Placements on German TV and Univision
Andre Stepanian – Vancouver, BC, CANADA
Andre reached out to let us know, “My second and third placements have been quite exciting. My track, ‘Walking in Circles,’ found its way into a German TV show titled, 37 Leben, and my second track, ‘Acoustic Trails,’ earned a spot on the Univision Teletón USA 2023 episode, La Rosa de Guadalupe. Thanks to TAXI for these opportunities!
These are my second and third placements since I joined TAXI back in 2018. Both tracks resulted from successful forwards through TAXI, leading to meaningful relationships with two major companies. I've gone on to sign more tracks with these publishers since then. While I'm now signing tracks more regularly with libraries, I still maintain the practice of submitting to TAXI listings, consistently. This approach helps me stay connected with new companies, increase my number of forwards, and hopefully secure more placements.
Experiencing my first placement just before the 2023 TAXI Road Rally rekindled the excitement, proving that the thrill of seeing my music placed will never get old. Thank you, TAXI, for all you have done and continue to do; your support motivates me to work harder and reinforces the belief that success in this industry is truly possible.”
Congratulations, Andre! Your patience and hard work are really starting to pay off, and we can’t wait to hear about even more placements as they roll in! Please keep us posted as they happen.
Hundreds of placements on CMT, MTV, VH1, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, and many more
Forrest Bibbee – Waverly, TN USA
Forrest sent an email letting us know this; “I consider myself fortunate to have joined TAXI back in 2001. It took about four or five years to secure my first placement, but that single forward turned into a meaningful relationship with a production music library in Los Angeles. Over the course of several years, my songs found their way into hundreds of films and TV shows from The Office to Friday Night Lights, HBO’s Real Sex, Showtime’s Weeds, the 2012 Lionsgate horror film The Possession, and Lifetime movie Unanswered Prayers. I also wrote and produced most of the soundtrack to the film Palo Pinto Gold with Trent Willmon. My songs have been used by CMT, MTV, VH1, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, TBS, HGTV, Travel, PBS, Audience, Science, TRUTV, Discovery, Women’s Entertainment, Green Channel, LOGO TV, Animal Planet, Lifetime, and many more.
Even with hundreds of placements under my belt, I eagerly anticipate each new batch of TAXI’s Industry Listings. If I have something that fits, I'll submit it. If I don't, I don't waste my time or the publisher’s time. The key to my success is ensuring the song fits the request.
I'll admit, I faced disappointment in the first few years, thinking I had the perfect song for the listing, only to be rejected after reading the critique. However, I felt like I was still on the right track. So just because it doesn't happen [at first] or gets rejected, don't give up! The same song that was initially rejected found its place in the Kyra Sedgwick major motion picture The Possession after I recorded it again with a better mix, improved vocals, and added a slide guitar part. Listen to the critique, don't get discouraged, and keep honing the art of songcraft.
TAXI opened a door that led to thousands of dollars in royalties, not only for my catalog but also for my father's (Tim Bezy) catalog. He passed away in 2009 before having a chance to cash his first big royalty check since the ’70s. His dormant catalog was revived because of TAXI. My dad went to heaven knowing that his music was being heard by millions of people through TV shows like Friday Night Lights which used a few of his songs. I can't thank Michael and TAXI enough, just for that alone!”
Wow, Forrest, what an incredible story! Thank you for sharing it. We’re so happy for you and your late father! May he rest in peace, and with a big smile on his face. Congratulations, and please keep us in the loop as more and more great placements come in. And, we think it’s very cool that you’re also a producer at Loretta Lynn’s recording studio in Hurricane Mills, TN. It doesn’t get much cooler than that!
Placed a Jazz track in a Feature Film
Ariel Cubria Vichot – London, England
Ariel reports, “Some of the best news I received for Christmas this year was that my instrumental Smooth Jazz track, ‘Caress’ was selected to be included in the feature film, The A-Frame, that will be released this year. I got this opportunity through a TAXI listing.
I’ve been in TAXI for three years, where I have learned to compose in styles I haven't tried before. I got many rejections at the beginning, but at the moment, there are more forwards, and I can report several Music Library deals and some placements.
The best thing about TAXI is that it helps me to keep the motivation to write music, and the variety of the listings invites me to experiment with different styles. When I approach a music library directly, I am never sure if they need the kind of music I offer, but that's not the case with a TAXI listing.”
Congrats Ariel, please let us know when the film comes out, and where we can see it!
One TAXI forward led to five pieces signed
Brehnan Miller – Louisville, KY USA
Here’s a nice update from Brehnan. “After nearly three years of working and developing my compositional abilities, and with the help of many hours of TAXI TV episodes, I had a piece forwarded to a Production Music Library for a TAXI listing that was looking for Orchestral Political Campaign instrumentals.
I submitted two; one was forwarded, and I was almost immediately contacted by the library owner. He liked the piece and wanted to sign it, and also asked if I had more. So, I took the critique for the one that was not forwarded, made the recommended adjustments, and ultimately, that piece of music was accepted as well.
Furthermore, the library had several other listings that I had already been working on and planned to submit to through TAXI. However, I was able to send those directly to the library. So, one submission has now led to 5 pieces signed to the library! I also collaborated with another composer for a split of the writer's share. This week I received an email from a second library owner who wants to sign another track that I submitted around the same time I sent in the aforementioned tracks.
After nearly three years of work and persistence, I’m finally on the next step toward generating revenue with my music. Studying the information available on TAXI TV and through the various books recommended by TAXI, I feel prepared to work in this industry and to deliver what the libraries want and need. Next year I will finally be in a position to go to the Road Rally, which I believe will be an even bigger step up for me and will likely lead to more deals.
Thank you to everyone at TAXI for all that you do to help composers and musicians meet their goals and succeed!”
Congrats, Brehnan! It sounds like you’re doing all the right things, and they’re starting to pay off! Please let us know if any of those pieces get used during the election season that’s now in full swing!
Placements on NBA TV and 30 tracks signed
Jeff Hargrove – Dacula, GA, USA
Here’s an awesome bit of news from Jeff! “Hi, I just wanted to take a moment and make sure I thank TAXI for an awesome 2023! This year I signed with three music libraries through various forwards, and there is one in particular I would like to tell you about. I received a forward and about six months later a library reached out asking about the cue. That cue was already signed with another library and had already made it to air.
As Michael and many of his guests on TAXI TV always recommend, I advised the library I could create a similar track and sent it to them for consideration. They liked it, asked me to write an album. They also asked if I had any more material. I sent them several cues and they signed over 30 of them! Many of those cues were forwards from other TAXI listings, and had it not been for TAXI they would have not been written.
So far, I have released five albums with the library and my cue, “Baller Bounce,” is being played consistently on NBA TV. I know some people think that TAXI doesn't work, but take it from me, it does!”
Congratulations, Jeff! That’s a great story, and please let us know as more of those tracks get placements. We can’t wait to hear!
One vintage ’80s song signed and another pending
Rick Briskin – Encino, CA USA
Here’s a cool report from Rick! “After seeing a listing on TAXI for songs recorded in the 1980s (ala Pat Benatar, etc.), I submitted two unreleased songs from my back catalog that I thought were appropriate. The listing company loved them both, and they’ve already signed one (‘Back on My Feet Again’), and another one (‘You Always Know What to Say,’ which was co-written with Irene Cara and Gail Boggs) will be finalized, upon approval from Irene’s estate.
I like that TAXI gives me the opportunity to present songs that might have been missed the first time they were recorded! Second time around is the charm. TAXI’s opportunities always have lots of styles to choose from, so I’m always looking for new listings!”
That’s great news, Rick, congratulations. The company you’ve signed with is one of the very best, so please let us know when those songs get licensed for TV shows or films.
Signed a 1990's-style Grunge track
Bradley Hagen – Carlsbad, CA USA
Bradley let us know, “I’m a new member who just signed up in October, and I did attend the Road Rally. I have submitted a bunch of previous tracks and have received a bunch of returns since I was NOT writing to the brief and just trying to pass off older tracks! (Common rookie mistakes, I know.) However, TAXI’s listing #S231128RG was looking for 1990’s Grunge-style material, so I found an old track from 1994 that was re-recorded in 2016 and submitted as is, and it was forwarded. I signed the track last week to a Non-Exclusive, Sync Only Deal. I keep 100% of Writers and Publishers Share, Sub Publisher gets 50% of the sync fee, Main Publisher and I split the other 50%.
I look at this as just a start, and I am continuing to write and submit and learn the sync/music library business as I go!
What I like the most about TAXI is the community. I have met all sorts of great and helpful folks at the Rally and on the Forums. What I like the least is the vague nature of the briefs…. One almost has to be a mind reader to understand what is needed! Lol”
Congrats, Bradly! If you need help understanding a particular listing, please feel free to call us, and ask our Head Screener for clarification. We’re here to help!
8 songs signed, resulting from a TAXI compilation
Marilyn P. Hall – San Antonio, TX USA
Marilyn wrote to tell us, “I’m a long-time TAXI member and I write in quite a variety of genres. Recently, I submitted my song, ‘A Prayer for Amazing Grace,’ to a TAXI listing asking for Country songs for a compilation being sent directly to many of TAXI’s industry clients.
My song was one of those selected for the compilation, and one of the sync companies contacted me and subsequently signed it. They also gave me an open invitation to send any other songs I wanted to submit to them. So, in all, I have publishing contracts with them on eight of my songs, including the initial song on the TAXI compilation.
A record number of Pop and Country songs were forwarded in 2023 for myself and a co-writer.
My favorite thing about TAXI is the support it gives its members through its annual conference, the Road Rally, as well as the variety of opportunities and the amount of sync opportunities available through TAXI.”
Congratulations, Marilyn! Eight songs signed from being on a TAXI compilation might be some sort of record. Please let us know when those songs start to get some placements on TV shows or films!
3 deals signed, and 3 more pending
John N. Granet – Palm Springs, CA USA
John writes, “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to ‘brag’ about what I’ve accomplished in 2023 – a great year!!! Especially during the last two months. I’ve signed three contracts and three pending contracts (which will be completed in 2024) in the past two months. All of my success has been due to submissions via TAXI. I couldn’t accomplish these opportunities without TAXI.
The three contracts were signed with three different well-known companies. In 2022, one of my instrumentals received a forward, but the client didn’t sign until 2023. As Michael [Laskow] always says, ‘Don’t expect them to jump on it immediately when they receive music sent to them.’
I had 21 forwards in 2023, so I hope to hear from those companies in the near future. I have three pending contracts that will be signed in 2024 from forwards I got in 2023. So, keep plugging away. You never know when your music will be reviewed and accepted.
After attending three TAXI Road Rallies, I’ve learned a very important lesson; know your genres and submit to listings that will reflect your skills and expertise. Each year I learn something new, and at the last Rally, I realized that I need to use more adjectives in my titles to ‘entice’ the clients to listen to my music. Without TAXI, I would still be ‘floundering’ and trying to find my niche in commercial music. I thank TAXI for all of my success.”
Congratulations, John. It sounds like you’ve taken the advice given on TAXI TV and the Road Rally, and it’s really starting to bring results. Here’s to some placements and more signings in the New Year!
New placements on Lifetime and Bravo
Jeff LaPlant - South Hadley, MA, USA –
Here are a couple of great new placements Jeff nailed down, recently! “My most recent placements include Married at First Sight (Lifetime) and Real Housewives of Miami (Bravo). I am now approaching 200 placements on networks like Bravo, HGTV, History, OWN, CBS, MTV, Netflix, A+E, and many more. I have over 450 cues signed to 16 different libraries all over the globe, eight of which were direct results of TAXI forwards. Thank you for all that you do to help aspiring composers achieve their dreams.”
Congratulations, Jeff! You’re on quite a roll, and you’ve proved that hard work and focus leads to lots of music signed and placed.
Placements on Amazon, PBS, and ABC
Susan Hillman - Boulder, CO, USA
Here’s the latest from Susan Hillman, “Regarding my latest placement on the Amazon Original Series, De Viaje con los Verdez. It started with my first publishing deal in 2019 from a TAXI forward to a music library. I have been enjoying a nice long relationship with that music library.
My music was also used on Lucky Chow Food Show on PBS and Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC as a result of signing with this company. TAXI is a unique and wonderful organization that helped launch my production of music for sync!”
Thanks for that awesome update, and congratulations on those placements, Susan!
A TAXI forward resulted in royalties
Dean Krommydas - Oxford, CT, USA
We got this super nice note from Dean! “I just wanted to take a moment and thank you for connecting me with a great music licensing company. Through a forward from TAXI, I signed an instrumental named, ‘Banner of Action’ with that company last year (2022) and have received royalties from it this year. I have also recently signed five more tracks with them and am confident it will lead to good things.
I know you may have heard this before, but since I signed up with TAXI, I've noticed significant improvements in my craft (thank you, screeners) and business sense through the numerous helpful resources and people who are part of your community.
Like everyone, I have a lot of responsibilities to tend to, but I look forward to continuing to balance my musical endeavors with TAXI and working directly with music libraries. I love and appreciate the flexibility TAXI gives you to lean on them between taking on other musical endeavors or whatever else life might throw at you. Besides providing powerful opportunities to get your music into the hands of the right people, TAXI is comprised of a valuable community of professionals and resources that can quickly bring you up to speed and keep you there if you allow it. They've got their finger on the pulse of the music industry, and there is great attention given to business acumen. I've also noticed improvements and versatility in my writing and production skills for both media and film. TAXI provides services above and beyond making connections and helps keep you honest with yourself, focused, and on top of your game. I also love that they genuinely encourage people and want to see you succeed.”
Thanks Dean, and congratulations! We’re so happy that you’re taking in all that TAXI offers. Please let us know about any future placements!!
Placement in an Eddie Murphy film
Eliza Pope - Toronto, Canada
Eliza reports that she just had a song in the feature film, Candy Cane Lane, on Amazon Prime, starring Eddie Murphy as a direct result of a forward from listing S230813VP. She told us, “I saw a TAXI listing for a Valentine’s Day song and thought, ‘Hey, why not, I’ve never tried that!’ I never thought I would end up in a movie, let alone a #1 movie on Amazon Prime! This was actually my first deal through TAXI (I’ve been a member for just over one year), so I’m eager to keep working and not make it my last placement.
TAXI has been a total awakening to a side of music I never imagined was within reach. I see how much my songwriting, arranging, and performing chops have improved in such a short time, and I love getting to flex muscles and build skills in areas of music I was never really exposed to before. I’ve also met some wonderful collaborators who are already making me a better musician. It feels like the sky's the limit, and that’s very, very exciting!”
Wow, Eliza, that’s a great first placement! Congratulations, and thanks for letting us know about it. Here’s to many more!!
Placement in a UPS Store TV commercial
Ove Schei - Stokmarkne, Norway
Ove is back with another placement in a TV commercial to tell us about! “So, another cool placement that I got recently. A Christmas TV commercial for the UPS Store!
2023 has been a huge step for me with placements in TV commercials for Vodafone, National Bank of Greece, and now, UPS. The very same publisher that landed my deals with Vodafone and National Bank of Greece, reached out again. This time he needed music for two Christmas spots for the UPS Store. Getting a relationship with a publisher surely pays off :)
I delivered some tracks for the two spots, and thought nothing would come out of it as the weeks flew by. Suddenly, the publisher sent me an email starting with, ‘Hey Ove! Good news …’
So, they wanted to use one of the tracks for one of their spots.
The publisher told me they wanted some changes to make the track sit better with the video. I haven’t got a clue how many revisions, edits, versions that were sent off during those couple of weeks, but it was a lot. Then, there was another period of waiting.
I finally got an email from the publisher letting me know that they had used my track in the commercial! And that was it. It took a few days for it to sink in, and yes, I’m thrilled about this one.
Needless to say, but of course I got in touch with this publisher through a TAXI listing some years ago. I’d like to add that whatever situation I drop into with publishers and such, Michael [Laskow] has touched on it on TAXI TV. If you haven’t been watching TAXI TV, go to TAXI’s channel on YouTube and start digging in. You won’t regret it. I know I don’t.
Anyway – I better go now. There’s a lot of music to be made and landing some deals is for sure inspirational. And of course, getting a nice chunk of dollars in my PayPal account the other day was a sweet Christmas surprise too. Again, thanks to Michael and the staff at TAXI. I wouldn’t have made these deals without you!”
Heartfelt congratulations, Ove! As you’ve often said, it’s pretty amazing that a composer from a small town in Norway is landing some really nice placements in big American TV commercials. We’re very happy for you, and thanks for always letting us know about these terrific placements.
Signed a deal for Election Orchestral cues
Craig Gilroy - Barcelona, Spain
“I just wanted to say a massive thank you and let you know that my submission for listing S231021LY, posted by TAXI, where their client was looking for well composed, political orchestral instrumentals to be used for the 2024 U.S. election, is getting signed with a top-notch production music library and I could not be happier! I’ve submitted another piece of a similar style, and it looks like that’s going through too.
I promptly received an email directly from the music library mere minutes after TAXI had advised me that they were forwarding my piece to their client. From there I was asked if it was still available to be exclusively signed to them and if I had any more in the same style. Honestly, I was in such shock about getting my first acceptance after five prior forwards, I hadn't even considered producing anything else.
Having tuned into some of the TAXI TV YouTube videos, I recalled an important titbit mentioned by Greg Carrozza during one of his more recent interviews with Michael, where they were discussing the topics of forwards, correct email etiquette and professionalism when corresponding with Music Supervisors, Libraries, etc.
I therefore replied to the company with, ´I don´t currently, however, I can get to work on that right away and have something for you in the coming days, if that's acceptable?’ I stayed true to my word and sent my second piece.
Currently, we are in the process of finalizing all the paperwork needed to complete the deal, but I feel a lot more optimistic for the future and that all the time and money invested in this crazy idea of getting my little ol´ homemade compositions to actually have a purpose and a use, was more than worth it. I cannot thank TAXI enough for providing these opportunities and routes to market that I otherwise wouldn't have had the foggiest, nor the skills to do alone.
I am also really excited to begin to build a longstanding and solid business relationship with the music library, and look forward to fulfilling upcoming listings with them. That said, I’m certainly not walking away from TAXI, quite the contrary!
My experience over the last three years with TAXI has been foundational and I cannot stress enough the importance of reading the brief thoroughly and multiple times. There is also a wealth of knowledge and experience found in the Forum from some frankly, wonderfully humble people, that just want to help you succeed. Also, the pearls of wisdom found within the TAXI TV YouTube videos have proven to be invaluable and should be taken full advantage of and learned from.
So in summary (and before I even bore myself with this short essay), if you are new to the game and feel like giving up, or maybe having doubts about renewing your membership with TAXI, I´ll say this tentatively and with the lingering fear of a possible copyright infringement, JUST…..DO……IT, and don´t be a ´Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda´ person.”
But we loved this essay, Craig! Congratulations on signing with that excellent company, and here’s to many more signings and placements!
Signed 6 Sports Rock pieces
Tim Walker - Tampa, FL, USA
Tim posted about a great connection he made at the Road Rally last November, “I signed four songs from connections I made at the Road Rally 2023. I met a music library owner at the Road Rally. He was saying he had the immediate need for ‘sports rock’ type things, and this is exactly what style I’ve been writing in. We exchanged contact information and I sent him a playlist when I got home, and he was prompt in getting back to me with what songs he wanted. Since I made that post, he’s picked up two new songs as well. I’ve now got a total of six songs signed. I’m fairly new to TAXI, but I can say The Road Rally is an incredible opportunity for learning and networking.”
Congratulations, Tim! We’re very happy that you found the networking at the Road Rally to be as productive as we often say it is. And hats off to you for coming to the Rally as a new member! So many people wait for years, and then regret not doing it years sooner!
Signed with his 10th and 11th companies
Chris Moser - Riggisbergg, Berne, Switzerland
Chris Moser is on a roll! Here’s the latest from him: “Contract No. 10, thanks to a TAXI forward! A company reached out to me after a track in a modern Hip-Hop style got forwarded. Unfortunately, the forwarded track was already signed by another company since the library took quite some time to contact me after the forward. Nonetheless, I was able to sign some older tracks with them that were sitting on my hard disk from previous forwards that never got picked up. They also sent me a bunch of briefs for new material, which is cool and is the start of a new relationship. So, thanks again, TAXI, for paving the road to my now 10th contract.
BTW, through a friendship that developed through a TAXI connection, I was, in the meantime, able to sign my 11th contract. So, I will not run out of work in the near future! Warm regards to all of you at the TAXI HQ! Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy, and successful New Year.”
Congrats on both of those, Chris, and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family as well!
Road Rally resulted in getting signed!
Michael Leeman - Chapel Hill, Australia
Michael reports, “I traveled from Australia recently to attend my first Road Rally, and this trip included a brief and memorable Californian holiday with my wife beforehand. This was our first visit to the USA.
About six months ago, I bought a good quality classical guitar, and after a long break I began working to regain technique. This eventually encouraged me to have a go at writing some original classical and Spanish guitar music. A music library owner who attended the Road Rally liked the two Flamenco-ish style tracks which he listened to in a RR mentor session, and another track since then, and has now offered a deal! He also asked me how many more similar tracks I could provide him with in the next three months. Would you believe it?! I would say that if I hadn’t made the effort to attend the Rally, the above would not have happened.”
Congratulations, Michael! It sounds like your trip to the Road Rally was well worth the effort!
Got a placement on France 5
Bob Gardner - Akron, OH, USA
Bob reports, “In 2021, I had a swamp rock instrumental cue forwarded to a prominent production music library. They signed that track and I subsequently ended up doing two complete albums for them. From one of those albums, an album of Chicago blues-style instrumentals, two tracks were placed on a show that aired on a TV station called France 5. One cue was used for its entire length of 2:30!
I had a co-writer on those tracks, a gentleman I initially met through TAXI. At last year's TAXI Road Rally music conference — I was unable to afford this year's, unfortunately — I met a person whom I have collaborated with a great deal. We’ve signed a vocal song with another well-known company, whose owner I met at the Eat & Greet Luncheon at the Road Rally in 2022, as well as some instrumental tracks with yet another Los Angeles-based music licensing company.
My accomplishments thus far are rather insignificant when compared to those of some of TAXI’s long-time members, but they’re important to me, and it’s hard to imagine that I would have accomplished anything had I not become a TAXI member. TAXI has enabled me to learn what the industry wants, how to produce it, put me in touch with like-minded collaborators, and ultimately has helped me sign deals that have gotten me some of the first of, what I hope will be, many, many placements.”
Congratulations, Bob! Those are all great companies and we’re happy to hear that you’re starting to get some placements! By the way, getting an entire cue used is really rare, so congrats on that as well!
Michael Richard Hendrix, Ashland City, TN, USA, had a bunch of songs signed quickly
Michael wrote to tell us about a very quick response and signing. “TAXI forwarded two of my songs to a music library on 10/18/23. The library reached out to me on 10/19/23, via email, to see if the songs had been signed yet, and they hadn’t been. So the music library took the opportunity to sign them immediately! TAXI made a perfect connection for me with this library that I would have never found any other way. It's a wonderful week, thanks to TAXI!
The company also sent me their current briefs to see if I could submit songs for any of their other listings. I have sent them 10 songs over the last couple of weeks, and all were signed. This has turned out to be a very good match for me, especially since I’m signing on with my first music library. I am thankful for the connection, which I could only have gotten through TAXI.”
Congrats, Michael! We love it when things come together so quickly and so fruitfully! Keep us updated as those songs land some placements.
Gene Orphanopoulos - Monterey, CA, USA
Gene sent in this great news, “My first sync placement happened through a TAXI Listing from a Music Library that signed my song, ‘Sweet Infatuation.’ It was placed on the MotorTrend Channel show, Car Fix, which used 37 seconds of my instrumental version.
In the first year after joining TAXI in 2019, I had a number of Forwards that led to three Music Library deals. I landed three deals for three different songs. The first one was for ‘Keep on Believin,’’ which was signed by a very successful company after its CEO screened it during a TAXI TV episode. Then, ‘Shake It All Up’ was signed with yet another company via a TAXI submission. And finally, ‘Sweet Infatuation’was signed with another high-end company through TAXI, and ultimately landed a placement on the MotorTrend Channel, as I mentioned.
What I love about TAXI is that every day I can open my email and expect to see three possible opportunities where my songs can be used in the industry with a detailed brief and reference tracks to compare my pieces with. Even if one of my songs gets returned by TAXI’s A&R team, I still really appreciate the feedback I get from them as it helps me to look at my songs in a new way. I also enjoy the TAXI TV shows on YouTube, the helpful nature of all the staff, and the community of TAXI members.
From a business perspective, it's well worth the price to move my career forward. One placement could give me the ROI that I’m looking for and much more. Thanks for all you do at TAXI, especially to Michael for his passion and drive to continue supporting Indie Artists, and providing us with a way to earn income through TAXI Music.”
Congratulations, Gene! You’ve signed with three really good companies, and nothing is sweeter than your first placement! Please keep us in the loop as you get more of them!
DxDx - Carrollton, TX, USA
We got this enthusiastic report from DxDx, “TAXI! Hello, hello! So excited to share I just landed two deals in one week for four songs, thanks to TAXI! My message to all is to never give up hope! Plant the seeds, water your garden, and it will grow! This is my sixth batch of deals of the year and I’m only getting started!
I love building upon the feedback I receive from TAXI. There are great opportunities that allow you to thrive, and the tools that TAXI gives you helps you grow your artistry and your music career! Thank you and I hope to be sending in more stories soon! Ahhh! So thankful!”
Congratulations! We love your enthusiasm! Let us know when you sign more deals and the placements start rolling in!
Delwin Eiland - Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Delwin wrote to tell us this: “Thanks to TAXI, I just signed my first song deal with a Music Publisher and Licensing company! Back in July, I spotted a brief for an original Christmas song with an R&B feel. Fortunately, I already had a song written and arranged in my music library. The challenge was that it wasn't radio-ready. I had submitted the song, ‘Give My Love,’ back in 2022, and it was returned to me. So, when this brief came around, I decided to revisit the song, reproduce the track, recut all the vocals, and give it a solid mix. The result was a recording that I was proud enough to submit. I submitted it for the listing and got a forward (on a Friday).
The following Tuesday, I received an email from a Publishing Company raving about the song and asking if I had any more. I was able to sign ‘Give My Love’ to the company and compose another Christmas song for their catalog. Fingers crossed for placements to come!
I've been a songwriter for many years, but would mostly collaborate to get the production done. Then I decided to bring my musical visions to life on my own. TAXI has been a game-changer for my record producing. So far, I've had a little over a dozen forwards. The feedback I receive from the TAXI’s A&R screeners almost always leads me back to fine-tuning the details of a good record to make it into a great one. To transition from multiple ‘this sounds dated’ bits of feedback to being included on one of TAXI’s Compilations was a huge personal win for me. The TAXI TV episodes on YouTube are awesome and informative as well. Big love to Michael and the entire TAXI fam!”
That’s great news, Delwin. And we really like that they asked you to compose a second Christmas song for them! Nice going!!
Bernd Voss - Sanlúcar la Mayor, Sevilla, Spain
We just got this nice email from Bernd. “Thank you, TAXI! I just signed six tracks to a music library because of one forward from TAXI. Thanks a lot. I submitted one song to a TAXI listing for happy instrumentals for children’s programming (S230808LD), and it was forwarded to the music library by TAXI’s A&R team.
When the company contacted me, I sent them a link to where they could hear my catalog, and they had another project going on where some of my other tracks could fit in. They ended up signing six songs in total. Last year, I signed 10 songs with a different music library from just one TAXI forward.
What I love most about TAXI is how you actively find lots of great opportunities, because I am better at writing for briefs than making up songs. Also, the community is very helpful and friendly.
I would love to attend this year’s Road Rally, but I live in Seville, Spain. That's 15-20 hours of travel time. No fun! I love LA, though. Studied and recorded there in the ’90s. Have a great Rally! Thanks for your great work!”
Well, thank you, Bernd, for letting us know about these deals and congratulations! Also, we have a few dozen members that fly to the Rally from Europe, Asia, and South America, and they all tell us that it was more than worth the effort ;-) Don’t miss it next year!
Peter Steege - Southampton, UK
We just got this awesome note from Pete!
“Hi Michael and the TAXI team,
Just a note to say that I’ve signed another deal with a new music library courtesy of a TAXI orchestral listing, so I'm looking forward to a productive 2024!
Recently, I submitted a track for an Uplifting Classical Instrumentals listing (S230927CN), resulting in a successful deal with a new (to me) music licensing company. This comes on top of some other recent successes, including a deal courtesy of a TAXI compilation.
I was contacted by the new music library a few days after receiving the forward notification, signed the deal, and now look forward to forming a great working relationship with this music library.
The direct and constructive feedback provided by the TAXI A&R screeners, along with the insights from TAXI TV, have proven invaluable, and the diverse range of TAXI’s listings allows me to stretch my creative boundaries.
My gratitude goes out to TAXI, Michael, and the team – and of course, to the TAXI community – without which these deals may have never happened.”
Great to hear from you again, Pete, and congratulations on those deals! We’re grateful to have members like you and thanks for mentioning the TAXI community. The members who have become a part of the TAXI community benefit from it in so many ways.
Donald Hawkins - Spokane, WA, USA
Here’s a note about a deal, and an interesting observation about the recent actors’ and writers’ strikes. “We just got contacted by a music licensing company in Hollywood resulting from a TAXI forward from February. We are Hawkins-MacNeill, a songwriting/recording duo with a 40-year history, going back to the early 1980s as co-leaders of a successful, all-original band in Sacramento, CA, our hometown. We submitted a song to TAXI back in February and we were contacted by the music licensing company on October 30. We sent the piece in with a full-mix version, an instrumental-mix version, and with vocal stems, as requested.
This is our first industry deal. We hope to have many more, as we have just yesterday renewed for our second year with your service. Aside from the sometimes painful, but always useful critiques, we like the low cost of entry most of all. We don’t intentionally write for movies/TV, but often our songs are a good enough fit to submit — at five bucks a shot it’s always worth a try.
We decided that due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes that lasted most of 2023, it would be unfair of us not to renew. The industry moves slowly, and the strikes obviously brought everything to a standstill, but now we are hopeful for many more forwards and deals.”
Darren Glover - Stockport, Cheshire, UK
“I did a year with TAXI in 2020 with a good number of forwards, but didn't make any connections with libraries, etc., at that time. Last month, I renewed my membership and have submitted to two listings, both of which immediately landed me deals with two separate music libraries. Thanks, TAXI!
My latest deal came from directly writing for the provided brief. Within hours of being forwarded, the CEO of the music library contacted me. We completed contractual formalities over the coming days and set about the submissions process. I am now composing more music for this music library and hope to deliver a new album in three weeks.
The month prior to this, I landed a deal with another music library (specifically writing for their brief). I have since provided them with another album of 10 tracks that are now placed there. I rejoined TAXI this year with a mindset of nailing the briefs as much as I am able. The feedback is short, but precise, which really helps, and the listings are wide and varied. I really enjoy being a part of TAXI and hope to continue to grow my recent successes through TAXI.”
That’s great news, Darren! Very cool that you were able to get more tracks signed after the initial contact with each of the companies. And you’re very smart to write to the TAXI listings, rather than pitching music you’ve already got in the can!