A&R company like Taxi...do they really help

[shezan]

hi guys since talking about music business there are tons of opportunities out there in industry...since A&R company like Taxi most of the projects posted on that web site are from the people of Hollywood so wht i wanna know is that do they really help you out with your music reaching them... i mean i also saw some big names on that site like Hans Zimmer and Peter Gabriel etc...they are themselves outstanding music creators producer wht ever you wanna call them why would they need to post a project don't they have time is that so or they really wanna give a shot towards the talent out there....
plz comment

[lmission]

Hello friend,

I was a TAXI member from 2002 to 2003. In my opinion, they DO NOT work. TAXI is what's known in the biz as song pluggers -- they take requests from production companies, post the ad and get submissions from TAXI members and pass it on back to the production companies.

I sent a fair amount of music to TAXI during the year (roughly a couple of dozen in about 12 months) and none of them were passed on to the production companies. It seems that all I got from them were the invariable comments on production, song style, etc... from the TAXI reviewers.

It really is very difficult for me to say if a service such as this is successful for independent songwriters/composers because I personally don't know anyone who has gotten deals as a result of TAXI membership. I do know, however, of a production team that did sign with TAXI and also did not succeed. I have many years experience as a professional recording engineer, musician and composer and my friends are also veterans in the field. We've also had success publishing our works through other means but during the economic hardship here in the US during year 2000 to present, we thought that trying an outfit such as TAXI would offer us new opportunities, but this was not so.

Perhaps things have changed at TAXI what with the economy showing an upswing in the US, but I doubt if there will ever be high success rates. I think that the adverts that you see in the trade publications gives one the impression that TAXI will afford them success simply by joining up and working hard at creating music. In my opinion, this is not so for probably a large number of its members. What seems to be more likely is that if you are one of the few that writes in the style and production that TAXI reviewers are looking for, you will be forwarded.

From what I can surmise during the year that I was a member, and this is based on the critiques that I received during that time, TAXI reviewers are looking for high-gloss, high-production, easy to digest kinds of music. They seem to be the types who will listen to a track for the first 5 seconds and if it doesn't connect immediately, then you are passed over. I also get the impression that most of the reviewers are from the Los Angeles area and therefore, their views on what constitutes viable work will be biased by the L.A. production community which is geared for pop music and underscore work for film and video. If you don't have a firm grasp of what that entails, you will not connect with TAXI reviewers. I spent many days doing production as an independent producer in Los Angeles over the past few years and thought that I had a grasp of this but I was wrong. I live in Northern California and thought that TAXI would help bridge the distance that seperates me from commercial production work with the Southland. I was mistaken and would have probably found success if I lived in the L.A. area full time and gotten a much better sense of what the industry is looking for. Currently, I am trying to expand my own career by forging relationships with ad agencies and filmmakers in the Bay Area as well as pursuing contacts down in L.A. -- this is what I did prior to joining TAXI.

Friend, I would save the money for the TAXI membership and pursue other avenues to expose your music. I see that you are from India and from what little I know about India, there is significant film production in that country. Your best bet would be to become exposed to that scene and try to work with the heavyweights of your industry. Over time, you will get to know what it takes to get accepted and you will make significant contacts simply because of your proximity to that industry.

I squandered over $300 American to be a TAXI member for over a year (this sum includes membership to their online service which permits you to submit your work via ftp -- much faster and cheaper than their original "burrito package" submission technique) and went absolutely nowhere.

I hope this helps.

[shezan]

Thank you my friend...you really made my self relaxed i was about to take the membership of Taxi... i guess its not the luck which counts in that agencies its the production i guess... and i m from Pakistan not from INdia....i really wanted to work for people outside Pakistan because i want to do some quality stuff not the quantity stuff....and i m about to improve my skills in recording and music technology through City & Guilds London online course of Recording Technique and Music Technology...its a level 3 diploma... My country really does'nt pay my friend...India is a very huge industry...India also has lots of Music Universities which are Affiliated by internation institutes...infact there is Society of Audio Engineering there.... over here i only work with one artist name Saleem Javed.... www.saleemjaved.com
he is a really good music producer arranger he is one damn talented person i have learned alot form him he is the only one in the whole city who just gave me the opportunity to Engineer his complete album even knowing that i had no experience ever b4...and now by the Grace of God i m now doing his 2nd album in 3 year..... and this time he has made me to produce his music along with him i did his tracks and now doing most of his mixes....we really need some people like him....by the way whts your name i would like to make you my friend i can learn from you and may be we can share our experiences....my e-mail id is
"jojistudio@hotmail.com"
thanx

[sserendipity]

I squandered over $300 American to be a TAXI member for over a year (this sum includes membership to their online service which permits you to submit your work via ftp -- much faster and cheaper than their original "burrito package" submission technique) and went absolutely nowhere.

I hope this helps.

Hi Lmission, could you provide a link to your music? I'd like to hear what TAXI was turning down.

[mlaskow]

Here is some factual information about TAXI:

TAXI.com - TAXI Success Stories

TAXI: What Would You Do With the Ultimate List of Publishers, Record Labels and Film & TV Music Supervisors?

[djmukilteo]

Hello friend,

I was a TAXI member from 2002 to 2003. In my opinion, they DO NOT work. TAXI is what's known in the biz as song pluggers -- they take requests from production companies, post the ad and get submissions from TAXI members and pass it on back to the production companies.

I sent a fair amount of music to TAXI during the year (roughly a couple of dozen in about 12 months) and none of them were passed on to the production companies. It seems that all I got from them were the invariable comments on production, song style, etc... from the TAXI reviewers.

It really is very difficult for me to say if a service such as this is successful for independent songwriters/composers because I personally don't know anyone who has gotten deals as a result of TAXI membership. I do know, however, of a production team that did sign with TAXI and also did not succeed. I have many years experience as a professional recording engineer, musician and composer and my friends are also veterans in the field. We've also had success publishing our works through other means but during the economic hardship here in the US during year 2000 to present, we thought that trying an outfit such as TAXI would offer us new opportunities, but this was not so.

Perhaps things have changed at TAXI what with the economy showing an upswing in the US, but I doubt if there will ever be high success rates. I think that the adverts that you see in the trade publications gives one the impression that TAXI will afford them success simply by joining up and working hard at creating music. In my opinion, this is not so for probably a large number of its members. What seems to be more likely is that if you are one of the few that writes in the style and production that TAXI reviewers are looking for, you will be forwarded.

From what I can surmise during the year that I was a member, and this is based on the critiques that I received during that time, TAXI reviewers are looking for high-gloss, high-production, easy to digest kinds of music. They seem to be the types who will listen to a track for the first 5 seconds and if it doesn't connect immediately, then you are passed over. I also get the impression that most of the reviewers are from the Los Angeles area and therefore, their views on what constitutes viable work will be biased by the L.A. production community which is geared for pop music and underscore work for film and video. If you don't have a firm grasp of what that entails, you will not connect with TAXI reviewers. I spent many days doing production as an independent producer in Los Angeles over the past few years and thought that I had a grasp of this but I was wrong. I live in Northern California and thought that TAXI would help bridge the distance that seperates me from commercial production work with the Southland. I was mistaken and would have probably found success if I lived in the L.A. area full time and gotten a much better sense of what the industry is looking for. Currently, I am trying to expand my own career by forging relationships with ad agencies and filmmakers in the Bay Area as well as pursuing contacts down in L.A. -- this is what I did prior to joining TAXI.

Friend, I would save the money for the TAXI membership and pursue other avenues to expose your music. I see that you are from India and from what little I know about India, there is significant film production in that country. Your best bet would be to become exposed to that scene and try to work with the heavyweights of your industry. Over time, you will get to know what it takes to get accepted and you will make significant contacts simply because of your proximity to that industry.

I squandered over $300 American to be a TAXI member for over a year (this sum includes membership to their online service which permits you to submit your work via ftp -- much faster and cheaper than their original "burrito package" submission technique) and went absolutely nowhere.

I hope this helps.

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