TAXI.com

Hey all,

I'm relatively new to TAXI- I joined a couple years back but let my membership lapse after a slew of returns. I rejoined in February and have had my first two forwards (yay!) but also 8 returns (boo). Anyway, I just got two returns today for listing U160315PO

"CONTEMPORARY, TOP-40 Style POP INSTRUMENTALS are needed for a huge Internet Radio Platform, for Direct-to-Company, Non-Exclusive, $500 placements in Commercial Licensing Blocks for the company’s retail advertisers. They’re looking for several, Mid-to-Up-Tempo Pop Instrumentals in the general stylistic wheelhouse of Top-40 acts like (but not limited to) Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, etc., etc., etc. Take a listen to the following song references to get in the general stylistic wheelhouse of what they’re looking for: “Confident” by Demi Lovato: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwLRQn61oUY “Levels” by Nick Jonas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taViGR5VT1U “Me & The Rhythm” by Selena Gomez: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XFfWems2_A “What Do You Mean” by Justin Bieber: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK_0jXPuIr0 Although the references have vocals, please submit instrumentals only for this pitch. Please submit well-crafted Instrumentals that generally reflect the free-spirited, lively, and emotionally upbeat vibe of the references above. Contemporary sounding tracks that hold up well in the Pop genre are what they need. Material that sounds dated, stiff, or MIDI-sounding won’t work well for this pitch. Give them submissions that would lend themselves really well to radio commercials, with an infectious overall vibe, and catchy melodic and rhythmic hooks throughout. All submissions should be at least 2 minutes long, with short to no intros, easy edit points, and Non-faded, buttoned endings. Do NOT copy or rip off the referenced bands or songs in any way, shape, or form. Use them only as a guide for texture, tone, and overall vibe. Broadcast Quality is needed (Great sounding home recordings are fine). The estimated licensing fee will be at least $500 per track, but they could potentially be higher depending on the duration, usage, and account/client/product the track will be used for. You will retain ownership of 100% of the Publishing and Master rights. No publishing splits! You must own or control your Master and Composition to submit to this pitch. All Submissions will be screened on a Yes/No basis by a TAXI screener handpicked by the company. No full critiques. Please submit 1-3 Instrumentals online or per CD no later than 11:59PM (PST), on Tuesday, March 15th, 2016. TAXI #U160315PO

Both of my songs were returned for not being "contemporary enough". The songs are "Shake Your Soul" and "Let's Just Chill" on my TAXI homepage:

www.taxi.com/rhoddurre

Any advice on how to improve these tunes, make them more contemporary, make them more marketable for future listings? "Shake Your Soul" was envisioned sort of "a la" Shake It Off by Taylor Swift. "Let's Just Chill" was sort of "a la" Justin Bieber's "What Do You Mean". I'm a relative newby and would immensely appreciate any and all feedback.

Thanks!

I think I hear where you are going with these:

Rhoddurre wrote:"Shake Your Soul" was envisioned sort of "a la" Shake It Off by Taylor Swift. "Let's Just Chill" was sort of "a la" Justin Bieber's "What Do You Mean".

More listening to the refs (like listen to the 4 refs for this listing for a week on repeat play) and then listening to your two tunes might help you see what's same / different.

Here's an workflow that you might examine using:

1) Make a Spotify playlist of the 4 ref tunes.
2) Listen a lot
3) Break each tune down - analyze the genre and sub-genre, the form, the tempo, the key, the kind of chords, the chord progression. Analyze the type of instruments and when they occur. Are they live or Virtual? Analyze the kind of rhythms. Are they simplistic melodically? Are they complex? How many instruments are playing at once? Do they double rhythms, melodies or chords? Do they play totally independent ideas?
3b) listen for throwback type sounds that are employed in a "modern" or "contemporary" context. In "What Do you Mean" - at 1:12 listen for the synth pan flute sound. That is a total '80's throwback, but because its used in a modern mix / production, we can vibe with it and it doesn't sound out of place. So if you choose to employ that sound, look for ways to make it sound fresh, not rehashed.
4) Combine the ideas from each tune to have a master "pool" of instruments and approaches that you can use.
5) Experiment to find a combination that works, sounds contemporary (like the refs), and that helps to bring the FEELING of the refs, and doesn't make you miss the vocal.
6) A/B the refs against your mix to have similar balance, panning, brightness, punch, and apparent "mastered" volume to the ear.
7) expect that its going to take some time to get close enough and good enough quality to get a forward. So keep on doing it.

Things I would try to avoid:

1) using just one tune as an "a la". This can often make your effort too close to an existing tune. Publishers don't want remakes of existing tunes in general - they want something that you could slip into the same "playlist" and it would sound like the refs in general.
2) using a tune that is not part of the "a la" list as a reference. You could be way off base with your pitch. I hear that "shake your soul" doesn't sound much like the refs stylistically. At first I though the horns were you approximately the Demi Lovato tune but I see now where your reference point was. On that point: listen to the drums on Shake It Off. Did you get close with the drums you used? You might want to check this for reference on that tune: http://www.mixedbymarcmozart.com/2014/1 ... end-shake/

hope that helps (HTH). I realize I didn't give you any real feedback on your tunes and how to make them contemporary - but I did detail how I think you can get a feeling for what is contemporary, and what things you might employ. You have to be able to read and interpret the briefs, and hear the difference between something you make that isn't close and something that is pretty spot on.

Thanks very much for your reply and your suggestions, Andy, I really appreciate it! I have been employing a somewhat similar technique- listening to the refs over and over, noting the instruments and progressions, tempo, etc. I do realize, though, that I have a lot to learn yet and plan to keep working and progressing (I'm also hoping to make it to the Road Rally this year). Thanks for the link you provided, I will definitely check it out!

I would also be interested in anyone else's opinions and observations. Are there any specific things that would make these tunes closer to the mark?

Thanks again!

For Shake Your Soul:

I think that the sounds themselves could be more contemporary. The drums immediately stand out to me as not being contemporary in sound - are these live drums?

I would suggest for pop tunes like this to actually used programmed drums with more current sounds - snare & kick. The only way to use real drums and make it sounds like a contemp artist like Taylor Swift is to use a killer studio drummer who lays down some serious groove and is really tight. Try programming some drums for this. Maybe try a tight snare, but add a cool clap on 4 or replace the snare with a clap on 4 in the verses. That could get it closer to the Taylor Swift or like a 'Hey Ya' by Outkast kind of vibe.

Try replacing the sax with a heavy current synth sound maybe - same rhythm and notes. (reference pop dubstep for that)

For me, the drums tracks combined with the pan flute synth and the sax give it a total 80's feel. So you can keep the mix and use it for an 80's style submission in the future and do a new mix utilizing some more contemporary sounds.

I think the chorus gets closer than the verses, if that helps at all.

For Let's Just Chill:

I think you're closer here. I'm not a fan of that particular side stick sound (I hear a sharper stick with no room sound - closer) and not a fan of the pan flute when it comes in - track gets a little muzaky or kitschy at that part. But I do think the right singer could actually make this track somewhat contemporary (with a kind of light-hearted throwback feel to it). I think it is just a different kind of thing than the references they gave, which is probably why it was returned.

On another note for both: I think it's important to note that "contemporary" is a combination of many things - song writing style, arrangement, sound/instrument choice, drum programming style, and also production and mixing. So when listening to references as you guys discussed above, remember to take into account mixing - frequencies used a lot, others not used as much, compression levels, etc. on those popular contemporary tracks. It's difficult stuff though - the guys mixing those tracks are serious pros.

So now that I've pretended I know what I'm doing (LOL), I must divulge that I also had 2 tracks returned for that same listing!. For mine, the screener said "the melody is too busy for the listing" (Shine Brightly, on my page) and on the other he said the "style was a bit too retro" (Biscuit, on my page). I agree with him on both and knew in particular that Biscuit was a long shot because of it's disco roots - I was trying to do a Daft Punk kind of thing.

My page: http://www.taxi.com/timleverett

Thanks, Tim, for taking the time to listen to my tracks and for your insightful comments! The drums are actually programmed, but I agree that they have a bit of a throwback vibe- my initial thought was that they have too much reverb and are consequently not "tight" sounding and maybe a bit 80's sounding as a result. I'll look at swapping out the sounds, they are current samples from some of the Logic Pro X "drummer" kits. I also think the bass sound might not be as contemporary as it could be.

The sax was played live (by me) to sort of approximate the Shake It Off syncopated/staccato vibe. I'll play around with different sounds for the sax and the lead to see whether it helps make it sound more contemporary. Interestingly, Taylor Swift's album is excellent and is sort of an 80's throwback while still sounding very modern. . . Of course she's working with the best in the business, so they're able to pull off this expertly while making it look easy

As far as "Let's Just Chill", I see what you mean about the lead synth sounding "kitschy". It's actually sort of an attempt to emulate the kitschy pan flute type sound in Bieber's "What Do You Mean". While catchy, I agree that it needs some work to sound as contemporary as the Bieber hit. Heck, I was initially struck by how out of place the 80s type lead sounded in What Do You Mean, but I think that the pros were able to pull it off with the modern production.

I did take into account the frequency spectrum of the "a las" and tried to match them as closely as possible. Likewise on the compression, etc. I think my skills at mixing, engineering, producing and mastering are improving, but I realize that I have a lot to learn. On that note, I'm committed to not giving up and to actually make it to the Road Rally this year! I've been lurking the boards for a long time and can't wait to meet all of you and take some lessons from some industry pros!

Thanks again for all your helpful feedback, it makes me think there might still be hope for these tracks yet I haven't had a chance yet to check out your submissions yet, but plan on doing so as soon as I'm on a device which supports flash (On a side note, I wish flash wasn't necessary for TAXI, I prefer HTML5 or something else which works on all devices)

Update: Had a chance to check out some of your tunes- I actually really dig "Bisquit" and enjoyed "Shine Brightly", as well. It's actually quite helpful to know that these were also returned and the reasons for the returns. I, myself, would definitely have thought "Bisquit" would be forwarded, but it tells me how closely the screener was hewing to the "a las" for this listing. Even though I could see it on pop radio with some of these songs, it is more "modern disco" and the a las are more R&B influence. Anyway, great work and thanks again!

If I were you, I'd save these versions and tuck 'em away.

They could easily be tweaked for listings looking for Booker T. and the MGs type stuff.
(Swap out the drums, etc ...)

If you have an ear for the less contemporary, you might find huge success at the many recurring
listings for period stuff. Jus sayin'.

I like your stuff.



-b