Artist - First time to TAXI

[philipscott]

Good day all,

I have a quick question. Any and all thoughts are welcome!

Today, I spoke to a Taxi rep and He thought it was a good idea to pose my question here in the forum.

I'm an artist. An electronic music producer and composer to be precise.
I am NOT a sync artist, who can be amazing and a jack of all trades musically.
I can do what I do very well and as an artist first, I want to offer my services and make new connections based on what I can bring to the table.

I just completed an artist program here in St. Louis where I live and one of the coolest things I've heard was that it's helpful to
state clearly what you do, who you are.. not to be aspirational because at the end of the day
we want to add value instead of waste time.

I'm new to all of this but would love any feedback you can offer.

What would you do in my shoes when you arrive at the Taxi Convention?
What panels, classes or mentors would you definitely NOT miss out on?

Any help is much appreciated.
And if you see me wandering the convention, please say hello!
All the best!

Philip Scott

[cosmicdolphin]

Hey Philip

Sounds like your approach has evolved a bit since last year when you'd had a couple of Forwards ? Nothing wrong with that—it’s good to be clear about what you want to do and what you don’t. But here’s something to consider: if you're set on sticking to your artist style without adapting to broader sync needs, then Taxi may not be the most productive path.

Sync licensing tends to favor versatility and a bit of genre-hopping, especially since most listings are looking for music that complements a range of moods and scenes. Sure, darker, Westworld-style electronica has its place ( if that's still your style ) but the demand for it can be limited compared to more accessible styles that appear in commercials, reality shows, and lighter dramas.

If you're set on staying within your niche, it might be worth focusing on platforms or networks that directly support artist-driven music, rather than sync, which tends to be brief-based. In Taxi, it’ll still help if you’re open to exploring other electronic sub-genres or adding new elements here and there to match the listings.

Just my two cents—hope it helps, and enjoy the RR

Mark

[philipscott]

Thank you for the response. I definitely appreciate it.
I found after a short while, a little more than a year and a half that the output I had after going for so many briefs was not what I desired.
I am looking for a way to build my artist catalog AND pursue sync.
You may be right that they are not aligned.

I cannot count how many times I hear NIN or NIN like-sounding music in all sorts of shows and movies.
I will have to keep knocking on doors, keep my eyes open and see for myself what kinds of connections are possible.
Thank you again!

[cosmicdolphin]

I found after a short while, a little more than a year and a half that the output I had after going for so many briefs was not what I desired.

Out of curiosity, when you say wanting your output to match what you’ve envisioned— what does that “desired output” look like for you, exactly? Are you thinking more along the lines of high-profile placements in darker dramas or film, or something else entirely? Might help to pinpoint what didn’t feel right so you can dial in on where to adjust going forward.

For me the desired output ( or rather outcome ) is a track that is licensable that makes the end user happy ( and ultimately earns money for me and my library partners )- it's a service mindset and I don't really have any designs on being an artist...it's not about me. That doesn't mean I'm not proud of my music, and there's nothing better than hearing something you wrote on TV for the first time.

I cannot count how many times I hear NIN or NIN like-sounding music in all sorts of shows and movies.

One thing that might be worth keeping in mind is that a lot of the darker, electronic-style music you’re hearing in shows and movies may actually be commissioned scores. When a production wants that very specific vibe, they often turn to composers who can tailor the music exactly to the scene and narrative and score to picture. It’s a narrow lane and those gigs tend to go to a select few, especially in bigger-budget productions. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Cliff Martinez, Ben Frost, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein, Mac Quayle etc.

For sync, especially through platforms like Taxi, they’re generally looking for versatile tracks that can slot into a variety of contexts. That's not to say there wont' be briefs that reference some of those artists I mentioned but most sync placements fall under Reality TV, Sports, or Magazine Shows. It's more rare to get placed in a drama that might use the type of music you're aiming for because someone has been hired to do the score, so typically Taxi members may land are diegetic music ( music the characters in the drama can hear ) like a song coming out of a car radio or a band playing in a bar.

I think I mentioned it last year but some of my best performing tracks are electronic tension so they do get used in reality TV quite a bit. The thing I have noticed over the years is the propulsive ones seem to do better which is probably because they can help push the scene along. This is an example track that has done well with some notable placements on ESPN UFC, lots of reality shows like hidden camera and shoplifter stuff, a CNN show on widfires and most recently they used it on the Netflix Show F1 : Drive To Surviive which I was happy to see as my kids watch it !

Oppressive Pulse : https://www.megatrax.com/tracks?q=Oppressive%20Pulse

Although it's influenced by some of the artists mentioned above it was still written to a brief and I might not have made anything quite like it if I was just making music primarily for myself.

As you consider your next steps, why not focus on writing an album that encapsulates your unique style? Once it's complete, you can submit it to various sync libraries and see how it performs in the industry. This approach not only allows you to showcase your artistry but also gives you valuable insights into what resonates with potential clients. Tracking the album’s journey could open some doors especially if you can make connections at the upcoming RR.

[philipscott]

In response to,

"Out of curiosity, when you say wanting your output to match what you’ve envisioned— what does that “desired output” look like for you, exactly?"

My goal, which may have been misguided in hindsight, was to have music that I make creatively to be used for more than just a brief.
During covid, before I knew anything about song lengths, genres or button endings - I produced some of the best music I have ever made, and it showed me how good it can be if I continue to work that muscle. My desired output are these artist songs, I'll refer to them as canon..

I made music from a lot of briefs and looked back hoping to use some material for a release but most of the tracks were for this or for that specific ask. The songs were fine but with one in particular, a forward, I was curious and took it and remade the song the way I wanted to make it. S
tripped it and re-did arrangement, vocals and lyrics.. and it was 1000% better in my honest opinion.
(It was no longer the desired genre from the brief but It was so good I've even included it on my new release.)

This year, I made more music on my own, as well as the briefs just in case. So I gratefully do have new music to release soon.
I made more music for briefs and that was again fine but I wouldn't want to build my artistic canon from some of the material.
I keep wondering if the canon is where the real value is?
Ideally, you could grow/ maintain your artist catalog as a business owner or even sell it one day like other established artist have.

I'm just starting out and will definitely keep learning and improving.. and so the music I produce from briefs will hopefully improve.
I will keep positive because also.. trends change.

I think you hit it dead on about the genre mixing and how you can get so prolific at the popular genres that you can now mix country and hip-hop for example. What I have been doing has naturally caused me to mix genres - just not the specific genres / genre splits being asked for.

I'm quite happy to figure this out.. I make music regardless/ Can't help it. Just turning it over trying to see how to best proceed.
I only have one life to live and to make any music, brief based or original, takes time and effort.
There is an answer. I just need to pivot and really learn how to make ambient music or something.
I also need to look more into sync agencies as I have heard they are looking for original artist who do what they do well.

[philipscott]

Reply to,

"As you consider your next steps, why not focus on writing an album that encapsulates your unique style? Once it's complete, you can submit it to various sync libraries and see how it performs in the industry"

I didn't know that about commissioned scores. that makes so much sense actually. They really are some of the best in the industry.. that's amazing.
I've almost got this new record finished but I couldn't finish it before taxi. It is exactly that showcasing all of the artistry. I should have it at by the beginning of the year though so hopefully I can start a few good conversations at the RR.

I love this idea. I have been really excited about what I've been able to write lately. I think this is the way to go. I have my own "Nevermind" record I feel like, lol!
I am copying your whole response for later.
Such a great idea! Thank you!

[cosmicdolphin]

Such a great idea! Thank you!

No worries. Definitely take a few of your Artists finished songs to the Road Rally if you have any mentor sessions arranged as you might get some valuable insight from a library owner a to how useable they may or may not be compared to stuff you've had forwarded for briefs for example.

Ultimately I think it comes down to what you want to get out of it. Personally I want a steady 2nd income, and that requires dedication and ultimately writing to service someone else's needs so I can get lots of TV placements. I have no issue with that as I'd be making music that might get a handful of listens at best otherwise but I'd still be writing although at a lower pace probably. I enjoy writing to briefs just as much as I do for myself and it's actually a bit of a challenge to try all these differnt genres. I'm not musically trained so I just kind of pick things up as I listen but I've gotten a lot better at it over the years.

Some would rather do their own thing and crave the occasional placement more for bragging rights than the actual income potential because most placements don't earn that much and it's a volume game. A sync agent might suit that type more than Taxi would.

Or you can pick a middle lane and do a bit of each I guess and let each inform the other. What will say is nothing improves your music than more than making a lot of music so whatever you do just keep at it.

Mark