TAXI TV

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!

TAXI's Head Screener (Craig Pilo) will join Michael to answer any and all questions during this week's LIVE episode of TAXI TV. Got questions on topics like how TAXI's A&R team approaches their job, common submission mistakes, little improvements that can make a big difference, production tips for sounding more contemporary, and more? Craig and Michael will give you straight-up answers! Bonus topic: Craig is a first-call session and live drummer, and he'll be happy to answer your questions about getting drum sounds in the studio, tuning your drums, making programmed drums sound and feel more realistic, and anything else you can think of! Please have some questions ready to go in the live chat, or even better, email your questions to [email protected] no later than 2 pm Pacific Time on Monday, January 22nd.

TAXI TV has been “on the air” for at least 13 years, and we’ve never done an episode featuring a pair of earphones. The reason is; I’ve never heard any that were impressive enough to tell you about. But now I have, and this week I’m going to share them with you! While other manufacturers have seemingly tried to improve the listening/hearing experience by building a better “mousetrap,” Flare Audio studied the “mouse” first. Well, actually, the human ear, and how it degrades sound. Flare’s E-Prototype earphones dramatically reduce the natural distortion the ear canal introduces, and the result is noticeable. The imaging is impressive, the EQ curve sounds balanced and true, ear fatigue is greatly diminished (if not non-existent), and I’m hearing things/parts/instruments I’ve never heard before—even in my beloved Steely Dan songs I’ve used as my control room references for decades. Want to Win a Pair of Flare’s E-Prototypes? Flare’s Co-Founder, Davies Roberts is staying up very late (in the U.K.) to join us for this live episode (4pm Pacific time), and he’s going to give away a pair or two of E-Prototypes! We’ll also play the video Flare used for their GofundMe campaign and do a lot of Q&A with Davies, and hopefully, his wife and Co-Founder, Naomi. Can You Tell I’m Excited to Turn You on to Flare? I was introduced to the E-Prototypes by a close friend who’s done high-level audio restoration for Warner Bros. and several other companies for decades. He’s got very discerning ears and insisted that I check his E-Prototypes out. I did, and the rest, as they say, is history!

TAXI member, Matt Vander Boegh’s music plays somewhere in the world every hour of every day. His accomplishments have inspired his fellow TAXI members to quit making excuses, to get busy, and to become more productive. In 13 years, he’s amassed a staggering 25,000+ placements on over 900 TV programs, including various major sporting events, Hollywood movies, high-profile reality TV shows, soap operas, commercials, and daytime & evening talk shows. He has nearly 5,000 cues and hundreds of full-length songs signed to many high-end production music libraries.

Members have suggested doing an online Holiday Party for this week’s TAXI TV, so why not?! We imagine this will be sort of like the Quarantini Happy Hours we enjoyed so much during the pandemic, except we won’t be locked down this time ;-) Will we hang out and have some fun? Yep! Will I answer questions, if asked? Sure, why not? Will we pick some of the songs at random to listen to? Yes, we will! Will we do some random drawings for prizes? Absolutely!

I’ve been compiling a list of mistakes that can hurt, or even KILL your chances of having a successful career in the music licensing business. Some of these mistakes are made by people just starting out. Shockingly, others are made by people who I think are seasoned pros at this point in their careers! You might have heard of some of these mistakes before, but I’ll bet there will be plenty that you’ve never even thought about, and could be making yourself! This is a Do-Not-Miss episode! Win a TAXI Coffee Mug! I’ve got an official TAXI coffee mug left over from the Road Rally, and I’d love to give it away. But, you’ve got to be in the chat room during the LIVE show to win. TAXI Merch Store: https://taxi-swag-central.myshopify.com/

Our viewers have always loved our "A&R Hot Seat" episodes! Here's why: by judging music to see if their opinions line up with TAXI's A&R staff, our members get to fine-tune their "industry ears." They LOVE how it helps them listen to their own music more critically! Members have also told me that these episodes build confidence in TAXI's A&R team when they see that the screeners' decisions are very much on-target!

If you’ve ever thought, “I just need a manager,” listen up! The manager you’re probably dreaming of—you know… you make the music, and they do all the business-y and promotional work to help you become famous… that kind of manager—probably won’t want to work with you yet, and here’s why… The big, high-powered managers work on commission, and they won’t MAKE a commission unless you’re already making money. A well-meaning super fan might offer to manage you in the beginning, and that’s great… at least for a while. But can their lack of industry knowledge, connections, and clout be replaced by their raw enthusiasm? Maybe, but typically, not! And if they’re successful enough to help make you famous and/or get offers from major labels, in most cases, the label you sign with is going to “suggest” that you sign with a seasoned pro instead of your super fan. And that’s when things get ugly.

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 Steve Barden's must-have book! Join us and you'll hear a range of really cool music that our A&R team has uncovered recently. Win a FREE Book During the Live Broadcast! I'm also going to give away a copy of this awesome book, loved by TAXI members all over the world! Writing Production Music for TV by Steve Barden: https://amzn.to/47AYQkK Be in the chatroom during the live broadcast to have a shot at winning this highly-rated book! *As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases from the link above in this description.

In it for the long haul? The experts at Disc Makers share practical, actionable ways to triumph as an independent artist in this free "29 Tips For a Long and Successful Music Career" guide: https://bit.ly/49qvMOF ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why am I not surprised that Spotify plans to pay even less to "lesser" artists soon? Talks between the streaming giant and the three major labels have been ongoing for some time, and rumors have been making the rounds for months. Now, it appears that Spotify will be lowering the rate paid to indie artists. Most likely, that means you! Disc Makers CEO, Tony van Veen was going to do a sponsor presentation on this very topic during the Road Rally Sequels last Monday, but getting him in front of a webcam in the time slot we had, proved to be tighter than our tech. set-up allowed for. So, we've moved his presentation to this week's episode of TAXI TV, live at 4pm Pacific, 7pm Eastern time. I know Tony well enough to know he won't just tell us the bad news. He'll likely have suggestions of alternate ways for indie musicians to earn income from their music. He's a very bright guy, and a "recovering" indie musician himself, so I look forward to hearing his take on this touchy subject. Please join me for what looks to be an informative episode on this somewhat shocking news!

These are just some of the topics we’ll be talking about on this week’s show with Chuck Henry, a very successful Music Library CEO. Chuck was a TAXI member before he started his company, so he knows exactly what it’s like to be in your shoes! You’ll get perspectives from both sides of the coin on topics like these… - The reasons why you haven’t been called back from the companies your music has been forwarded to. - Is it better to submit multiple tracks, or just one? - Music Library Etiquette: What it is and why it matters so much! - You’ve been contacted by a company, now what? - Why checking your music files before sending them is CRITICAL. - What NOT to include in your Metadata! - Should you register your tracks with your PRO or not? - Samples: Can you use them, and if so, what kind? - The absolute worst times to contact Music Library CEOs and Music Supervisors! - Why a Music Library executive hasn’t returned your phone call or email. - Choosing the right styles of music to create for sync placements. I’m sure we’ll cover several more topics, and if time allows, we’ll take some viewer questions as well! This is going to be a powerful episode that will certainly save you some heartache, and probably help you get more music signed and placed. Do NOT miss this interview unless you’re already a highly-experienced composer, artist, or producer who already knows the answers to all of these career-changing topics. You could spend a couple of semesters at a high-priced university, and probably not get as much poignant advice as you’ll get in this 90-minute episode of TAXI TV! Get your note pads ready!!

I’ll never forget the raging enthusiasm I felt bursting forth from Marcus Cohen (aka (CaiNo) when I met him at his first TAXI Road Rally about 6 years ago. In that moment, it was obvious to me that he’d become successful. He was at the Rally with his mom and creative partner — Sherry Marcus Milano — who’s also a force of nature! It’s not an exaggeration to say that music libraries and other music licensing professionals are now figuratively banging their doors down, asking for music from Marcus, Sherry, and his brother Ethan as well. They’ve got more requests than they can handle. Isn’t that the dream for most musicians? How Marcus and His Family Have Done It That’s the thrust of exactly what I want to find out! If they’ve been able to do it, couldn’t you? This is an episode you really don’t want to miss! Ask any self-help success guru (like Tony Robbins) and they’ll tell you to follow the steps of the people who already have the kind of success you want to have. Get your “road map” to success on this week’s episode of TAXI TV!

Casey Hurowitz probably wouldn’t have these placements if he didn’t collaborate: 60 placements on The Young and the Restless (CBS), Chicago Fire (NBC), Salvation (CBS), The Night Shift (NBC), The Originals (CW), and Legacies (CW). Is Casey so bad that he can’t create great music on his own? No! He just knows what he’s good at, and what he’s not so good at. Toplining is his strong suit, engineering and production, not so much ;-) I really can’t think of any TAXI member who so wonderfully exemplifies why collaboration is such a powerful tool. And there are so many of you reading this email who know you should be collaborating, but you don’t! “Why not?” is the question! You don’t know who to collaborate with, or how to find somebody who’s a good fit? You’re afraid a collaborator might steal your ideas? You don’t want to split the income? You don’t know how the process works? Well, we’re going to help you figure all that out, and much more in this week’s episode of TAXI TV. Casey is a font of incredibly valuable information when it comes to collaborating, and I’m going to pry every ounce of that info out of him, and hand it to you on a silver platter! If you’ve ever had the urge to collaborate, but don’t know how to get started or how the process works, you really shouldn’t miss this week’s episode of TAXI TV!

TAXI member Paul Croteau, has no problem saying things like they are! Is he smart, direct, and to the point? Oh yeah! Paulie doesn’t mince words. That's the reason I asked him to do a live, unfiltered, unedited interview with me and ask the tough questions that are likely on the minds of other TAXI members, and maybe even the people who’ve thought about joining TAXI, but haven’t pulled the trigger yet. Paul’s going to be in Los Angeles this week, so he’s joining me LIVE in the TAXI TV studio for what promises to be an incredibly revealing episode that could ultimately help you become more successful and make TAXI a better company. I specifically asked Paul to hit me with some really hard questions, and I’ve given him carte blanche. No question is off the table! The goals are: - To arm you with every bit of knowledge you can use to become more successful using TAXI. - To uncover things TAXI can do better in servicing your needs. Win an Excellent Book! We’re going to give away a FREE copy of Steve Barden’s book, Writing Production Music for TV: The Road to Success, during this episode. It’s a must-have for anybody who’s serious about succeeding in the music for media part of the industry. Writing Production Music for TV: The Road to Success by Steve Barden: https://amzn.to/48wVjFr

Very few CEOs get down in the trenches with the people they serve, but Disc Maker's CEO, Tony Van Veen, isn't one of them. He's BEEN in the trenches, and he learned a lot! He'd be the first to tell you that he's made a lot of mistakes along the way, and he's more than generous in sharing the tips and tricks he's learned from falling down, getting back up, and trial and error. In other words, YOU get to benefit from what Tony has learned over his years of BEING a musician and doing nothing but helping musicians during his entire adult life. I promise that you'll learn how to kickstart your career and find ways to make it last longer when you watch this episode of TAXI TV. Tony has always been a viewer favorite, and you'll see why when you join us for this information-packed livestream.

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 the key to a successful career? - 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! 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 confident or comfortable enough to walk up to total strangers to introduce myself, let alone sell myself." 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 I have your attention now? Thought so! Win a FREE Book During Monday's Live Broadcast! This book is so comprehensive, and covers so many critical aspects of succeeding in the music industry, that I can't imagine how Tracey and Vance had the stamina to do all this research for you! But they did, and you can win a FREE copy just by being in the chat room during this week's LIVE episode of TAXI TV. Hey! That's My Song! A Guide to Getting Music Placements in Film, TV, and Media By Tracey and Vance Marino: https://amzn.to/3P53xvw *As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases from the link above in this description.

It's been quite a while since we've done a Top 10 episode on TAXI TV, so please join me and the enthusiastic viewers who always gather to hear some really good music coming from TAXI's members! Join us on Monday at 4 pm (PDT) and you'll hear a range of really cool music that our A&R team has uncovered recently. Win a FREE Book During the Live Broadcast! I'm also going to give away a copy of this awesome book, loved by TAXI members all over the world! Fett's Mixing Roadmap by Fett: https://amzn.to/3qK6MjX Be in the chatroom during the live broadcast to have a shot at winning this highly-rated book!

Rob Chiarelli has repeatedly been one of the most popular guests on TAXI TV, and we're thrilled to have him join us for the first time in several years. Thanks COVID ;-) Rob is a record producer, mix engineer, musician, published author, and 5x Grammy Award winner. Widely recognized as a music producer for Will Smith and Men in Black II, Chiarelli's work appears on numerous Gold and Platinum albums and motion picture soundtracks, including 16 GRAMMY winners. ​ As a mix engineer and record producer, Rob has also worked with other well-known artists and shows such as: Kirk Franklin, Christina Aguilera, Angelique Kidjo, Sting, LeAnn Rimes, Mary Mary, Janet Jackson, Madonna, Stevie Wonder, Keiko Matsui, Coolio, Ray Charles, American Idol, P!nk, Johnny Mathis, Paula Abdul, Diana Ross, En Vogue, Ice Cube, The Four Tops, Yolanda Adams, The Temptations, K-Ci & JoJo, Aaliyah, Hilary Duff, Jesse McCartney, Ricky Martin, The Corrs, Luther Vandross, Erin Boheme, and Charlie Wilson. Rob started out playing in wedding bands in Boston and as you can see, he's built a career that would impress even the most jaded among us. But, what really makes him special is his down-to-earth, real-world advice on what it takes to become successful. Today, he's heavily involved in everything from making records with superstars to placing music in big TV commercials, and everything in between! Got Questions for Rob? We plan on doing quite a bit of Q&A with our viewers, so don't miss your chance at getting some great advice during the live show!

Do you know what the difference is between a jingle and a Sonic Logo? I'm not entirely sure I do, so let's find out together when I have Jeanna Isham as my guest on this week's TAXI TV! We're also going to find out what Sound Marketing is, and how that's a different animal from Sonic Branding. Truth be told, I'm not sure I can tell you exactly what Sonic Branding actually is! I know, but I know very little compared to Jeanna. She's an expert! And how can you earn income from Sonic Branding? Who are your potential clients, and how do you market your skills to them? How much can you charge? Do you get creative fees or make performance royalties through your PRO? And by the way, what the heck is sound design? I think we might learn something about that as well. But, you've got to join us for this week's TAXI TV, on Monday at 4 pm PDT / 7pm EDT. I think this is going to be a fascinating episode, and who knows, it just might open up a new income stream for you and your talent. It might even create a brand new career path for you! Don't miss this episode on a topic we've never covered in more than 12 years of TAXI TV! Contact Jeanna at the links below! The Sound In Marketing mailing list sign up http://eepurl.com/gDxl6b Sound In Marketing Learning website https://soundinmarketing.com/ Dreamr Productions official site and blog http://dreamrproductions.com/ Medium https://medium.com/@jeanna-isham

TAXI members, John Pearson and Jim Thacker, are full-time Producers/Songwriters/Composers based in Nashville, TN. How did they transition from the "record" side of the industry to the "sync" side? How did they re-orient what they do, and how they do it? How did they learn the difference between writing songs, and trying to create hits, to creating music that would work well in TV shows, films, and TV commercials? I'm going to ask them ALL of those things, and you get to fast-track your sync career because Jim and John are going to turn you on to what they took the time to learn. What IS a "Composer" in Today's Sync Industry? For those of you who have always thought of yourselves as somebody who writes songs you'd like other artists to cut, or who'd like to get signed as an artist, you might not think of yourself AS a composer. Maybe the word conjures up an image of writing charts, and knowing a bunch of music theory. That USED to be true, but the word "composer" has taken on a new meaning in today's sync world, and we're going to show you WHY that is, and how you can re-invent yourself like Jim and John both did! You've already got the skills and the gear. And developing this new career path isn't a one-or-the-other situation. You can do both! Don't miss this episode. It's going to be really, really good!!!

Our music conference, the TAXI Road Rally (November 2nd – 5th in Los Angeles, CA), has become legendary over the last quarter of a century. People come from all over the world for the actionable information that invariably takes their music careers to the next level when they use it. And the people who have a huge hand in choosing which panels, classes, interviewees, and mentors we have each year at the Rally. I would really appreciate it if you could join me for the LIVE episode of this week’s TAXI TV, so I can get your opinions and suggestions on a wide range of topics regarding the upcoming Road Rally. I want to know what you want to know! And if you have a moment, write down some of your ideas so you've got them ready for the show. If you need some inspiration, take a look at last year's Rally schedule. See Last Year's Schedule: assets.taxi.com/PDF/2022/2022_schedule_of_events.pdf?_ga=2.201885393.1501265207.1689895818-1567352027.1680549793 Make sure you’re in the chatroom for the live episode to cast your vote and give your opinion. We look forward to hearing what’s important to you!

Our viewers have always loved our "A&R Hot Seat" episodes! Here's why: by judging music to see if their opinions line up with TAXI's A&R staff, our members get to fine-tune their "industry ears." They LOVE how it helps them listen to their own music more critically! Members have also told me that these episodes build confidence in TAXI's A&R team when they see that the screeners' decisions are very much on-target! The New & Improved Version of the A&R Hot Seat.. Rather than listening and judging music from just one recent TAXI Listing, we're going to do it for THREE different listings to give your ears a tune-up on a broader range of genres. We're going to listen to Contemporary, Alt-Indie Pop songs, '60s style Motown/Soul songs, and Pulsing Investigative Tension Instrumentals. We'll listen to some that got forwarded, and some that didn't, and I'm curious to see if we vote like the screeners did! Aren't you? Don't forget, you need to be in the YouTube chat during the live show if you'd like to cast your vote!

TAXI member, Greg Carrozza was on a panel about this topic at last year's Road Rally, and he's discussed aspects of it on various episodes of TAXI TV. But, I've yet to give him the floor to do a much deeper dive about it on TAXI TV. That all changes on this week's episode! In Greg's own words, "I’d talk about what to do after you get a forward, how to manage your expectations and attitude, how to deal with people when they contact you, how to be prepared for that, how to communicate, how to create deliverables, and more." The Upside... Doing things right can create a trusted relationship with a music library. The kind of relationship that lasts for years, and gets you to what some might call, "the front of the line," when it comes to having an open door with the library, getting briefs sent directly to you, having your music requested for special projects, etc. The Downside? The opposite of living in that rarified world can be caused by doing some dopey stuff during your first contact with the company, or by sending them deliverables that cause them to do this 🤦🏻‍♂️ If you'd like to be in the "Trusted Composer Club," then you really don't want to miss the advice that Greg will be dishing out during this week's TAXI TV. Miss it at your own peril, as they say! Greg has a knack for making things crystal clear, and very digestible, so don't miss this golden opportunity to learn from a guy who has definitely figured it all out! Have Your Questions Ready... Greg will be taking questions during the last 20 minutes of the show, so have yours ready-to-go so you can post them in the live chatroom and get real-time answers! If you snooze, you might lose!

For the entire 31 years we’ve been in business, people have conjectured about how much competition there is when they submit their music to TAXI. I’m going to pull back the curtain and give you actual submission numbers on this week’s show! But wait! The submission numbers actually mean NOTHING because there IS no competition! And I’m going to tell you exactly why that is on this week’s episode. Let’s Bust Some Other Myths! There are other myths about the music licensing industry that I’ve seen dispensed as gospel on some sync-oriented YouTube channels. Just because the person giving out that information has a super sincere, silver-tongued delivery doesn’t mean the information is actually accurate! I’ve been biting my tongue for a few years, watching a couple of these “experts” give out information that, in my opinion, is either false or 180 degrees out of whack with reality. Funny thing is… I’ve recently seen one of these guys flip-flop and completely change his tune. I was happy to see that. But then I realized that the entire premise that he’s been using to sell his course and other products for years has been the opposite of what he’s saying now. Did he have a “Come to Jesus” epiphany? Maybe! I hope so!! But what about the people who based their decision to buy his course or other services and products BASED on the false information he previously dispensed with such certainty? I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt. I want to hear how you feel. Ask Me Anything… I also want to do a healthy dose of Q&A during the last part of this episode. We haven’t done that for a while, and it feels like it’s time! Please email your questions to [email protected] by 2pm (Pacific time) on Monday, and I’ll do my level best to answer every one of them!

Nailing the creative side of the music industry is a given, right? And the business side of the industry has become more important than ever. But, how often do you think about things like these: - Saving and investing money - Understanding investment apps - Increasing your credit score - Limiting your tax liability - Protecting yourself from identity theft - Getting out of debt - And protecting your assets The older you get, the more you think about these things. But, sometimes that's too late! I'm excited to cover this topic with TAXI TV and Road Rally favorite - Bobby Borg - and Britt Hastey, the co-authors of the new book, Personal Finance for Musicians. We're going to hit as many of these topics as possible during this week's (LIVE) episode of TAXI TV. Developing good financial habits becomes more important as you grow older, wiser, and start thinking about having a secure retirement. Secure retirement?! Well, yeah, but it seems like this critical topic takes a backseat to the more immediate-feeling aspects of succeeding in the music industry. Let's move it to front and center this week with Bobby and Britt! Win a FREE Book! Personal Finance for Musicians by Bobby Borg and Britt Hastey https://amzn.to/46nteiW I've got a copy of this wonderful new book, and one of our lucky viewers will win it during the live show, so join us LIVE on Monday at 4 pm Pacific Time to get your shot at getting your hands on this FREE book! *As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases from the link above in this description.*

I’m very excited to have Ronan Chris Murphy join me on our first live episode in several weeks! Ronan is a huge fan favorite, both on TAXI TV and at our annual music convention, the TAXI Road Rally! Here’s his bio, if you’re not already familiar! https://ronanchrismurphy.com/bio/ Side note: Ronan is an incredibly smart, well-informed, studio rat who loves teaching what he knows about all things audio/studio/production to anybody who will listen. Those who do listen are well-rewarded! Ronan and I are going to talk about: - Creating a great studio space in your home - Studio monitor placement and brand recommendations - Mixing on headphones or not – best practices or fool’s errand? - Backing up your files in case of disaster – miss this at your own risk! - What type of insurance you should have for your gear – Yes, you need it! - And how a giant tree made Ronan a world-class expert on the last two bullet points! Ronan will also answer some questions, so don’t miss this live episode! Want to Win a FREE Book? To celebrate our return to doing live shows, we’re going to give away 2 great books during the live show. Join us for the live broadcast on Monday at 4 pm PDT / 7pm EDT, and you could be the lucky winner of either of these two wonderful books every musician should have - Tracey and Vance Marino's book, Hey! That's My Song!: A Guide to Getting Music Placements in Film, TV, and Media, or Steve Barden’s book, Writing Production Music for TV – The Road to Success. Hey! That's My Song!: A Guide to Getting Music Placements in Film, TV, and Media by Tracey and Vance Marino amzn.to/441Ct6e Writing Production Music for TV – The Road to Success by Steve Barden amzn.to/43LNNUe *As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases from the links above in this description.*

Michael is out of the office this week, but he recently recorded this interview with veteran music attorney, Ben McLane, looking at potential legal issues with music created by Artificial Intelligence. Is your music going to train a computer to create new music? Who will get paid? How will they get paid? It's the Wild West out there, and once again, tech could outpace legislation. Don't miss this discussion! Music Business In 10 Easy Lessons: The Deal by Ben McLane: https://amzn.to/3MmQuVX *As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases from the link above.*

During the 31 years I've been running TAXI, I've noticed something that's critical to becoming and staying successful in the music industry! Is it great music? Yes, that's certainly a big part of the equation, but building, maintaining, and nurturing relationships could very well be equally as important in regard to becoming successful. And I'm sorry to say that I've seen many talented musicians ruin some (or many) of their relationships, new and old! My goal in this week's episode of TAXI TV is to highlight many of the relationship-building and/or killing things I've witnessed over the last three decades. Sadly, most of the time, the people who've committed relationship suicide don't even realize what they've done, and the impact it's had. Special Guests... I consider Tracey and Vance Marino world-class experts at building and maintaining music industry relationships. I've watched them work their magic at conferences and online. As a matter of fact, they dedicated an entire chapter to that subject in their excellent book, Hey, That's My Song! That chapter alone is worth the price of buying their book! Please join me when I interview Tracey and Vance during this week's episode. I'll bet you'll find yourself saying "oops" more than once as we go through all the ways you can destroy the music business relationships you should be building, maintaining, and nurturing. Hey, That's My Song by Tracey and Vance Marino: https://amzn.to/3peEOvx *As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases from the link above.*

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 this 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 ;-) 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!

For years, I've been preaching about "not putting all your eggs in one basket." My personal opinion is that you should hedge your bets by having your music in several, if not many music library catalogs. But not just ANY catalogs! Join me for this week's episode to learn more about the strategic way you might want to approach how many (and which) companies you want to have representing your music! I Want to Hear From You! I want this episode to be pretty interactive, with a lot of feedback from TAXI members (and viewers who have music in music libraries) as to what YOU think is an optimal number of catalogs to be in, and any strategic thinking you might have when deciding which companies you work with! If you can contribute to this discussion, I would REALLY appreciate it if you could join us for the live show. I plan to spend more time than usual taking comments and questions from the chat during the live show!