TAXI TV

Craig Pilo is our Head Screener at TAXI. He knows the sync industry inside and out. He also knows some very common mistakes that TAXI members should avoid making, as well as every other musician trying to make it in the music licensing side of the industry. Want to know how to get more music forwarded by TAXI? Watch this! Want to know what causes about 80% of the “returns” from TAXI? Watch this! W...

I’ve watched Rob Chiarelli go from music industry hopeful (when he was in his twenties) to one of the most in-demand mixers/producers in the music business today. With about 100 gold and platinum records and 5 Grammy Awards under his belt, he’s learned a thing or two along the way. And he’s learned from some of the best mentors anybody could ask for! Our viewers always love it when Rob joins me on...

I’ve become close friends with TV Producer, Editor, Director, and Composer Biagio Messina over the last 18 months. Whenever we go out to dinner, Biagio always drops gold nuggets about how he chooses and uses music in his shows, his tricks for making his music much more “usable,” and how TV editors choose and use the music that lands in their shows, as well. In this episode, Biagio will share the t...

If you’d like to jump into doing music for film, TV, and Commercials, you might be wondering, “How do I start, or where do I start?” Both are great questions, and I’ve got the perfect person to help you figure it out! Matt Vander Boegh is an unlikely TAXI All-Star whose music is played all over the world on a daily basis. But, like many of you reading this, Matt’s foray into earning income with hi...

I’ve been asked a gazillion times, “What’s the fastest way to succeed in sync licensing?” Some folks have asked, “What’s the easiest way to launch my music licensing career?” Well, it’s the beginning of a New Year, and I’m sure many of you watching this have decided that 2025 is the year in which you’ll finally hunker down and go for the gold with film and TV music licensing. If you really want to...

I hope your holidays have been warm and wonderful so far, and with 2025 just around the corner we thought it would be a good idea to list off a whole bunch of resolutions that could help you become successful with your music in 2025. It’s a long list, so pick the ones that are most applicable and most likely to move you ahead in leaps and bounds. There are some really good ones in there!

As I sat in the dimly lit grand ballroom listening to Robin Frederick’s presentation at this year’s TAXI Road Rally, I noticed how nearly every person in the audience was leaning forward. Just a tad. Not quite bent over, but definitely leaning in the direction of the stage where a single spotlight illuminated the gravitas of what Robin was saying. Why were 1,000 musicians leaning toward her? Becau...

TAXI member, Jim Thacker has experienced a bit of a meteoric rise in the world of music licensing. As I’ve gotten to know the straight-ahead, No-B.S. person that he is, Jim has really impressed me with his ability to get so much right that he’s now in what I call, “Sync’s Inner Circle.” Yes, he’s one of the people who music libraries and music supervisors call on when they need to deal with a reli...

There are so many ways to get paid for your work in the age of digital music, that I admit that I’m confused as to who exactly pays what. One thing I do know is that the people who attended the presentation by the MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective) at this year’s TAXI Road Rally were SO glad they went! They were so grateful that I’ve invited one the MLC’s top executives (Serona Elton, Head of E...

If you were at this year’s TAXI Road Rally (our annual FREE conference), you were part of what many of the attendees are saying was the best we’ve ever produced in 28 years. We humbly agree! There was something special in the air. Maybe it was the quality of the Ballroom Panels, the One-to-One Mentor sessions, the Eat & Greet Luncheons, the Drivers Ed breakout classes, the Sponsors, or the music i...

As I was grabbing my notes from a table on the stage during last weekend’s TAXI Road Rally, I overheard a musician talking with a music supervisor who had just finished speaking on a panel. The TAXI member said, “Scan my QR code and it will take you to my linktr.ee that has links to my bio, Soundcloud, Instagram, Facebook, my videos, and a bunch of other stuff.” Without missing a beat, the music s...

TAXI’s free conference, the Road Rally starts on November 7th, so I’d like to dedicate an episode of TAXI TV to let you know what you’ll miss if you stay home and miss what people say is the best conference of its kind. I’ll also go through what we have in store for you in the way of panels, classes, mentoring, and chances to play live at the Rally! Not to brag, but I can tell you that this year’s...

Our viewers love it when we do the “A&R Hot Seat” episodes, and here’s why… “Michael, I’ve learned so much from the A&R Hot Seat episodes on TAXI TV! Can you please do them more often? My music has improved quite a bit because it’s much easier to be objective when deciding what works and what doesn’t about somebody else’s music rather than my own." —Timothy Reardon We’ve been hearing the same thin...

So, how does a song written twenty-one years ago end up in the #1 position on the iTunes Dance chart in multiple countries, and #18 in the U.S.? Well, it was written by a songwriter with cuts on albums that have sold 50 million copies. He’s also had singles on Billboard’s Pop, Country, and R&B charts, and his songs have been recorded by artists including Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, the Oa...

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 key to a sustained, successful career in the music business? How many music supervisors do you personally know? How many production music library owners do you personally know? How many A&R people or m...

Do you have questions about anything in the recording, mixing, or production realm? Great! We’ve got the perfect guy to answer them for you, live on this week’s TAXI TV! Ronan Chris Murphy is an acclaimed music producer, engineer, and mixer, known for his versatile work across various genres. With a career spanning decades, he has collaborated with notable artists like King Crimson, Tony Levin, St...

If you’re reading this, you’d undoubtedly like to be thought of as a “Go-To” musician in the eyes of the “kingpins” of sync world, right? Well, I was speaking with a TAXI member named Robina-Ritchie Barker the other day, and I was blown away by the way she looks at the sync industry. More specifically, her views on what it takes to become successful in the sync industry. The funny thing is; the da...

It's been a while since we've done an "Ask Michael Anything" on TAXI TV, so that's exactly what we're going to do on today's show! Ask me anything about TAXI, engineering & production (from the mics and wires aspect), or the music licensing business, and I'll do my best to give straightforward and helpful answers. Want to know what production music libraries are looking for? I can tell you! Want t...

If your goal is to earn your living creating music instead of having a day job that you don’t love, then you really don’t want to miss this week’s episode of TAXI TV. Would you like to have written this statement? “Today, I have lost track, but hundreds of TV shows and almost 100 networks have used my music all over the world. I went from wondering how to get a piece of music in a library almost 1...

Casey Hurowitz has been to more TAXI Road Rallies than any other member, with the probable exception of the legendary Bill Gordon. Casey has long been the go-to guy for Rally first-timers and even some conference veterans. Go-to for what, you might ask… Everything from where to grab the free hotel shuttle, to bringing a hoodie because it can get chilly in the ballroom, to the best way to present y...

Not only will Robin be sharing her 5 best tips for writing better songs more quickly than you do now, she will also be giving feedback on THREE randomly chosen songs from our loyal viewers. If you’re reading this email, follow the steps below to have your song in the running for one of Robin’s famous feedback sessions. Win a FREE Copy of Robin’s Best-Selling Book! Actually, this week’s winner can...

TAXI member, Greg Carrozza will be my guest on this week’s show and he’s going to share everything he knows about collaborating with your fellow TAXI members. If you’d like to accelerate your journey to a successful career in sync licensing, this will be some of the best advice you can get! Greg is a very practical, pragmatic guy, and he explains things in plain English. He’s the exact opposite of...

Get your questions ready for TAXI’s Head Screener, Craig Pilo, because he’s going to join us on this week’s TAXI TV! He’s always a popular guest, and has a great deal of knowledge to share about the sync industry in general, as well as insight relating to TAXI’s screeners, the screening process, common mistakes, and great tips for getting more of your music forwarded to the industry people who are...

Our viewers love when we do the “A&R Hot Seat” episodes, and here’s why… “Michael, I’ve learned so much from the A&R Hot Seat episodes on TAXI TV! Can you please do them more often? My music has improved quite a bit because it’s much easier to be objective when deciding what works and what doesn’t about somebody else’s music rather than my own." —Timothy Reardon We’ve been hearing the same thing f...

If you’re exhausted by all the worry and hand-wringing caused by the threat of Artificial Intelligence obsoleting musicians, I think you’re going to like this episode of TAXI TV. I think you’ll be somewhat less stressed after watching it! TAXI member/composer/producer, Paul Croteau has done the work the rest of us don’t have the bandwidth to do—he’s been obsessively following the AI discussions, l...