TAXI TV

More and more music libraries and music supervisors are asking for stems and alt mixes because it makes your music much more “usable.” If you’re somewhat new to the music licensing world, you might need a little help in understanding how to deliver what the industry pros need, so we’re going to show you on this week’s episode! TAXI Member, Greg Carrozza, is going to join us this week, and if the t...

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...

Highly successful TAXI member Matt Vander Boegh interviewed me a month or so ago, and the TAXI TV audience was blown away by the quality of the questions asked. Here’s the dirty little secret: Many of those questions came from Matt’s group of musicians he mentors at monthly meetings at his house. Matt’s a Pay-It-Forward kind of guy! I was so impressed with the questions from Matt’s Mentees that I’...

If you’ve ever wondered what an Edit Point, Buttoned Ending, Stinger Ending, or a Developmental Arc are, you’re going to love this week’s episode of TAXI TV! We’re going to play examples from a Production Music Library and show you waveforms that should make things crystal clear. You’ll also get the chance to hear some tracks from a successful Music Library. If you’re new to creating music for TV...

Successful TAXI member, Jim Thacker stopped by the office when he was in Los Angeles, recently. He asked if I thought the TAXI TV audience would be interested in knowing what he didn’t know at the start of his career in music for sync. He sent me his list of 10 Things he wishes he’d known in the beginning of his journey into sync, and I immediately invited him to be my guest on this week’s episode...

Andrew Jordan knows all about making career-killing mistakes because he’s either made them himself or has seen friends make them. During a recent phone call, he suggested that we do a panel at the 2025 TAXI music conference, the Road Rally. I added the topic to my list of ideas, and also suggested that we do a TAXI TV ASAP because people need to know what these career-killers are sooner than later...

Matt Vander Boegh has gone from Zero-to-Hero in the world of Music Licensing. Here’s a snippet of his bio from his website: “In his 14 years of making music for TV, Vander Boegh has amassed a staggering 30,000+ placements on over 1,000 TV programs, including various major sporting events, Hollywood movies, high-profile reality TV shows, soap operas, commercials, and daytime & evening talk shows. H...

You’ve dreamed about becoming successful with your music for your entire adult life. You joined TAXI. You’ve watched TAXI TV and attended our conference—The Road Rally— to learn how to create what the industry is asking for. You’ve done everything right, and then… BAM! With one fell swoop, you made this common mistake that killed a golden opportunity, and possibly your career. What IS that mistake...

We’ve all heard about how “manifestation” can make things happen for you, right? But, how many of us consciously put manifestation to work in our daily lives—especially in our pursuit of finding success in our music careers? My guest on this week’s TAXI TV is the best “manifestor” I’ve ever met in my entire life! Kim Tibbs is a TAXI member, and has accomplished more in her career (so far!) than mo...

“What can I do to make my recordings sound more professional?” I’ve been getting that question since I started TAXI 33 years ago. Being a “retired” engineer/producer, I’ve got opinions and suggestions, but they’re not as good as somebody who’s currently in the trenches, doing what you do. But I know a guy who IS in the trenches, and I watch his Youtube videos quite often. And I really like them! Y...

Have you ever asked yourself this question? “What do I need to do to get people to recognize how good my music is, and start paying me now to license it for their TV shows, films, or commercials?” Give me an “Amen, brother!” if you’ve ever asked yourself that question. The Answer Will be Revealed (for real!) on This Week’s TAXI TV! I just got an email from a TAXI member who’s only been pursuing hi...

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...