TAXI TV

Have a great song stuck in your head—or sitting unfinished on your hard drive? You're not alone. Many songwriters, artists, and composers have ideas they're excited about but don't have all the skills, instruments, production experience, or resources needed to turn those ideas into finished recordings. In this episode of TAXI TV, Michael Laskow talks with TAXI members Michelle Witmer and Khris Berry about one of the biggest challenges facing independent music creators: how to get unfinished songs and instrumentals over the finish line. Michelle and Khris have been getting placements with music created through collaboration, and they've recently launched a company designed to help musicians find collaborators and guide the creative process through completion. The conversation explores an increasingly important question for today's music creators: What do you do when you have the song, but you can't do everything yourself? You'll learn about: - How collaboration can help turn unfinished songs into finished tracks - Finding the right musicians, songwriters, producers, and collaborators - Getting a song from an idea to a professional recording - Why some great musical ideas never make it off the hard drive - Building a team around your music - How collaboration can help create music for sync licensing - Getting songs and instrumentals ready for music libraries - The challenges independent musicians face when producing their own music - Alternatives to trying to do every part of the creative process yourself - How Michelle and Khris are helping musicians bring their music to completion If you're a songwriter, artist, composer, producer, or independent musician with unfinished songs sitting on your hard drive, this conversation could give you a new way to think about getting those ideas completed—and eventually getting them in front of people looking for music. Because sometimes the missing ingredient isn't another songwriting session. It's the right collaborator.

AI music is changing incredibly fast. But what does it actually mean for songwriters, artists, composers, and producers? There’s no shortage of headlines, videos, predictions, lawsuits, and opinions about AI music and the future of the music industry. Keeping up with all of it can feel like a full-time job. In this episode of TAXI TV, Michael Laskow talks with TAXI member and music-for-media creator Paul Croteau, better known as Yo Paulie, who has made it his mission to follow the rapidly changing world of AI-generated music and understand how these developments could affect independent musicians. Rather than focusing exclusively on the doom-and-gloom predictions surrounding artificial intelligence and music, Paul takes a broader look at the technology, the business, and the potential implications for working musicians. In this conversation, you'll learn more about: - How AI music is changing the music industry - What AI-generated music could mean for independent songwriters and artists - The impact of AI on composers and music creators - Major developments involving AI music companies - The legal battles surrounding AI-generated music - What musicians should understand about companies such as Suno and Udio - How record labels, publishers, and other music industry companies are responding to AI - The difference between facts, opinions, predictions, and hype surrounding AI music - Potential opportunities AI could create for musicians - What independent music creators should be paying attention to as AI technology evolves If you're a songwriter, artist, composer, producer, or musician working in sync licensing or film and TV music, this episode will help you get a clearer picture of where AI music fits into the changing landscape. Paulie has been doing the homework. Watch this episode of TAXI TV to get the 10,000-foot view of AI music and what it could mean for your career.

Want to learn how to compose music for movie trailers? Trailer music is becoming a major opportunity for composers, producers, and musicians creating music for production libraries—and the demand for high-quality trailer music continues to grow. In this episode of TAXI TV, Michael Laskow sits down with composer Michael Whittaker to discuss what composers need to know when creating music for trailers and production music libraries. For years, trailer music was often associated with large orchestral recordings, professional studios, and substantial production budgets. But advances in home studio technology, virtual instruments, orchestral libraries, and music production have changed the landscape dramatically. Today, production music libraries are increasingly being asked to supply trailer music—and they're looking for composers who can create powerful, cinematic instrumentals that work for film and television marketing. In this episode, you'll discover 10 important things to know about composing trailer music, including practical insights that can help you create music that production music libraries and trailer clients actually want. You'll learn more about: - How to compose music for movie and TV trailers - What makes a great trailer music instrumental - Writing cinematic music for production music libraries - What trailer music companies are looking for - How home studios have changed trailer music production - Creating powerful, dramatic instrumental music - Approaching trailer music differently from other types of sync music - What composers should consider when writing for music libraries - How to make your music more licensable for film and television - Opportunities for composers in the growing trailer music market Whether you're an experienced composer or you're just getting started creating cinematic music, production music, or sync music, this episode is packed with practical advice you can use when writing your next trailer cue. If you're interested in trailer music, sync licensing, production music libraries, film music, TV music, or composing for film and television, don't miss this conversation with Michael Whittaker. Grab your headphones and take notes—there are some trailer-writing concepts in this episode we haven't covered before on TAXI TV.

Could you tell which songs are worth forwarding to a music industry client? Put your A&R ears to the test in this episode of TAXI TV, where Michael Laskow puts viewers in the A&R Hot Seat and challenges them to listen to real music submissions and decide what they would forward—and what they wouldn't. This episode features actual submissions for recent TAXI listings seeking Singer/Songwriter songs and Investigative Tension Hybrid instrumentals. Before revealing what TAXI's A&R team decided, you'll get the chance to make your own call. Would you forward it? Would you pass? And, most importantly, will your decision match the professional A&R team's decision? This exercise isn't just about identifying music you personally like. It's about learning to listen objectively and recognizing whether a song or instrumental actually fits a specific music licensing opportunity. In this episode, you'll learn: How professional A&R teams evaluate music What makes a song worth forwarding for a music licensing opportunity How to listen objectively instead of relying on personal taste What to listen for in Singer/Songwriter submissions What makes an Investigative Tension Hybrid instrumental work How matching music to a specific brief affects A&R decisions Why objective listening can improve your own songwriting and production How to develop better ears for sync licensing and music placement opportunities One of the best ways to improve your own music is to learn how to objectively evaluate someone else's. So grab your headphones, make your picks, and see how your A&R instincts compare with TAXI's professional screeners. Would you forward these songs? Let's find out.

How much of what you’ve heard about sync licensing and the music industry is actually true? The music licensing world is full of myths, misconceptions, outdated advice, and conflicting information—especially on social media and online forums. In this episode of TAXI TV, Michael Laskow separates fact from fiction and answers some of the most common questions musicians, songwriters, composers, and producers have about music licensing. You'll learn the truth about: How music supervisors, production music libraries, and TV editors choose music. Whether the “best” song always wins a placement. How many music libraries should you work with? Whether you should keep pitching a song after submitting it to a library. The fastest way to build a career in sync licensing. How TAXI submissions are evaluated and forwarded. How many submissions TAXI receives for each listing. Why you may receive different feedback on the same song. What happens after your music is forwarded to a client? What happens after a music library signs your music? What to do when a library asks if you have more music. Developmental arcs, edit points, button endings, and stingers. What a PRO (Performing Rights Organization) is. Whether you need to join a PRO and how they work. What “broadcast quality” means. What a “universal” lyric is. The difference between an instrumental cue and an instrumental. Whether you're just getting started with sync licensing or you've already had music placed in TV, film, commercials, or production music libraries, this episode is designed to help you make better decisions based on how the industry actually works—not on myths repeated online. Grab a notebook, because there are a lot of misconceptions to unpack! Plus: One viewer will win a copy of Writing Production Music during the live broadcast.