TAXI TV

11 CAREER-KILLING Habits Musicians SHOULD AVOID! Before you work on developing good habits that can drive your success, there are some nasty old bad habits you need to part company with because they're holding you back. Actually, they can kill the career in the music business you've always wanted. When you hear what they are, I think you'll be nodding your head in agreement with the majority of them. Not as Hard as You Might Think... The good news is I think it will be much easier for you to break the bad habits than learning and habituating new ones! But you won't know unless you tune in to this week's TAXI TV to hear what those career-killing, bad habits are!

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 in this episode to hear a range of really cool music that our A&R team has uncovered recently.

Late one evening in 2019, I spent a couple of hours trading studio war stories in the control room (pictured below) with Trevor Fletcher, the Vice President of the legendary Criteria Studios in Miami. Trevor's mom (Margie Curry) was my awesome boss when I worked at Criteria nearly 50 years ago. She remains a cherished friend of mine to this day. When Trevor was a kid, he'd come to the studio after school, allegedly, to do his homework. Instead of reading, writing, and arithmetic, he learned what made Criteria one of the top recording studios in the world. Today, he's the Vice President and General Manager of Criteria, and it could not be in better hands. They have had clients like The Bee Gees, The Eagles, Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, The Beach Boys, James Brown, Rod Stewart, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jaco Pastorius, Billy Joel, Drake, The Allman Brothers, Shakira, Gloria Estefan, Jay-Z, Justin Bieber, Aerosmith, and dozens (likely hundreds) of others, one can imagine what might have happened behind closed doors when records like "Hotel California," "Stayin' Alive," "I Shot the Sheriff," "Layla," "I Feel Good," and countless other Gold, Platinum, and Diamond albums and singles were recorded. Trevor Fletcher is a living encyclopedia that knows the good, the bad, and the ugly. He also knows where the skeletons are buried. You'll be riveted by the stories he's going to share with us. He's also a classy, professional guy who won't name names (when he can't), but trust me when I tell you that you're going to hear some pretty amazing behind-the-scenes stories. I'm also going to ask him... - What makes a great song? - What traits (if any) do superstars share? - What traits do great producers share? - Contrast the producer's role back in the day VS today. - How do great engineers and producers become great at their craft? - Why do artists still go to world-class, large format studios when they can make records at home? - How much does outboard gear get used VS plugins? - When somebody under the roof is recording a song that sounds like an obvious hit, does the staff still get buzzed about it? I can't wait to hang out and chat with Trevor! I have a feeling you're going to love this unique episode of TAXI TV, so don't miss it! Win a FREE Criteria Studios T-Shirt! Criteria's shirts are beloved by superstars around the world! They've become collector's items, and I'd like to buy one for one of our viewers. All you've got to do to have a shot is show up and be in the chat room during the live broadcast!

Do You Really Need A MIDDLE MAN in Today's MUSIC Industry??

If you get contacted by one of TAXI’s clients offering you a deal and you’d like to know the technical aspects of delivering your music to that company, this week’s TAXI TV is for you! TAXI’s Head Screener (Craig Pilo) has put together a video showing you how to properly export your masters and stems! Craig will be joining me in the studio, and he’ll be answering your questions after we play the video. All TAXI members should watch this, especially if you’re a new member who is not yet experienced in making sure you deliver your music in the most professional manner possible! Please join Craig and me for what promises to be a very educational episode!

If you think having great music gets you a “pass” from getting the business aspects of sync 100% right, you’re 100% wrong! Here’s proof in the form of an email TAXI recently got from a new client when we reached out to ask if they needed us to run any new searches for them… Date: Thu, Jan 5, 2023 at 12:40 PM Subject: Re: Happy New Year! To: Tom @TAXI Happy New Year to you too, Tom. I'll let you know [about running new listings with TAXI]! I took a lot of [TAXI] people on for the [XXXXX] tracks. The problem with taking new people on is the ones who aren't regular library composers deliver frequently incorrectly. For example, the wrong levels, versions not correct, or technical errors. If it's one person, it's not the end of the world, but I spent a huge amount of time holding the hands of most of the composers to get things to the point of delivery. The creative quality was unquestionable, but it's frustrating having to send things back so many times when things are set out clearly in my delivery guidelines. I guess this is the difference between those who do this as a living full-time and those who do it in their spare time. Not your fault, but it was kinda my fault that I took so many people on - I took tracks from 17 people you put forward! That was a huge amount of micromanaging! I think I probably need to be more careful about taking too many people on at the same time - especially those who are new to the business, or less experienced. Even if the final product is brilliant! The album is still waiting on people to deliver their corrections! Absolutely not your fault here, but I just wanted to let you know what the issues of taking new blood are from my perspective. It is hugely time consuming, basically! I'll be in touch when there is a project I can involve you on. Cheers, XXXXXXX I personally wrote to apologize for the time suck our members caused him. I also asked if I could re-print his email. He was gracious in his response, but included this in his email: “I just had a composer finally address all the technical issues, only to deliver as 44.1 and not 48, so they need to be resent all over again. The problem is, no matter what anyone says, any new deliverable needs to be quality controlled [by us] - even if someone claims nothing has changed. It all adds up in terms of time spent. It is a major reason why I won't work with people now. Check, check, and check again! Make a checklist - I don't care how you do it, but make sure it is all correct!” I want to discuss this serious issue on this week’s TAXI TV, and get your input as to how we can most effectively get our members to understand that creating great music isn’t enough to become successful in the world of sync. You’ve got to make sure your hands don’t need to be “held” by the companies that want to work with you. Make it easy and pleasurable for them to do business with you! Please don’t miss this episode of TAXI TV. I really want your input!

We’re super excited to be broadcasting our first LIVE episode since The Road Rally, and we promise to help you make 2023 your most productive year yet! Most of us make New Year’s resolutions, but statistically, 90% of resolutions are just words without actions. It’s easy to resolve that you’re going to lose weight in the coming year, but hard to avoid ordering a delicious pizza when you don’t feel like cooking and doing dishes. It’s easy to say you’re going to create more and better music this coming year, but it’s hard to put down your phone and ignore TikTok. This week’s show is going to give you some solid, actionable steps to help you kick your music career into high gear in 2023! Win a Microphone! The good folks at Warm Audio sent us an awesome 512 Audio, Skylight, large diaphragm condenser microphone, and we’re going to give it away during this week’s TAXI TV! You’ll need to be in the chatroom during the live broadcast to have a shot at winning!

If you're not yet registered to come to our annual music conference, the TAXI Road Rally, you should be! It starts on Thursday, November 3rd, and it wraps up on Sunday, November 6th! Want to see all that's going on? Click on the link below: https://www.taxi.com/taxi-road-rally/ Get Your Road Rally Questions Answered! Even though we're in every-minute-counts mode here at the office, I'd like to invite you to join me for Monday's live TAXI TV show, and ask me anything you want about the Rally. - "How often does the free shuttle run from LAX to the Westin hotel?" - "Should I bring my music on CDs or USB drives?" - "I'm pretty shy! Do you SWEAR that I'll be comfortable and not feel out of place at the Rally?" - "How do I know which panels or classes will be best for me?" - "Is it really possible to meet music industry people and give them my music?" I'll answer those questions and anything else you can throw at me! I'm sure some of your fellow TAXI members, who will be in the chatroom, will also have their own take on how things go, and what you can expect at the Rally. This episode should be fun and really helpful in prepping you for the big event! 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, October 31st.

I've invited everyone's favorite songwriting coach, Robin Frederick, to join me on this week's episode of TAXI TV to review your song's lyrics and give you the keys to songwriting for Film/TV placements!

As a producer, engineer, and mixer, Ronan Chris Murphy has worked with the likes of King Crimson (several albums), Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs, Deep Purple), Terry Bozzio (Zappa, Missing Persons), Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, John Lennon, Pink Floyd), Martin Sexton, Jamie Walters, Ulver, The California Guitar Trio, Chucho Valdes y Groupo Irakere, Joan LaBarbara (Philip Glass Ensemble, Steve Reich), Nels Cline (Wilco), as well as various projects featuring members of Tool, Ministry, Weezer, Dishwalla, and Yes. And we've got Ronan in-studio to take your questions about mixing and recording during this week's episode of TAXI TV! He's one of our most beloved guests, and a fount of knowledge on Mixing, Recording techniques, and Mastering. We'll Take Questions LIVE from the Chat Room, Only! Get your questions ready to copy and paste in the chat before the show so you don't have to do any sloppy typing in the heat of battle ;-) Short, pithy, and succinct questions will be appreciated! And if you could please avoid broad, general questions like, "How do I make my mixes sound better?," and ask specific questions like, "How do you know how much mix bus compression to use?", we'll love you for that!!!

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 Monday'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 ;-) 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!

It's been a while since we've done a Top 10 episode of TAXI TV, so join us on Monday to hear some great music our A&R department has recently found! As an extra little treat, we're going to give away a truly awesome book! Join me for this episode and you just might win a copy of Robin Frederick's best-seller, Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting - 126 Proven Techniques for Writing Songs That Sell. The winner will be chosen at random from people who are in the chat room during the episode, so don't be late! This book is a career-changer. I hope you win it!! Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting - 126 Proven Techniques for Writing Songs That Sell: https://amzn.to/3DcIZgi

On this week's episode of TAXI TV, we're going to show you a VERY real-world example of why your music doesn't get used, whether you're a TAXI member or not! TAXI's Head A&R Screener (Craig Pilo) and I will show you something SO shocking that you almost won't believe it! But it's absolutely real, and don't be surprised if you're guilty of this grievous, career-killing mistake as well. The next time you see somebody posting, "I used TAXI, and my music got forwarded, but I never heard back," remember what you saw on this NOT-to-be-missed episode of TAXI TV. ALL TAXI members need to watch this! Actually, all songwriters, artists, and composers need to watch this episode! What we're going to tell you about happens every day, and the end result can quite literally mean the difference between success and failure.

People ask me this question nearly every week of my life: "How many tracks do I need to make full-time sync income?" They ask me in the live chatroom on TAXI TV. They ask me in the hotel elevator during our free music convention, the Road Rally. They ask it on the TAXI Forums. Why are musicians so obsessed with the magic number of tracks it takes before you can earn a full-time income with your music? I think it's because they'd rather have their day gig be a job they love, VS their day gig now, that they probably hate! I was working on TAXI's website a few days ago, and I saw a quote from member Keith LuBrant that inspired this episode. "I've had 105,455 placements on 1,711 TV shows on 283 networks." Well Keith, how many tracks do you have in production music libraries to accomplish numbers like that? Inquiring minds want to know, and that's why I've asked him to join me on this week's TAXI TV! We're going to dig deep and uncover everything you need to know about how many tracks you need to make full-time sync income during this episode of TAXI TV. If you want to earn your full-time income from creating music for media, don't miss this power-edition episode. Composer Catalog Giveaways! Keith is going to give away two copies of Composer Catalog. One during the live show, and another to the person who asks the best question in the YouTube comments, under the archived version of the show. Composer Catalog was created for writers, by a writer. No more trying to stuff metadata in .mp3 fields. Since Keith compose music for television and film, he created a tool that would allow him to get a handle on his music library. The music was growing, and keeping track of it on a spreadsheet just was not cutting it! Find out more about Composer Catalog here: http://www.composercatalog.com/

This is not marketing hype or clickbait! This is an URGENT warning to all musicians. Please read on... It's not just TAXI members that are making this mistake! It's likely that 60% of ALL songwriters, artists, and composers are making this seemingly innocent mistake. It can be career-killing, yet very few musicians realize they've brought this serious problem upon themselves. So, what IS "the big mistake"? Hint: It can be devastating to your ability to license your music for film and TV placements. And that's why I'll be joined on the show by a successful Publisher who specializes in TV and Film Music! You're going to want to hear how publishers will treat your music if you've made this mistake. I'm not going to tell you what the big mistake is in this email because there are nuances to this problem that I prefer to tell you about in person. Here's how to find out... If you want to find out if you're making this career-killing mistake (60% chance that you are!), you need to watch this week's episode of TAXI TV!

On this week's episode of TAXI TV Live, please join Henry Winckel and me as we get to the bottom of the advice I gave him when he first joined TAXI and needed some guidance to become successful with his membership. Find out if the music career advice I gave him was career-launching or career-killing!

We value the opinions our members have about many aspects of TAXI. Most of all, we love getting input from TAXI’s members regarding our music convention, the TAXI Road Rally (November 3rd – 6th in Los Angeles, CA). 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 on a wide range of topics regarding the upcoming Road Rally. Off the top-of-my head, I want to know things like: - Are you coming? - If you’re not coming, how much did COVID affect your decision? - Would you like to hear what we’re doing to minimize the COVID risk this year? - Are you interested in topics related to film/TV music? - Are you interested in our pitch/feedback panels? - Are you interested in hearing how successful TAXI members have done it? - Are you interested in topics related to songwriting and record label deals? - Are you interested in topics related to signing with a record label? - Are you interested in learning how Music Supervisors choose and use music? - Are you interested in topics related to audio engineering and production? - Are you interested in topics related to conducting business in a professional manner? - Are you interested in music/production software? - Are you interested in NFTs in the music industry? - Are you interested in how Artificial Intelligence could get more of your music used? - Are you interested in performing live in the Open Mic. or Jam Room? - Are you interested in music publishing? - Are you interested in learning about management? - Do you want to get a free One-to-One Mentor session? And much more!! Make sure you’re in the chat room for the live episode to cast your vote and give your opinion. We look forward to hearing what’s important to you!

Our A&R team and staff have done it again! They've put together a playlist of some of their favorite songs and instrumentals they've heard over the last month, and you get to hear them on Monday's TAXI TV. Join us for this episode and you just might win a copy of Steve Barden's awesome book, Writing Production Music for TV: The Road to Success, or Robin Frederick's best-seller, Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting - 126 Proven Techniques for Writing Songs That Sell. The winners will be chosen at random from people who are in the chat room during the episode, so don't be late! Both of these books are career-changers. I hope you win one!!

Not sure if your song's lyrics are universal? Why not consult an expert? I've invited everyone's favorite songwriting coach, Robin Frederick, to join me on this week's episode of TAXI TV to review your song's lyrics and give you the answer! Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting by Robin Frederick https://amzn.to/3iwNrfw Shortcuts to Songwriting for Film & TV by Robin Frederick https://amzn.to/3xbU6jq *As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases from the above links.*

If you’ve ever been frustrated by waiting (and waiting) to hear from a music company that your music was forwarded to by TAXI, you really don’t want to miss this week’s TAXI TV! If you’ve ever signed a deal with a production music library, and then heard nothing but crickets, you definitely don’t want to miss this week’s episode of TAXI TV! If you’ve ever been pissed off when you see a TAXI listing that says, “Please don’t submit your music unless you’re an experienced composer who ‘knows the drill,’” you really, really don’t want to miss this episode! Please join me for a frank discussion about these hot-button issues facing TAXI’s members and musicians as a whole. I think you’ll find the answers enlightening, and we should have plenty of time at the end of the show for a Q&A about these important topics. Prize Giveaways During This Episode! We’ve got some extra copies of these awesome books, and I’d love to give them away during this episode. For more info on each of these reads, click on the links below! Shortcuts to Songwriting for Film & TV by Robin Frederick: https://amzn.to/3AyEL1j Hey! That's My Song! by Tracey Marino and Vance Marino: https://amzn.to/3nRZw0l Demystifying the Cue by Dean Krippaehne: https://amzn.to/3RnmVnE Writing Production Music for TV by Steve Barden: https://amzn.to/3yUgIZv *As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases from the above links.*

Some companies only let you see the good news. TAXI has always been more transparent than that, so we're going to feature a past member's story about why he didn't renew his membership. Ouch!!! Honestly, I take it very personally when somebody doesn't renew their membership. How did we fail them? What could we have done better? Why did this person quit TAXI???? - Was it frustration due to no forwards? - Was it because he was forwarded, but he never heard back from the company we sent the music to? - Was it because he didn't earn back what his membership cost? - Did he think that TAXI's A&R team just didn't get how great his music is? - Did he think the feedback he got was off-base? - Do you have some of the same issues? Join me as I dig deep to find out WHY this member decided to leave TAXI, and a bunch of other great tips on making a career out of doing TV music. I think this just might be one of our most powerful episodes of TAXI TV we've ever done. Set an alarm so you don't miss the live show. The truth will be told!

Erin Jacobson is hands-down the most popular Music Attorney who has ever graced the stage at our convention – the TAXI Road Rally! Why? Because it’s obvious to the songwriters, artists, and composers in our audience, that she actually gives a damn about them! We’ll be covering some of today’s most frequently asked music business questions, and then open the floor to questions from the viewing audience during the live show. Questions Submitted Before the Show Will Be Answered First! Here’s how to get them to us, so we can ask Erin your questions during the live broadcast: Email your questions to [email protected] no later than Friday, June 17th at NOON, Pacific Time! MORE ABOUT ERIN JACOBSON =============================== Erin M. Jacobson, Esq. is an internationally recognized attorney who protects independent, established, and legacy songwriters and artists, independent music publishers, distinguished legacy catalogues, heirs and estates, Grammy and Emmy Award winners, and other music professionals at her law practice based in Beverly Hills, CA. Ms. Jacobson has been named as one of the “Top Music Lawyers” by Billboard, and has been featured in publications including Billboard and Forbes, and on networks including ABC and the BBC. In addition, Ms. Jacobson is the author of Don’t Get Screwed! How to Protect Yourself as an Independent Musician, and the founder and owner of Indie Artist Resource, a company that empowers independent musicians to take charge of their careers with contract templates and educational materials. LEARN More about Erin: http://themusicindustrylawyer.com DIVE into Indie Artist Resource: http://indieartistresource.com *****Opinions expressed during this episode or in any edited segments of this episode of TAXI TV do not constitute legal advice.*****

Andrea Stolpe is a Los Angeles-based songwriter, author, performing artist, and educator. She has worked as a staff writer for EMI, Almo-Irving, and Universal Music Publishing, with songs recorded by artists such as: Faith Hill, Julianne Hough, Daniel Lee Martin, Jimmy Wayne, and others. Andrea teaches Songwriting at the University of California’s Thornton School of Music, and is the author and instructor of Berklee College of Music’s online course Commercial Songwriting Techniques. For the past 10 years Andrea has taught melody, harmony, and lyric writing courses for Berklee Online.

TAXI's Head Screener, Craig Pilo, gives expert feedback and suggestions for fixes on your Instrumentals and Cues. He's a world-class expert, and super supportive of indie musicians, especially TAXI's members! Craig was one of the very best and most experienced Film/TV music experts on our A&R team prior to becoming our Head Screener. His feedback is honest, straightforward, and always helpful!

Tracey and Vance Marino have had their Instrumentals and Songs placed THOUSANDS of times in TV, Film, Commercials, and Video Games. How did this husband and wife team from San Diego do it? What did they do that you might not have done yet? How did they do it, how long did it take, and what mistakes did they make along the way? I asked them those questions and many, many more on this episode of TAXI TV. I also asked them how the heck they found the time to write their new book, Hey! That’s My Song!: A Guide to Getting Music Placements in Film, TV, and Media. I just got my copy, and to say that it's extremely comprehensive would be an understatement. Seriously, they have over 3,000 pieces of music in about 60 catalogs, so how did they find the time to write a book that seemingly covers every topic you want to know more about? Want to get your copy of the book in this episode? Click the link below! Hey! That’s My Song!: A Guide to Getting Music Placements in Film, TV, and Media - by Tracey Marino: https://amzn.to/3Nhxl5q (As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases from the above link.)

Our A&R team and staff have done it again! They've put together a playlist of some of their favorite songs and instrumentals they've heard over the last month, and you get to hear them on Monday's TAXI TV. I'll be back in Los Angeles, so this episode will go live at our normal time of 4 pm, Pacific time. Join me for this episode and you just might win a copy of Steve Barden's awesome book, Writing Production Music for TV: The Road to Success, or Robin Frederick's best-seller, Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting - 126 Proven Techniques for Writing Songs That Sell. The winners will be chosen at random from people who are in the chat room during the episode, so don't be late! Both of these books are career-changers. I hope you win one!! 0:00 - Intro 5:12 - "Nobody Cares" by Megan Winsor - https://bit.ly/3Pr0220 10:42 - "'S' Spy Thing" by Chris Moser - https://bit.ly/37SksQv 22:13 - "Heartbreaker" by Joliet4 - https://bit.ly/3PtQgMg 27:22 - "Bones" by Big Sur Bound - https://bit.ly/3wxTG8d 34:32 - "Black Widow" by Aimee Chapman - https://bit.ly/3wwZU8q 41:14 - "So High" by Lozen - https://bit.ly/3whKRjX 47:13 - "Sundress" by John Jones - https://bit.ly/3Lg3hpC 51:40 - "Neon Lights" by Jeffrey LaPlante - https://bit.ly/3ll516g 59:23 - "We Built a Home" by J Fram - https://bit.ly/3G7NBE5 1:04:11 - "Sweeter Than Mine" by Gregory Putnam - https://bit.ly/3wqcPsI 1:07:35 - Book Giveaways! Want to get copies of the books we gave away during this episode for yourself? Click the links below! (As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases from the below links.) "Writing Production Music for TV" by Steve Barden: https://amzn.to/3cOeKyr "Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting" by Robin Frederick: https://amzn.to/3iwNrfw

Trailers, TV Cues & Sound Design: The Similarities and Differences Explained Randon Purcell doesn't need TAXI anymore! Here's why... "Hey Michael! I hope you and the family are all well! Everything here is madness, but going well enough. My job at [name withheld] is keeping me plenty busy, and I’m even doing some side scoring gigs on some movies with my boss, so that’s fun too. I just got signed on to do the score for a new animated show as well, later this year, so 2022 should be busy as ever. Anyway, I just wanted to touch base and see how things are going. I don’t get a chance to hop on the TAXI forums much these days, but I love it when I can give back a little to the TAXI community. After all, I wouldn’t be a full-time musician without you guys! Hope all is well and that The TAXI Road Rally will be in-person again this year! Take care, Randon" Yep, that's why Randon doesn't need TAXI any more...he's too busy making music for his full-time income! Why is he so busy? "I wouldn’t be a full time musician without you guys!" It was the sentence prior to that, that prompted me to ask Randon to join us for this week's TAXI TV episode. "I love it when I can give back a little to the TAXI community." Without hesitation, I asked Randon to join me to explain the similarities and differences between creating music for Film Trailers and TV Promos, TV Shows, and Sound Design...for that matter, can you really explain exactly what sound design is, and how it's done? I'm not so sure I could, but I'd bet a pretty penny that Randon can! And ask him, I will! Randon is a very smart, pragmatic, hard-working person. His climb up the ladder of success took a few years and a lot of work. I think he might be able to shave some time from your climb by sharing what he's learned along the way. - If you're already creating Instrumental Cues, what do you need to know to create Film Trailer and TV Promo music? - Is sound design more like music or sound effects, or a combination of both? - How do you get paid for creating a whoosh, a braaam, or a distorted, growly tension drone? - Which synth patches work for what? - How are the arrangements similar or different? - How is scoring a TV show different than creating Cues that could be used in an episode of the very same show? - How much income can you earn from each one of these disciplines?

Aaron Slater is the founder of SongwritingMagazine.com. Duncan Haskell is the "interview hustler." We're pretty sure these gents have learned a lot about songwriting and songwriters, so I'm going to get them to spill their guts and share their best tips on Monday's episode. What I really want to know is why many songwriters never get to enjoy the career they dream of, but some do! What do they know that the others don't? Let's find out together on this episode of TAXI TV!

Our Top 10 episodes of TAXI TV have become wildly popular among our viewers! Honestly, at first, I thought our members were simply being supportive of their fellow members and their music. I might have been right during the first few Top 10 shows, but a pattern started to become evident; the shows and the music kept getting better...and better, and better! No matter which genres of music we featured, our viewers were blown away by the creativity, songwriting, and production they heard.

Adonis Aletras lives on the island of Cyprus, near Greece. We think much of his success can be attributed to his talent, tenacity, and hunger to learn as much as possible about the composers who became successful before him. That insatiable hunger led him to conduct "mini interviews" with dozens of top composers and other industry luminaries. The result? Adonis's book, So, You Want to Become a Media Composer? Check out his book on Amazon here! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HHB6G8B/ref=nosim?tag=t0248a-20 *As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases from the above link. During this week's episode of TAXI TV, I'm going to ask Adonis to tell us what common traits and salient advice he learned from the composers he interviewed. This is going to be good... REALLY good! Adonis's energy and personality are incredibly infectious. His dedication to the craft of composing is admirable. I'm excited to have you meet him during this special episode of TAXI TV!

Tour the Legendary West Coast PRS Guitar Showroom! Join TAXI CEO Michael Laskow for an insider's tour of what he likes to call, "The Guitar Player's Candy Store"! Winn Krozack heads up the West Coast PRS Guitar Showroom where some super famous artists drop in to play the works of art hanging on the walls. Yep, this guitar player's lair is tucked away in a rehearsal complex where some really big acts prep for upcoming tours. You never know who could walk in, unannounced! Winn has been with PRS from the start, and he knows everything about these beautiful guitars! He's also got some other really interesting gear stashed in this hideaway, and I think you'll find the whole thing as captivating as Michael has on previous visits. Check out PRS's amazing range of guitars here: https://prsguitars.com/

TAXI member John Pearson is a full-time Producer/Songwriter based in Nashville, TN. He's also become a much-admired member of the TAXI community and has inspired other members with his realistic, pragmatic, and nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic and approach to the sync licensing side of the music industry. John is an A-List bass player who has toured with major Country acts and has certainly paid his dues in Nashville's community of pro songwriters. But, what sets him apart is rather than just talking about writing songs for sync, John plunged in head-first and worked his tail off! His investment has paid off. John's recent national ad placements include FedEx and Cricket Wireless, with TV placements on The CW's Legacies, Disney's Diary of a Future President, ABC's The Rookie, Netflix's Outer Banks, and many ad and TV placements in Europe and Japan. John is also a Grammy-winning bass player, and he collaborates with top-tier vocalists from around the world to create powerful songs for artists, and Film and TV. All that makes John Pearson the perfect guy to ask, "How is it different writing songs for artists than it is writing songs for TV placements and advertising?" You'll get the answer to that question and many more during this powerful episode of TAXI TV. Don't miss it!

Every month, our A&R Team makes a list of 10 of their favorite TAXI Member songs and/or instrumentals that they've heard lately. We call them the "Top 10," but don't let that mislead you into thinking they're THE 10 best songs or instrumentals out of ALL the music our members make. Really, it's more like a list of, "Hey, these are really cool and you should check them out." And you should! 0:00 - Intro 2:55 - "Focus" by Halle Abadi 7:55 - "Help Myself" by Ani 16:25 - "Stomp Rock Anthem" by Anthony Kneeshaw 24:22 - "Back Down" by As The Structure Fails 29:39 - "New You" by Basic Elements 38:33 - "Rise and Fall" by Derek Handy 48:09 - "Heartbreak Machine" by Erinn Alissa 53:29 - "The Devil's in the Whiskey" by John Weber 1:01:41 - "All in Favor" by Rasmus Boegelund 1:07:56 - "Girls!" by Luiza Lale

On today's episode, TAXI's Head Music Screener - Craig Pilo - joins us in answering all of your Music Business questions! He is an industry pro, an accomplished performer, and has all the insight you could ask for.

On today's episode, TAXI CEO Michael Laskow answered your Music Biz questions! He provided great info to help you learn the business side of the Music Business!

Do you get ticked-off when you see something like this in some of TAXI’s Industry Listings? IMPORTANT NOTE: This Company offers an Exclusive deal, and has a strong preference for signing material from songwriters who have worked for libraries and licensing companies in the past and understand how standard deals work. If you don't have that experience and you don't know the drill on typical deals, they politely ask that you don't submit to this request. Or this... IMPORTANT NOTE: This Library offers an Exclusive deal, and has a strong preference for signing material from songwriters who have worked for libraries and licensing companies in the past and understand how standard deals work. Or this... IMPORTANT NOTE: This company has specifically asked that you only send unreleased Songs that aren't already commercially available. If you've already released them on Spotify, Apple Music, etc., or if they’re already published or administered by CD Baby Pro, TuneCore, etc., please do not submit them. TAXI CEO Michael Laskow discussed the issue at length on this week’s episode of TAXI TV to help you better understand why some of our clients ask us to include this language in the searches we run for them. This is a really important topic, so you're not going to want to skip it!

On this episode of TAXI TV, TAXI CEO Michael Laskow goes over the Top 10 Myths of Creating Music for Film/TV Music Licensing!

On this episode of TAXI TV, TAXI CEO Michael Laskow plays member-submitted love songs and our A&R team's Top 10 song picks for the month of February! Take a listen to see if your Love Song was played!

Want to write better songs? On this episode of TAXI TV, Robin Frederick reviews viewers' songs and gives useful tips and suggestions on how to improve them! There's a reason Robin Frederick – leading songwriting expert and author of the best-selling books Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting and Shortcuts to Songwriting for Film & TV – speaks to standing-room-only audiences at the TAXI Road Rally every year, her insights and advice on how to make your song even better are nothing short of amazing! Check out Robin's website here: https://robinfrederick.com/ Get Robin's Books here: “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting” by Robin Frederick https://amzn.to/3iwNrfw “Shortcuts to Songwriting for Film & TV” by Robin Frederick https://amzn.to/3xbU6jq "Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting" EBOOK Level 1: https://amzn.to/3at8s6n "Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting" EBOOK Level 2: https://amzn.to/37jVhT9 "Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting" EBOOK Level 3: https://amzn.to/2NcIc7m As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases from the above links.

TAXI turned 30 years old on January 15th, so we celebrated by doing a retrospective with some great stories and some trivia questions with great prizes like a free consult with Robin Frederick, TAXI swag, and a one-hour consult with TAXI's head screener, Craig Pilo! Get your very on TAXI T-shirt, Hoodie, and Mug here: https://taxi-swag-central.myshopify.com/

Member Eric Copeland posted a YouTube review of TAXI, then posted a follow-up video about whether he was going to renew his membership or not. Our fearless CEO thought some critical information was missing and reached out to Eric and suggested a public duel, like Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. Or maybe a jousting match! 😂 Eric politely declined, but he and Michael thought it might be fun, enlightening, and more gentleman-like to interview each other on this week's episode of TAXI TV. Fun, indeed! The rules are simple: Michael will interview Eric for the first half of the LIVE episode, and Eric will interview Michael during the second half. Sticking with TAXI's penchant for transparency, no holds are barred, and all questions are on the table! You really don't want to miss what is certain to be an episode for the ages!

Every month, our A&R Team makes a list of 10 of their favorite TAXI Member songs or instrumentals that they've heard lately. We call them the "Top 10," but don't let that mislead you into thinking they're THE 10 best songs or instrumentals out of ALL the music our members make. Really, it's more like a list of, "Hey, these are really cool and you should check them out." And you should! Check out the member's pages to hear their music below! "Lil' Bruh" by Lew Sid: https://bit.ly/3HSxb1R "Lighthouse" by Andrew Anka: https://bit.ly/3qivSU8 "Weekend Warrior" by Kit Benz: https://bit.ly/3HRciUI "Setting Sail" by Emma Johnson: https://bit.ly/3nh2XOa "Banger" by G. Scott Russell: https://bit.ly/3qgcirx "Ooh Baby Baby" by Priscilla G: https://bit.ly/3f9KG0S "Activate Dance Sequence 101" by Vikas Pawa: https://bit.ly/336kEsV "Nip It With A Bud" by Matthew Soileau: https://bit.ly/3qe4vKM "Watch Me Now" by River J: https://bit.ly/33bZnhn

Watch this Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bkKneFkZxUA Have you already made your New Year's resolutions as to how you're going to be successful with your music career in 2022? Stop lying to yourself and join me today for some actionable steps you can take that will actually work! Bite off what you can actually chew, and just maybe you won't need to make any resolutions for your music next year!! Find your realistic steps along the path of musical success on today's show. Don't miss this one!! Here are the links to the books Michael talked about during the show: Robin Frederick: Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting: https://amzn.to/3dnydGX Shortcuts to Songwriting for Film & TV: https://amzn.to/3jYaiPZ Dean Krippaehne: Demystifying the Genre: https://amzn.to/3bdCAC3 Demystifying the Cue: https://amzn.to/3u6zisF Steve Barden: Writing Production Music for TV: The Road to Success: https://amzn.to/3sfgWnV Steven Pressfield: The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles: amzn.to/3nd2p99 As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases from the above links. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Learn More About TAXI Independent A&R: http://bit.ly/2mPVGYh Rub Elbows with Music Industry Pros at Our FREE Yearly Convention: http://bit.ly/2a9mwlp View Our Current Music Industry Opportunities: http://bit.ly/28JPUyd Connect with Fellow Songwriters on the TAXI Forum: http://bit.ly/2DENChs Listen on the Go with the TAXI TV Podcast: Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/2afebwW Google Play: http://bit.ly/2a7cCQX Stitcher: http://bit.ly/2FuSTJQ Soundcloud: http://bit.ly/2icUDe0 #TAXMusic #NewYearResolutions #MusicGoals TuneIn: http://bit.ly/2DCzKrd Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2RDYXXL Amazon: https://amzn.to/3cmFODv Follow Us On Social Media... Facebook: http://bit.ly/2931C7x Twitter: http://bit.ly/2jJ0EnQ Instagram: http://bit.ly/2jcg7we

We got so many Christmas/Holiday song submissions for last week's show (over 300 of them!!) that we've decided to listen to more of them this week! And, not to be all "Scrooge"-like, but a TON of them submitted for last week's show were not the Piano/Vocal or Guitar/Vocal versions we asked for! We couldn't consider those, as they would not have been on a level playing field with submissions from people who DID follow instructions ;-) Speaking of not following instructions: A gazillion of the submissions for last week were also not downloadable, as we had requested. Those were also not considered. We just don't have the time to email or call a couple hundred people to ask them to re-submit. And finally, there were actually people who got upset with us for not playing their songs. We got more than 300 hundred submissions, and we can only play about 20 during the show. If we played all 300, that would be about 20 hours of music we've have to play. As much as we all love TAXI TV, a 20-hour show would be a very, very long show ;-) PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY! So... All that considered, we will be playing songs that are either Guitar/Vocal or Piano/Vocal (only!) and are downloadable, that we have left over from last week's show. We are NOT accepting any new submissions. Please don't send emails asking us to make exceptions or imploring us to play your song. We try to be democratic about these things, and insisting that we play your song because you worked really hard on it or your friends love it or the Beatles almost recorded it won't result in it getting played. We've still got about 100 songs left over from last week from people who met the submission criteria. We will pick about 20 from those! We hope we hear some great ones again this week. Please join us!

We're getting in the holiday spirit on this week's episode of TAXI TV with a listening party of viewer-submitted Christmas songs! But, there's a catch! You can only submit piano/vocal or guitar/vocal songs. Here's how to submit your songs... Want a chance to get your Christmas/Holiday song played on the show? Email a link to where we can download it to [email protected] by 12 pm Pacific time on Monday, December 20th!

Our viewers love to tune up their ears by hearing submissions for a hot request from TAXI, then casting their votes to see if they line up with what our A&R team decided. One of our regular viewers summed it up nicely when she emailed, "Judging songs on TAXI TV helps me judge my own music more objectively. I create better music because of these episodes, please do more of them!" Join us for the fun, the education, and the community spirit in the live chat room during this week's episode of TAXI TV! Here's the request we sent out! UPLIFTING SINGER/SONGWRITER SONGS with Male or Female Vocals are needed by an A-List Film/TV Music Publishing Company that typically gets really nice, HIGH-END placements! These guys are thought of as being "a cut above." This Company is looking for Mid-to-Up-Tempo Songs in the general stylistic ballpark of the following references: "Missing Piece" by Vance Joy "Bridges" by Johnnyswim "Home" by Phillip Phillips "This Is Our Time" by WILD Quoting the Company: "We're looking for Songs with uplifting, non-romantic lyrics. Anything about friendship, being there for each other, overcoming challenges, being confident, having gratitude, being joyful, etc." Please send top-notch Singer/Songwriter Songs with great melodies, super memorable choruses, engaging rhythms, and well-crafted, emotionally upbeat lyrics. Instrumentation that's generally similar to the references will suit your submissions well. If you plan on using any virtual instruments or samples, they should be high-quality and fresh. Polished production and expressive, well-performed vocals are musts for this pitch, as well! NOTE: This Company doesn't want to hear Songs that sound like typical library music. They're interested in finding stuff that sounds like commercial, releasable Songs ready for the radio. If you're an artist or band with an online presence, even better! Avoiding specific names, places, dates, times, brands, and profanity are recommended. Do NOT copy the referenced artists or songs in any way, shape, or form. Use them only as a guide for tempo, texture, and tone. Do NOT submit any material with unauthorized samples of any other artists’ music, sounds, or any other form of media. Broadcast Quality is needed. This company offers an EXCLUSIVE deal. You’ll split all upfront sync fees 50/50. The Publisher will get 100% of the Publisher’s share, and you’ll get 100% of the Writer’s share. You must own or control your Master and Copyright. Since this is an EXCLUSIVE deal, please be sure the material you submit for this pitch is NOT already signed with other Libraries or Catalogs. Please submit as many Songs as you’d like, online or per CD. All submissions will be screened and critiqued by TAXI. Submissions must be received no later than 11:59 PM (PST) on Monday, November 15th, 2021. TAXI # S211115TF

Many of TAXI's most successful members attribute at least a portion of their success to how carefully they read our Industry Listings. Very few people know how much craft goes into writing the Listings. The goals are: 1)To give each and every one of our members the highest probability of making a great submission. 2) Giving the A&R team members accurate and bountiful information to use when they do their job. 3) To ensure that the people and companies who trust TAXI to find them great music sign it or license it. For the first time ever, we're going to reveal the entire process — some might call it TAXI's "Secret Sauce" — that goes into writing each Industry Listing you read. TAXI's Briagha Abrahamson will be my guest on the show, and she'll join me in walking you through the entire process of how the initial request for music becomes a road map for making your best submissions. Want an edge? Here it comes!

Every month, our A&R Team makes a list of 10 of their favorite TAXI Member songs or instrumentals that they've heard lately. We call them the "Top 10," but don't let that mislead you into thinking they're THE 10 best songs or instrumentals out of ALL the music our members make. Really, it's more like a list of, "Hey, these are really cool and you should check them out." And you should! Please join me on this week's episode of TAXI TV as we listen together!

Here's your chance to ask me something I might have missed in the chat during a recent episode! Throw anything at me, and I'll do my best to give you a great answer. Ask me about anything – from TAXI-specific questions, to engineering or production questions, to music business questions, to music industry business etiquette queries, to questions about TAXI's screening/A&R process, to film/TV music questions (songs and instrumentals), to TAXI Road Rally questions, to just about anything else you can think of! There’s no reasonable question that I won’t answer – even at the risk of embarrassing myself!

Not sure if your song's lyrics are universal? Why not consult an expert? I've invited everyone's favorite songwriting coach, Robin Frederick, to join me on this week's episode of TAXI TV to review your song's lyrics and give you the answer! “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting” by Robin Frederick https://amzn.to/3iwNrfw “Shortcuts to Songwriting for Film & TV” by Robin Frederick https://amzn.to/3xbU6jq