Musicians have been hit hard by the pandemic-driven lockdown(s). Gigging, rehearsing, session work, and the day gigs that pay the bills for many musicians have largely ground to a halt. Unemployment and "stimulus" checks may help, but tragically, they don't cover the devastating loss of income most musicians are faced with. But I know somebody who just might be able to help you with that. My friend Dave Cool (yes, that's his real name), Bandzoogle's V.P. of Business Development, has ferreted out...
Jan 26, 2021•1 hr 33 min
Our viewers love to tune up their ears by hearing submissions for a hot request from TAXI, then casting their votes to see if they line up with what our A&R team decided. One of our regular viewers summed it up nicely when she emailed, "Judging songs on TAXI TV helps me judge my own music more objectively. I create better music because of these episodes, please do more of them!" Join us for the fun, the education, and the community spirit in the live chat room during this week's episode of T...
Jan 19, 2021•1 hr 36 min
Every month, our A&R Team makes a list of 10 of their favorite TAXI Member songs or instrumentals that they've heard lately. We call them the "Top 10," but don't let that mislead you into thinking they're THE 10 best songs or instrumentals out of ALL the music our members make. Really, it's more like a list of, "Hey, these are really cool and you should check them out" songs and tracks. And you should! Please join me on today's episode of TAXI TV as we listen together! We did it on a recent ...
Jan 12, 2021•1 hr 31 min
If you’ve ever made a New Year’s resolution that this is FINALLY going to be the year that you make some money with your music, but don't follow through, then do NOT miss this episode of TAXI TV! Why make broad, general, overreaching resolutions that you’ll never follow through with, when you can do the easy-to-follow steps I recommend and see real results? I’m going to give you some crystal clear resolutions that can really help you achieve what you've always wanted; to earn some income doing w...
Jan 05, 2021•1 hr 23 min
Want to know what it takes to write music that gets more placements in Film & TV? We invited one of our A&R Team Members (and Instrumental Cue Expert), Craig Pilo, to join us for this episode of TAXI TV to review some viewers' music! Watch this episode to find out what does and doesn't work for Film & TV Instrumental Cues.
Dec 29, 2020•1 hr 32 min
TAXI CEO Michael Laskow talks with rockstar Marc Ferrari completely revolutionized music libraries by signing Indie artists instead of using Marc Ferrari was in the “hair bands,” Keel, Cold Sweat, and Medicine Wheel in the ‘80s and early ‘90s. I personally think his greatest legacy might be starting the MasterSource music library in the early 1990s. Marc was a visionary who realized that music from independent musicians had real value in the music licensing industry. Especially at a time when vi...
Dec 22, 2020•1 hr 33 min
During this episode of TAXI TV, songwriting coach Robin Frederick reviews viewers' songs and gives some tips on how to make them better! This is a great episode to watch if you want to write songs that are competitive in 2021!
Dec 15, 2020•1 hr 35 min
Learn the secrets of successful songwriting in this episode of TAXI TV! Jai Josefs is a world-renowned songwriting coach whose students have had songs on the Billboard charts, major label record deals and publishing deals, and thousands of placements in film and television. He also has worked as a songwriter/producer on projects for such companies as Universal, RCA, Motown, and Disney and placed songs in over 80 network TV shows and 20 major motion pictures with such stars as Harrison Ford, Bill...
Dec 08, 2020•1 hr 33 min
More TAXI members are earning income from Instrumental Cues for TV than ever before! Sounds easy, right? Just mute the vocal, and there you go… wrong! There’s more to it, but frankly, it’s not that hard. Doing it well requires that you know what works, and what doesn’t. That’s what we’re going to talk about on this week’s TAXI TV – the do’s and don’ts of creating Instrumental Cues! Just a few of the many topics we’ll be covering: How long your Cues should be Which genres are the best for you to ...
Dec 01, 2020•1 hr 32 min
TAXI has been getting some emails and phone calls from frustrated members who want to know more about some of TAXI’s listings that have language like this in them: IMPORTANT NOTE: This company offers an Exclusive deal, and is only interested in signing material from composers who have worked for libraries and licensing companies in the past and understand how standard deals work. If you don't have that experience and you don't know the drill on typical deals, then they politely ask that you don'...
Nov 24, 2020•1 hr 30 min
TAXI’s Head Screener is on the front line of quality control, making sure our A&R team forwards the right music and gives great feedback. Angela Mukul was one of the best screeners on TAXI’s A&R team before she was elevated to her current position. We knew we made a great choice as she got settled in and earned the respect of the regular TAXI staff, as well as the screeners. Our choice was further confirmed when Angela sat on a panel during the Road Rally! She really shined, and that did...
Nov 17, 2020•1 hr 41 min
On this episode of TAXI TV, TAXI CEO Michael Laskow calls viewers and answers their music industry questions LIVE on the show!
Oct 20, 2020•1 hr 31 min
We had a blast on last week’s show when the live audience got to test their A&R skills on Country songs, so this week, we're listening to TAXI Members' Stomp-Clap, Blues Rock Instrumentals to see which ones could make the cut for film/TV sync placements!. Here's the opportunity we sent out to our members: MODERN STOMP-CLAP BLUES ROCK INSTRUMENTALS and/or INSTRUMENTAL CUES Send them contemporary-sounding Instrumentals and/or Cues infused with lots of Bluesy Rock flavor. Be sure your submissio...
Oct 13, 2020•1 hr 35 min
If you've ever wondered, "How good does a Country song need to be to get forwarded by TAXI to an A&R Executive working with a HUGE Grammy-winning group?" then you're going to love being in the A&R Hot Seat during this episode! Here's the request we got from the Music Licensing Company! TAXI # S200803CS COUNTRY SONGS with REFLECTIVE Lyric Themes and Male Vocals are needed by a super well-connected A&R Executive for a HUGE chart-topping, Grammy Award-winning SUPER GROUP that’s working ...
Oct 06, 2020•1 hr 39 min
I’ve known TAXI member Ed Hartman for a number of years, and frankly, I had little idea just how successful he’s been! He’s pretty soft-spoken and humble. Ed specializes in making music with mallets, so maybe he’s not as “cool” as a guitar slinging Rock Star. But when rock stars look at his credits, they’re probably a little jealous ;-) His music has been in feature films like, The Blind Side, Scooby Doo, The Mystery Begins, The Cold Light of Day, Surviving Christmas, Into the Fire, Spirit of th...
Sep 22, 2020•1 hr 31 min
If you submitted for this Percussion-Based Instrumentals and/or Cues request, TAXI #S200823PC, you really don't want to miss this episode of TAXI TV! If you've ever wondered, "How good does an instrumental cue need to be to get forwarded by TAXI to a Leading Music Licensing Company that gets tons of placements in TV Commercials?" then you're going to love this episode! Here's the request we got from the Music Licensing Company! TAXI #S200823PC PERCUSSION-Based INSTRUMENTALS and/or INSTRUMENTAL C...
Sep 15, 2020•1 hr 30 min
Last week's episode about doing Home Concerts was so information-packed that we couldn't get to questions from the live audience. It also felt like we needed to give Steven more time to dive more deeply into this super current topic! The solution? Bring Mr. Memel back for another episode! Please get your questions ready before we go live! Steven's Resume for your perusal! Steven Memel is an internationally acclaimed voice & performance coach whose unique and impactful techniques enable him t...
Aug 25, 2020•1 hr 34 min
Doing HOME CONCERTS the RIGHT WAY [with Steven Memel] by TAXI Independent A&R
Aug 18, 2020•1 hr 41 min
On this episode of TAXI TV, if you want to know the ins and outs of how to build a great working relationship with a Music Library, we've got the perfect person to tell you all about that! He's signed and placed tons of music from TAXI members and has lots of tips that will help you navigate the process of signing with a Music Library and the business etiquette that will make the relationship productive and profitable for both parties. Yay! Don't miss what we expect will be a treasure trove of g...
Aug 11, 2020•1 hr 30 min
We're so excited to have legendary, Grammy-Winning Producer/Engineer, Ken Caillat join us for the entire episode of TAXI TV this week! He's best known for co-producing Fleetwood Mac's mega-hit, Rumours, as well as Tusk, Mirage, and Live. He has also engineered and produced for many other great artists, including his daughter, Colbie Caillat! Ken and I love talking about studios, gear, and production/engineering techniques, and you get to hang out with us while we do it! We'll be taking viewer qu...
Aug 06, 2020•1 hr 36 min
When was the last time you were able to ask a Multi-Platinum, Multi-Grammy-winning Producer/Mixer/Engineer any question your heart desired? Well, now you can! TAXI TV all-star, Rob Chiarelli, is coming back to answer every question you can throw at him on Monday, and he’s going to give some of his famous FinalMix plugins away to our live audience! Get FREE Stuff, Just for Watching! Rumor has it, everybody in the live show’s chat room (on Monday) will get something awesome, so this is a show you ...
Aug 03, 2020•1 hr 40 min
On this episode of TAXI TV, we go over how songwriters can stay creative and productive during these tough COVID era times with best-selling author Robin Frederick.. Robin Frederick's best-selling Songwriting eBooks referenced in this episode. Get your copy TODAY!: Level One - https://amzn.to/2wObilr Level Two - https://amzn.to/3bDGuT6 Level Three - https://amzn.to/3dJkY12 If you've found that the vim and vigor you had going into the COVID-quarantine era has lost some of its luster, you might ne...
Jul 18, 2020•1 hr 35 min
I love bringing you interviews with really smart experts in the Music Licensing field, and this week's expert will not disappoint! On this week's episode of TAXI TV, we are joined by a mystery music supervisor and licensing executive to find out all the juicy tips and tricks in the music industry! He's in the unique position of being on both sides of the fence: He's a Music Supervisor who works on some cool indie films, and he's also a world-class Music Licensing expert with a specialty in Vinta...
Jul 18, 2020•1 hr 37 min
On this episode of TAXI TV, we are joined by successful TAXI member, Steve Barden who will walk you through the process step-by-step on how to create a light, breezy acoustic guitar instrumental cue during this live broadcast! If you've ever wanted somebody to walk you through how a light, breezy acoustic guitar Instrumental Cue is created, you really don't want to miss this week's TAXI TV. Join us as we learn about the instrumentation choices, how many layers to use, how to build emotion into y...
Jun 23, 2020•1 hr 32 min
On this episode of TAXI TV, we ask if you want to see TAXI Music's CEO cry!! Join us as we bid a fond farewell to a beloved staff member! We first met Briagha McTavish when she was a teenager, who along with her dad (Neil McTavish), would come to the TAXI Road Rally to hone her skills as a singer/songwriter. We looked forward to seeing her each year, and got to know her as one of our very favorite members and TAXI Road Rally volunteers. When she graduated from high school, Briagha called TAXI to...
Jun 20, 2020•58 min
In this episode of TAXI TV, join me to hear the story of a musician whose life was changed by a chance meeting at TAXI's annual convention, the TAXI Road Rally. He made music for media his new path, and eventually became a successful music library CEO. Hear about his early mistakes, his success as a composer, and his transition to becoming a successful music library owner. Find out what he'd tell his "starting out" composer-self, now that he's seen the world of music for media from both sides of...
Jun 09, 2020•1 hr 43 min
Our recent episode featuring the “Mystery Music Supervisor” was such a people-pleasing hit, that we’ve invited a top-notch Music Library owner/CEO to join us this week, and we’re going to put a “mask” on him, too! This episode was so jam-packed that we had to break it up into two parts! This is Part 2! Yep, we’re cloaking this volcano of mind-blowing insight, so when the killer info comes spewing out of his mouth, people don’t take that as an invitation to Google him and email a million more que...
Jun 03, 2020•1 hr 26 min
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/eSMD51-RjtI One of the very best Music Supervisors I know will be my guest on this episode! Why all the mystery? Why am I going to keep him under wraps? Because this guy is a close friend of mine, and I don't want people to google him and bombard him with emails asking, "Can I send you my music?" Yep, not all the people who will see this power-packed episode are polite TAXI members who know what proper industry etiquette is. But, don't worry! Your ...
May 19, 2020•1 hr 42 min
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xaakUN6J1hw Don't miss this episode of TAXI TV if you want to learn how to create an Instrumental Cue from start to finish and see it done live! On this episode accomplished composer Steve Barden, will show how us how to make a tension-based, CSI lab-style instrumental cue in his own studio. Successful TAXI member Steve Barden, is an accomplished composer who will walk us through the step-by-step process of writing and producing what I like to call...
May 12, 2020•1 hr 33 min
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/mxGlBWE1rn4 On this episode of TAXI TV, we have the band, The Highfields, join us to talk about how they've been so successful at landing music placements in big, high-end commercials and advertisements! Commercials and ads can pay big bucks too, so you definitely want to know how to create music for these kinds of opportunities! Nate and Kaelie Highfield have become phenomenally successful creating music for TV Commercials. They are partners with ...
May 05, 2020•1 hr 33 min
