TAXI.com

I have had some thoughts as my membership is coming up for renewal and I am planning out the year.

My first membership subscription cycle I struggled, more or less an observer. I wanted to do it but we really didn't, not the way you need to, didn't have a plan, didn’t write to target. I attended Road Rally - and thought it was great. I was inspired, a bit intimidated. Was I ready to make it happen? Really happen?


Nothing much happened my first time through Taxi.


My membership renewal came up and expired and I became a listing reader again, which is what I was basically anyway if truth be told.

The second membership subscription cycle I attacked it with intent and a plan. I got commitments from co-writers, and we put together a plan to write as much as we could and submit to as many listings as we needed to in order to get a foothold into music licensing, publishing, and music production opportunity. We knew nothing about it – we thought we would compete. I renewed my membership and we started writing and submitting.


It was a humbling experience.


Brutally humbling at times in fact. Return, Return, Return, Return, REJECTION!! Wow. Maybe we should quit? Never! You need to work to get to Yes. But – OUCH!!

We are an active writing team, my co-writing partners, SteveBHC, JonBHC and I. Between us - we work hard to study collective craft and submit to as many listings as we can.

Taxi was our start. It was the maiden voyage for each us as a writing team, and the experience was brutal in the beginning, but so, so, soooo valuable along the way. We listened to the feedback from the screeners, took advice, reworked tracks, better targeted the listings through trial and error and really worked to push forwards through.

Forwards started to happen. They started to happen, BECAUSE we started doing all the things that Taxi had told us to do. We wrote to our strengths, targeted the listings, reviewed forwards that got posted through the Taxi Forums so we could listen to what was making the cut, compared it to what we had sent, tried to be more on target in the future.

About a year into it, we had submitted to 112 times, gotten 94 returns, and 18 forwards. We are making progress, tasting success, and decide to expand horizons from Taxi and use what Michael commonly refers to as “copy cat” sites that act as Taxi competitors. Joined 2 new sites, paid fees, got memberships signed up and started submitting. Old stuff and new, Taxi rejected it? No matter, send it out and see what happens with the “copy cat”.

One was harder to get forwards from – but there were a ton of listings and the submit timelines were nice and long. The other was easy - getting forwards at a ratio unheard of in my Taxi experience. I started thinking “Who Needs Taxi? “ We are getting way more opportunity through these other sites. We started pushing a lot of submissions through “copy-cats” and our Taxi submissions fell off, didn’t end, just didn’t flow with the consistency they had prior to going the “copy cat” route.

Either way - contract opportunities started showing up and we started looking into deals to secure tracks with publishers and libraries.

I’m no expert, but I have seen enough to know that there are good deals, and not so good deals to be made when it comes to licensing music. Pay attention to the details.

OMG – are you still reading this? Longest post ever

You know what I found out? Taxi works. Deals that you get with Taxi are good. The best relationships in the Publisher / Library industry I have established from this process have come through Taxi. My consistent experience is that when a contact opportunity comes through as a result of a forward we get through Taxi – the company is vetted and proper, and it shows in the contract and the way the relationships play out.

Taxi sets a high bar to get a forward, but there is a method to it, and they are adamant about sharing it and teaching it to you.

There are a lot of REAL, real talented writers going for that listing against us – but it is the only forum in my experience, that provides the support of consistent feedback, screeners with valuable insight, Taxi TV, The Road Rally, Forum Posts - a real community of people actually competing with each other doing it, but open to help you do it too. That freakin Rules!

Anyway Taxi, thanks for being consistent in the earliest days when I did absolutely nothing with the advice you preached to me then. And thank you even more, for being consistent to the message the second time I came through your membership.


Consider it an evergreen renewal going forward.

Great post Howard!
Very inspiring and spot om
The Taxi process and community works!!!
Thank you for sharing your experience.

Thanks Pedro.

I'm pretty reflective at the end / beginning of each year. Trying to assess where I am in the pursuit of the things that I'm working on - to figure what is working - why its working, and what is going through the motions but not really affecting change.

That's when it kind of hit me that the Taxi model is really working for me. All the dots line up.

I am new to the forums and the last thing I want to do is sound like someone who knows it all - I am still figuring it out and will keep trying to the rest of my life. It's just that's am always hearing Michael refer to the copy cat sites on Taxi TV, and it got me to thinking - and reflecting, and realizing that he is right.

It was a wake up call for me. I'm not stopping submitting outside of Taxi, but I am definitely making Taxi my top pick for generating new relationships via sites that copy it. The results that have been generated from Taxi, have yet to be replicated for me from the copy cat sites.

I'm no guru, but I thought it was worth the share.

Thanks for sharing that Howard, it was encouraging to me as I move into my second year with Taxi. I'm still working through my business plan, fostering those relationships from the rally, writing every day, and learning from the rejections.

I cannot wait until I can officially say I'm a songwriter full time. It is so difficult to stay encouraged sometimes with a day job that pays the bills that I'm not passionate about and that also takes up 11hrs of each day, but I'm not giving up and am very grateful for how ridiculously supportive the Taxi family is.

Thanks to everyone,
John

John - I feel you. Many days I have woken up and looked in the mirror - saw the person staring back at me - knowing the schedule that I was just getting ready to run, was for the almighty dollar, instead of the almighty dream.

The thing that happened to me somewhere along the way, is that I decided - one day, that rather than just work for the man, I needed to work for myself. To be the man. Each day forward, I made sure that I did something to get me closer to reaching my overall goal. I committed, and did it, and continue to this day, to do something to help push me forward - away from the man, and into myself. To push me to work for me. The Man.

Taxi has helped me so much in that process if only giving me something tangible to do to push the dream forward and into a reality.
I am far away from really being where I need or want to be, but I have come along way in the process.

Best of luck to you in the process. Never give up, and reach out for help if you can when you need it.

It takes a village (and a good Chief)

Thank you Howard.

Great post, Howard. I think we've all experienced the many, many discouragements along the path we've chosen to pursue. You deserve a lot of credit for doing all the right things and for not giving up.

And regarding Taxi, the one thing that I keep rediscovering is the integrity and commitment of the organization, of Michael personally, and of the Taxi staff. The service ethic is tremendous. And unlike most other business entities, if there are issues, questions, disagreements, etc., they will look at them, engage with you about them, and take an active role in resolving them.

So, I'm glad you made the decision to stick with it. You won't regret it.

Richard

Thanks Richard.

One of the things I appreciate about Taxi is the community. Though relatively new to the forums as a participant - as I stated in my thread - I spent enough time observing to know that I am lucky to be a part, and participant in the opportunity. I find it incredibly inspirational to be among a group of individuals with such collective talent and determination.

I was inspired by your recent outing on Taxi TV and subsequent "atoning" thread.
Awesome results and continued goal step setting. Thanks for that post.

I appreciate the support. It is meaningful.

Thank you for those very kind words Howard, they're very much appreciated! And thanks for chiming in Richard, John, and Pedro. Nothing makes us more proud than seeing our members go from starting out to figuring it out, and knowing that all we bring to bare pays off for the members who take the advice, become active in our incredible community, and patiently invest their time and sweat equity to become successful.

Your posts on this thread (and others) feel like getting "forwards" to the staff, the screeners, and me. We like the confirmation that our hard work is paying off just like you guys do, so THANK you all!

Warmly,
Michael

All in Favor say aye...

AYE!!!

Thanks for posting Howard!