Taxi.com - One Year in: A user review

[Greeny]

Thought this might interest a few of you who have ever considered using Taxi.com, as it's hard to find ANY user reviews or blogs etc out there on these guys. They may even have a way of suppressing negative reviews etc. Anyway, this isn't a bad review - just a run-through of my personal experiences after a year of membership.

For those of you unfamiliar with Taxi, they claim to have in-roads into all the major players who commission music and sign new artists etc. I have no doubt that it's true, as they bombard you with 'success' stories, and there are a lot of listings to apply to. Their PR is a relentless machine, that's for sure.

I'm convinced Taxi is both a genuine opportunity and that they know their stuff. However...

At $200 per year membership and $5 per song submission, it's not cheap. They say this encourages only 'serious' people to submit. Or rich ones, lol.

There are a lot of listings to apply to. Sadly, far too many of them are Country ones. All well and good if you're a Nashville kind of geetar picker, but not so good for me 

The easiest route into being commissioned seems to be for TV and movie songs (i.e. production & broadcast companies wanting background music by non-established artists they don't have to pay big money for...). This is fraught with complications though:

The listings will say they want a song that sounds like 'so-and-so' (some flavour of the month band / singer). They don't mean that it can sound a bit like them. They mean they want an absolute carbon copy of them! I've fallen down on this point over and over. I can't sound like anything but me. Even if I tried I couldn't. This inability to think outside their f*cking little mimic box really f*cks me off. For example, you'd think I'd have stood a chance when they referenced 'Crowded House' on a listing, bearing in mind that's what people always say I sound most like. Nope... "not Crowded House enough" was the response. Crowded House themselves might have stood a chance, lol. Or maybe not.

Secondly, they will often give very specific themes they want songs about. This means you'd have to write something from scratch (whilst still sounding like the artist(s) they reference).

So, overall, I've been a total Taxi flop. I've had many positive and encouraging comments from their reviewers about my strength of song-writing, and even my vocals and musicianship have been praised more than I thought. But it all counts for nothing. If you don't sound like f*cking Florence and the Machine or The Ting Tings (who?), forget it etc etc. What a waste of money!

But the thing that has really p*ssed me off is when they pick you up on the production of your songs. Considering I've recorded it all on an MBR, they've been pretty kind. But the comments are often there about the production not being quite good enough. Well – no shit, Sherlock. It's a F*CKING HOME RECORDED DEMO!

So, what they want is....

A professionally studio-recorded song that's 'on-theme', 'on-genre', and sounds EXACTLY like the artists referenced in the listing. Not only that – you have to be a damn near professional musician and singer to perform it all well enough (or hire some people that are...). Judging from what I hear on every f*cking TV ad these days, it will also help if you're a female who sings like an asthmatic, retarded 5 year old.

It seems to be a clear fact that they aren't looking for good songs in their own right. It has to be a good song which also has all the above covered. i.e. there is absolutely no effort required by anyone at their end. Fair enough you may say.

Got all of the above covered? Well – join up today!

This isn't sour grapes. This is just the (very) sad reality for a middle-aged song-writer who performs their own stuff and is totally out of step with what's in or out these days.

End of review. I just wish there was a proper outlet for songwriters somewhere in this world.

p.s. I have a song coming that sums up my feelings on all this. Should be posted in the next few days, lol.

p.p.s. I won't be renewing my membership.

[Greeny]

And who the f*ck is Jason Mraz? I'm supposed to try to sound like him according to my last critique.

An example of part of a critique - this one was on 'Elderflower and Midnight' ....

"Hey Tim, thanks for submitting this song for this listing. You have a relatable theme with universal qualities, which you describe with creative details. The main thing you could do to establish your song is add to your production, seeking a more dynamic structure. Increasing the contrast between sections is an effective way to do this. You could try adding and taking away some instrumental tracks, or you could look into creating some more dynamic builds into the chorus from the verse. Overall you have some great elements here, keep it up".

"This song could use a more modern sound to get the Singer Songwriter vibe, a la Jason Mraz, like this listing is looking for".

"I love the title of this song. You have a great sense of detail in your lyrics. The main thing you could do to create a more professional sounding track is build up your guitar tone and drum sound. Perhaps you could listen to "Say" by John Mayer, back to back with your own song to hear where your mix feels on the empty side and get some inspiration for how to develop a fuller sound".

[Burtog]

I can't believe you have to pay for the privelige of being a member, do they give you an idea of the percentages you get back if you are 'successful'??

Do you remember those cheap tapes cassettes you used to be able to buy at Woolies years ago, it would be a covers artist who played a Paul McCartney album with a weird title sold at a 3rd of the price of the real album. That sounds like the kind of stuff they are after.

This appears to be the modern way with today's music (think x factor), never ever do they bring their own/original songs, it's all about sounding like someone else.

My wife likes Jason Mraz.......................nuff said!

Jason Mraz......singer songwriter???........do you think he'll end up as one of the choices in SingerSongwriter3?

You dont need to waste your time doing that crap, you're too good!

[Farrell Jackson]

Tim, I have friend that is also a very good middle aged songwriter and was a member of Taxi for one year. His sentiments on their membership costs, reviews, and positive/non-positive returns is a mirror image of your assessment. I've looked at them several times but never could get past the $200/year and $5 per song submission cost. It seems high, especially the per song fee....which should be included in the membership cost.

You're a very good songwriter no doubt but it's a different world in music now. It's no longer the major record companies that are exploiting musician's and songwriters but now it's all these other spin off businesses (like Taxi) that are trying to make their millions. I don't fault them for making money, that's business, but at least give something back in return.

I don't have any answers for you....I struggle with the same problems. I've even thought of starting up  solo acoustic gigging again just to sell some cds. That's where I used to sell the most cds any way.

No Taxi for me.....I'll drive myself , lol.

Farrell

[Tony W]

I think my sentiments are clearly stated here...



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pklq_ShnbA

[Greeny]

Tim, I have friend that is also a very good middle aged songwriter and was a member of Taxi for one year. His sentiments on their membership costs, reviews, and positive/non-positive returns is a mirror image of your assessment

Glad it's not just me!

[Greeny]

I can't believe you have to pay for the privelige of being a member, do they give you an idea of the percentages you get back if you are 'successful'??

No percentages, just testimonial after testimonial of people who've made money / careers out of their service. Never do they spell out that you have to strip away all your originality and personality and play the game THEIR way to achieve any success with them.

My lyrics have also taken a real clobbering. Too wordy / too weird / not 'current'. I guess you have to pitch your words at semi-literate 8 year olds to sound 'current'.

[Greeny]

Do you remember those cheap tapes cassettes you used to be able to buy at Woolies years ago, it would be a covers artist who played a Paul McCartney album with a weird title sold at a 3rd of the price of the real album. That sounds like the kind of stuff they are after.

I remember those. In fact, I remember the old Top of the Pops style LP's with shoddy cover versions on. I never understood why you'd want something that sounds a bit like the original when you could just buy the original in the first place. Even if it is really cheap.

By the time cassettes came out there was no need to buy anything - just tape the Top 40, lol.

[maxit]

Don't know what to say about the business, but I can say this: still yesterday evening I found myself whistling Lo-Fi Fo Fum and can't get it out of my head. Now, think of you, instead of being writing this song, loosing time  forcing yourself to write like someone else. You did the right move! 

[OsCKilO]

Great review Tim .