Taxi is an independent A&R company, connecting musicians with labels, publishers, and music supervisors. On the 1st and 15th of every month, they provide a list of industry opportunities for members to submit songs to. Screeners forward the most suitable material for each listing to the person who requested it. I’ve been a member since 1997.
Recently, two of my songs were featured on a large cable network, and I signed an exclusive publishing deal. All thanks to Taxi? Nope. The music supervisor found me on thesixtyone and I connected with the publisher through Sonicbids.
Over the course of twelve years and 100+ forwarded submissions, with $3525 spent on membership and submission fees alone, I haven’t made a single deal through Taxi. In fact, I haven’t received so much as a phone call or e-mail from an interested party (cue the crickets).
The obvious counterargument is that my music simply sucks. Perhaps it does, but it still managed to get forwarded many, many times. They thought it was good enough.
In the course of promoting my new album, I asked a handful of publishers and music supervisors about Taxi. Their impressions were lukewarm to negative. Two described it as “worthless.” They had both used the service and felt that the quality of submissions was lacking. The overall consensus among those I spoke with was that Taxi is for amateurs.
Before I go any further, let me emphatically state that Taxi is not a scam. Michael Laskow and his team work tirelessly on behalf of their members. I’ve seen it firsthand at the conventions. They are good people running an honest business, and this article is not meant to disparage them or the company in any way. Their track record is impressive, and they deliver what they promise. They can get your songs into the decision-maker’s hands, but they don’t make the decision.
I suspect that many of you are in the same boat as I am. You want to pursue every possible opportunity for the songs you’ve already recorded, but you aren’t willing to record new material targeted at a specific listing, or even rewrite or re-record a song to make it a better fit. You simply want to get as much mileage as you can out of what you’ve already got. If that’s the case, maybe Taxi isn’t for you.
You might consider joining Taxi if:
- You want to sign with a label. If you’re young and attractive with a radio-friendly sound, a large following, verifiable sales, and touring experience, Taxi might be able to hook you up with a label. But with all that going for you, do you need one?
- You write songs solely to pitch to other artists. Taxi provides opportunities you won’t find on other “tip sheets,” and they seem particularly well-connected in the country music industry.
- You want to earn a living through film and TV placements. If you’re disciplined enough to write cues to spec, day in and day out, and treat it as a job, you can make a lot of money after a few years. Check out their video series on the topic. You’ll want to sign up for Taxi’s Dispatch service to receive daily last-minute requests from music supervisors.
- You want to get better. The cost of membership might be justified purely as an educational expense. The conventions, called Road Rallies in keeping with the automotive theme, are top notch. Song critiques are a mixed bag. I’ve had the same song get 9′s and 10′s on one critique, and 5′s and 6′s on another. That’s the subjective nature of music. I don’t take any particular criticism seriously until I see it more than once.
If you’re thinking about signing up, be sure to check the listings first to make sure the industry wants what you’ve got.
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
This isn’t worthy of the body of the article, but I have to share my favorite Taxi critique. “Stare Out the Window” is about acting on your dreams rather than watching life pass you by. The chorus is:
I don’t want to stare out the window
I don’t want to stare all of my life
Don’t want to be afraid to remember
What I might have dared
What could be mine
I don’t want to stare out the window
I don’t want to stare all of my life
All of my life…
The screener rejected the song because, “I think I would like to be told (as a listener) what is out the window.”
Hi Brian,
I’ve got to say, 12 years of us forwarding your music and no deals yet… wow! Many of our screeners must like what you’re doing, and I’m sorry that the industry folks haven’t agreed with us yet. We hear about deals that take a long time to happen pretty frequently, but you certainly set some sort of record. Keep swinging and read these for inspiration. Your time will come.
Thanks Craig! While I’m pickier than ever about which listings I submit to, I haven’t given up yet.
Hi Brian,
Got your e-mail– how did you get mine? You must have some great tracks to get so many forwards, and I get your frustrations with not getting as many deals as you’d like. That’s such a common feeling among independent artists– you’re certainly not alone! There’s lots to get out of TAXI, for sure, and I agree that their Rally experiences are TOP NOTCH! I’ve watched some pretty incredible things happen there for us independent musicians (I’ve personally maintained several Rally connections over the years and landed a few deals as a result). Keep up the writing! Whatever your goal is, you will find your way to succeed, as it sounds like you’ve got some decent material!
Hi Brian;
Best regards,
Sorry your experience with Taxi hasn’t yet been as fruitful as you would have liked. I’ve been with Taxi for three years, and have had hundreds of placements and deals as a result, in addition to having forged wonderful friendships with creative collaborators across the world, which to me is the cornerstone of what I love about Taxi. I think everyone’s got to find their particular way to get their work out there in the world; here’s wishing you a success in finding what works best for you.
Suz
Hey Brian,
It’s good to know you haven’t given up yet, Brian! I sense a lot of positivity in your post despite the challenges you have faced in this tough business. Good for you! I’m a Taxi member and I’m very happy. Like you said, Taxi isn’t a scam, and they are passionate about getting our music out there! Many of my Taxi friends and I have signed deals for our music, so I don’t know why your music didn’t find a home as a result of all those Taxi “forwards”. Seasoned members like yourself know that the key to music success is to take charge of your promotional activities and Taxi is only one of many ways to connect with industry pros. My contacts in the industry are happy to return to Taxi again and again for high quality music that fits their needs and the music is getting better all the time! Your “handful of publishers and music supervisors” might not be giving you a clear picture of the value Taxi brings to their table. Your unique journey seems different from my experience, but I wish you all the luck in the world getting your music in good hands! Keep up the good work! BTW: success is hard work, isn’t it?
Thanks for sharing your experiences! It’s always nice to hear from people who’ve had success in this difficult business.
I’ve had perhaps more than my fair share of luck this year, just not with Taxi. The John Lennon Songwriting Contest, thesixtyone, ReverbNation, Pandora, Jango, OurStage, and even Sonicbids (though I have mixed feelings on it) have had a substantial positive impact on my career.
So the question is, where do we devote what little time and energy we have for promotion? That’s been the mission of this blog from the beginning. Hopefully our stories will provide prospective members some basis to make an informed decision in regard to Taxi.
Brian,
Great article! I agree with you 100%. For me, if it wasn’t for Taxi Dispatch, I wouldn’t be using their service at all. But, Dispatch has more opportunities than I have hours in the day. I haven’t landed anything yet, but have been close (according to the one way communication I get), and believe I will if I just keep improving my craft and focus on submissions where my strengths will shine.
Monty
I was part of TAXI for a year with my band and it didn’t do anything for me. However, my friend got a lot of soap opera and television placements. Actually, this person was more of someone who was helping my band and she got us some really high profile gigs. She was somehow a part of putting together The Grammys . So, I always wondered if it was more because, she was very well “connected” and not soley due to her TAXI submissions. Not to say that her music wasn’t good by any means (they were very good). Oh, and I had the same experience with the critiques for the same song. Some would be quite bad and other were excellent. hmm…
Oh, and another thing Brian.
In my experience, the Taxi forum is a great place to learn how to focus your attention on music that sells. You’ll meet great supportive people all in the same boat. Some are more successful than others, and after sharing experiences and music for some time you learn where you stand in the business. People who can give you honest feedback *and* be supportive… what can be better than that?
http://taxi.proboards.com/index.cgi?
Too often an artist thinks “I’m my own person, I am unique, I don’t need advice, I can go it alone”. To me, that’s the fastest way to no-where. The road to success doesn’t need to be re-invented. Isn’t it faster to discover it instead?
Monty, I’m sure you’ll land something eventually, since you have the discipline to approach your composition and orchestration as a job.
I agree Allen, Taxi members are a supportive bunch! I’ve spent some time in the forums on and off over the years.
Brian –
Thank God you wrote this blog when you did! I was literally about to sign up with Taxi….now I’m not sure if it’s the right thing for me. I think I’ll have to re-think what I’m thinking and think about whether it’s the right thing to do…..I think!
- Matt
Brian, great post. Despite your experience, I think I might still give Taxi a shot. The sad truth is that there are very few ways to get music in front of people who can make a difference, and Taxi is one of them. The service preys on this fact, actually, given the way they write their promo materials! When I finally sign up, I’ll post about my experience on my blog at http://www.cerebellumblues.com.
Jeff
Go for it Jeff! I agree – there’s no better alternative. Sure, there are tip sheets, but only Taxi provides the guidance and education to turn your misses into hits.
Over the three years or so I’ve used it, we’ve gotten enough deals with Taxi to break even approximately. I think we’ve gotten a lot of other value out of it as well, so I consider it quite worthwhile. I have learned, over time, to be more selective about what I submit to and our forward rate is relatively high.
It is not up to date, but you can see our submission history at: http://themotionsicktaxi.blogspot.com/
Great job Michael! I’m impressed. I’m pretty sure that Taxi doesn’t want you posting the names of the companies they deal with though. You might want to remove those from your submission history.
I just feel sad reading this and the comments– some obviously not real. Taxi is a scam. Nobody legit in the music business deals with Taxi. Putting their “companies they deal with” up on the blog would be refreshing because everyone is curious who uses them. Give me a break. Sonicbids — maybe … that is if you don’t live in any of the major cities and won’t hear about these opportunities otherwise. But Taxi is very close to a scam– not saying that every once in awhile someone doesn’t get “something” but definitely not worth what you are putting into it. You’d get more out of contacting your Ascap rep and making a relationship with him/her. Spending that much money to submit on stuff you never had a chance on. I’m just horrified, sad, and embarrassed. They are running a business alright- and doing very well at it.
Why be sad? Taxi simply is what it is: a stepping stone… a doorway, but the best way to succeed in this business is to pound away at it from every angle. Even Taxi says that here: http://www.taxi.com/about.html
You ask about the companies Taxi deals with. Here ya go: http://www.taxi.com/abouts/companies.html
I have a unique perspective on who succeeds with Taxi and who doesn’t. On this page on the Taxi website there are several people mentioned who I happen to know. They aren’t just advertisement copy to me… They are my friends: people who are talented, driven, and knowledgeable: http://www.taxi.com/abouts/successdeals.html
The Taxi members who never make the list of success stories often are people who need to learn something important before they can hit the sweet spot with the industry. Others are people who are competing in the high bar parts of the music business and that’s rough!!! Other members who aren’t getting a monetary return from their membership just need to wake up and be more informed and serious about the business of music because the music industry is as much about business as it is about music.
I am truly sorry if I sound like I’m preaching here, but the word “scam” doesn’t go with the name “Taxi”. Michael Laskow is very sincere about what his company does.
It’s important to remember that Taxi just does what it does and it’s up to the artists to do the rest, AND THERE’S A LOT TO DO!!!!!!!! People who criticize Taxi can cite many interesting reasons for their opinions, but much of the negativity just boils down to the extra initiative, extraordinary talent, intelligence, attitude, and savvy that is required to get ahead in the music business. The rest of the bad blood can come from not being in the right place at the right time with the right stuff.
Personally, I wasn’t getting far with Taxi until I met the right people at the annual Taxi Rally last year. Now I have more opportunities to get my music out there than I can possibly manage. Several of my other Taxi friends have different stories such as how they managed to hear their songs in films and TV, but we share one thing in common: we are learning, adapting, changing, improving, and refocusing ourselves all the time. Without that, Taxi can’t help much, and I suspect that desribes a large percentage of the musicians in this country who just want to be successful as they are today with the music they have already written.
I sincerely hope this helps. Really I do!
~Allen
Hi Kylie
How would you like to come to the RAXI Road Rally in LA from Nov 5-8th as my guest (no charge to you)? Then you could see for yourself what’s possible with this organization. (And no, I don’t get paid for saying this– I’m just a regular member there.) But I do know that TAXI is legit.
So how about it? Want to come to their Rally this year on me? I think you’d be surprised at the number of opportunities that you’ll find for your music at just one of these events. (Read more about the Rally here: http://www.taxi.com/rally) I went to a Rally years ago (I was also a skeptic), and I then decided to give TAXI a try. I’m glad I did. (I would have written to you at your website, but you didn’t list any, and your link went to a dead page.) Good luck to you!
dude, I am soooo trying out taxi when I have money again! I looked into them years ago but was too poor then too! still, Ive tried all sorts of self promo and gotten little gain. Hope to sign up soon!
Note to Taxi:
Your defense is spirited, but it rings false because it was clearly written at your behest by a professional copywriter. You should not do this! If you truly want to defend your business, honesty is the best policy. As a copywriter myself, I know the temptation to deliver just the right words in just the right way, but you have to be careful. And when your back is against the wall, as it is here, speak from the heart, not from your agency or pool of freelance writers. Oh, if you do call in the pros, say so! One last thing: this comment of yours reads exactly like all the ads you run and emails you send and while this approach might be working for you, it no longer works for me. Just my two cents, nothing against you guys.
Jeff
http://www.cerebellumblues.com
Thanks for the compliments, Jeff. I know several of the posters here, and they will be complimented too. Check out the links to our websites (click on our name), and you can see what we really do in our lives.
I like Taxi and I don’t think it’s a scam. After being a member for a year and getting a few forwards I asked the question. “What percentage of Taxi members actually get a deal?”
I hear a lot of the success stories but I thought it was a pertinent question and the answer would help me make a decision about renewing. Nobody ever got back to me with an answer.
I’ve been a professional musician for many years and have made a few deals through other means and see the value of a company like Taxi. But, perhaps it’s not for everyone. It very much depends upon what genre you are writing for and how good you are at producing a professional sounding recording. Demo quality in general doesn’t work.
Today my membership expired.
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