Taxi is not a good fit for our music, are there others ?

[efiddle60@yahoo.com]

Hello Yall,
It seems that Taxi and its listings are not a good fit for our type of music. Most of the listings have such rigid paramaters, it seems as though an original type of band will never get a chance. I was wondering if anyone has heard of any other services that may be more open minded and less wafer thin ?
We are the only three piece electric violin rock trio w/ vocals, that we know of, and after numerous returns from Taxi, it doesnt seem like they will have any listings that suit our needs. Most of the returns are due to us mis-pitching the songs. We got really good reviews and critiues, except we are really far away from the listing criteria. If anybody knows of any other services that look for different sounding groups, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Bobby Pickett, The Fret Notz

" if ya aint original, then yer extra crispy"

[mazz]

If you are pitching for Film/TV listings and If you spend some time watching TV, you will hear what is being used on shows. Try to listen for shows that use the kind of music you write and produce.

If you are pitching for artist listings, then you have to listen to the a la artists listed in the listing and measure your sound against that to make sure you are targeting your pitch correctly.

The listings are written by the parties requesting music, not by Taxi and there's a reason why they are rigid: the clients want that type of music.

Every artist has the same dilemma: how to get their music in front of the right people to help advance their career. The thing is, you have to be aware of the market for the type of music you do. If it's not a popular genre in today's market, then you pretty much have to create your own market for the music, and there's plenty of books out there on how to do just that. Some independent artists get their music noticed by putting cool videos on YouTube, playing the right shows, touring like crazy and promoting 24/7.

I think you have to spend some time looking at your music and where it fits, or doesn't, in today's market, and decide what you want to accomplish with the music. That would help guide you to the best channels to get your music in front of the people that can help you or at least help you get some money for your music. You're going to have to be brutally honest about this.

Good luck,

Mazz

[orest]

Hi there!
I know that some listings do have the "similar to" a certain artist/band.
But, there are occasionally listings that are wider.

If you are a unique sounding band I think the Road Rally could be a breaking point for you.
Do you play a lot of live shows? Try that as well, clubs, small arenas and so on.

Sometimes you can get a book that lists clubs/arenas in your country.

You can also write "similar to" music and get into the business that way.
Lady GaGa started of as a songwriter, now she is very famous with her own unique style.

I think a broad and widening perspective on music increases your chances to succeed in the market.

Just my thoughts.

Best of luck in the future!

[T&V Marino]

Hi Bobby,

Mazz is absolutely correct and we agree with his response.

By your description, your music sounds intriguing. However, although you might have some great songs, they may not fit into the "mainstream market" at this time, so TAXI may not be entirely to blame. But why not try to "stretch" your musical abilities and write for some listings you didn't think you were cut out for? Never in a million years did we think we could compose in the World music genre (Latin, Caribbean, Asian, Calypso, African, Hawaiian, etc.), but because of some TAXI listings, we tried all of those genres and we've gotten placements in major commercials, TV shows, films, and video games -- all over the world!

Perhaps what might help is if you post a link to some of your music and ask for feedback. You might get a better sense of what everyone else is hearing. Most of the time, it's tough as artists, composers, songwriters, etc., to self-analyze and critique our music.

Recently, we watched an episode of the comedy "The Middle." We love the music Joey Newman writes for the show. In this episode, one of the characters was getting ready for a "Square Dancing With The Stars" competition. Cutting into the next scene, they placed a HILARIOUS bluegrass rendition of the song "Eye Of The Tiger" originally by Survivor. It made us want to run out and buy it because it was so clever! So, it is possible for some of those "non-mainstream" songs or different takes on known-songs to get placed, but the timing, odds, and luck is not always lined up perfectly.

Again, it's difficult to offer an opinion without hearing your music, but good luck, and hang in there.

The most important thing is to just "keep writing," no matter what style it is! Even some of our weirdest and off-the-wall songs have gotten placed over the years.

All the best to you,

Tracey & Vance Marino

[efiddle60@yahoo.com]

wow !,
thanks for all the responses and help, you guys are the best. I'm just curious, is Taxi the only game in town ? are there other companies with different customer needs, that maybe we fall into ? I'm pretty sure i can play the "ala" game and write for their needs, but I'm just wonering, if other companies like Taxi are out there. thanks again for all your help and responses,
Bobby Pickett ,the Fret Notz ps: we are on youtube, but for some reason , I cant post a link here : (

[mazz]

Since this is a Taxi sponsored forum, I doubt you'll get folks posting the names of competing companies here. In this day and age, some creative Googling might yield some results.

The thing to keep in mind is that Taxi is representative of some aspects of the music business as a result of the companies that run listings with them, they don't just make them up, they are in contact with real live folks that need music for their productions, for albums, for artists, etc. By that token, Taxi is actually a good place to learn about the music business, and the yearly Road Rally is a pretty amazing gathering of like minded folks. A lot of learning and enlightenment goes on there. It's worth the price of the membership alone.

If you really want to try your hand at writing in other genres specifically to listing specs, then this is a good place to try your hand at that.

All in all, you have to find where you fit, but if you scratch below the surface and are willing to stretch your mind a bit, you might find a wealth of opportunity right in front of your nose.

Good luck!

Mazz

[efiddle60@yahoo.com]

Thanks Mazz,
You are right ,about learning the music biz through Taxi. I also learned the forum is made up of some real cool folks : ). It is a really good way to gauge the super hot trends and what is currently selling the most.
I'm hopin to create the next trend, thats why I'm askin these type of questions.
Thanks again, all of you folks have been super informative and I learned a bunch.
Best of luck,
Bobby Pickett

[mazz]

Bobby,

Glad to be of some help.

If you can create the next new trend, more power to you! I admire that attitude and wish you the best in your endeavors. If you can also write a few things that are more mainstream "now" to make some dough along the way, that's cool too, just don't let it sidetrack you from your vision.

Go for it!!


Mazz

[Len911]

I saw a couple videos on youtube. Have you ever tried to get booked in Branson? I mean they like fiddle music of all kinds, from country to Shoji, and I think the Christmas show thing I saw on youtube looked like something that would work in Branson.

[matto]

Bobby,

I think for original, unique artists trying to create the 'next thing', the best route is still creating your own buzz via gigging, touring, social media etc. Once you fill big enough venues and sell enough product you'll show up on the music industry's radar.

Avenues like Taxi which rely on the music industry telling them what they are looking for are generally gonna be less suited to this since the music industry can't really ask for something that's not on their radar yet.
Of course there are exceptions to this, I've seen the occasional listing looking for 'anything that's great and compelling' but those are few and far between.
In general when companies are using services like Taxi, they know what they are looking for and are typically quite specific about it.

It's difficult to say anything without hearing your music, but film, tv and advertising can often be more open to artists that are a bit outside of the current mainstream, so it's possible Taxi may offer you some opportunities in those areas.

In my experience, Taxi is a good representation of what the various parts of the music industry are looking for, and if you don't see listings for a particular type of artist or style in Taxi's listings, there's a good chance the industry isn't currently actively looking for it.

HTH,

matto