TAXI.com

Here's the listing:

Global Ad Agency needs INSTRUMENTAL TRACK for LUXURY CAR TV SPOT AND VIDEO. Quoting the Ad Agency, "This will be a very sweet gig if someone lands it. [We're working on] a 50 second sales film and two 30 second TV commercials. We don't have exact numbers [on the fees] but they will look very nice. Needs to be Instrumental. In the style of Muse, Coldplay, Elbow, or The Verve. Needs to have EMOTION, MOMENTUM, 'epic,' A COMBINATION OF SYNTH AND ORGANIC ELEMENTS, a UK/Art Rock sensibility, fade ending, dynamics, and a sense of composition. The client wants music that will 'stand alone,' almost as if it were pulled from the radio by a real artist. High production values are very key. Momentum is not to be confused with a massive drum groove [as heard in so many 'typical' car spots]. The track needs a 'musical ego,' befitting music for this [brand of luxury auto]. It's a spectacular car. Tracks should be a minimum of 60 secs, but I'd prefer 1:30. That's my story." TAXI Tip: ALL THEY NEED FROM YOU NOW IS A 1:30 version! Everything else is pretty self-explanatory. Give your track a title that makes them think you're a cool Indie artistÑdon't title it like you would for a music library pitch. GIVE THEM AN AMAZING SIGNATURE MELODY COUPLED WITH INCREDIBLE EMOTION AND DON'T MAKE IT SO BUSY THAT IT WOULD HIDE THE VOICE OVER.

Here's the track, it's a collaboration with Lydia Ashton - Fiber Optic Heart Strings - it's also on my taxi profile page as well.

It was returned with the Recording box checked in the "Not Broadcast Quality" section.

Thoughts????

-Big Blue

Hmmm, sounds BQ to me, don't know what to say. You never really know what the checked boxes actually mean do you? The strings definitely dominate the mix, at least to my ears, but everything sounded nice and pro. Sometimes you gotta scratch your head and move on...

eo

Hmm... confusing. I think your track sounds very well recorded and produced. I also had a return on this for being not broadcast quality. The screener specifically pointed out that my drums weren't organic enough for this listing (although having read and re-read the listing I don't see where it says they have to be...) All I can think is that your drums sound pretty close in tone to the ones on my track so maybe there is something too synthetic about them that we're not hearing...? To me your drums sound great. I used loops of a real drummer playing and tried to mix up several slightly different ones so they would so more organic. It can be more than a little perplexing sometimes when you get a rejection. A lot of the time, when I get a return, I can hear exactly why... in this case I can't.

I'm gonna say it was the compression. I had to scramble for the volume controls because the piano was about to pierce my eardrums. There were times the guitar and strings competed against each other, but I think it was the compression making the track difficult to listen to. When I turned the volume down, it seemed like the levels needed to come up, it was almost impossible for me to find a comfortable and satisfying level to listen. The instruments and composition sounded great.

Sounds cool to me all the way around, it would be nice if the screeners could write like just 1 word after the checkbox to give us a clue what to revise.

My submission was also returned, "music" was checked ... no comments but I'm sure I will find things to tweak! Always do.

Jim

Maybe the screener was reaching for the "sucks" checkbox and missed?

Kidding! I think we both know this is broadcast quality. Very odd.

I think Len might be on the money. At 0:46 onwards, it sounded like the whole mix distorted.

Sounds good quality to me. I would have to listen to it in my car to compare it to BQ.

Could it be that the reviewer thought yours were OK but for a combination of reasons he/she liked a sufficient number of other submissions better than yours? There is no checkbox for that.

I don;t know how to deal with unknown dialogue, but I can imagine that yours could require some effort to work the dialogue into it. Maybe in this context one can categorize it as not broadcast quality. I don't know.

I thought the track was very good and you had paid attention to the things mentioned in the listing.
I don't know what kind of music sells the most luxury cars though. So I did not submit my own effort on this and called it 4everwalking.

xolv
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http://www.taxi.com/xolv

Sounds good to me too! I listened on laptop speakers.


I was returned as well. With the "music" box checked. I've already changed my tune! Too bad we can't resubmit to get a new critique. Maybe I could try Custom Critique.

Appreciate the feedback everyone. I think I'll take a look at my master buss compression settings and pitch this elsewhere.

thanks again,
-Big Blue