TAXI.com

Do YOU think a forward means anything? it really shows you're getting closer to what a listing wants......So a forward can be seen as a success. will start writing just for music libraries as the mood dictates - sounds like fun, really. I feel TAXI has a lot going for it. I feel following listings to the "T" will get you closer and closer. But it never hurts to put something a little diff for a submission too.With a little editing you pretty much answer your own question! Have fun writing to the listings and good luck!Mazz

As I was just saying to a new member of Taxi - *forwards* are not that easy to get. If you are getting them, that means a) your music is great, b) it's broadcast quality, and c) you target your submissions effectively. It means you can be confident that the forwarded songs are a) worthy of consideration, b) listened to by the listing party. After that, it's all out of your hands. You've done your job. So you keep composing and you keep submitting the new songs & the already fowarded songs. The more you submit & are forwarded, the more listens you get, the more times your music is considered. The videos with Matt Hirt talk about being determined & thinking long term... why you should pick a niche... and why it can take a long time from submission/forward(s) to deal(s) when dealing with music publishers & libraries.Hummin'bird

Quote:Ya know what? Do YOU think a forward means anything? Maybe it means something diff to each person?I feel, while they're nice to have, it only means ya got to the next step and unless you get offered a deal, it's somewhat candy/stroke but at the same time, it really shows you're getting closer to what a listing wants......Here goes Dave... First, what I'm saying here only applies to my experience submitting for film/tv listings. There's several reasons why somebody might submit music and not get any deals. First and foremost, and most important, something that can't be overcome with marketing or focused targeting is that the music just isn't up to par.I'm a big believer in the "power" of a forward. On the Taxi site it states that, on average, only 11% of the songs submitted are forwarded. Honestly, anyone who has submitted music and has gotten a forward, even one forward, that says a LOT. These Taxi listings are for companies that are directly involved in and very active in the market for placing music into film and television. You really can't get any better feedback about your music than getting a Taxi forward to a company that is routinely placing music into major films and network television shows and popular cable network shows.For me, forwards were the affirmation that my music was up to par AND that I was getting the hang of writing or selecting the music to match the listing. Once that happens, then the rest is marketing, getting your music out there. Especially with tracks that receive Taxi forwards, you can be assured that when you start marketing and submitting that music outside of Taxi (in addition to Taxi) that when you're not hearing anything (yet) that it's for "preference" reasons not quality reasons. Get your music to enough people and a certain percentage will prefer your music over the music of others... and you'll get a deal. "Preferences" can be overcome with marketing and good targeting towards submitting lots of music to the right places. "Not up to par" can never be overcome ever. Last, I think that Taxi, Taxi forwards, and especially the forum here can give people a balanced perspective. If they are open minded, they can quickly find out how much work they have to do to get to the forwarding point and can work toward that using the feedback from critiques and the forum. It also works the other way. Recently I think the forum played a big part in helping to bring a balanced point of view to a forum member who is really exceptional but didn't have the perspective to see how good they and their music really are. izing thaHow many places can you hang around with stuff like that happening?

Quote:When I was with TAXI my very first submissions were all forwarded. Was contacted but for me, the TOS weren't very good. I gracefully bowed out of TAXI mainly because I felt my songs weren't ready for song libraries but that will change soon.My first six submissions, on a competitor's site, were all forwarded. But then again, we'll see.Ya know what? Do YOU think a forward means anything? Maybe it means something diff to each person?I feel, while they're nice to have, it only means ya got to the next step and unless you get offered a deal, it's somewhat candy/stroke but at the same time, it really shows you're getting closer to what a listing wants......So a forward can be seen as a success. I'm re-joining TAXI after I complete my solo record and will start writing just for music libraries as the mood dictates - sounds like fun, really. I feel TAXI has a lot going for it. I feel following listings to the "T" will get you closer and closer. But it never hurts to put something a little diff for a submission too.Get a listing looking for authentic blues? Just drag out the steel dobro, compose and play. Doesn't have to be long, just some real definitive parts. Something 50's style? Something modern? A child's TV show - bring out the wood blocks and xylophone samples. All the software tools are there for the composer.I feel music libraries are just like writing for radio commercials, which I did a lot on the way up, well, the way sideways......I've only gotten one foward in my first year of being a TAXI member, but for me, that one foward meant the world.....mainly because it was for a fairly high bar Nashville listing, one for a publishing company which pitched songs to various artists such as Alan Jackson, Trace Atkins, etc. It's extremely hard to get those fowards, trust me. Recently, they sent me a certificate via my TAXI hosting page, and I am going to frame it and hang it on my wall. Even if I don't get a deal, I am just pleased to get a foward like that. You might see that as silly, everyone wants a deal, sure that would be nice, but to even get that kind of recognition for one of my songs makes me happy....I'd call it at least a 'nomination', hehe.Maybe a foward after a year might be sweeter than receiving fowards soon after you join.....you know how hard they are to get after pitching for a while, so you treasure them.

Quote:Quote:When I was with TAXI my very first submissions were all forwarded. Was contacted but for me, the TOS weren't very good. I gracefully bowed out of TAXI mainly because I felt my songs weren't ready for song libraries but that will change soon.My first six submissions, on a competitor's site, were all forwarded. But then again, we'll see.Ya know what? Do YOU think a forward means anything? Maybe it means something diff to each person?I feel, while they're nice to have, it only means ya got to the next step and unless you get offered a deal, it's somewhat candy/stroke but at the same time, it really shows you're getting closer to what a listing wants......So a forward can be seen as a success. I'm re-joining TAXI after I complete my solo record and will start writing just for music libraries as the mood dictates - sounds like fun, really. I feel TAXI has a lot going for it. I feel following listings to the "T" will get you closer and closer. But it never hurts to put something a little diff for a submission too.Get a listing looking for authentic blues? Just drag out the steel dobro, compose and play. Doesn't have to be long, just some real definitive parts. Something 50's style? Something modern? A child's TV show - bring out the wood blocks and xylophone samples. All the software tools are there for the composer.I feel music libraries are just like writing for radio commercials, which I did a lot on the way up, well, the way sideways......I've only gotten one foward in my first year of being a TAXI member, but for me, that one foward meant the world.....mainly because it was for a fairly high bar Nashville listing, one for a publishing company which pitched songs to various artists such as Alan Jackson, Trace Atkins, etc. It's extremely hard to get those fowards, trust me. Recently, they sent me a certificate via my TAXI hosting page, and I am going to frame it and hang it on my wall. Even if I don't get a deal, I am just pleased to get a foward like that. You might see that as silly, everyone wants a deal, sure that would be nice, but to even get that kind of recognition for one of my songs makes me happy....I'd call it at least a 'nomination', hehe.Maybe a foward after a year might be sweeter than receiving fowards soon after you join.....you know how hard they are to get after pitching for a while, so you treasure them. You neglected to mention that that forward was a seriously killer tune

Quote:Quote:I've only gotten one foward in my first year of being a TAXI member, but for me, that one foward meant the world.....mainly because it was for a fairly high bar Nashville listing, one for a publishing company which pitched songs to various artists such as Alan Jackson, Trace Atkins, etc. It's extremely hard to get those fowards, trust me. Recently, they sent me a certificate via my TAXI hosting page, and I am going to frame it and hang it on my wall. Even if I don't get a deal, I am just pleased to get a foward like that. You might see that as silly, everyone wants a deal, sure that would be nice, but to even get that kind of recognition for one of my songs makes me happy....I'd call it at least a 'nomination', hehe.Maybe a foward after a year might be sweeter than receiving fowards soon after you join.....you know how hard they are to get after pitching for a while, so you treasure them. You neglected to mention that that forward was a seriously killer tune Well, I didn't want to sound like a shameless plugger. But thanks, Monsieur Liam!

Quote:Humm - you're right. Find a niche and write, write, write. Throw them out and I think it's like bass fishing, all ya gotta do is play the odds.Song - you're right too. The competition is fierce. That's why I think you can A) write for specific listing to the "T" or B) write for the same listing but give it your own flavour - makes it stand apart from others and trends within trends can change fast. Laser focus is a great phrase!Dave - you're right also! Turn in as much music you can and you WILL start getting a response (of course the songs have to be in that pro ballpark). And this forum is great - like you said, a balanced perspective.Chitty - yes! One forward for you gives VERY important feedback and that's pretty darn good for someone like yourself just starting out. It shows you have "something" (which you knew anyway ) On a diff plateau, I get a bunch of forwards but I've been writing for awhile so my expectations are diff. But I can remember my songwriting award - same feeling as you.Being a veteran songwriter, you've been through the learning curve thingy and had success as well.....me, I'm still trying to find the keys to the car, hehe. But I managed to take a drive two or three weeks ago, and it was NICE. Maybe I'll get a few more spins before it's over.

OK, I was a little flip in my first reply and I'll try to make amends by expounding a bit. I've been forwarded a fair amount in my 3 years with TAXI (exclusively instrumental music for libraries, film/TV). Many of the forwards have been to some of the same companies multiple times. The way I look at it is: now my music is in the inbox at those companies as "solicited material". There's no way of knowing for sure, but maybe some of the companies put this material in categories in a database and if they are searching for a particular genre/style, one of my pieces pops up and they give me a call. Maybe it's now 2 or 3 years since I was forwarded. Even still, my odds were much better at getting that call than if I had not been forwarded at all. (I even landed a deal from being forwarded 3 times on Dispatch listings to the same company).Also, the listings motivate me to write. I love a lot of different music and I love writing a lot of different types of music and some I wouldn't write on my own if I didn't have a "project" (listing) to write for. I'm one of those that's in training to write film/TV scores and am trying to create quality across a variety of styles. At the same time, writing to listings helps me figure out what I need to work on more.Forwards motivate me to write also and they are feedback that I'm closing in on learning how to write on command and on target (Pavlov's composer?........ )That's what I feel is important to me about forwards. Returns are just as important if not more, as they are like little rudders that help keep us on course to hitting the target and landing more forwards.This is a perspective from an instrumental composer, I think songwriters face different challenges in some ways.Welcome back to TAXI and I hope you get more forwards that culminate in great deals!!Mazz

I haven't been in SF long enough to have been to some of those places that are no longer there (like Sam Wo's)! The music scene now is lots of DJs and a whole different set of clubs for live music. Not that I get out that much! There's a show at the Fillmore coming up I'll probably catch: Medeski, Martin and Wood with John Scofield. That's what I like in live music, lots of improvising and listening to each other! IMO most live music I've heard in the past years few suffers from bad sound that's just too loud at the wrong frequencies, even at big clubs like the Fillmore. I've invested in some custom earplugs and that makes a huge difference! It makes those mixes by deaf sound mixers tolerable!But I digress..........keep the faith and keep writing. What else are you going to do anyway? Mazz

Quote: Also, the listings motivate me to write. I love a lot of different music and I love writing a lot of different types of music and some I wouldn't write on my own if I didn't have a "project" (listing) to write for. I'm one of those that's in training to write film/TV scores and am trying to create quality across a variety of styles. At the same time, writing to listings helps me figure out what I need to work on more.MazzI've only gotten one forward (but I am a newbie: 6 submissions), but recently I've been getting a real high on the challenge of writing with opps in mind, fueling my muse with screener feedback and insights from these boards. For the first time in my life, I'm able to switch my mind into writing songs as "projects" and following paths I'd never take as a dark singer/songwriter-type. I've been writing in a (somewhat) different genre, studying that genre and what makes hits tick, even talking to fans of that genre like a focus group. (Basically, approaching music as I approach my dayjob). And though I haven't finished any of these new songs yet, I've got several in the works, and it's really exciting to hear what I'm creating--songs I would have never written if I hadn't stuck my head into this world called TAXI. And it's even spilling over into my more personal songs, which is exciting, too.Wait...now that I rambled a bit...I've forgotten how my thought connected to the vine. But hell, there it is anyway.