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!

If you’ve ever thought, “I just need a manager,” listen up! The manager you’re probably dreaming of—you know… you make the music, and they do all the business-y and promotional work to help you become famous… that kind of manager—probably won’t want to work with you yet, and here’s why… The big, high-powered managers work on commission, and they won’t MAKE a commission unless you’re already making money. A well-meaning super fan might offer to manage you in the beginning, and that’s great… at least for a while. But can their lack of industry knowledge, connections, and clout be replaced by their raw enthusiasm? Maybe, but typically, not! And if they’re successful enough to help make you famous and/or get offers from major labels, in most cases, the label you sign with is going to “suggest” that you sign with a seasoned pro instead of your super fan. And that’s when things get ugly.

It's time to hear some great music from TAXI's members — songs and instrumentals, alike! Our Top 10 episodes are viewer favorites, so please join us tomorrow at 4 pm (PST) for the LIVE show and you'll have a shot at winning a copy of Steve Barden's must-have book! Join us and you'll hear a range of really cool music that our A&R team has uncovered recently. Win a FREE Book During the Live Broadcast! I'm also going to give away a copy of this awesome book, loved by TAXI members all over the world! Writing Production Music for TV by Steve Barden: https://amzn.to/47AYQkK Be in the chatroom during the live broadcast to have a shot at winning this highly-rated book! *As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases from the link above in this description.

In it for the long haul? The experts at Disc Makers share practical, actionable ways to triumph as an independent artist in this free "29 Tips For a Long and Successful Music Career" guide: https://bit.ly/49qvMOF ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why am I not surprised that Spotify plans to pay even less to "lesser" artists soon? Talks between the streaming giant and the three major labels have been ongoing for some time, and rumors have been making the rounds for months. Now, it appears that Spotify will be lowering the rate paid to indie artists. Most likely, that means you! Disc Makers CEO, Tony van Veen was going to do a sponsor presentation on this very topic during the Road Rally Sequels last Monday, but getting him in front of a webcam in the time slot we had, proved to be tighter than our tech. set-up allowed for. So, we've moved his presentation to this week's episode of TAXI TV, live at 4pm Pacific, 7pm Eastern time. I know Tony well enough to know he won't just tell us the bad news. He'll likely have suggestions of alternate ways for indie musicians to earn income from their music. He's a very bright guy, and a "recovering" indie musician himself, so I look forward to hearing his take on this touchy subject. Please join me for what looks to be an informative episode on this somewhat shocking news!

These are just some of the topics we’ll be talking about on this week’s show with Chuck Henry, a very successful Music Library CEO. Chuck was a TAXI member before he started his company, so he knows exactly what it’s like to be in your shoes! You’ll get perspectives from both sides of the coin on topics like these… - The reasons why you haven’t been called back from the companies your music has been forwarded to. - Is it better to submit multiple tracks, or just one? - Music Library Etiquette: What it is and why it matters so much! - You’ve been contacted by a company, now what? - Why checking your music files before sending them is CRITICAL. - What NOT to include in your Metadata! - Should you register your tracks with your PRO or not? - Samples: Can you use them, and if so, what kind? - The absolute worst times to contact Music Library CEOs and Music Supervisors! - Why a Music Library executive hasn’t returned your phone call or email. - Choosing the right styles of music to create for sync placements. I’m sure we’ll cover several more topics, and if time allows, we’ll take some viewer questions as well! This is going to be a powerful episode that will certainly save you some heartache, and probably help you get more music signed and placed. Do NOT miss this interview unless you’re already a highly-experienced composer, artist, or producer who already knows the answers to all of these career-changing topics. You could spend a couple of semesters at a high-priced university, and probably not get as much poignant advice as you’ll get in this 90-minute episode of TAXI TV! Get your note pads ready!!

I’ll never forget the raging enthusiasm I felt bursting forth from Marcus Cohen (aka (CaiNo) when I met him at his first TAXI Road Rally about 6 years ago. In that moment, it was obvious to me that he’d become successful. He was at the Rally with his mom and creative partner — Sherry Marcus Milano — who’s also a force of nature! It’s not an exaggeration to say that music libraries and other music licensing professionals are now figuratively banging their doors down, asking for music from Marcus, Sherry, and his brother Ethan as well. They’ve got more requests than they can handle. Isn’t that the dream for most musicians? How Marcus and His Family Have Done It That’s the thrust of exactly what I want to find out! If they’ve been able to do it, couldn’t you? This is an episode you really don’t want to miss! Ask any self-help success guru (like Tony Robbins) and they’ll tell you to follow the steps of the people who already have the kind of success you want to have. Get your “road map” to success on this week’s episode of TAXI TV!

Casey Hurowitz probably wouldn’t have these placements if he didn’t collaborate: 60 placements on The Young and the Restless (CBS), Chicago Fire (NBC), Salvation (CBS), The Night Shift (NBC), The Originals (CW), and Legacies (CW). Is Casey so bad that he can’t create great music on his own? No! He just knows what he’s good at, and what he’s not so good at. Toplining is his strong suit, engineering and production, not so much ;-) I really can’t think of any TAXI member who so wonderfully exemplifies why collaboration is such a powerful tool. And there are so many of you reading this email who know you should be collaborating, but you don’t! “Why not?” is the question! You don’t know who to collaborate with, or how to find somebody who’s a good fit? You’re afraid a collaborator might steal your ideas? You don’t want to split the income? You don’t know how the process works? Well, we’re going to help you figure all that out, and much more in this week’s episode of TAXI TV. Casey is a font of incredibly valuable information when it comes to collaborating, and I’m going to pry every ounce of that info out of him, and hand it to you on a silver platter! If you’ve ever had the urge to collaborate, but don’t know how to get started or how the process works, you really shouldn’t miss this week’s episode of TAXI TV!

TAXI member Paul Croteau, has no problem saying things like they are! Is he smart, direct, and to the point? Oh yeah! Paulie doesn’t mince words. That's the reason I asked him to do a live, unfiltered, unedited interview with me and ask the tough questions that are likely on the minds of other TAXI members, and maybe even the people who’ve thought about joining TAXI, but haven’t pulled the trigger yet. Paul’s going to be in Los Angeles this week, so he’s joining me LIVE in the TAXI TV studio for what promises to be an incredibly revealing episode that could ultimately help you become more successful and make TAXI a better company. I specifically asked Paul to hit me with some really hard questions, and I’ve given him carte blanche. No question is off the table! The goals are: - To arm you with every bit of knowledge you can use to become more successful using TAXI. - To uncover things TAXI can do better in servicing your needs. Win an Excellent Book! We’re going to give away a FREE copy of Steve Barden’s book, Writing Production Music for TV: The Road to Success, during this episode. It’s a must-have for anybody who’s serious about succeeding in the music for media part of the industry. Writing Production Music for TV: The Road to Success by Steve Barden: https://amzn.to/48wVjFr

Very few CEOs get down in the trenches with the people they serve, but Disc Maker's CEO, Tony Van Veen, isn't one of them. He's BEEN in the trenches, and he learned a lot! He'd be the first to tell you that he's made a lot of mistakes along the way, and he's more than generous in sharing the tips and tricks he's learned from falling down, getting back up, and trial and error. In other words, YOU get to benefit from what Tony has learned over his years of BEING a musician and doing nothing but helping musicians during his entire adult life. I promise that you'll learn how to kickstart your career and find ways to make it last longer when you watch this episode of TAXI TV. Tony has always been a viewer favorite, and you'll see why when you join us for this information-packed livestream.

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 the key to a successful career? - 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! 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 confident or comfortable enough to walk up to total strangers to introduce myself, let alone sell myself." 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 I have your attention now? Thought so! Win a FREE Book During Monday's Live Broadcast! This book is so comprehensive, and covers so many critical aspects of succeeding in the music industry, that I can't imagine how Tracey and Vance had the stamina to do all this research for you! But they did, and you can win a FREE copy just by being in the chat room during this week's LIVE episode of TAXI TV. Hey! That's My Song! A Guide to Getting Music Placements in Film, TV, and Media By Tracey and Vance Marino: https://amzn.to/3P53xvw *As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases from the link above in this description.

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 on Monday at 4 pm (PDT) and you'll hear a range of really cool music that our A&R team has uncovered recently. Win a FREE Book During the Live Broadcast! I'm also going to give away a copy of this awesome book, loved by TAXI members all over the world! Fett's Mixing Roadmap by Fett: https://amzn.to/3qK6MjX Be in the chatroom during the live broadcast to have a shot at winning this highly-rated book!

Rob Chiarelli has repeatedly been one of the most popular guests on TAXI TV, and we're thrilled to have him join us for the first time in several years. Thanks COVID ;-) Rob is a record producer, mix engineer, musician, published author, and 5x Grammy Award winner. Widely recognized as a music producer for Will Smith and Men in Black II, Chiarelli's work appears on numerous Gold and Platinum albums and motion picture soundtracks, including 16 GRAMMY winners. ​ As a mix engineer and record producer, Rob has also worked with other well-known artists and shows such as: Kirk Franklin, Christina Aguilera, Angelique Kidjo, Sting, LeAnn Rimes, Mary Mary, Janet Jackson, Madonna, Stevie Wonder, Keiko Matsui, Coolio, Ray Charles, American Idol, P!nk, Johnny Mathis, Paula Abdul, Diana Ross, En Vogue, Ice Cube, The Four Tops, Yolanda Adams, The Temptations, K-Ci & JoJo, Aaliyah, Hilary Duff, Jesse McCartney, Ricky Martin, The Corrs, Luther Vandross, Erin Boheme, and Charlie Wilson. Rob started out playing in wedding bands in Boston and as you can see, he's built a career that would impress even the most jaded among us. But, what really makes him special is his down-to-earth, real-world advice on what it takes to become successful. Today, he's heavily involved in everything from making records with superstars to placing music in big TV commercials, and everything in between! Got Questions for Rob? We plan on doing quite a bit of Q&A with our viewers, so don't miss your chance at getting some great advice during the live show!

Do you know what the difference is between a jingle and a Sonic Logo? I'm not entirely sure I do, so let's find out together when I have Jeanna Isham as my guest on this week's TAXI TV! We're also going to find out what Sound Marketing is, and how that's a different animal from Sonic Branding. Truth be told, I'm not sure I can tell you exactly what Sonic Branding actually is! I know, but I know very little compared to Jeanna. She's an expert! And how can you earn income from Sonic Branding? Who are your potential clients, and how do you market your skills to them? How much can you charge? Do you get creative fees or make performance royalties through your PRO? And by the way, what the heck is sound design? I think we might learn something about that as well. But, you've got to join us for this week's TAXI TV, on Monday at 4 pm PDT / 7pm EDT. I think this is going to be a fascinating episode, and who knows, it just might open up a new income stream for you and your talent. It might even create a brand new career path for you! Don't miss this episode on a topic we've never covered in more than 12 years of TAXI TV! Contact Jeanna at the links below! The Sound In Marketing mailing list sign up http://eepurl.com/gDxl6b Sound In Marketing Learning website https://soundinmarketing.com/ Dreamr Productions official site and blog http://dreamrproductions.com/ Medium https://medium.com/@jeanna-isham

TAXI members, John Pearson and Jim Thacker, are full-time Producers/Songwriters/Composers based in Nashville, TN. How did they transition from the "record" side of the industry to the "sync" side? How did they re-orient what they do, and how they do it? How did they learn the difference between writing songs, and trying to create hits, to creating music that would work well in TV shows, films, and TV commercials? I'm going to ask them ALL of those things, and you get to fast-track your sync career because Jim and John are going to turn you on to what they took the time to learn. What IS a "Composer" in Today's Sync Industry? For those of you who have always thought of yourselves as somebody who writes songs you'd like other artists to cut, or who'd like to get signed as an artist, you might not think of yourself AS a composer. Maybe the word conjures up an image of writing charts, and knowing a bunch of music theory. That USED to be true, but the word "composer" has taken on a new meaning in today's sync world, and we're going to show you WHY that is, and how you can re-invent yourself like Jim and John both did! You've already got the skills and the gear. And developing this new career path isn't a one-or-the-other situation. You can do both! Don't miss this episode. It's going to be really, really good!!!

Our music conference, the TAXI Road Rally (November 2nd – 5th in Los Angeles, CA), has become legendary over the last quarter of a century. People come from all over the world for the actionable information that invariably takes their music careers to the next level when they use it. And the people who have a huge hand in choosing which panels, classes, interviewees, and mentors we have each year at the Rally. I would really appreciate it if you could join me for the LIVE episode of this week’s TAXI TV, so I can get your opinions and suggestions on a wide range of topics regarding the upcoming Road Rally. I want to know what you want to know! And if you have a moment, write down some of your ideas so you've got them ready for the show. If you need some inspiration, take a look at last year's Rally schedule. See Last Year's Schedule: assets.taxi.com/PDF/2022/2022_schedule_of_events.pdf?_ga=2.201885393.1501265207.1689895818-1567352027.1680549793 Make sure you’re in the chatroom for the live episode to cast your vote and give your opinion. We look forward to hearing what’s important to you!

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! The New & Improved Version of the A&R Hot Seat.. Rather than listening and judging music from just one recent TAXI Listing, we're going to do it for THREE different listings to give your ears a tune-up on a broader range of genres. We're going to listen to Contemporary, Alt-Indie Pop songs, '60s style Motown/Soul songs, and Pulsing Investigative Tension Instrumentals. We'll listen to some that got forwarded, and some that didn't, and I'm curious to see if we vote like the screeners did! Aren't you? Don't forget, you need to be in the YouTube chat during the live show if you'd like to cast your vote!

TAXI member, Greg Carrozza was on a panel about this topic at last year's Road Rally, and he's discussed aspects of it on various episodes of TAXI TV. But, I've yet to give him the floor to do a much deeper dive about it on TAXI TV. That all changes on this week's episode! In Greg's own words, "I’d talk about what to do after you get a forward, how to manage your expectations and attitude, how to deal with people when they contact you, how to be prepared for that, how to communicate, how to create deliverables, and more." The Upside... Doing things right can create a trusted relationship with a music library. The kind of relationship that lasts for years, and gets you to what some might call, "the front of the line," when it comes to having an open door with the library, getting briefs sent directly to you, having your music requested for special projects, etc. The Downside? The opposite of living in that rarified world can be caused by doing some dopey stuff during your first contact with the company, or by sending them deliverables that cause them to do this 🤦🏻‍♂️ If you'd like to be in the "Trusted Composer Club," then you really don't want to miss the advice that Greg will be dishing out during this week's TAXI TV. Miss it at your own peril, as they say! Greg has a knack for making things crystal clear, and very digestible, so don't miss this golden opportunity to learn from a guy who has definitely figured it all out! Have Your Questions Ready... Greg will be taking questions during the last 20 minutes of the show, so have yours ready-to-go so you can post them in the live chatroom and get real-time answers! If you snooze, you might lose!

For the entire 31 years we’ve been in business, people have conjectured about how much competition there is when they submit their music to TAXI. I’m going to pull back the curtain and give you actual submission numbers on this week’s show! But wait! The submission numbers actually mean NOTHING because there IS no competition! And I’m going to tell you exactly why that is on this week’s episode. Let’s Bust Some Other Myths! There are other myths about the music licensing industry that I’ve seen dispensed as gospel on some sync-oriented YouTube channels. Just because the person giving out that information has a super sincere, silver-tongued delivery doesn’t mean the information is actually accurate! I’ve been biting my tongue for a few years, watching a couple of these “experts” give out information that, in my opinion, is either false or 180 degrees out of whack with reality. Funny thing is… I’ve recently seen one of these guys flip-flop and completely change his tune. I was happy to see that. But then I realized that the entire premise that he’s been using to sell his course and other products for years has been the opposite of what he’s saying now. Did he have a “Come to Jesus” epiphany? Maybe! I hope so!! But what about the people who based their decision to buy his course or other services and products BASED on the false information he previously dispensed with such certainty? I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt. I want to hear how you feel. Ask Me Anything… I also want to do a healthy dose of Q&A during the last part of this episode. We haven’t done that for a while, and it feels like it’s time! Please email your questions to taxitv@taxi.com by 2pm (Pacific time) on Monday, and I’ll do my level best to answer every one of them!

Nailing the creative side of the music industry is a given, right? And the business side of the industry has become more important than ever. But, how often do you think about things like these: - Saving and investing money - Understanding investment apps - Increasing your credit score - Limiting your tax liability - Protecting yourself from identity theft - Getting out of debt - And protecting your assets The older you get, the more you think about these things. But, sometimes that's too late! I'm excited to cover this topic with TAXI TV and Road Rally favorite - Bobby Borg - and Britt Hastey, the co-authors of the new book, Personal Finance for Musicians. We're going to hit as many of these topics as possible during this week's (LIVE) episode of TAXI TV. Developing good financial habits becomes more important as you grow older, wiser, and start thinking about having a secure retirement. Secure retirement?! Well, yeah, but it seems like this critical topic takes a backseat to the more immediate-feeling aspects of succeeding in the music industry. Let's move it to front and center this week with Bobby and Britt! Win a FREE Book! Personal Finance for Musicians by Bobby Borg and Britt Hastey https://amzn.to/46nteiW I've got a copy of this wonderful new book, and one of our lucky viewers will win it during the live show, so join us LIVE on Monday at 4 pm Pacific Time to get your shot at getting your hands on this FREE book! *As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases from the link above in this description.*

I’m very excited to have Ronan Chris Murphy join me on our first live episode in several weeks! Ronan is a huge fan favorite, both on TAXI TV and at our annual music convention, the TAXI Road Rally! Here’s his bio, if you’re not already familiar! https://ronanchrismurphy.com/bio/ Side note: Ronan is an incredibly smart, well-informed, studio rat who loves teaching what he knows about all things audio/studio/production to anybody who will listen. Those who do listen are well-rewarded! Ronan and I are going to talk about: - Creating a great studio space in your home - Studio monitor placement and brand recommendations - Mixing on headphones or not – best practices or fool’s errand? - Backing up your files in case of disaster – miss this at your own risk! - What type of insurance you should have for your gear – Yes, you need it! - And how a giant tree made Ronan a world-class expert on the last two bullet points! Ronan will also answer some questions, so don’t miss this live episode! Want to Win a FREE Book? To celebrate our return to doing live shows, we’re going to give away 2 great books during the live show. Join us for the live broadcast on Monday at 4 pm PDT / 7pm EDT, and you could be the lucky winner of either of these two wonderful books every musician should have - Tracey and Vance Marino's book, Hey! That's My Song!: A Guide to Getting Music Placements in Film, TV, and Media, or Steve Barden’s book, Writing Production Music for TV – The Road to Success. Hey! That's My Song!: A Guide to Getting Music Placements in Film, TV, and Media by Tracey and Vance Marino amzn.to/441Ct6e Writing Production Music for TV – The Road to Success by Steve Barden amzn.to/43LNNUe *As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases from the links above in this description.*