TAXI.com

Hi Sperl,
Welcome to Taxi! At this particular time (the last 4 weeks or so) it does seem that there's an extra dry spell for listings that a single instrument piece would work for. There usually are at least a couple. But I agree that for as much as Michael talks about simple instrumentals there are a disproportionate amount of Taxi listings that a single instrument wouldn't work for. But there are many cases where a simple arrangement of a few instruments would work. So I guess what Michael is trying to say is you don't have to hire a full 70 piece orchestra to have music that works. Also, after you've gained an initial contact with a music library you don't have to wait for listings, you can send them your music and at this time it's all about the mood of the piece, not the amount of instruments. So you can build up your library now with all these pieces so when you do land a deal you have a catalog of songs ready to add to the library. Bottom line is just keep writing, big or small.

Hi and welcome!

If it's film and TV placements that you're going for, then pay attention to the solo instruments and ensembles that you hear on TV in shows, commercials, etc. That will give you the best clue as to what types of things to be writing and you can build up a backlog of a number of these as you go, or you can write one when a listing comes out for it.

Also the listing description may specifically ask for a solo instrument. The listing description is really the specs for the piece and the a las are a good reference point as well, if they are mentioned. You can always post a question about the listing here and see if you can get some ideas about what they are asking for. You'll find that learning how to read and interpret the listings is a necessary skill that you acquire as you go along (provided that you are open to the learning!).

Why not write a few solo instrument pieces anyway? It would be fun and great practice. Writing every day is the best way to improve your writing anyway!

Good luck and welcome!!

Mazz