TAXI.com

I have a nice piece to submit to this listing:

FEEL-GOOD ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTALS are needed by a great Music Library with lots of success in Film and TV placements for a variety of TV, Film, Promotional, and Advertising opportunities.

This Library is searching for Mid-to-Up-Tempo Instrumentals in the general ballpark of the following examples:

Queer Eye (from 1:00 - 1:26) https://youtu.be/bKE66HT5gAk?t=60

Chewy Commercial https://youtu.be/smqZxolbWYw

Queer Eye NERDS Makeover (from 2:28 - 3:06) https://youtu.be/7BiK0rNpFxg?t=148

"Catalonia" by Vance Joy https://youtu.be/fhtzBjwfak0

Although one of the references has vocals, please submit Instrumentals only for this request.

Please submit well-composed Acoustic Instrumentals with an overall feel-good, emotionally upbeat, and easy-going vibe and sound. Your submissions should have engaging motifs, inviting grooves, and solid arrangements in the general wheelhouse of the references. Acoustic-based instrumentation like acoustic guitar, ukulele, and organic drums/percussion will work best for this request. Your production should be polished and any virtual sounds or samples you use should be high-quality and not dated-sounding. Craft your pieces around a central motif and layer instrumentation in and out as they progress to create a sense of forward motion, dynamics, and interest.

All submissions should be about 2 to 4 minutes long (give or take) with non-faded, buttoned/stinger endings. Do NOT copy the references in any way, shape, or form. Use them only as a general guide for tempo, tone, texture, and overall vibe. Do NOT submit any material with unauthorized samples of any other artists’ music, sounds, or any other form of media. Broadcast Quality is needed.



OK, I think I understand the genre.
However, none of the samples referenced have a discernible melody (except the one we're advised to ignore).
So, I'm thinking the publisher should be asking for an Instrumental CUE.

I'm inclined to think that an INSTRUMENTAL track is a version of a song with the vocal line replaced by another instrument.
Or am I over-generalizing?

Either way, I'm going to omit my melody line, also my dazzling, busy flute solo, and substitute some simple, plain, harmonious long notes.

Correct. They do not want a song. However, the screeners expect some sort of theme or motif... but nothing too busy as far as this listing goes. Feel free to post a link to your track for better feedback/context.

When Taxi writes the listings they're not always consistent in saying whether they want a cue form vs an instrumental form, so we can't count on them to specify it every time.

To make sure, you might want to call or email Taxi on this one ... because cues are normally more short form like 1:30 - 2:00 ... but this listing is asking for 2:00 - 4:00 length which is more typical of an instrumental listing that could have multiple sections & themes

Without seeking clarification from Taxi about this listing, I've prepared this, which I hope is what they are looking for:

https://www.taxi.com/members/WZhrZCZcT1 ... hing---cue

Hi Andrew,
Sorry, but the link to your track doesn't work. It happens A LOT, and if you search the forums there's loads of examples and suggested solutions. Here's one that even links to a video about it....
post605328.html?hilit=how%20to%20link%2 ... ck#p605328
It'll happen to someone else tomorrow though .

Hmmm,
it works for me.

Let's try again after reading Paul's instructions.

https://www.taxi.com/members/WZhrZCZcT1 ... hing---cue

or this one:

https://on.soundcloud.com/sj4HS

AndrewScott wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 08, 2022 2:59 am

Hmmm,
it works for me.

.....but you are logged in to your account. No-one else is. The link to your Taxi account still gives a 404 error, but the Soundcloud link works.

Anyway, back to the music I like the general happy feel of the track, and the style seems a good fit for the listing (although it would have helped to have copied the reference track links too).

Here's a few things that I noticed though ....

- I'd suggest giving the track a title that provides some indication of what it is or its mood or its potential use. 'Soothing Cue' is a bit too general and could be new age or a lullaby, but doesn't suggest the Caribbean feel of your track.
- It feels like the shakers are out of time in the first section, although they're back in sync at 18s.
- Is there an edit at 2mins where it sounds like there's a slight timing hiccup?
- After 2 mins the tracks feels less 'tight', with some of the guitar motifs and the odd strum that's not quite in the groove.
- The stop at 2:46 sounds like a fader edit rather than a stop that was played.
- I'm not sure there's a central motif to the track with layering, as requested in the listing and as you might expect from an instrumental.
- The flute has a small room sound which gives away its recording environment.

If the screener is expecting a polished production, as it says in the listing, then IMHO there's probably enough in the above to earn a return. My suggestion would be to edit track more carefully to tighten the timing, and perhaps shorten it to lend more focus to the structure. I'm not sure how important the flute room sound will be but if you can disguise that somehow (or re-record) it might help.

Just my thoughts, but I hope there's something in there you can use. Good luck with your submission .

Here is how to post public-facing links from your profile page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJH_skdyZPg

thanks for your review, Telefunkin.
You highlighted all the issues I suspected but was too lazy to address.
I'll review and repost.

I've addressed all Telefunkin's points, except the one about the central motif.

The reason I have not crafted my piece around a central motif is because none of the reference tracks have, except the one with the vocal line.
Here's the updated track with the new title:


https://on.soundcloud.com/gYZaT

Despite following Paul's instructions to the letter, the link to the file on Taxi still gives a 404.
https://www.taxi.com/members/WZhrZCZcT1 ... ood-frolic