TAXI TV

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

Casey Hurowitz has been to more TAXI Road Rallies than any other member, with the probable exception of the legendary Bill Gordon. Casey has long been the go-to guy for Rally first-timers and even some conference veterans.

Go-to for what, you might ask…

Everything from where to grab the free hotel shuttle, to bringing a hoodie because it can get chilly in the ballroom, to the best way to present your music, to the best places and times to meet industry pros, to figuring out the best way to approach those industry pros—because you really can meet them!

Casey has great advice on just about everything as it relates to the TAXI Road Rally, and I’m certain he can help you decide if you should come; and if you do, how to get the most bang for your buck!

If you haven’t checked out the Rally yet, see last year’s schedule (we’re working on this year) here: https://taxi.com/rally

Have your questions ready!

We’re saving the second half of this episode for Casey to answer your questions, so jot them down in advance, and get ready to paste them in the live chat room to get your questions answered. This should be fun and informative.

Not only will Robin be sharing her 5 best tips for writing better songs more quickly than you do now, she will also be giving feedback on THREE randomly chosen songs from our loyal viewers.

If you’re reading this email, follow the steps below to have your song in the running for one of Robin’s famous feedback sessions.

Win a FREE Copy of Robin’s Best-Selling Book!

Actually, this week’s winner can choose between a hard copy of the original book or the updated digital version—including Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3!

How to Get Your Song Reviewed by Robin...

To have a shot at getting your Song reviewed, all you need to do is email the TITLE of your song so our team can download it from your TAXI profile and paste your LYRICS into the body copy of the email, to [email protected] no later than MONDAY, August 19th at NOON Pacific Time.

TAXI member, Greg Carrozza will be my guest on this week’s show and he’s going to share everything he knows about collaborating with your fellow TAXI members. If you’d like to accelerate your journey to a successful career in sync licensing, this will be some of the best advice you can get!

Greg is a very practical, pragmatic guy, and he explains things in plain English. He’s the exact opposite of college professors who often take a very academic approach when teaching.

My point? You’ll come away from this episode with actionable advice you can use starting the very next day!

Want to know how a collaborative relationship works? We’ve got you covered!

Want to know how and where to find collaborators? Greg will tell you!

Want to know who gets what percentage of the booty? You’ll find out!

Want to know the technical aspects (easier than you think)? Done!

Want to know how to end a collab that’s not working out? Easier than you might think!

Win One of THREE FREE Books on Sync!

I’ll be giving away THREE books this week, and they are…

Insert book covers with links

Shortcuts to Songwriting for Film & TV (Robin Frederick) https://amzn.to/3YEgRNY, Cue Tips (Dean Krippheane) https://amzn.to/3YJIxke, and Writing Production Music for TV (Steve Barden) https://amzn.to/3YClkQX

The Winner of the $200 Road Rally Plane Fare Prize Will Be Announced!

Get your questions ready for TAXI’s Head Screener, Craig Pilo, because he’s going to join us on this week’s TAXI TV! He’s always a popular guest, and has a great deal of knowledge to share about the sync industry in general, as well as insight relating to TAXI’s screeners, the screening process, common mistakes, and great tips for getting more of your music forwarded to the industry people who are searching for it!

Questions submitted in advance of the show will get answered first! Please email them to [email protected] no later than Monday, August 5th at 1pm Pacific time.

Cast Your Votes

Craig will join me for the first half of Monday’s episode, and we’ll spend the second half watching the Road Rally testimonial videos submitted by our members. You’ll be able to vote on a dedicated form after the episode ends. The winner will get a $200 prize to help them buy their plane ticket to the Rally which is coming up in little more than 3 months (November 7th – 10th)!

TAXI’s Free Music Conference…

We’re always amazed by how many TAXI members seem completely unaware of the TAXI Road Rally, so here are a couple of links to help you learn more about this career-changing event!

https://www.taxi.com/transmitter/2407/registration-for-taxis-free-conference-is-open/

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

Our viewers love 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 on two different types of music. Let's 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 # S240612UP - EMOTIONALLY UPLIFTING PIANO and STRING INSTRUMENTALS and/or CUES

TAXI # S240716SS - ACOUSTIC-Driven INDIE SINGER/SONGWRITER SONGS about LOVE

If you’re exhausted by all the worry and hand-wringing caused by the threat of Artificial Intelligence obsoleting musicians, I think you’re going to like this episode of TAXI TV. I think you’ll be somewhat less stressed after watching it!

TAXI member/composer/producer, Paul Croteau has done the work the rest of us don’t have the bandwidth to do—he’s been obsessively following the AI discussions, lawsuits, and technological advances the rest of us don’t. At least not to the same extent.

Oh, we know some of the stuff, but most of the opinions we all hear (in my opinion) are based on far less information than what I think Paul has consumed. I’ve watched most of his videos and had several discussions with him on this hot-button topic, and feel like he can inject some common sense that might make us feel like the sky isn’t falling as fast or hard as some might have us think.

You just might find yourself saying, “Oh wow, I hadn’t thought of that aspect of it!”

I’m not going to mention my guest’s name in this description. If I do, people will bombard him with emails asking to have their music heard. You’ll have to watch the show to see who it is ;-)

This music library CEO is a successful TV and film composer who used TAXI to build his career over many years. He became successful enough that he was getting more requests for music than he could personally produce, so he started a music library.

Harder than it sounds, and I’ll ask him to tell us why on this week’s TAXI TV.

But the REAL reason I asked him to be on TAXI TV is because of our relentless efforts to help you learn how to not blow a deal when you’re offered one. I’m also going to ask him to give you tips on avoiding mistakes that could make a library grow cold on you and your music. Who better than somebody who’s been on both sides of the sync licensing fence — Composer/Library CEO?

Win a FREE Book During This Week’s Live Broadcast!

I’m not sure exactly which book (or books) we’ll be giving away yet. I’ve got to check the stash ;-) But, you can rest assured it/they will be about creating and succeeding in sync licensing.

Two of the most articulate executives from the music library industry asked me if they could join me for an episode of TAXI TV. They’ve got insider info they want to share, and they think our TAXI TV audience is the best place to start spreading the love.

I’m not giving out their names in this email because they would get bombarded with, “Listen to my music” emails if I did —sorry! Trust me when I tell you that both of these folks are highly experienced, highly regarded, and well-informed execs from a very successful company. Whatever they share, you can take to the bank!

Miss this episode at your own peril, as they say. Who ARE “they,” anyway?

Get Your Questions Ready!

We’re going to do some live Q&A during this episode, so please get your questions ready in advance. And PLEASE keep them short and pithy!

I’ll be choosing questions from the Live Chat Room, so you’ll need to watch the live episode on Monday to have a shot at getting your questions answered.