxi member/subscriber for 11 years now and have had countless "Forwards". Yet I have not been contacted even once by any so called clients. Not 1 email, phone call, or voice message. Nothing. For years I just thought that's probably how it goes but after 11 years of "Forward" after "Forward", great "Critique" after great "Critique" and nothing but silence you start to wonder.

Let's say for the sake of argument: "Yes, Taxi is a scam!"

Now what?

What do you do now that you are 110% convinced that Taxi a a scam? What is the next step for you?

[RustyP]

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

[Kolstad]

Is it just me or does anyone feel like Taxi is probably just the most well played A&R scam out there?? I have been a consistent taxi member/subscriber for 11 years now and have had countless "Forwards". Yet I have not been contacted even once by any so called clients. Not 1 email, phone call, or voice message. Nothing. For years I just thought that's probably how it goes but after 11 years of "Forward" after "Forward", great "Critique" after great "Critique" and nothing but silence you start to wonder.

Let's say for the sake of argument: "Yes, Taxi is a scam!"

Now what?

What do you do now that you are 110% convinced that Taxi a a scam? What is the next step for you?

... the whole music business is a scam.. actually, music dont even exist, its just a social construction

[cosmicdolphin]

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.

Well there's your problem right there. You've put in about the same amount of work spread over 10yrs that I'd expect a part timer to do in one.

Mark