Recording - March 2015 - 55

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the planet aren't going to help you become a
rock star if your music isn't better than what's
already out there.
So, what does it take to get signed these days?
In a perfect world, you'd have several undeniable
hit songs, a great live show, a regional following,
and a healthy online following. But an artist that
has great material and something artistically
unique yet commercial can still get signed without all the other stuff. But it's got to be really
compelling and have some crossover potential.
Lorde is a great example of that.

shows, films, and commercials and make notes
about what's being used, and create that kind of
music! Find the sweet spot where the need meets
what you can do. If there's not a lot of Death
Metal being used, then it doesn't pay to record a
bunch of it. Isn't there a genre you can do that
they do need? Make that! And if the Muse stops
by and you need to write a song that's a creative
expression of how you feel, then by all means,
do that as well. If you can write lyrics that are
relatable to a bunch of different scenes or storylines while you're doing that, even better!
What does TAXI have on the horizon for 2015?
There are a bunch of companies that try to imitate what TAXI does, and I see listings posted
by them that to the trained eye aren't even real.
The companies make their money on submis-

sion fees, so they publish listings like, "Major
film company needs happy songs in any genre
and any tempo," with no other information. I
know those are bogus because music supervisors are always looking for something pretty
specific. So TAXI's mission for the New Year is
to go even further in educating musicians about
the real music industry and how it works. If
musicians know more, they can make better
choices about what they pitch their music to
and how they pitch it. We're going to do everything we can this year to help talented
musicians focus their efforts on what can work
best for them. I want people to know that even
though there are a bunch of questionable companies out there, they can always count on TAXI
to act with integrity. You can never go wrong by
acting with integrity.

You might have a song in a TV show or a movie
that connects and causes an avalanche of downloads and streams if you're lucky. That will make
the labels call you! Getting signed by an indie
label that does a lot of the grassroots work until
you hit the radar of the majors works too! It
really bums me out to see all those great indie
labels looking for new acts through TAXI, yet we
just don't have that many acts submitting to
those listings. Maybe people think they stand no
chance of getting signed, so why bother. If you
and your music are truly special, I think you've
got a chance!
Is that why so many people are trying to get their
music into film and TV-it's just easier?
Probably. I think at some point many musicians
realize they aren't better than the people on the
charts, and they find it a lot easier to license
their music. They can make anything from
heartfelt guitar/vocal songs for montages in dramas, to simple instrumental cues for reality
shows, to orchestral pieces for film trailers in
their home studios nowadays. Why should they
beat their brains out on the road and live in a
van trying to be a rock star?

"If musicians know more, they can
make better choices about what they
pitch their music to and how they
pitch it."
-Michael Laskow
If you've got a job, a family, and a mortgage,
film and TV licensing is probably more achievable. You can start small and do it in your spare
time. You can build it up over time, and it's
cumulative. The larger your catalog is, the more
money you'll make over time.
So, what's the "secret sauce" musicians need to get
more of their music in TV shows, movies, and commercials?
It's pretty simple, really. Just watch more TV
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