TAXI.com

Thanks in advance for taking the time to comment. Best!

https://soundcloud.com/john-dale-music/ ... al_sharing

Lots of NEWS INSTRUMENTALS are needed by a U.K. Music Licensing Company with GREAT Worldwide Distribution and lots of awesome placements in Film and TV!

NOTE: We previously ran this request as TAXI Dispatch Listing #D211110NF, but the Company didn't find what they were looking for. If you submitted to listing #D211110NF, please send different material this time around.

This Company is searching for Mid-to-Up-Tempo Instrumentals in the general stylistic wheelhouse of the following references:

Fox News Theme Music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wmMt2PT6Jg

CNN Theme Music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb-0SjcTL9M

ABC News Theme Music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRI4URjw40U

Quoting the Company: "We're looking for Instrumentals that would work well for current affairs-based news segments, news stingers, radio news, etc."

Please send modern News Instrumentals with exciting intros that drop into engaging, textured underscores and finish out with bold stinger endings. High-quality Orchestral instrumentation paired with Electronic or Rock elements will probably be your best bet for this pitch. Please be sure that your production and any virtual instruments or samples you use are top-notch and modern. You'd be wise to stick to one motif during the underscore portion of your tracks, and create a subtle sense of dynamics by layering instrumentation in and out as they progress. Remember, these Instrumentals will be used under dialogue, so you don't want them to be so busy that they're distracting.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This company has a strong preference for signing material from composers who have worked for libraries and licensing companies in the past and understand how standard music library deals work. If you don't have that experience and you don't know the drill on typical deals, then they politely ask that you don't submit to this request.

NOTE: This Company will need alternate versions of your tracks (without intro, intro only, without endings, ending only, etc.), as well, but not yet! All you need to submit for now are the Full Instrumentals, but please have alternate versions on hand and ready to send at a moment’s notice if you get a call or email from the Company. If you don’t have the ability to get the alternate versions in their hands within an hour after being contacted, please don’t submit for this!

All submissions should be about 2 to 4 minutes in length, give or take. Non-faded, stinger endings are required for this request. Do NOT copy the referenced examples in any way, shape, or form. Use them only as a general guide for tempo, tone, and overall vibe. Broadcast Quality is needed.

This company offers an EXCLUSIVE deal, so please be sure the Instrumentals (or Cues) you pitch for this opportunity are NOT already signed with other Companies or Catalogs. You'll get 100% of the Writer's share, and the Publisher will get 100% of the Publisher's share. You must own or control your Master and Copyright to submit. Please submit as many Instrumentals as you’d like, online or per CD. All submissions will be screened and critiqued by TAXI. Submissions must be received no later than 11:59 PM (PST) on Saturday, December 18th, 2021. TAXI # S211218NW

Telefunkin wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 07, 2021 4:43 pm

In a genuine effort to be helpful, I'm sorry to say that I think this is a long way off.

First, the listing says...
"We're looking for Instrumentals that would work well for current affairs-based news segments, news stingers, radio news, etc." Please send modern News Instrumentals with exciting intros that drop into engaging, textured underscores and finish out with bold stinger endings. High-quality Orchestral instrumentation paired with Electronic or Rock elements will probably be your best bet for this pitch. Please be sure that your production and any virtual instruments or samples you use are top-notch and modern. You'd be wise to stick to one motif during the underscore portion of your tracks, and create a subtle sense of dynamics by layering instrumentation in and out as they progress. Remember, these Instrumentals will be used under dialogue, so you don't want them to be so busy that they're distracting.

Then the refs them selves are mainly orchestral based with big bold real sounds that are timeless (not dated), The third ref is more hybrid but still sounds modern. They are all intended to be used for current affairs, not past affairs, or for news not 'olds' . By comparison, 'We Know' comes across as synth based, using dated sounds, and it fails to meet the listing requirements on all the highlighted sections above (plus there are also some timing issues).

I'd say that it is absolutely vital to read listings, listen to ref tracks and pick out the detail, then to A/B your work with the refs. Without doing that all the effort producing a track is likely to be wasted.

Again, I'm saying these things in an attempt to be helpful, and I genuinely do hope they help.

Thank you for taking the time to be so thorough. I appreciate your perspective and will make some adjustments and changes. We genuinely have a difference in the evaluation of the word "dated," especially regarding how it applies to the references. To my ears the first two refs are definitely old school and very dated sounding, but I can benefit from some of your other observations, so I thank you kindly. Best, and Happy Holidays.

Trivial comment. Titles matter (I've made a lot of mistakes that way in the past). If you are pitching something as a TV news theme, "We Know" isn't a very "news-y" title. Won't matter for this listing's forward/return but something to keep in mind.

Good luck!
Casey

Hi Jon

It doesn't come across news-like at all to me and neither is it " top-notch and modern " sounding. It sounds like a sub par 80s or 90s synth piece with poor timing and production.

I thkn you need to go back to the drawing board to have any chance with this listing.

Mark

I would agree that the piece isn't ready for submission yet, but also think that it's a good start and has a lot of potential. To my ears, there's a bit more going on that you need at any one time, so I'd try stripping it down to the basics and keeping only the essential parts. I also think the drums could be stronger and that the bass part could lock in better with the drums and be less busy. Keep working on it! All the best, Doug

DouglasKnight wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 09, 2021 11:25 am

I would agree that the piece isn't ready for submission yet, but also think that it's a good start and has a lot of potential. To my ears, there's a bit more going on that you need at any one time, so I'd try stripping it down to the basics and keeping only the essential parts. I also think the drums could be stronger and that the bass part could lock in better with the drums and be less busy. Keep working on it! All the best, Doug

Thanks, Doug. Best! John

Fun musically speaking, but the sounds used are very dated, this sounds like a Casio keyboard. The bass line reminds me of "Billie Jean" a bit. The drums are very synthetic and too far back in the mix, while the lead synth is a little hot. It would be interesting to me to keep the music but replace all of the sounds with something like Omnisphere or Nexus patches to get a more modern sound, along with some more current drums.