TAXI TV

You’ve dreamed about becoming successful with your music for your entire adult life. You joined TAXI. You’ve watched TAXI TV and attended our conference—The Road Rally— to learn how to create what the industry is asking for. You’ve done everything right, and then… BAM! With one fell swoop, you made this common mistake that killed a golden opportunity, and possibly your career. What IS that mistake? You’re going to have to watch this week’s episode of TAXI TV to find out. And I promise you’ll be shaking your head in disbelief when I tell you what that mistake is. You might be guilty of making it yourself. A lot of musicians do! I’ll reveal this “fatal” and avoidable career-killing error and many more seemingly “small” missteps that can truly snuff out the very dream you’ve been working toward for so long.

We’ve all heard about how “manifestation” can make things happen for you, right? But, how many of us consciously put manifestation to work in our daily lives—especially in our pursuit of finding success in our music careers? My guest on this week’s TAXI TV is the best “manifestor” I’ve ever met in my entire life! Kim Tibbs is a TAXI member, and has accomplished more in her career (so far!) than most people would in multiple lifetimes! Kim Tibb's New Music: https://kimtibbsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/intermission-part-a

“What can I do to make my recordings sound more professional?” I’ve been getting that question since I started TAXI 33 years ago. Being a “retired” engineer/producer, I’ve got opinions and suggestions, but they’re not as good as somebody who’s currently in the trenches, doing what you do. But I know a guy who IS in the trenches, and I watch his Youtube videos quite often. And I really like them! You might be watching them as well. Does the name, Jon Meyer ring any bells? Jon will be my guest on this week’s episode, and we’re going to cover (at least) 10 things that can make your music sound more professional. I’m very excited to have Jon join us for this episode, and I suspect it will be chock-full of great suggestions. Have your notepad ready!

Have you ever asked yourself this question? “What do I need to do to get people to recognize how good my music is, and start paying me now to license it for their TV shows, films, or commercials?” Give me an “Amen, brother!” if you’ve ever asked yourself that question. The Answer Will be Revealed (for real!) on This Week’s TAXI TV! I just got an email from a TAXI member who’s only been pursuing his music licensing career with vigor for the last three years, and now his music is getting played in TV shows 365 days a year! Yep, every single day of the year. Quoting a recent email he sent us, “…I am getting placements every single day, multiple times a day. I'm averaging about 75 placements per month.” I’m going to keep this member’s identity a secret until the big reveal on Monday’s show. But, when you meet him, I’m going to ask him SPECIFICALLY what steps he’s taken to get 800 tracks in about 30 different catalogs and generate placements and income on a daily basis.

Craig Pilo is our Head Screener at TAXI. He knows the sync industry inside and out. He also knows some very common mistakes that TAXI members should avoid making, as well as every other musician trying to make it in the music licensing side of the industry. Want to know how to get more music forwarded by TAXI? Watch this! Want to know what causes about 80% of the “returns” from TAXI? Watch this! Want to know how the TAXI screeners think and how they approach their job? Watch this! We’ll discuss those topics and many more during this information-packed episode, so watch it and see if Craig can help you get more of your music forwarded, signed, placed, and earning income!

I’ve watched Rob Chiarelli go from music industry hopeful (when he was in his twenties) to one of the most in-demand mixers/producers in the music business today. With about 100 gold and platinum records and 5 Grammy Awards under his belt, he’s learned a thing or two along the way. And he’s learned from some of the best mentors anybody could ask for! Our viewers always love it when Rob joins me on TAXI TV. He’s my closest friend, and our conversations are always free-wheeling with lots and lots of great tips on mixing, producing, and how to succeed in the music industry in general. Join Rob and me for this episode, and have a notepad ready to go! Rob drops a whole bunch of great advice you probably didn’t get in music school!

I’ve become close friends with TV Producer, Editor, Director, and Composer Biagio Messina over the last 18 months. Whenever we go out to dinner, Biagio always drops gold nuggets about how he chooses and uses music in his shows, his tricks for making his music much more “usable,” and how TV editors choose and use the music that lands in their shows, as well. In this episode, Biagio will share the tips and tricks he uses to compose his music and tell you how the people who make TV shows pick music for their shows. Can you afford to miss this episode? Nope! This episode will help musicians at every stage of their sync music journey to get there even faster! IMPORTANT: Biagio can only use music from music libraries that the networks he works with have approved. If you’re tempted to Google and try to pitch your music to him, I'm sorry to say that you’ll be wasting your time. Even TAXI can’t supply music for his shows, other than when we run listings for the pre-approved libraries he uses in his productions.

If you’d like to jump into doing music for film, TV, and Commercials, you might be wondering, “How do I start, or where do I start?” Both are great questions, and I’ve got the perfect person to help you figure it out! Matt Vander Boegh is an unlikely TAXI All-Star whose music is played all over the world on a daily basis. But, like many of you reading this, Matt’s foray into earning income with his music didn’t come without some fits and starts. Mostly fits ;-) Be patient as you watch this because we spent a chunk of time, in the beginning, talking about Matt’s childhood and his progression into sync music licensing. After that, we get into the “red meat” section, and trust me when I tell you, there are tons of gems in this episode! TONS!!!

I’ve been asked a gazillion times, “What’s the fastest way to succeed in sync licensing?” Some folks have asked, “What’s the easiest way to launch my music licensing career?” Well, it’s the beginning of a New Year, and I’m sure many of you watching this have decided that 2025 is the year in which you’ll finally hunker down and go for the gold with film and TV music licensing. If you really want to know the fastest and/or easiest way to succeed, don’t miss this episode of TAXI TV! Personally, I think what I’m going to recommend can truly be at least a bit of a shortcut. Ready to blast off in 2025? Then watch this episode, and see if you agree!

I hope your holidays have been warm and wonderful so far, and with 2025 just around the corner we thought it would be a good idea to list off a whole bunch of resolutions that could help you become successful with your music in 2025. It’s a long list, so pick the ones that are most applicable and most likely to move you ahead in leaps and bounds. There are some really good ones in there!

As I sat in the dimly lit grand ballroom listening to Robin Frederick’s presentation at this year’s TAXI Road Rally, I noticed how nearly every person in the audience was leaning forward. Just a tad. Not quite bent over, but definitely leaning in the direction of the stage where a single spotlight illuminated the gravitas of what Robin was saying. Why were 1,000 musicians leaning toward her? Because Robin sucks people into what she’s saying. She was giving one of her famous brain dumps in which you can’t take notes quickly enough. Every word matters! And every concept she freely gives away could be that ONE thing that helps you take your songs from really good to really, REALLY good. So good that one person asks another, “Have you heard that song?” There’s not a songwriter alive who doesn’t pray for that reaction. I’m right, huh? You know exactly what I’m talking about, don’t you? Well, this past November, Robin covered a topic that she’s never covered before; How to Turn Your Authentic Story into Hit Songs. And you could hear a pin drop in that ballroom.

TAXI member, Jim Thacker has experienced a bit of a meteoric rise in the world of music licensing. As I’ve gotten to know the straight-ahead, No-B.S. person that he is, Jim has really impressed me with his ability to get so much right that he’s now in what I call, “Sync’s Inner Circle.” Yes, he’s one of the people who music libraries and music supervisors call on when they need to deal with a reliable musician who will get them the right music in a professional manner in a short amount of time. I invited Jim to sit on the, “How to Get into Sync’s Inner Circle” panel at this year’s TAXI conference, the Road Rally, and he hit it out of the park! As a matter of fact, ALL of the panelists were incredibly informative, generous with their tips, and downright inspiring! Jim will be my guest on this week’s TAXI TV, and he will be sharing his tips about what you can do to make music libraries and music supervisors love you, too!

There are so many ways to get paid for your work in the age of digital music, that I admit that I’m confused as to who exactly pays what. One thing I do know is that the people who attended the presentation by the MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective) at this year’s TAXI Road Rally were SO glad they went! They were so grateful that I’ve invited one the MLC’s top executives (Serona Elton, Head of Educational Partnerships) to join us on this week’s TAXI TV. I’ve met with her on Zoom, and she’s really good at explaining why you really could have money just sitting there waiting for you, and what you can do to collect it! Serona is also the Director of the Music Business Program at the University of Miami, my alma mater, so I like her even more!!!

If you were at this year’s TAXI Road Rally (our annual FREE conference), you were part of what many of the attendees are saying was the best we’ve ever produced in 28 years. We humbly agree! There was something special in the air. Maybe it was the quality of the Ballroom Panels, the One-to-One Mentor sessions, the Eat & Greet Luncheons, the Drivers Ed breakout classes, the Sponsors, or the music industry Networking… or maybe it was all of those things. One thing for sure is that the TAXI members who come made it special. I’ve never seen a happier, more motivated, or more excited group of attendees in all the years we’ve been gathering for the Road Rally. If you couldn’t join us, this might sound like marketing hyperbole. If you were there, you know exactly what I’m talking about! And you know that it’s not an exaggeration! Not even a little bit. Let’s capture that lightning in a bottle… I’m going to share a bunch of Rally photos and member comments during this week’s TAXI TV episode. A lot of them! Maybe you’ll see some shots of yourself or hear your comments read out loud. I also have an ulterior motive for doing this episode: I want to hear from you about what YOU think made this year’s Rally so special, so we can make it even better next year! “Do more of this, or less of that,” sort of feedback is what I want to hear. I also want people who didn’t come to hear how powerful and career-changing the Rally is because frankly, there are still a lot of members who don’t know what they’re missing. I think they’d rather hear it from the horse’s mouth, rather than the “boss’s mouth.”

As I was grabbing my notes from a table on the stage during last weekend’s TAXI Road Rally, I overheard a musician talking with a music supervisor who had just finished speaking on a panel. The TAXI member said, “Scan my QR code and it will take you to my linktr.ee that has links to my bio, Soundcloud, Instagram, Facebook, my videos, and a bunch of other stuff.” Without missing a beat, the music supervisor asked, “Why don’t you have a website?” Why wouldn’t you put all of your music, photos, bio, videos, and social media all in one place? Why make it harder than it needs to be for the people who want to know about you to learn everything they can about you? So, I invited Joseph Longo from Bandzoogle to join us for this week’s episode! He was my guest about a year ago, and he was so good at explaining all of this that I called his boss the next day to tell him how what a great job Joseph did! Win a FREE Thirty-Minute Website Consultation with Joseph! I’ve also asked Joseph if he would give away a consulting session with one of our viewers who either needs feedback on their existing website or wants advice on what their website should feature if they choose to build one.

TAXI’s free conference, the Road Rally starts on November 7th, so I’d like to dedicate an episode of TAXI TV to let you know what you’ll miss if you stay home and miss what people say is the best conference of its kind. I’ll also go through what we have in store for you in the way of panels, classes, mentoring, and chances to play live at the Rally! Not to brag, but I can tell you that this year’s Rally has the best panels, classes, and mentors we’ve ever had! Got Rally Questions? I’ll also answer your questions about the Rally… anything and everything you might be wondering about! We want you to come prepared to make the best of this powerful weekend. If you haven’t already registered, you can do it by clicking this link! https://www.taxi.com/taxi-road-rally/ If You’ve Already Registered, but Haven’t Reserved Your Seat at the Eat & Greet Luncheon, click this link! https://www.taxi.com/hosting_user_sessions/new Win a FREE Book of Your Choice! One lucky viewer will get to pick one of these awesome books! Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting: by Robin Frederick: https://amzn.to/3DmmJQo Demystifying the Cue: by Dean Krippaehne: https://amzn.to/486Auzd Writing Production Music for TV by Steve Barden: https://amzn.to/41qUQ3i

Our viewers love it when we do the “A&R Hot Seat” episodes, and here’s why… “Michael, I’ve learned so much from the A&R Hot Seat episodes on TAXI TV! Can you please do them more often? My music has improved quite a bit because it’s much easier to be objective when deciding what works and what doesn’t about somebody else’s music rather than my own." —Timothy Reardon We’ve been hearing the same thing from other viewers for years! With that in mind, on this week’s TAXI TV, we’ll be making A&R decisions to test your A&R skills and see if TAXI's A&R team is as good as I think they are ;-) Here's what we'll be judging together. TAXI # S240922AC - INDIE POP and INDIE FOLK SONGS for (up to) $20,000 placements.

So, how does a song written twenty-one years ago end up in the #1 position on the iTunes Dance chart in multiple countries, and #18 in the U.S.? Well, it was written by a songwriter with cuts on albums that have sold 50 million copies. He’s also had singles on Billboard’s Pop, Country, and R&B charts, and his songs have been recorded by artists including Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, the Oak Ridge Boys, K-Pop & J-Pop artists, and many more. He’s also composed the background score and songs for an Emmy-winning TV show and another that was Emmy-nominated. From reading the above, you might think he was born talented (maybe he was), and as soon as his gift for writing hit songs was heard by a music industry executive, the floodgates opened. Wrong! That was not the case at all, and of course, I’m speaking about hit songwriter, Jason Blume! Jason found his success by being incredibly persistent! When he first moved to Los Angeles decades ago, he lived in a very dumpy, unsafe apartment, and literally ate cat food because that’s all he could afford! That’s why I’ve invited him to inspire you with his story of overcoming obstacles that would send most humans running home with their tails tucked firmly between their legs. There will be a LIVE Q&A with Jason during the last 30 minutes!

We all know that it's WHO you know, not just what you know, right? But can you honestly say that you've done everything you can to fill your little "Black Book" with music industry contacts that are key to a sustained, successful career in the music business? How many music supervisors do you personally know? How many production music library owners do you personally know? How many A&R people or music publishers can you honestly say would take your call or answer your email? And how many successful TAXI members are in your network? More importantly, how many of them include you in their network? That's where the rubber really meets the road — when you get introduced to industry executives through your fellow members who already have those all-important relationships! Collaborations can be your "magic carpet" into catalogs that TV shows and films use every day. Why work harder, when you can simply work smarter? Meet the Very Best Networkers I've Ever Met! Tracey and Vance Marino are well-known in virtually every music-related community I can think of. And they have a list of contacts that would make you incredibly envious! That's probably one of the reasons they've had thousands of TV and film placements all over the world. How Did They Make All Those Contacts? That's exactly what I'm going to ask them on this week's TAXI TV, and if you join us for this live broadcast, you'll learn how to build up your little black book of music industry contacts too! "But Michael, I'm not the type of person who feels comfortable talking to total strangers to introduce myself and pitch my music." I hear ya, but there are some highly effective ways to build a powerful network without ever leaving the safety of the cozy little cocoon you call your "home studio."

Do you have questions about anything in the recording, mixing, or production realm? Great! We’ve got the perfect guy to answer them for you, live on this week’s TAXI TV! Ronan Chris Murphy is an acclaimed music producer, engineer, and mixer, known for his versatile work across various genres. With a career spanning decades, he has collaborated with notable artists like King Crimson, Tony Levin, Steve Morse, and Terry Bozzio. Murphy is also recognized for his work in progressive rock, experimental, and world music, along with his expertise in recording techniques. Beyond his production work, he is a founder of the Recording Boot Camp, where he teaches advanced music production and recording techniques to aspiring producers. But, to many TAXI members, Ronan is best known for his excellent mentorship and classes at our annual (free for members) conference, The TAXI Road Rally (November 7th – 10th, 2024).

If you’re reading this, you’d undoubtedly like to be thought of as a “Go-To” musician in the eyes of the “kingpins” of sync world, right? Well, I was speaking with a TAXI member named Robina-Ritchie Barker the other day, and I was blown away by the way she looks at the sync industry. More specifically, her views on what it takes to become successful in the sync industry. The funny thing is; the day before my conversation with Robina, we (the TAXI staff) were dealing with a situation in which one of our members had a golden opportunity but lost it in the end because he is sort of the opposite of Robina. Now, I’m not making fun of him. I’m not calling him stupid. I’m not going to pillory him on TAXI TV. He’s very new to the sync side of the industry and just didn’t know better. I plan to tell you the heartbreaking story (without identifying him) during this week’s episode and contrast his story with Robina’s story. Take from it what you will. I really, really hope every single TAXI member gets to watch this episode and learn the lesson that could save you from heartbreak in the context of watching a golden opportunity fly out the window, never to return.

It's been a while since we've done an "Ask Michael Anything" on TAXI TV, so that's exactly what we're going to do on today's show! Ask me anything about TAXI, engineering & production (from the mics and wires aspect), or the music licensing business, and I'll do my best to give straightforward and helpful answers. Want to know what production music libraries are looking for? I can tell you! Want to know why Hollywood studios won't use you to score their blockbuster films? I know the answer! Want to know why your mixes don't sound like hit records? I'll let you in on a little secret ;-) Want to know where the "sweet spot" is to place a mic on an acoustic guitar? You're going to find out! Want to know how to mic an electric guitar amp for the best sound? I'll fill you in! Want to know a sure-fire way to avoid popping "P's" when recording vocals? I'm going to show you. Want to know how to make publishers reach out to you time and time again? It's common sense, but many people don't do it! Want to know how to approach an industry pro at TAXI's convention? If you promise not to let them know who told you, I'll tell you the secret ;-) Want to know how to avoid headphone leakage when recording vocals? The answer is SO simple, yet almost always overlooked! Get Your Questions Answered!

If your goal is to earn your living creating music instead of having a day job that you don’t love, then you really don’t want to miss this week’s episode of TAXI TV. Would you like to have written this statement? “Today, I have lost track, but hundreds of TV shows and almost 100 networks have used my music all over the world. I went from wondering how to get a piece of music in a library almost 10 years ago, to today, where I can’t keep up with all the requests I get for my music from music libraries. And I am now working with filmmakers and writing music for ads.” I’m going to introduce you to somebody who will inspire you to the point of making it all seem possible, if not probable! How many times in your life has anybody offered to show you how to live your dream—for FREE? That’s exactly what we’re going to do on this week’s TAXI TV. And all you have to do is show up and listen to what my surprise guest will share with you! ⏱️⏱️VIDEO CHAPTERS⏱️⏱️ 0:11 - TAXI CEO Michael Laskow welcomes the audience and introduces his guest Hugo McLaughlin. 1:44 - Michael reads Hugo's letter that inspired the show. 13:06- Do you need a catalog to go to the Road Rally? 14:44 - What about people who are afraid to come to the Road Rally, what would you say to them? 19:33 - Hugo shares some thoughts about the Road Rally and what to expect. 25:29 - If you don't go to the Road Rally nothing will happen with your musical growth. Why not take a chance? 26:22 - Many people don't believe the Road Rally will help and do not come. 27:44 - Hugo says seeing the TAXI cab parked in front of the hotel at the Road Rally makes him smile. 28:40 - Michael explains why he named the company TAXI 29:29 - Hugo talks about collaboration, does he collaborate with many people? 30:41 - When he first started with his first collaborator, what was his workflow process and how long did that take? 36:44 - Fantasy is NOT a business plan! Hugo explains why. 39:29 - Hugo explains why deadlines can be helpful. 42:54 - Hugo and his main collaborator create 100s of pieces a year. How did he go from being inexperienced to being experienced and more time-efficient? 48:34 - Hugo explains that to write an instrumental cue or piece fast, you need to know the structure of the piece. 49:33 - Michael explains what an instrumental cue intro is. 51:02 - Does Hugo use templates? 54:35 - Has Hugo had rejection and how does he deal with that? 57:01 - Hugo explains how he pitches to TAXI listings and what happens after he gets a forward. 1:00:47 - The feedback you get from a TAXI screener is so important, that you must learn from that feedback. 1:01:14 - Does he feel the feedback is from a professional in the industry? Every "No" is a learning opportunity. 1:03:51 - Focus on what the client is asking for. 1:04:03 - Will Hugo be at the 2024 Road Rally? 1:07:03 - Less is more in TV music! 1:08:42 - When Hugo said "Invest in yourself", what did he mean? 1:11:47 - Get sounds that are appropriate for the music you want to create. 1:15:13 - Not everyone can be good at everything. 1:16:00 - Don't expect placements just because you buy expensive libraries or plugins. You have to learn how to use them correctly. 1:17:04 - Is it easy to get film-scoring gigs? 1:26:15 - Is the piano plugin he recommended the Viena Symphonic library Synchron Bosendorfer Imperial full library? 1:27:46 - With all Hugo's forwards, how many times did he NOT hear back from a company? 1:31:30 - Does he use articulations in his strings? 1:32:19 - Doesn't talent matter more than how many libraries you own? 1:33:52 - Set realistic goals. 1:37:23 - Could someone teach a class at. the Road Rally on how to do the programming to make strings sound real? 1:38:33 - Do most artists outsource mixing before submitting, or is that something I need to learn? 1:40:10 - Michael gives some advice on mixing. 🔥 See Requests for Your Music ➡️ https://www.taxi.com/industry

Casey Hurowitz has been to more TAXI Road Rallies than any other member, with the probable exception of the legendary Bill Gordon. Casey has long been the go-to guy for Rally first-timers and even some conference veterans. Go-to for what, you might ask… Everything from where to grab the free hotel shuttle, to bringing a hoodie because it can get chilly in the ballroom, to the best way to present your music, to the best places and times to meet industry pros, to figuring out the best way to approach those industry pros—because you really can meet them! Casey has great advice on just about everything as it relates to the TAXI Road Rally, and I’m certain he can help you decide if you should come; and if you do, how to get the most bang for your buck! If you haven’t checked out the Rally yet, see last year’s schedule (we’re working on this year) here: https://taxi.com/rally Have your questions ready! We’re saving the second half of this episode for Casey to answer your questions, so jot them down in advance, and get ready to paste them in the live chat room to get your questions answered. This should be fun and informative.

Not only will Robin be sharing her 5 best tips for writing better songs more quickly than you do now, she will also be giving feedback on THREE randomly chosen songs from our loyal viewers. If you’re reading this email, follow the steps below to have your song in the running for one of Robin’s famous feedback sessions. Win a FREE Copy of Robin’s Best-Selling Book! Actually, this week’s winner can choose between a hard copy of the original book or the updated digital version—including Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3! How to Get Your Song Reviewed by Robin... To have a shot at getting your Song reviewed, all you need to do is email the TITLE of your song so our team can download it from your TAXI profile and paste your LYRICS into the body copy of the email, to [email protected] no later than MONDAY, August 19th at NOON Pacific Time.

TAXI member, Greg Carrozza will be my guest on this week’s show and he’s going to share everything he knows about collaborating with your fellow TAXI members. If you’d like to accelerate your journey to a successful career in sync licensing, this will be some of the best advice you can get! Greg is a very practical, pragmatic guy, and he explains things in plain English. He’s the exact opposite of college professors who often take a very academic approach when teaching. My point? You’ll come away from this episode with actionable advice you can use starting the very next day! Want to know how a collaborative relationship works? We’ve got you covered! Want to know how and where to find collaborators? Greg will tell you! Want to know who gets what percentage of the booty? You’ll find out! Want to know the technical aspects (easier than you think)? Done! Want to know how to end a collab that’s not working out? Easier than you might think! Win One of THREE FREE Books on Sync! I’ll be giving away THREE books this week, and they are… Insert book covers with links Shortcuts to Songwriting for Film & TV (Robin Frederick) https://amzn.to/3YEgRNY, Cue Tips (Dean Krippheane) https://amzn.to/3YJIxke, and Writing Production Music for TV (Steve Barden) https://amzn.to/3YClkQX The Winner of the $200 Road Rally Plane Fare Prize Will Be Announced!

Get your questions ready for TAXI’s Head Screener, Craig Pilo, because he’s going to join us on this week’s TAXI TV! He’s always a popular guest, and has a great deal of knowledge to share about the sync industry in general, as well as insight relating to TAXI’s screeners, the screening process, common mistakes, and great tips for getting more of your music forwarded to the industry people who are searching for it! Questions submitted in advance of the show will get answered first! Please email them to [email protected] no later than Monday, August 5th at 1pm Pacific time. Cast Your Votes Craig will join me for the first half of Monday’s episode, and we’ll spend the second half watching the Road Rally testimonial videos submitted by our members. You’ll be able to vote on a dedicated form after the episode ends. The winner will get a $200 prize to help them buy their plane ticket to the Rally which is coming up in little more than 3 months (November 7th – 10th)! TAXI’s Free Music Conference… We’re always amazed by how many TAXI members seem completely unaware of the TAXI Road Rally, so here are a couple of links to help you learn more about this career-changing event! https://www.taxi.com/transmitter/2407/registration-for-taxis-free-conference-is-open/ https://www.taxi.com/taxi-road-rally

Our viewers love when we do the “A&R Hot Seat” episodes, and here’s why… “Michael, I’ve learned so much from the A&R Hot Seat episodes on TAXI TV! Can you please do them more often? My music has improved quite a bit because it’s much easier to be objective when deciding what works and what doesn’t about somebody else’s music rather than my own." —Timothy Reardon We’ve been hearing the same thing from other viewers for years! With that in mind, on this week’s TAXI TV we’ll be making A&R decisions on two different types of music. Let's test your A&R skills and see if TAXI's A&R team is as good as I think they are ;-) Here's what we'll be judging together. TAXI # S240612UP - EMOTIONALLY UPLIFTING PIANO and STRING INSTRUMENTALS and/or CUES TAXI # S240716SS - ACOUSTIC-Driven INDIE SINGER/SONGWRITER SONGS about LOVE

If you’re exhausted by all the worry and hand-wringing caused by the threat of Artificial Intelligence obsoleting musicians, I think you’re going to like this episode of TAXI TV. I think you’ll be somewhat less stressed after watching it! TAXI member/composer/producer, Paul Croteau has done the work the rest of us don’t have the bandwidth to do—he’s been obsessively following the AI discussions, lawsuits, and technological advances the rest of us don’t. At least not to the same extent. Oh, we know some of the stuff, but most of the opinions we all hear (in my opinion) are based on far less information than what I think Paul has consumed. I’ve watched most of his videos and had several discussions with him on this hot-button topic, and feel like he can inject some common sense that might make us feel like the sky isn’t falling as fast or hard as some might have us think. You just might find yourself saying, “Oh wow, I hadn’t thought of that aspect of it!”

I’m not going to mention my guest’s name in this description. If I do, people will bombard him with emails asking to have their music heard. You’ll have to watch the show to see who it is ;-) This music library CEO is a successful TV and film composer who used TAXI to build his career over many years. He became successful enough that he was getting more requests for music than he could personally produce, so he started a music library. Harder than it sounds, and I’ll ask him to tell us why on this week’s TAXI TV. But the REAL reason I asked him to be on TAXI TV is because of our relentless efforts to help you learn how to not blow a deal when you’re offered one. I’m also going to ask him to give you tips on avoiding mistakes that could make a library grow cold on you and your music. Who better than somebody who’s been on both sides of the sync licensing fence — Composer/Library CEO? Win a FREE Book During This Week’s Live Broadcast! I’m not sure exactly which book (or books) we’ll be giving away yet. I’ve got to check the stash ;-) But, you can rest assured it/they will be about creating and succeeding in sync licensing.

Two of the most articulate executives from the music library industry asked me if they could join me for an episode of TAXI TV. They’ve got insider info they want to share, and they think our TAXI TV audience is the best place to start spreading the love. I’m not giving out their names in this email because they would get bombarded with, “Listen to my music” emails if I did —sorry! Trust me when I tell you that both of these folks are highly experienced, highly regarded, and well-informed execs from a very successful company. Whatever they share, you can take to the bank! Miss this episode at your own peril, as they say. Who ARE “they,” anyway? Get Your Questions Ready! We’re going to do some live Q&A during this episode, so please get your questions ready in advance. And PLEASE keep them short and pithy! I’ll be choosing questions from the Live Chat Room, so you’ll need to watch the live episode on Monday to have a shot at getting your questions answered.

I saw a great interview with a music supervisor talking about why vinyl is so desirable and making a strong comeback. I thought he was so articulate and informative, that I’m meeting him for lunch in exactly 2 hours (rushing to get this written, lol). I’m going to ask him to speak at this year’s Road Rally, November 7th – 11th in Los Angeles. I’m also going to ask him to play a bunch of TV commercials and explain why the music was used and how the ad agency picked it. You see, this music supe mostly does big TV commercials! After watching the interview, I called Tony VanVeen at Disc Makers (their CEO) to ask him if vinyl was indeed making a strong comeback, and to my surprise, he said it was booming! And that’s why I’ve asked Tony to be my guest on this week’s TAXI TV! I want to know why vinyl has become a “thing” again, and if it’s something all musicians should consider. Win a Vinyl Package from Disc Makers? Tony has kindly offered to give a FREE vinyl pressing to one of our viewers during this week’s show. The lucky winner (drawn at random from our chat room audience) will get 100 vinyl records, full-color labels, black vinyl, color jackets, white inner sleeves, and poly wrap. The artist only pays shipping. Extras like fancy colored vinyl or special effects like splatter vinyl, or heavy 180-gram pressings are all possible upgrades, but the winner will have to cover the cost of any upgrades.

I was lucky enough to start my career wrapping cables at a world-class recording studio, surrounded by the best engineers, mixers, and producers in the business. I learned so much just by being “under the roof” and working with those incredibly talented people. Sadly, most of you reading this will never get to ask questions and learn engineering and production from the best in the business because your studio is in your home. Convenient? Yes! You can work whenever you want, and for as long as you want! Isolating? Also, yes! Working by yourself pretty much limits you to learning from YouTube videos. But, that’s not nearly as good as having TWO real-deal, hit-making, multi-Grammy-winning, multi-platinum engineers/mixers answer your specific questions in real-time. That’s EXACTLY what you’re going to do when you join Rob Chiarelli, Michael Havens, and me on this very special episode of TAXI TV, live! Michael engineers Gospel superstar Kirk Franklin’s records, and Rob mixes them. They’ve also (collectively) worked with Justin Bieber, Tori Kelly, Chance the Rapper, Demi Lovato, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Erica Campbell, Big Smo, Andra Day, The Corrs, Public Enemy, Jesse McCartney, LeeAnn Rimes, Will Smith, Danny Elfman, Christina Aguilera, Teddy Pendergrass, The Temptations, The Four Tops, and many, many more!

Our annual conference, the TAXI Road Rally, is fast approaching (November 7th – 10th), and the planning has already begun! To make sure the Rally has the panels and classes you really want, I need to hear from you! Will you please join me on this week’s TAXI TV to give your input and opinions? Which Sponsors Would You Like Discounts From? I also need your help in suggesting sponsors that you’d like to see at the Rally. Why? Because they often give Rally-specific discounts, on-site during the weekend! We’ll be opening registration for the Rally in the next few days, so if you’ve never attended, ask yourself this simple question, “How much value is there in doing something that could dramatically speed up my path to music industry success?” Here’s an example of what I’m talking about, and you can click the link below to see several Rally success stories that will give you a really good idea of what you’ll be missing if you don’t take advantage of this FREE perk that you’re entitled to!

You’d be hard-pressed to find a successful TAXI member who hasn’t read at least one of Dean Krippaehne’s books on creating music for media. "Demystifying the Cue" and "Demystifying the Genre" have become industry standards, and I suspect the same will be true for Dean’s newest book, "Cue Tips – 50 songwriting, composing, and Music Production Hacks to speed up your sync journey." Dean’s a great teacher because he speaks and writes in very conversational terms. It feels like your best friend is giving you the advice he learned after making his own mistakes along the way.

It’s been quite a while since we’ve had one of your very favorite guests on TAXI TV, so I’m happy to let you know that 5-time Grammy-winner Rob Chiarelli will be my guest on this week’s TAXI TV! If you’re not already familiar with Rob’s career, you can learn more about him here: https://www.finalmix.com/ Rob and I have been close friends for several decades, and we love to talk about mixing, mics, production, and even finding success in the sync market. We spent three hours trading studio stories and techniques at dinner last night. Our waiter kept asking, “Is there anything else I can get you guys?” He was anxious to get us out of there, but we weren’t having it ;-) I wish you could have been there. I’m sure we’ll re-create the magic on this week’s show! Remind me to ask Rob about the time he was trapped in a burning apartment building with a big pop star! Seriously close call!!! Ask Your Questions During the Live Show… Rob and I will also be taking questions in real-time from the viewers in the Chat Room during the show. Want to know our recommended drum mics, ask us! Is your bottom end poofy and flabby? We can tell you how to fix that! Reverb settings, panning, compressor settings, EQ, and anything else you can think of will all be on the table, so join us to get answers from a seasoned pro! Live Viewers Get a FREE New FinalMix Plugin! Join us for the live broadcast, and you’ll get a code for a FREE plugin from Rob’s software company, FinalMix. He was raving about a new plugin that’s not even up on his website yet, and he’s going to give it away to every live audience member. Honestly, I’ve never seen him this excited about one of his plugins, so you don’t want to miss out on this giveaway. You need to be in the Chatroom during the live broadcast to get it. If you miss the show, you’ll miss your chance!

Frankly, I just can’t seem to wrap my head around what the MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective) does. I think I’m reasonably intelligent, but that’s just my opinion and I’m biased ;-) But, every time I hear what the MLC does and who might have money coming to them, I understand it at the moment, then can’t remember the complexities an hour later. Michael Eames is VERY involved with the MLC and explains it better than anybody I know. He’s also one of the smartest people I’ve ever met in our industry. Really! When he tells me how important the work the MLC is doing, I believe him. If you want to understand what it does, and if there’s any money owed to you sitting in their bank account, do NOT miss this episode of TAXI TV! I think there’s a window in which you have to claim it, but as I said, I could be wrong ;-)

AI and its effect on music creation is likely the most talked about topic of the year amongst musicians. And, while I haven’t wanted to jump on the click-bait bandwagon like so many other music-related YouTube channels have, I also don’t want to stick our collective heads in the sand. It’s early in the game but also a party to which you don’t want to be late. My personal feeling is, that histrionics are bad and balance is good. I was catching up with my old friend, Todd Herreman this week, and he had some interesting and balanced views on the topic of AI, and I’ve asked him to join us on this week’s TAXI TV to share his thoughts and insights. By the way, Todd was a valued member of TAXI’s A&R team for several years. He knows and understands indie musicians! 🚨 WARNING: Viewer Discretion is Advised: This video contains some "spicy" language. Please advise near: 56:42, 1:06:51, 1:14:18, 1:22:09, 1:23:39, 1:31:23, 1:32:30.

It's been a while since we've done an "Ask Michael Anything" on TAXI TV, so that's exactly what we're going to do on today's show! Ask me anything about TAXI, engineering & production (from the mics and wires aspect), or the music licensing business, and I'll do my best to give straight ahead helpful answers. Want to know what production music libraries are looking for? I can tell you! Want to know why Hollywood studios won't use you to score their blockbuster films? I know the answer! Want to know why your mixes don't sound like hit records? I'll let you in on a little secret ;-)

Our viewers love it when we do the “A&R Hot Seat” episodes, and here’s why… “Michael, I’ve learned so much from the A&R Hot Seat episodes on TAXI TV! Can you please do them more often? My music has improved quite a bit because it’s much easier to be objective when deciding what works and what doesn’t about somebody else’s music rather than my own.” —Timothy Reardon We’ve been hearing the same thing from other viewers for years! With that in mind, on this week’s TAXI TV, we’ll be making A&R decisions on two types of music: Light-hearted, organic Instrumental Cues and Christmas Songs. I’m back in Los Angeles, and this will be a LIVE episode with some FREE prizes to celebrate our first live episode in several weeks. If you’d like to have a shot at winning a copy of one of these two incredible books, you’ll need to watch the live episode and be present in the Chat Room.

Bobby Borg joined me on TAXI TV a couple weeks ago and after the show ended, I realized how much more we could have covered. Specifically, I felt that we could have gone more in-depth on the subject of marketing for musicians. He’s the perfect person to talk about it because he’s the author of, Music Marketing for The DIY Musician. But, he’s much more than the author of that book!

Do you believe that you’re either born with talent or you’re not? Do you believe that hit songwriters just pop out of their mother’s bellies imbued with the gift of writing great songs? I don’t! All the hit songwriters I’ve met during my career have gone to great lengths to learn the craft of songwriting. And they keep working at their craft to stay current and relevant as styles and the public’s preferences change with the times. There’s something else that hit songwriters have in common, but few will ever admit it. They ALL made a ton of mistakes in the beginning! Many of those mistakes are common to virtually all beginning songwriters. But, if you don’t know what those common mistakes are, you keep making them over-and-over until they become career-killing habits! “Career-killing” as in; your career as a hit songwriter never materializes. You stay stuck in “amateur-land” no matter how many years you keep writing songs. Please don’t think of me as being rude or harsh for asking this, but, how many years have you been writing songs? And if you’re completely honest with yourself, how many hit songs have you written in all those years? You’ll stop making those common mistakes once you know what they are… And best-selling author of Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting, Robin Frederick is the perfect person to tell you exactly what those mistakes are, and how to avoid making them as you finally move your career forward! That’s why I’ve asked Robin to join us on this week’s episode of TAXI TV!

You can be an extremely talented musician with songs that sound like they’re destined to fly to the top of the charts or TV instrumentals that could earn a bunch of mailbox money, but there’s another “factor” that could stop key music industry executives from wanting to work with you —lacking business skills. More specifically, MUSIC business skills! Which musician would you sign? Given the choice of working with an artist, composer, songwriter, or producer who has a decent, working knowledge of how the “sausage is made” VS the musician who thinks great music is all they need, the industry executives I’ve worked with for nearly 50 years always seem to sign deals with musicians who have their business s#!t together. Why is that? Because the musicians who understand the business side of the music business are easier to work with, and almost always make more money for all parties involved. Who would you work with?

Who among us hasn't had self-doubt at one time or another? It might be so bad that it keeps you stuck in the same place—career-wise—for your entire life! Maybe in other ways, as well! If you're anything like me, meeting people who prove that you can be anything you want to be can change the outcome of your life in an instant. Kim Tibbs is one of those incredibly rare, super-inspiring musicians. She's an unstoppable force of nature with a list of impressive accomplishments that didn't come easily. Kim accomplished her goals with a burning desire, a clear vision, and a willingness to work hard. If you're feeling stuck, uninspired, or need to find your true path, spending some time with Kim Tibbs could be the "thing" that becomes your life-changing moment. Trust me, you'll feel inspired to reach higher and accomplish more by the time you finish this very special episode of TAXI TV!

Stephanie Reid is a super-smart music licensing executive who has a really interesting take on the Artificial Intelligence kerfuffle, as it relates to the music industry. Are you trepidatious? Have you lost sleep because you’ve spent years building your sync career, and now it looks like Robbie the Robot is going to force you into busking on street corners in the not-too-distant future? Now that you’ve listened to all the other prognosticators shouting, “The sky is falling!” you should hear what my incredibly well-informed, and well-reasoned friend Steph has to say. Try and poke holes in her logic and see how that goes. And while you’re at it, listen to how she thinks the blockchain could dramatically improve the music publishing industry! Put your thinking caps on gang! This episode is chock-full of great information, and I’m curious to see how you feel after watching it!

If you’re new-ish to the world of sync music licensing, you’re going to love hearing what Jim Thacker has to say. What he’s going to share with you could literally save you from making years of career-killing mistakes!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been disappointed when I hear about a musician who I want to check out, and they only have social media. Most don’t know how to use their socials very well, and even when they do, I don’t find everything I need to know about them. How much success have you had with your music that can be directly attributable to your social media? Yep, that’s what I thought — practically none. However, when I Google a musician, and the first thing I see at the top of the page is something like XYZMusician.com, I click and usually learn everything I need to know: What their story is, what their music sounds like, when and where their gigs are, what their videos look like if they have an EPK if they sell merch, do they have a Patreon, what their career path looks like, and how to contact him or her. Oh yeah, and links to all of their social media.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a music creator who doesn’t want to get their music in TV shows, films, or commercials. Yet, the majority of songwriters, artists, producers, and composers who want to jump into the sync side of the music industry really don’t know the “rules of the game,” where to start, or the strategies that can get you to a six-figure income. Most aren’t aware of some very common mistakes they’re making that could easily kill a sync career before it ever has a chance to take off! I’m going to boil it down to a clearly defined list of critical things every musician should know if they want to start a career in music licensing or see faster growth if they’re already on the path.

It's time to hear some great music from TAXI's members — songs and instrumentals, alike! Our Top 10 episodes are viewer favorites, so please join us tomorrow at 4 pm (PST) for the LIVE show and you'll have a shot at winning a copy of Dean Krippaehne's must-have book, Demystifying the Genre! If you want to get your music on TV, this book is indispensable! And you'll have a shot at winning a FREE copy if you're in the chat room for this episode! Join us and you'll hear a range of really cool music that our A&R team has uncovered recently.

How many songs or instrumentals do you have that remain unfinished? C'mon... be honest with yourself. How much more successful could you be if you actually DID finish all the songs or instrumentals you started? Join me and my special guest, Robin Frederick, as we uncover some great ways to make sure you DO finish your songs and instrumentals when you start them. I think this is going to be a really powerful episode! Frankly, I'm champing at the bit to share this information with you!! It could be life-changing. Certainly career-changing! And Robin... well, we all love and appreciate Robin's endless supply of wisdom, so I can't wait to hear her suggestions for finishing the songs and instrumentals you start!