TAXI TV

If you were at this year’s TAXI Road Rally (our annual FREE conference), you were part of what many of the attendees are saying was the best we’ve ever produced in 28 years. We humbly agree!

There was something special in the air. Maybe it was the quality of the Ballroom Panels, the One-to-One Mentor sessions, the Eat & Greet Luncheons, the Drivers Ed breakout classes, the Sponsors, or the music industry Networking… or maybe it was all of those things. One thing for sure is that the TAXI members who come made it special.

I’ve never seen a happier, more motivated, or more excited group of attendees in all the years we’ve been gathering for the Road Rally. If you couldn’t join us, this might sound like marketing hyperbole. If you were there, you know exactly what I’m talking about! And you know that it’s not an exaggeration! Not even a little bit.

Let’s capture that lightning in a bottle…

I’m going to share a bunch of Rally photos and member comments during this week’s TAXI TV episode. A lot of them! Maybe you’ll see some shots of yourself or hear your comments read out loud.

I also have an ulterior motive for doing this episode: I want to hear from you about what YOU think made this year’s Rally so special, so we can make it even better next year! “Do more of this, or less of that,” sort of feedback is what I want to hear.

I also want people who didn’t come to hear how powerful and career-changing the Rally is because frankly, there are still a lot of members who don’t know what they’re missing. I think they’d rather hear it from the horse’s mouth, rather than the “boss’s mouth.”

As I was grabbing my notes from a table on the stage during last weekend’s TAXI Road Rally, I overheard a musician talking with a music supervisor who had just finished speaking on a panel.

The TAXI member said, “Scan my QR code and it will take you to my linktr.ee that has links to my bio, Soundcloud, Instagram, Facebook, my videos, and a bunch of other stuff.”

Without missing a beat, the music supervisor asked, “Why don’t you have a website?”

Why wouldn’t you put all of your music, photos, bio, videos, and social media all in one place? Why make it harder than it needs to be for the people who want to know about you to learn everything they can about you?

So, I invited Joseph Longo from Bandzoogle to join us for this week’s episode! He was my guest about a year ago, and he was so good at explaining all of this that I called his boss the next day to tell him how what a great job Joseph did!

Win a FREE Thirty-Minute Website Consultation with Joseph!

I’ve also asked Joseph if he would give away a consulting session with one of our viewers who either needs feedback on their existing website or wants advice on what their website should feature if they choose to build one.

TAXI’s free conference, the Road Rally starts on November 7th, so I’d like to dedicate an episode of TAXI TV to let you know what you’ll miss if you stay home and miss what people say is the best conference of its kind. I’ll also go through what we have in store for you in the way of panels, classes, mentoring, and chances to play live at the Rally!

Not to brag, but I can tell you that this year’s Rally has the best panels, classes, and mentors we’ve ever had!

Got Rally Questions?

I’ll also answer your questions about the Rally… anything and everything you might be wondering about! We want you to come prepared to make the best of this powerful weekend.

If you haven’t already registered, you can do it by clicking this link!

https://www.taxi.com/taxi-road-rally/

If You’ve Already Registered, but Haven’t Reserved Your Seat at the Eat & Greet Luncheon, click this link!

https://www.taxi.com/hosting_user_sessions/new

Win a FREE Book of Your Choice!

One lucky viewer will get to pick one of these awesome books!

Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting: by Robin Frederick: https://amzn.to/3DmmJQo

Demystifying the Cue: by Dean Krippaehne: https://amzn.to/486Auzd

Writing Production Music for TV by Steve Barden: https://amzn.to/41qUQ3i

Our viewers love it when we do the “A&R Hot Seat” episodes, and here’s why…

“Michael, I’ve learned so much from the A&R Hot Seat episodes on TAXI TV! Can you please do them more often? My music has improved quite a bit because it’s much easier to be objective when deciding what works and what doesn’t about somebody else’s music rather than my own." —Timothy Reardon

We’ve been hearing the same thing from other viewers for years!

With that in mind, on this week’s TAXI TV, we’ll be making A&R decisions to test your A&R skills and see if TAXI's A&R team is as good as I think they are ;-) Here's what we'll be judging together.

TAXI # S240922AC - INDIE POP and INDIE FOLK SONGS for (up to) $20,000 placements.

So, how does a song written twenty-one years ago end up in the #1 position on the iTunes Dance chart in multiple countries, and #18 in the U.S.?

Well, it was written by a songwriter with cuts on albums that have sold 50 million copies. He’s also had singles on Billboard’s Pop, Country, and R&B charts, and his songs have been recorded by artists including Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, the Oak Ridge Boys, K-Pop & J-Pop artists, and many more. He’s also composed the background score and songs for an Emmy-winning TV show and another that was Emmy-nominated.

From reading the above, you might think he was born talented (maybe he was), and as soon as his gift for writing hit songs was heard by a music industry executive, the floodgates opened.

Wrong! That was not the case at all, and of course, I’m speaking about hit songwriter, Jason Blume!

Jason found his success by being incredibly persistent! When he first moved to Los Angeles decades ago, he lived in a very dumpy, unsafe apartment, and literally ate cat food because that’s all he could afford!

That’s why I’ve invited him to inspire you with his story of overcoming obstacles that would send most humans running home with their tails tucked firmly between their legs.

There will be a LIVE Q&A with Jason during the last 30 minutes!

We all know that it's WHO you know, not just what you know, right? But can you honestly say that you've done everything you can to fill your little "Black Book" with music industry contacts that are key to a sustained, successful career in the music business?

How many music supervisors do you personally know?

How many production music library owners do you personally know?

How many A&R people or music publishers can you honestly say would take your call or answer your email?

And how many successful TAXI members are in your network? More importantly, how many of them include you in their network? That's where the rubber really meets the road — when you get introduced to industry executives through your fellow members who already have those all-important relationships! Collaborations can be your "magic carpet" into catalogs that TV shows and films use every day.

Why work harder, when you can simply work smarter?

Meet the Very Best Networkers I've Ever Met!

Tracey and Vance Marino are well-known in virtually every music-related community I can think of. And they have a list of contacts that would make you incredibly envious! That's probably one of the reasons they've had thousands of TV and film placements all over the world.

How Did They Make All Those Contacts?

That's exactly what I'm going to ask them on this week's TAXI TV, and if you join us for this live broadcast, you'll learn how to build up your little black book of music industry contacts too!

"But Michael, I'm not the type of person who feels comfortable talking to total strangers to introduce myself and pitch my music."

I hear ya, but there are some highly effective ways to build a powerful network without ever leaving the safety of the cozy little cocoon you call your "home studio."

Do you have questions about anything in the recording, mixing, or production realm? Great! We’ve got the perfect guy to answer them for you, live on this week’s TAXI TV!

Ronan Chris Murphy is an acclaimed music producer, engineer, and mixer, known for his versatile work across various genres. With a career spanning decades, he has collaborated with notable artists like King Crimson, Tony Levin, Steve Morse, and Terry Bozzio. Murphy is also recognized for his work in progressive rock, experimental, and world music, along with his expertise in recording techniques. Beyond his production work, he is a founder of the Recording Boot Camp, where he teaches advanced music production and recording techniques to aspiring producers.

But, to many TAXI members, Ronan is best known for his excellent mentorship and classes at our annual (free for members) conference, The TAXI Road Rally (November 7th – 10th, 2024).

If you’re reading this, you’d undoubtedly like to be thought of as a “Go-To” musician in the eyes of the “kingpins” of sync world, right?

Well, I was speaking with a TAXI member named Robina-Ritchie Barker the other day, and I was blown away by the way she looks at the sync industry. More specifically, her views on what it takes to become successful in the sync industry.

The funny thing is; the day before my conversation with Robina, we (the TAXI staff) were dealing with a situation in which one of our members had a golden opportunity but lost it in the end because he is sort of the opposite of Robina.

Now, I’m not making fun of him. I’m not calling him stupid. I’m not going to pillory him on TAXI TV. He’s very new to the sync side of the industry and just didn’t know better.

I plan to tell you the heartbreaking story (without identifying him) during this week’s episode and contrast his story with Robina’s story. Take from it what you will. I really, really hope every single TAXI member gets to watch this episode and learn the lesson that could save you from heartbreak in the context of watching a golden opportunity fly out the window, never to return.

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 straightforward and helpful answers.

Want to know what production music libraries are looking for?

I can tell you!

Want to know why Hollywood studios won't use you to score their blockbuster films?

I know the answer!

Want to know why your mixes don't sound like hit records?

I'll let you in on a little secret ;-)

Want to know where the "sweet spot" is to place a mic on an acoustic guitar?

You're going to find out!

Want to know how to mic an electric guitar amp for the best sound?

I'll fill you in!

Want to know a sure-fire way to avoid popping "P's" when recording vocals?

I'm going to show you.

Want to know how to make publishers reach out to you time and time again?

It's common sense, but many people don't do it!

Want to know how to approach an industry pro at TAXI's convention?

If you promise not to let them know who told you, I'll tell you the secret ;-)

Want to know how to avoid headphone leakage when recording vocals?

The answer is SO simple, yet almost always overlooked!

Get Your Questions Answered!

If your goal is to earn your living creating music instead of having a day job that you don’t love, then you really don’t want to miss this week’s episode of TAXI TV.

Would you like to have written this statement?

“Today, I have lost track, but hundreds of TV shows and almost 100 networks have used my music all over the world. I went from wondering how to get a piece of music in a library almost 10 years ago, to today, where I can’t keep up with all the requests I get for my music from music libraries. And I am now working with filmmakers and writing music for ads.”

I’m going to introduce you to somebody who will inspire you to the point of making it all seem possible, if not probable!

How many times in your life has anybody offered to show you how to live your dream—for FREE? That’s exactly what we’re going to do on this week’s TAXI TV. And all you have to do is show up and listen to what my surprise guest will share with you!

⏱️⏱️VIDEO CHAPTERS⏱️⏱️

0:11 - TAXI CEO Michael Laskow welcomes the audience and introduces his guest Hugo McLaughlin.

1:44 - Michael reads Hugo's letter that inspired the show.

13:06- Do you need a catalog to go to the Road Rally?

14:44 - What about people who are afraid to come to the Road Rally, what would you say to them?

19:33 - Hugo shares some thoughts about the Road Rally and what to expect.

25:29 - If you don't go to the Road Rally nothing will happen with your musical growth. Why not take a chance?

26:22 - Many people don't believe the Road Rally will help and do not come.

27:44 - Hugo says seeing the TAXI cab parked in front of the hotel at the Road Rally makes him smile.

28:40 - Michael explains why he named the company TAXI

29:29 - Hugo talks about collaboration, does he collaborate with many people?

30:41 - When he first started with his first collaborator, what was his workflow process and how long did that take?

36:44 - Fantasy is NOT a business plan! Hugo explains why.

39:29 - Hugo explains why deadlines can be helpful.

42:54 - Hugo and his main collaborator create 100s of pieces a year. How did he go from being inexperienced to being experienced and more time-efficient?

48:34 - Hugo explains that to write an instrumental cue or piece fast, you need to know the structure of the piece.

49:33 - Michael explains what an instrumental cue intro is.

51:02 - Does Hugo use templates?

54:35 - Has Hugo had rejection and how does he deal with that?

57:01 - Hugo explains how he pitches to TAXI listings and what happens after he gets a forward.

1:00:47 - The feedback you get from a TAXI screener is so important, that you must learn from that feedback.

1:01:14 - Does he feel the feedback is from a professional in the industry? Every "No" is a learning opportunity.

1:03:51 - Focus on what the client is asking for.

1:04:03 - Will Hugo be at the 2024 Road Rally?

1:07:03 - Less is more in TV music!

1:08:42 - When Hugo said "Invest in yourself", what did he mean?

1:11:47 - Get sounds that are appropriate for the music you want to create.

1:15:13 - Not everyone can be good at everything.

1:16:00 - Don't expect placements just because you buy expensive libraries or plugins. You have to learn how to use them correctly.

1:17:04 - Is it easy to get film-scoring gigs?

1:26:15 - Is the piano plugin he recommended the Viena Symphonic library Synchron Bosendorfer Imperial full library?

1:27:46 - With all Hugo's forwards, how many times did he NOT hear back from a company?

1:31:30 - Does he use articulations in his strings?

1:32:19 - Doesn't talent matter more than how many libraries you own?

1:33:52 - Set realistic goals.

1:37:23 - Could someone teach a class at. the Road Rally on how to do the programming to make strings sound real?

1:38:33 - Do most artists outsource mixing before submitting, or is that something I need to learn?

1:40:10 - Michael gives some advice on mixing.

🔥 See Requests for Your Music ➡️ https://www.taxi.com/industry