TAXI.com

NEW LISTING -- MELANCHOLIC, ACOUSTIC GUITAR and/or PIANO INSTRUMENTAL CUES are needed by the Music Supervisor of a popular Reality TV Show. They're looking for somber, Down-to-Mid-Tempo Cues that you'd hear during emotional scenes on shows like Celebrity Rehab, Extreme Makeover, Intervention, etc., etc., etc. Imagine the Cues you'd hear during sad scenes where the main character is dealing with something deeply emotional. That's what they need! Submissions should sound like a real acoustic guitar and/or piano. If you're using samples, they better sound incredibly convincing! They're also open to a hybrid of both, as long as the overall performance delivers emotional impact without getting too busy. Build your Instrumental Cue around a central melodic theme that develops by the addition and subtraction of various instrumental parts as the Cue progresses. Short intros, Easy edit points, and Non-faded, buttoned/stinger endings will work best for this pitch. Your Cues should be at least 2 minutes long. Broadcast Quality is needed (great sounding home recordings are fine). This is a Direct-To-Supervisor placement, so you'll also keep 100% of your copyright, master rights, and applicable performance royalties. You need to own or control the Master and Copyright to pitch for this opportunity. Please submit one to three Cues online or per CD. All submissions will be screened on a Yes/No basis a TAXI screener handpicked by the Supervisor - No full critiques. Submissions must be received no later than 11:59PM (PST), on Friday, December 4, 2015. TAXI #Y151204AC

This is a direct to supervisor listing, so it will actually go to the music supervisor of the project if it gets forwarded. Only songs/cues that aren't exclusively signed to libraries already can be pitched for listings like this. So to answer your question, yes it is non-exclusive but the end result is not a potential deal with a music library. The end result is possibly licensing the cue directly to the music supervisor.

These kinds of deals are my favorite because if you get forwarded and get the placement, you retain the publisher's share of the royalties as well. Libraries ask for the publisher's share.

Thanks. That's what I figured.

My question about this listing is, is this how you read it?

1. Solo piano

or

2. Solo guitar

or

3. A combination of piano and guitar

I kept reading this a bunch of times but can't figure out if they want additional instrumentation.

I'm guessing they want something more than just solo.... ??

That's what I thought, too, until I came to the phrase, "They're also open to a hybrid of both..."

edit: That's the part that made me think they want either piano or guitar or piano and guitar. Maybe I'm just reading too much into it. I tend to complicate things sometime..

I'll email the head screener and find out.

Here's what head screener said:

Hi David, I checked with the guys that write the listings and they agreed with my assessment, that is:

The main instrument for the piece should be either acoustic guitar or acoustic piano: solo instruments are good, and a tasteful mixture of the two would be acceptable "as long as the overall performance delivers emotional impact without getting too busy."

The listing is looking for acoustic instruments, and if the cues are going to be produced with samples both the sounds and programming must be top notch so that the music is indistinguishable from authentic acoustic instruments. (Note that real instruments played stiffly so that they sound 'MIDI' will not be acceptable either.)

The addition of light instrumental backing, as long as the instruments sound convincingly authentic and once again provide the right amount of emotion without getting too busy, would probably be acceptable. Be aware though that the listing is being screened by "a TAXI screener handpicked by the Supervisor," so the listing will be tightly screened, and the screener will have a specific idea of exactly how much accompaniment meets the music supervisor's needs, so erring on the lighter side would be best, if at all.

The use of other lead/solo instruments would not fit the listing, the main instrument should definitely be guitar/piano. Otherwise the piano or guitar would be in a supportive role to the other solo instrument and this is definitely not what is required.