TAXI

Taxi is an A and R (Artist and Repertoire) company that provides connections between music supervisors, publishers, record companies of the music industry and songwriters. The music industry over time has recognized that they receive quality referrals and so provide listings for organizations members.

Membership is about $300 per year. This seems like a lot of money. However the opportunities of placing songs with the music industry are very real. You also get to attend the Road Rally convention held each year in LA.

The convention is a great place to meet top notch industry professionals personally after their panels, during one on one 10 minute sessions or at workshops. There are live concerts each night where you can have a chance to play your song in front of the members at the Rally.

There are a number of industry panels so it’s also a chance to have your music played to industry executives in front of the convention. It is a lottery style selection process.

The chance of having your song drawn is small. However on two different conventions a person sitting right next to me had their songs played and an immediate offer from one of the panel members to sign them. The panel is looking for great songs and when they find them the song gets signed.

The normal process for Taxi is to list opportunities and as a member you may submit your song to the listing for $5.00 per song. The listing provides exactly what is being looked for and often examples of the kind of music in mind. You can mail in your CDs and lyrics sheets or do it all online by uploading your songs.

Screeners then evaluate your song and depending on the listing will provide a critique and either forward your song or decline it. Critiques are a subjective thing, however you can submit you song several times to different listings and see what trends there are in the critiques. If five critiques give you similar comments, maybe you should listen.

The process is based on what the listing is looking for and the quality of the song you submit. The listings are in all the genders of music. The critiques are more than worth the $5.00. Getting a forward to the listing is no small feat.

The screeners are music professionals and will only forward material that is top quality. The company values its reputation with the music industry of providing only the best.

The critique system also might give a humbling lesson in rejection as rejection is the constant bane in a songwriter’s existence. The song is your baby and it hurts if someone rejects it.

Hearing criticism and turning it into a way to improve your song is an art worth learning. “No” sometimes means you song isn’t good enough or the person doesn’t need it here and now. Viewing songwriting as a process of skill betterment is a very healthy way to deal with rejection.

One of the most difficult parts of commercial songwriting is connecting with the music industry and getting your songs heard. Networking is the name of the game. With Taxi your songs can get access to industry professionals and if you attend the Road Rally you can also start your networking. But you have to have strong songs.

The workshops at the convention are also top notch. So if you need to improve, as most of us do, you can pick up some songwriting tools at the convention. The best songwriters and publishers in the world are there to give you up to date information.

The most amazing thing can also happen when you hear songs being played during the panels. You get to see firsthand how industry people respond to songs and what they are looking for. You get to hear and compare songs and get an idea how high the bar is and what a great song sounds like.

Knowing where the bar is in your own songs is an unbelievably valuable tool in being able to judge the songs you’re writing. Judging our own songs is one of the toughest skills to pick up.

Taxi Road Rally and critiques can help do this for you.