How to Make the Most of Your Music Submissions to TAXI

By TAXI A&R Staff

Submitting your music to specific targets and filling those needs dramatically increases your chances of getting a record deal, publishing deal, or film and TV music placements. It’s similar to selling shoes in that you’re just giving the customer what they’ve asked for.

If a customer in your shoe store asked for a men’s black oxford in a size nine, you wouldn’t have him try on a brown loafer in a size eight, would you? Common sense, but you’d be surprised how many people who’d love to make it in the music business make it much harder on themselves by submitting the wrong music.

If there is one reason that so many songwriters, artists and composers have been successful using TAXI, it’s that we match the buyers’ needs with the sellers’ music.

A typical TAXI Industry Listing looks like this:

SINGER-SONGWRITERS a la Jason Mraz, Ryan Tedder, Ingrid Michaelson, Anna Nalick, etc., are wanted by the A&R Director of an Indie label imprint distributed by a Major label that is also headed by a Grammy nominated songwriter and producer. They are specifically looking for artists that have "outstanding voices, exceptional songs with melodies and lyrics that move you on an emotional level". Instrumentation and vocal performances must be top-notch! Be sure to include in your bio any experience you have had with a fanbase, touring, selling your own CDs, etc. Please submit two to three songs online or per CD, include lyrics, photo and bio. All submissions will be screened and critiqued by TAXI and must be received no later than Friday, July 24, 2009. TAXI # S090724SS

Surprisingly, a relatively high percentage of our members miss the target when submitting music to opportunities like this because they either don’t read what the listing is asking for carefully enough or they don’t know what genres and styles of music they’ve created.

And by the way, this applies to songwriters, bands, artists, and composers in all genres of music!

For those who are submitting their music without carefully reading what the listing is asking for, here’s a great first step to correcting that problem; READ the listing, don’t just scan it! Then take advantage of the referenced artists links in the listing.

People often ask if they need to sound exactly like the referenced artists. The answer is “no,” but you should try to take the range of what is referenced and see if your music fits in the range before you submit your songs.

You’d really be surprised by how much music we hear that’s really good, but can’t be sent to a record label, publisher or film/TV music supervisor because it’s simply not what they are looking for. Once again, if somebody is asking for a size nine, men’s black oxford, make sure your music submission is figuratively giving them what they’ve asked for, and your chances of success will instantly and dramatically improve!

<p class="authorcredit">TAXI is the world’s leading independent A&R company, helping independent songwriters, artists and composers submit their music to record companies, music publishers, film and TV music supervisors, and video game companies. Click here to see all of TAXI’s freshly-updated Industry Listings </p>