There’s a reason Robin Frederick always packs the ballroom at our conference each year, and gets great reviews when she joins me on TAXI TV—she researches what the rest of us don’t have time to, and then gives advice that’s straightforward, easy-to-follow, and many would even say, life-changing.

At least, songwriters and artists say that, lol.

If you’re new to TAXI, new to our email list, or you’ve never seen Robin on TAXI TV or at the Road Rally, then you’re about to see why she’s achieved “guru” status among songwriters and artists all over the world.

There's so much information, disinformation, and countless opinions on the future of music in the shadow of generative AI that it's virtually impossible to keep up with it all. I try, but long-time TAXI member, indie musician, composer, and producer Paul Croteau does a far better job than I do.

Paul has what some might call an "obsession" with gathering facts before he forms his opinions, so I listen carefully to what he has to say.

In other words, he's done the heavy lifting, so the rest of us don't have to!

If you'd like to become far better informed about AI as it relates to the music industry, you really don't want to miss this episode! Actually, if you create music, I don't think you can afford to not watch it. Paulie is a very smart, well-informed person, and you'll be much better informed having heard what he's got to say.

I hope your holidays have been warm and inspiring. With 2026 right around the corner, now is the perfect time to reset, refocus, and talk about New Year’s resolutions for musicians that can actually move your music career forward.

We'll break down practical ideas and habits for independent artists and songwriters navigating today’s music industry. It’s a long list, so don’t try to do everything. Instead, choose the resolutions that fit where you are right now, and that can create the biggest momentum in the year ahead.

Whether your goals are writing better songs, pitching more strategically, understanding the music business, or building a sustainable career, these industry tips are meant to help you make smarter moves in 2026.

If you’re serious about your growth as an artist, there’s a lot here to take with you into the new year.

It's been a while since we've done an "Ask Michael Anything" on TAXI TV, so that's exactly what we're going to do on today's show! Ask me anything about TAXI, engineering & production (from the mics and wires aspect), or the music licensing business, and I'll do my best to give straight-ahead, helpful answers.

Btw, I was at a session at the Foo Fighters' private studio a few days ago and had my mind blown! I'm going to tell you all about that and show you some photos of the control room, live room, guitar amps, and especially the vintage Neve recording console Dave Grohl bought from the legendary Sound City studio when it closed its doors.

Other stuff I'll be talking about...

Want to know how many tracks you really need before music libraries take you seriously? I get that question all the time, and frankly, the answer will surprise you! And, I’m going to tell you today.

These are the types of questions I’ll be happy to answer, and anything else you’ve got! Viewers love these episodes, and I always have fun doing them.

There are so many ways to get paid for your work in the age of digital music that I admit I’m confused as to who exactly pays what. One thing I do know is that the people who attended the presentation by the MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective) at this year’s TAXI Road Rally were SO glad they went!

They were so grateful that I’ve invited one of the MLC’s executives (Dae Bogan, Head of Third-Party Partnerships) to join us on this week’s TAXI TV. He’s great at explaining why you really could have money just sitting there waiting for you, and what you can do to collect it!

I know… the cynic in me used to think that sounds too good to be true, but not since I did my homework and found out that it’s completely true! It would be really sad to miss out on collecting money your music has already earned for you just because you didn’t know how easy it is to collect it.

In this case, ignorance is not bliss!

Join Dae and me for this "Do Not Miss" episode! He's really smart, highly informed, and has some very interesting thoughts on how musicians might get compensated in the AI era of music. I think those ideas and concepts might be outside of what we can learn about how the MLC works during the show, but they're so intriguing, I'm going to press him to talk about them, anyway!

Hollywood Score Composer and Film Producer Brian Ralston is one of the most well-informed and articulate people I’ve met during my 50 years in the music business. He’s so clear-headed about so many aspects of the music and film industries that I did a solo interview with him at this year’s Road Rally—our annual conference.

Brian didn’t disappoint! The people in the ballroom felt like they had learned something important. Things they normally don’t think about because they’re usually focused on the music much more than their career.

Because he was so good, I’ve decided to do something I’ve rarely done after the Road Rally—I’ve invited Brian to reprise what we did on stage last month, but this time we’re doing it live on TAXI TV!

During my 33 years as the CEO of TAXI, the Holy Grail I’ve been relentlessly searching for has been that “thing” that makes some composers, producers, songwriters, and artists successful, while others never achieve their goals. What is the “secret sauce?” Why some and not others?

I recently ran into long-time TAXI member, Chuck Schlacter, in the hotel lobby during our annual conference—the TAXI Road Rally. We started to discuss the mindset and habits of people who are successful in the music licensing world versus those who aren’t.

What he had to say made perfect sense, so I’ve invited him to join me on TAXI TV.

My two favorite things I hear from members at our annual conference are: 1) “I went to school at Berklee, but I’ve learned more in a single weekend at the Road Rally than I learned in four years of college,” and 2) “I was certain that I was going to be let down after all your hype about the Rally, but it’s actually way better than you said it would be.”

I hear those same things every single year. It makes me scratch my head and wonder why every single TAXI member doesn’t come. Those of you who were there know exactly what I mean.

The vibe, the camaraderie, the access to industry people you just won’t find anywhere else, the networking, and the real-world education are apparently somewhat indescribable. How do I know? Because I can’t seem to find the words to convince all of our members to come.

Yet, we have members who came from Finland, Germany, France, New Zealand, Australia, the U.K., Argentina, Israel, Japan, and other faraway destinations that are a full day’s worth of travel away, and at least $1,500 for the plane ticket, and they were thrilled they made the effort.

On the other hand, we have members who live in Los Angeles and could drive to the Rally in 30 minutes or less, and they didn’t come. I just don’t get it!

Today’s TAXI TV episode is going to be dedicated to the people who came and loved the Rally. We’re going to see photos, we’re going to watch some videos, and we’re going to hear from the members who were there.

I got really excited when I recently listened to a TAXI compilation with emotionally upbeat songs for advertising on it. Why?

I heard a great example of a particular style of music that gets used all the time in TV commercials. I liked it so much that I planned on playing that particular song in the grand ballroom at our annual conference, the Road Rally, later this week.

After listening to more songs by the artist who created the track that I loved, I decided to do a TAXI TV episode during which I’ll play several songs created by this talented TAXI member.

Everything I’m going to play will have you saying, “Oh, now I get it!”

I want to surprise you with who the TAXI member is, so you’ll have to watch to find out. You’ll also get to ask her questions about how she learned to write and produce this advertising-friendly style.

That was a hint! Yes, the member is a talented young lady, and she’ll be at the Road Rally so you can meet her there. And, when you go to that page, you can grab your Road Rally Program Book for your mobile device, as well as a version you can print on your home printer.

This is going to be a very powerful episode, so don’t miss it if you’d like to make great pitches for TV commercials.

Monday’s episode of TAXI TV should be amazing! Robin Frederick is going to join us, and she’s going to tell us what her Top 10 Songwriting Hacks are.

Robin’s book, Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting, is a best-seller, and we’ve never heard anything but raves, so even I’m excited to hear what her “hacks” are. If you’re new to our email list or TAXI TV, you really don’t miss this episode.

You’ll find out why the ballroom at our conference—the Road Rally, starting November 6th—is always standing room only when Robin does one of her deep dives on songwriting each year.

I’m going to give away a copy of Robin’s amazing book during the episode on Monday, but you’ve got to watch the live broadcast on YouTube at 4 pm Pacific time to have a shot at getting a complimentary copy of this seminal book on songwriting!

Robin Frederick's Book: Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting:

https://amzn.to/48G91bA