Uncertainties regarding deadlines

[jerryjennings]

What I'm wondering is, since a lot of the time I am hurrying to get something in by the deadline, I sometimes submit it when it's KIND OF ready, just to make the deadline. Then sure enough, the next morning I will listen to what I submitted and immediately cringe about something. I fix it, and then re-upload it. Is there any chance that my newer upload will be the one listened to? I don't know if the screeners get an immediate download of what's there at the deadline moment, or if they just visit your taxi page when they are ready to listen. If that's the case, then on a critique or partial critique, it would be cool if there was just one more box for them to fill and that would be the date and time, so you'd know if you had to react to a partion of the critique or if you had already addressed it. Seems like that would be non-invasive inough.

[Casey H]

If you re-upload before the deadline, the newer one absolutely will be the one listened to since they don't start screening until the deadline is reached. Once the deadline is reached, it's a matter of what happened first, the screening or your re-upload. If you re-upload relatively soon after deadline there is a good chance, the new version will be the one screened.

Some of us use this to our advantage. Let's say the deadline is midnight on Thursday. We upload the best we have at that point and submit. Within a day or two, we upload a better version. If the deadline is on a Friday, it's almost 100% certain to work since, as far as I know, they don't screen on weekends.

All bets here might be off when Taxi goes to Taxi 2.0. The system may or may not allow us to do the above-- re-upload after deadline. It WOULD be reasonable to assume, however, that re-uploading before the deadline will always be allowed (I can't be sure of that, educated guess)...

HTH
Casey

PS Note: I don't know anything about 2.0. I just wanted to put in a disclaimer in case I give information and then Taxi 2.0 comes out and operates differently.

[jerryjennings]

Thanks for the reply. That's pretty good news. I'm hoping they don't change that in 2.0. It seems like they would be able to forward more if they keep it this way.

[mazz]

I haven't seen Taxi 2.0, but I wonder if there will be a feature where you would know if you music has been screened and maybe even "your music is being screened at this very minute!". If so, then maybe you could upload newer and newer versions until locked out from uploading by being screened. That would be cool.

[guitarhacker]

I have done this more than once.... Submit something rough just to be in before the deadline closes the listing.

To the best of my knowledge the newest upload will be heard. As Case says, assuming you get the upload in before they listen to the song. I have been working under the assumption that they review a day or two after the listing closes. I also understand that this may not always be the case. The goal should be to submit the completed, perfect song the first time and not have to fix it, but I'm sure for most of us, it does take a few listens the next day to pick up on the things in the song that shouldn't be there.....or are missing.

I accidentally submitted the wrong song....jazz tune to a blues listing. A call to Txi to ask if they could "adjust" the song to be reviewed, and the answer was "NO.....BUT" I was told to upload a new tune to that spot under the old title and let it roll...after the review, I should go in and fix the discrepancy and be more careful in the future when submitting...review before clicking.

Depending on the end users needs, the review might begin AT the deadline, or it could be several days later... the problem is, on this end..... we don't know when that will take place.

[bobadohshe]

Yeah, you can reupload all you want, and I do it often.

I've discovered a couple of complications that arise from this however:

1) You have absolutely no idea when they'll listen to your song. One time I submitted what was really just a scratch track, and reuploaded my completed track within 36 hours. This was for a regular listing, not a dispatch listing. A month later I got my return from a puzzled screener and it was embarrassing. The screener said things like, 'your track runs out 1/2 way through' and did his or her best to comment on what was no more than a horrible scratch track. They must have listened right away, and I threw away $5.

2) If you reupload with subtle mix changes, and get a return, you are in a torturous position of not knowing whether it was your new mix that got rejected or your old one. You don't know which version your feedback is talking about? Did they screen the old one and the new one would have made it through? Or is your new one not good enough? You'll never know!

3) If your track gets forwarded, you have no idea whether it was the OLD track or the NEW track that got passed on to the listing party! This isn't as big a deal in my opinion, because once you've made it through the screening process, things get easier. But if you've made significant changes, this could present a problem.

[peeyo]

I uploaded a song for an ad agency listing, pulled an all nighter, and submitted it about 9am. When I woke up later that day, I listened to the track in headphones and heard a bunch of digital noise in the beginning of the track, which was sure to kill the tracks chances. I somehow figured out how to get rid of the noise and re-uploaded it that evening. Needless to say, the song got forwarded. There is no way in hell it would have with the original version. I guess what I'm saying is that as long as they haven't screened it yet, you can upload a newer version.
I hope what Mazz says happens with 2.0. That would be really cool to know when your song is being screened.

[ragani]

Actually, guys, I thought it was true too-- that you can upload a newer version and that's the one they'll listen to.

But I just talked to TAXI two days ago, and asked this specific question-- and I clarified it three times, just to be sure, as I was surprised. Here's what I was told (I'm paraphrasing): The moment you submit to a listing (and attached a song submission), that song AS IT IS is what is attached as a file for the listener. They do NOT go back to your site page to lift the new version if you upload one. Needlesstosay, I was very surprised to hear this, as I had always thought that I could upload a tweaked version later if I wanted.

I reconfirmed what I was hearing, and was told that if I were to upload a newer version of a song, I would need to talk to TAXI admin and have them remove the old attachment to their listener's file and re-attach the new one, and that it would have to be done manually by staff at TAXI.

If anyone calls TAXI and finds out otherwise, please let me know!

Raags

[vikvik20]

Ragani, thanks for your due diligence on this.. It's definitely helpful information..

This helps me to come up w/ a new action plan, perhaps some of you may benefit.

1) Try to get the song as good as you can the night BEFORE the deadline. If the deadline is Weds, try to complete it by Tuesday. I know this is not always easy, so modify according to your needs.
2) Upload the song to your myspace, soundloud, or other kind of account where you can stream stuff. Listen.. awkward stuff tends to be magnified once it's online. I don't know why but what sounds ok in my DAW brings up new weird thingies online. Walk away from it for a few hours and listen to someone else's music. Watch some TV. Tell your girlfriend she's pretty and you're sorry for neglecting her the past few days, but you were really busy and you'll make it up to her by taking her to that new movie with Ashton Kutcher in it..
3) Listen to it again with fresher ears and make adjustments. Do this as many times as necessary and then upload the "final version" a couple of hours before the deadline.

In general, I am finding it's always best to save the upload until the deadline day no matter how good you think it is. My two cents... or .0002 cents.

Hope this helps.

[matto]

What I would recommend is...to simply get the song ready by the deadline!!

Yeah I know, there's never enough time, we procrastinate, we have other things to do...nevertheless I think it's a good practice, because in the 'real world ', when I need to get a custom cue or song ready for a client by a certain time, I can't send them a 'better' version a day later. Whatever I get in by the deadline is what I will be judged on.

And since we're all (I'm assuming) aspiring to be professional composers in the real world, why not start acting like it now?

Just my 2 cents...

matto