During the 31 years I've been running TAXI, I've noticed something that's critical to becoming and staying successful in the music industry! Is it great music? Yes, that's certainly a big part of the equation, but building, maintaining, and nurturing relationships could very well be equally as important in regard to becoming successful. And I'm sorry to say that I've seen many talented musicians ruin some (or many) of their relationships, new and old! My goal in this week's episode of TAXI TV is...
May 09, 2023â˘1 hr 39 min
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 this 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. 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...
May 02, 2023â˘1 hr 37 min
For years, I've been preaching about "not putting all your eggs in one basket." My personal opinion is that you should hedge your bets by having your music in several, if not many music library catalogs. But not just ANY catalogs! Join me for this week's episode to learn more about the strategic way you might want to approach how many (and which) companies you want to have representing your music! I Want to Hear From You! I want this episode to be pretty interactive, with a lot of feedback from ...
Apr 25, 2023â˘1 hr 32 min
Howâd you like a consummate Instrumental Cue Composer to show you what the most common Cue structures are for TV placements? Great, Iâve got the perfect guest to lay those structures out in great detail on this weekâs TAXI TV! Steve Barden is a successful, longtime TAXI member, and a truly excellent composer. Heâs the author of two great books on the subject. Click the covers below to see just how good those books are! Deconstructing Production Music for TV by Steve Barden: https://amzn.to/3o9UF...
Apr 18, 2023â˘1 hr 26 min
When a music supervisor or TV show editor looks at a huge playlist of possibilities, they will inevitably listen to the tracks with titles that "telegraph" what the music will sound like, first! Wouldn't you like to have your music considered first? Or, maybe I should ask, wouldn't you want to give your music an "edge" when end-users are combing through hundreds of titles, looking for the perfect instrumental or song? We're going to go over how the RIGHT titles can make you more money in sync li...
Apr 11, 2023â˘1 hr 33 min
Youâve got a decision to make that will directly affect how successful you become in the world of Production Music: Are you going to be easy to work with, or require some hand-holding by the Production Music Libraries your music is forwarded to by TAXI? Assuming youâd prefer to be thought of as a buttoned-up professional, you REALLY donât want to miss this weekâs TAXI TV, and hereâs why⌠Iâve asked several of TAXIâs successful members to share their personal Music Licensing Checklists! What are ...
Apr 04, 2023â˘1 hr 32 min
If youâre reading this, you probably own a home studio and record your own music. You also want it to sound âpro,â like your favorite artists and records, but it doesnât! Youâve tried the latest plug-ins, outboard gear, and mixing tips from YouTube videos. You bought new monitors. Youâve added acoustic treatments to your room. And your recordings still donât have that professional sound. Frustrating, isnât it? While we donât have enough time in this weekâs episode to solve every problem you migh...
Mar 28, 2023â˘1 hr 33 min
I wish there was just ONE trick to making money with production music, but it's not that easy! However, there are several things you can do to increase the number of songs and instrumentals you get picked up by music libraries and ultimately used in TV shows, films, commercials, and other media. What are they? Don't miss this TAXI TV if you'd like to find out!
Mar 21, 2023â˘1 hr 17 min
Our viewers have always loved our "A&R Hot Seat" episodes! Here's why: by judging music to see if their opinions line up with TAXI's A&R staff, our members get to fine-tune their "industry ears." They LOVE how it helps them listen to their own music more critically! Members have also told me that these episodes build confidence in TAXI's A&R team when they see that the screeners' decisions are very much on-target! Here's the Listing we're going to be listening for... CONTEMPORARY FOL...
Mar 14, 2023â˘1 hr 39 min
I'm very excited to have one of our clients â an awesome Music Library CEO â join us for what promises to be a great episode this week! You can ask him anything, and I'm sure he'll give you some insightful answers. I planned on doing an A&R Hot Seat/Forward-Return episode this week, but when I found out this gentleman was going to be in LA on Monday, I decided to postpone that episode until next week so we could get this industry pro to join me live, and in the studio this week!
Mar 07, 2023â˘1 hr 34 min
11 CAREER-KILLING Habits Musicians SHOULD AVOID! Before you work on developing good habits that can drive your success, there are some nasty old bad habits you need to part company with because they're holding you back. Actually, they can kill the career in the music business you've always wanted. When you hear what they are, I think you'll be nodding your head in agreement with the majority of them. Not as Hard as You Might Think... The good news is I think it will be much easier for you to bre...
Feb 28, 2023â˘1 hr 19 min
It's been quite a while since we've done a Top 10 episode on TAXI TV, so please join me and the enthusiastic viewers who always gather to hear some really good music coming from TAXI's members! Join us in this episode to hear a range of really cool music that our A&R team has uncovered recently.
Feb 21, 2023â˘1 hr 33 min
Late one evening in 2019, I spent a couple of hours trading studio war stories in the control room (pictured below) with Trevor Fletcher, the Vice President of the legendary Criteria Studios in Miami. Trevor's mom (Margie Curry) was my awesome boss when I worked at Criteria nearly 50 years ago. She remains a cherished friend of mine to this day. When Trevor was a kid, he'd come to the studio after school, allegedly, to do his homework. Instead of reading, writing, and arithmetic, he learned what...
Feb 14, 2023â˘1 hr 19 min
Do You Really Need A MIDDLE MAN in Today's MUSIC Industry??
Feb 07, 2023â˘1 hr 8 min
If you get contacted by one of TAXIâs clients offering you a deal and youâd like to know the technical aspects of delivering your music to that company, this weekâs TAXI TV is for you! TAXIâs Head Screener (Craig Pilo) has put together a video showing you how to properly export your masters and stems! Craig will be joining me in the studio, and heâll be answering your questions after we play the video. All TAXI members should watch this, especially if youâre a new member who is not yet experienc...
Jan 24, 2023â˘1 hr 33 min
If you think having great music gets you a âpassâ from getting the business aspects of sync 100% right, youâre 100% wrong! Hereâs proof in the form of an email TAXI recently got from a new client when we reached out to ask if they needed us to run any new searches for them⌠Date: Thu, Jan 5, 2023 at 12:40 PM Subject: Re: Happy New Year! To: Tom @TAXI Happy New Year to you too, Tom. I'll let you know [about running new listings with TAXI]! I took a lot of [TAXI] people on for the [XXXXX] tracks. ...
Jan 17, 2023â˘1 hr 33 min
Weâre super excited to be broadcasting our first LIVE episode since The Road Rally, and we promise to help you make 2023 your most productive year yet! Most of us make New Yearâs resolutions, but statistically, 90% of resolutions are just words without actions. Itâs easy to resolve that youâre going to lose weight in the coming year, but hard to avoid ordering a delicious pizza when you donât feel like cooking and doing dishes. Itâs easy to say youâre going to create more and better music this c...
Jan 10, 2023â˘1 hr 31 min
If you're not yet registered to come to our annual music conference, the TAXI Road Rally, you should be! It starts on Thursday, November 3rd, and it wraps up on Sunday, November 6th! Want to see all that's going on? Click on the link below: https://www.taxi.com/taxi-road-rally/ Get Your Road Rally Questions Answered! Even though we're in every-minute-counts mode here at the office, I'd like to invite you to join me for Monday's live TAXI TV show, and ask me anything you want about the Rally. - "...
Nov 01, 2022â˘1 hr 29 min
I've invited everyone's favorite songwriting coach, Robin Frederick, to join me on this week's episode of TAXI TV to review your song's lyrics and give you the keys to songwriting for Film/TV placements!
Oct 25, 2022â˘1 hr 33 min
As a producer, engineer, and mixer, Ronan Chris Murphy has worked with the likes of King Crimson (several albums), Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs, Deep Purple), Terry Bozzio (Zappa, Missing Persons), Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, John Lennon, Pink Floyd), Martin Sexton, Jamie Walters, Ulver, The California Guitar Trio, Chucho Valdes y Groupo Irakere, Joan LaBarbara (Philip Glass Ensemble, Steve Reich), Nels Cline (Wilco), as well as various projects featuring members of Tool, ...
Oct 18, 2022â˘1 hr 32 min
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 Monday'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. 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! Wan...
Sep 20, 2022â˘1 hr 40 min
It's been a while since we've done a Top 10 episode of TAXI TV, so join us on Monday to hear some great music our A&R department has recently found! As an extra little treat, we're going to give away a truly awesome book! Join me for this episode and you just might win a copy of Robin Frederick's best-seller, Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting - 126 Proven Techniques for Writing Songs That Sell. The winner will be chosen at random from people who are in the chat room during the episode, so don't b...
Sep 13, 2022â˘1 hr 33 min
On this week's episode of TAXI TV, we're going to show you a VERY real-world example of why your music doesn't get used, whether you're a TAXI member or not! TAXI's Head A&R Screener (Craig Pilo) and I will show you something SO shocking that you almost won't believe it! But it's absolutely real, and don't be surprised if you're guilty of this grievous, career-killing mistake as well. The next time you see somebody posting, "I used TAXI, and my music got forwarded, but I never heard back," r...
Aug 30, 2022â˘1 hr 32 min
People ask me this question nearly every week of my life: "How many tracks do I need to make full-time sync income?" They ask me in the live chatroom on TAXI TV. They ask me in the hotel elevator during our free music convention, the Road Rally. They ask it on the TAXI Forums. Why are musicians so obsessed with the magic number of tracks it takes before you can earn a full-time income with your music? I think it's because they'd rather have their day gig be a job they love, VS their day gig now,...
Aug 23, 2022â˘1 hr 35 min
This is not marketing hype or clickbait! This is an URGENT warning to all musicians. Please read on... It's not just TAXI members that are making this mistake! It's likely that 60% of ALL songwriters, artists, and composers are making this seemingly innocent mistake. It can be career-killing, yet very few musicians realize they've brought this serious problem upon themselves. So, what IS "the big mistake"? Hint: It can be devastating to your ability to license your music for film and TV placemen...
Aug 16, 2022â˘1 hr 33 min
On this week's episode of TAXI TV Live, please join Henry Winckel and me as we get to the bottom of the advice I gave him when he first joined TAXI and needed some guidance to become successful with his membership. Find out if the music career advice I gave him was career-launching or career-killing!
Aug 09, 2022â˘1 hr 34 min
We value the opinions our members have about many aspects of TAXI. Most of all, we love getting input from TAXIâs members regarding our music convention, the TAXI Road Rally (November 3rd â 6th in Los Angeles, CA). I would really appreciate it if you could join me for the LIVE episode of this weekâs TAXI TV, so I can get your opinions on a wide range of topics regarding the upcoming Road Rally. Off the top-of-my head, I want to know things like: - Are you coming? - If youâre not coming, how much...
Aug 02, 2022â˘1 hr 37 min
Our A&R team and staff have done it again! They've put together a playlist of some of their favorite songs and instrumentals they've heard over the last month, and you get to hear them on Monday's TAXI TV. Join us for this episode and you just might win a copy of Steve Barden's awesome book, Writing Production Music for TV: The Road to Success, or Robin Frederick's best-seller, Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting - 126 Proven Techniques for Writing Songs That Sell. The winners will be chosen at ran...
Jul 26, 2022â˘1 hr 33 min
Not sure if your song's lyrics are universal? Why not consult an expert? I've invited everyone's favorite songwriting coach, Robin Frederick, to join me on this week's episode of TAXI TV to review your song's lyrics and give you the answer! Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting by Robin Frederick https://amzn.to/3iwNrfw Shortcuts to Songwriting for Film & TV by Robin Frederick https://amzn.to/3xbU6jq *As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases from the above links.*
Jul 19, 2022â˘1 hr 37 min
If youâve ever been frustrated by waiting (and waiting) to hear from a music company that your music was forwarded to by TAXI, you really donât want to miss this weekâs TAXI TV! If youâve ever signed a deal with a production music library, and then heard nothing but crickets, you definitely donât want to miss this weekâs episode of TAXI TV! If youâve ever been pissed off when you see a TAXI listing that says, âPlease donât submit your music unless youâre an experienced composer who âknows the dr...
Jul 12, 2022â˘1 hr 29 min
