Welcome to Music Business: Producers

Your resource for the music industry, including record companies, music biz attorneys, managers, and producer info.

Want to know what makes A&R people tick? What they look for before they offer a record deal? How they find new artists? Check out this site, which includes interviews with A&R bigwigs, and other top record label execs.

You'll also find articles on getting signed, how to present your demo, what goes in a press kit, and more!

What Would You Do With the Ultimate List
of Publishers, Record Labels and
Film & TV Music Supervisors?

"I'd send them my music and try to sell my songs."

There's something better - much better, and far more powerful than blindly sending your music out to every Publisher, Record Label or Film & TV Music Supervisor hoping they'd use your songs and instrumental tracks.

I'm going to share that with you in just a second, so keep reading. I promise not to waste your valuable time!

My name is Michael Laskow and I've been very fortunate to work in the music business for more than thirty years. I've engineered gold and platinum records, produced some amazing artists, and since 1992, have been the founder and CEO of TAXI, the world's leading independent A&R company.

American Idol judge and Hit Songwriter Kara DioGuardi (L), during her interview with
Michael Laskow (R), at TAXI's free, members-only convention, the Road Rally.

Target Your Music...
Get it to the People Who Need It!

Trying to license or "sell" your songs by shot-gunning them out to every publisher, label or Film & TV music supervisor you can find doesn't work for two reasons:

1) Most of them don't accept unsolicited music that doesn't come from people whose ears they trust.

2) Timing is everything. Give them what they need when they need it!

See What the Music Industry is Looking for Right Now!

Here's How We Help You...

TAXI delivers those targeted opportunities right to your front door.

Record labels, Publishers and Film & TV Music Supervisors tell us what kind of Songs, Instrumental Tracks and Artists they currently need - then we tell you. When you see a match for your music, send it to us, and our A&R team will pre-screen it for the company that needs it.

If your music is on-target and great, we send it to them. Your music becomes solicited because it came from a trusted industry source (that's us!).

You'll get about 100 different opportunities every month and they come in nearly every genre you can think of - Rock, Pop, Country, Adult Contemporary, Modern Rock, Jazz, Film/TV, New Age, Instrumental, and just about any other style you'd commonly hear on the radio, in movies, TV shows, video games and commercials.

Thousands of independent songwriters, artists and composers have made Film & TV Music Licensing Deals and Placements using TAXI. The world's leading independent A&R company since 1992. Click these buttons to find out how we can help you!

Nobody Got Paid to Say This Stuff :-)

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You Keep the Money!

If you strike a deal and make a gazillion dollars, you'll keep a gazillion dollars. No percentages or publishing splits go to TAXI. An entire year of our service is so inexpensive that you'll probably spend less on TAXI than you do on designer coffee. Much less than you'd spend on a trip to LA, NY or Nashville or a couple of hours with a music attorney!

Want to Meet Top Music Industry
Executives Face-to-Face?

You'll get plenty of chances at our FREE, members-only convention, the Road Rally. Other music conventions cost as much as $600 per person. When you become a TAXI member, you'll get TWO FREE tickets to what many people think is the very best convention of its kind. That's a $1,200 value that you get FREE with your TAXI membership!

Join us at the Rally and meet top Film & TV music supervisors, Production Music Library execs, publishers, producers, managers and high-level Major and Indie Label A&R people who will give you truthful answers to your questions and speak from their hearts. If you want to network or collaborate with other musicians and songwriters, our convention will feel like heaven on Earth. The Road Rally is such a powerful weekend you literally won't want it to end.

Van Howes/Interscope Records CEO, producer and hit songwriter, Brian Howes, taking CDs from TAXI members at the Road Rally.

American Idol judge and Hit Songwriter, Kara DioGuardi, taking a CD from TAXI member Sunny Hilden.

You'll Also Get a Full, One-Year,
Money-Back Guarantee...

You'll Get Free Online Music Hosting

There's no shortage of places to host your music on the Internet, but don't you think it's about time that you park your music with the company that music business executives actually listen to? Become a TAXI member and host up to fifty of your songs for free - your bio and photos too.

Getting Opinions from Family and Friends is Nice, but... Getting objective, detailed feedback from Hollywood music supervisors, hit songwriters, A&R people, publishers, and record producers is priceless. When you become part of TAXI, it's like having your own personal team of industry pros giving you tips, techniques and fresh ideas. Many of our members send us basic demos and use our feedback to whip their songs into shape before they submit them to publishers, music libraries and publishers. Pure genius!

How Would You Use Your Critiques?

This Works Better Than Hope

How many years have you already wasted, hoping for success to fall from the sky and into your lap? TAXI helps you become much more proactive. Why wait for Music Supervisors and Publishers to stumble on your web page with millions of other songwriters, composers and artists all competing for attention?

How's that MySpace page working out for you?

Got Questions?

Q: TAXI almost sounds too good to be true. How do I know it's legitimate?
A: TAXI has been in business since 1992. If we were a scam, we're pretty sure the entire world would know it by now. We also suggest calling the Better Business Bureau at 909-825-7280, or going to www.BBB.com, and clicking on "check out a company." The more you check us out, the better we'll look!

Q: What's TAXI's "Success Rate?"
A: Our success rate for members who score deals usually runs about 6% per year. The number is probably a little higher, but not all members who get deals remember to call and let us know. Yep, we're pretty amazed by that too! Oh well... chalk it up to human nature.

Q: What kinds of deals have TAXI members signed?
A: Our members have had:

• Record deals with Major and Indie labels
• Songs cut by Major Label artists
• Two Number One Country singles
• Single-song Publishing deals
• Multi-song Publishing deals
• Production deals
• Staff Writer deals
• Video Game deals
• Artist Management deals
• Thousands of Film & TV Licensing and Placement deals

One TAXI connection led to their songs and productions being on 35,000,000 CDs. Adam Watts (L) and Andy Dodd (R), receiving awards from TAXI's Michael Laskow, have had worldwide hits with Jesse McCartney, High School Musical 1,2 & 3, Camp Rock, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince of Caspian Soundtrack, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana, Switchfoot, Joe Jonas and many more.

Our members' music has been on virtually every network.
ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, MTV, HBO, CNN, PBS, ESPN, Showtime, Nickelodeon, Fox Sports, Discovery, Speed, History Channel, Travel Channel, TLC, HGTV, History Channel, Biography, National Geographic, USA, TNT and just about every other network you can think of!

More than 900 companies have asked for music from our members, including....

...just to name a few.

Q: Does TAXI get requests for artists, bands, songwriters, and composers?
A: Yes. All of the above.

Q: Who are your A&R people?
A: TAXI's A&R team is made up of more than 200 heavyweight music industry veterans who are highly skilled in the art of picking hits. They've been Vice Presidents and Directors of A&R at major labels, music publishers, Grammy-winning songwriters and producers, Hollywood music supervisors, and program directors from top radio stations. They have worked at companies like A&M, Arista, ASCAP, BMI, Capitol, Columbia, EMI Music Publishing, Famous Music, MCA, RCA, Universal, Warner Bros., Windham Hill, Word, Virgin, and many, many more. We guarantee your music will always be thoroughly listened to by one of our pros -- no second stringers. Your music will be screened under our direct supervision at TAXI's Los Angeles headquarters.

But having a great resume isn't enough to work on TAXI's award winning A&R team. Our people are hand picked not only for their "ears," but for their attitude as well. If you're wondering why these big shots work for us, the answer is simple - we pay them really, really well. And when you get right down to it, they're hard-core music lovers who are always looking for those needle-in-the-haystack hits.

Q: Can't I just buy a directory or "tip sheet" and do the work myself?
A: You could, but all the directories in the world won't help you if you don't have the time to build personal relationships with the people at the companies that don't accept unsolicited material. TAXI has spent nearly two decades building a colossal network of personal relationships with key music industry executives.

Q: How good do my demos have to be?
A: It's hard to imagine an A&R person saying, "Gee, I really love this music, but this demo was only done on a four-track, I think I'll pass." They're looking for hit songs and unique artists! One of the most successful songs to come through TAXI was recorded on an 8-track in a bedroom.

Q: Do I just get one chance to send my music?
A: No! You'll get more than 1,200 opportunities a year in just about every conceivable genre of music. We'll send you an updated edition of our Industry Listings every two weeks. You can submit to as many listings as you would like, and, you can submit the same material for different listings if it's appropriate.

Q: Will TAXI critique every song I submit?
A: The majority of our listings do provide critiques. You will also notice that a number of the opportunities are quick turnaround situations, which don't afford us the time to provide critiques. We figure that you would still like to have those opportunities, so we run them as non-critique opportunities. We also feature opportunities where the people from the label or publisher come to our office and screen the music themselves!

Q: Does TAXI have a submission fee?
A: Yes. $5 per song. If we had no submission fee, some members would take pot shots at every opportunity. Eventually, that would overload the entire system. Five bucks seems to keep people focused on their best opportunities.

Q: If I send in my whole CD with 12 songs on it, do I have to pay a $60 submission fee?
A: No. Submission fees will range from $5 to $15 according to how many songs the listing asks you to send. Typically, they'll ask you to submit 1 to 3 songs. Just tell us which songs to check out and we'll give them a fair and thorough listen.

Q: Isn't there too much competition for me to expect that my music will be picked?
A: No. TAXI does not work on a quota system. It simply doesn't matter how many submissions we get for a particular listing. The best and most appropriate songs always get sent to the company that asked for them, no matter how many there are. You'll never have to "compete" with your fellow members.

Q: Can I join TAXI if I don't live in the United States?
A: Yes. We have members all over the world - in more than 100 countries at last count! And because we offer free music hosting, online submissions and critiques via email, it's easy to submit your music to TAXI no matter where you live.

Q: Can I sign up as a publishing, management, or production company, and send in material for several people under my membership?
A: The rule of thumb is you can send in any music you've written or co-written, but you can't submit for friends. There are all kinds of messy legal problems that can happen when you do that.

If you've got a manager, you can join in your name and have them do the work of making the submissions for you.

Q: Can I join as a studio and submit demos from my clients?
A: We have a special Studio Referral Program. Please give us a call at 1-800-458-2111, and we'll be happy to tell you about it.

Q: How much does TAXI cost?
A: A Full One-Year membership is just $299.95.
Just to give you a little perspective, a top music attorney will cost you more than $300 for just the first hour! A single plane flight to L.A., N.Y., or Nashville can easily cost you more than your membership fee.

When you add up the expense of hotel rooms, rental cars, and meals, TAXI pays for itself many times over. Compared to what you've spent to make your music, TAXI is a cheap thrill.

Q: How long will my membership last?
A: A full year from the date you join.

Q: How much is it to renew my membership?
A: Your renewal fee will be just $199.95. You'll save a hundred bucks!

Q: Should I wait until my material is totally "finished" before I join TAXI?
A: The smart thing to do is to start submitting now and use TAXI's expert feedback to make your music the best it can possibly be.

You'll Finally Get Your Shot...

The music business is very competitive, but if you don't run the race you have no chance to win. Your TAXI membership will keep you well informed, highly-motivated and more connected to the real music industry than you ever dreamed possible.

There are TAXI imitators that claim the music industry is listening, but only TAXI has a verifiable track record of helping thousands of songwriters, artists and composers get their music heard, signed and making money since 1992.

The Three Qualifications You Must
Meet Before You Can Join

You must agree to keep the industry contacts and relationships you make through TAXI confidential: We can't risk losing our industry relationships by allowing members to share them with others who might act in a less than professional manner. Please respect this for both our sakes.

You must agree to invest in yourself: Your financial investment is quite small when compared to the creative investment we ask you to make. Your TAXI membership is very much like belonging to a gym - if you're not committed to using it regularly, you may not realize the maximum benefit.

You must agree to only pitch your music at opportunities with a high potential for a match: TAXI gives you the shot at the Major Leagues you've always wanted. Make sure each and every pitch counts!

Yes Michael, I agree and I'm ready to
start getting my music heard!