October 29, 2007
168 Reviewing Taxi and Other Music Pitch Sites
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
SPONSOR: Get your .com domain name for $6.95 a year buy using the coupon code “Cooler3″ at www.godaddy.com
Music Promotion Tips
David Hooper of www.musicbusinessradio.com has an alternative (and safer) way to build your friends at myspace is http://www.youroutsourcingsolution.com has done a good job for me. For a few hundred bucks, she can get you hooked up with a fulltime person who will do nothing but MySpace. A $500 investment could get you tens
of thousands of people.”
USB Preamp From Rich Palmer of www.audiogumshoe.com
MArshal USB Mic Mate $80 at Same Day Music (free shipping)
Music Pitch Sites
By Paul Bordenkircher of www.mesasand.com
All of these services have a few things in common, including the desire to find good songs that can be licensed for use quickly, without a lot of complications. So before you get started pitching your own songs, check this first:
1. You MUST own all rights to the songs - in other words, you cannot have signed a contract with a publisher or record label. If the songs employ co-writers, they must also be on board with what you’re doing, to make licensing easier. And ownership includes not just the song, but the recording of the song, called the masters.
2. You SHOULD already be a member of a performing rights society - ASCAP, BMI or SESAC. If you’re not a member of one of those three, you need to do so before getting started. I recommend either ASCAP.com or BMI.com. SESAC will usually only take people with a previous track record of success.
Now here’s the list of places I know:
www.TAXI.com This is probably the most well known of the group. Taxi pitches themselves as a go-between for artists and publishers, labels, music libraries and other companies. The service consists of a pitch list updated twice a month, in a wide variety of genres. You can also get critiques of your songs as part of most pitches. They also have a Dispatch service, which sends emails for opportunities with very short turnarounds - sometimes a matter of days. These tend to be film and TV listings, but not always. I’ve attached a PDF file of one of their regular bi-monthly listings.
Cost: $299.95 per year, and $5.00 per song pitched. Dispatch costs an additional $150 per year, plus the same $5.00 per pitch.
Good: Great source of opportunities. Critiques can be very useful if you’re still developing your songwriting skills. They now offer a free website to submit to listings online - avoids having to prepare mail packages.
Bad: Expensive. Anyone with $300 can be a member, good or bad. You must be a member to pitch.
www.PumpAudio.com and www.CrucialMusic.com Thesesites handle pitches to film and TV listings. You must be approved to be a member, but once you’re approved, there’s no cost to you. They split all revenues 50-50 with you. Their most unusual aspect concerns how they handle songs - they re-title your song and claim it as theirs with the performing rights society. (For example, if you have a song called “Oh Baby,” they will register it as “Oh Baby Ballad” with ASCAP). You retain all rights to “Oh Baby,” but they claim copyright on any placements they do with the same song entitled “Oh Baby Ballad”). Confusing, I know.
Cost: none. Revenues are split 50-50.
Good: They both have a track record of placements in a number of film and TV listings. Applicants are screened, so their pool of talent is overall better than Taxi. They do all the pitching for you.
Bad: Their method of registering songs is technically a loophole in the copyright law, and will eventually be challenged in court. When it does, it will probably change their business model. You don’t get to see the companies or listings they’re pitching to. I’ve sent emails to both companies with questions about their service, and never gotten a response.
www.MusicSupervisor.com Much like Pump Audio and Crucial Music, except they don’t try to claim any ownership of the songs - you own everything. They will also send emails to members with opportunities with short turnarounds, and if they don’t see a lot of good matches in their catalog.
Cost: none. Revenues are split 50-50.
Good: They both have a track record of placements in a number of film and TV listings. Applicants are screened, so their pool of talent is overall better than Taxi. The head of the company will review your website and your music. Members I know have all been called by the company, to further screen applicants. They do all the pitching for you.
Bad: You don’t get to see the companies or listings they’re pitching to. If you don’t have a website with music, it may hamper being accepted. You must be able to upload audio files as 44.1, 16 bit WAV files - which will require either you (or a very good friend) to have FTP software and a high-speed connection for uploads.
www.Songcasting.biz This is not really a website, but an old-fashioned pitch list sent via mail or fax once a month.
Cost: 3 months for $50; 6 months for $90; 12 months for $170. 10 percent discount for ASCAP members.
Good: Good, legitimate listings. You get the names and addresses for each listing.
Bad: It’s all up to you - you must prepare a pitch package and mail it. Difficult to follow up, as Songcasting encourages you NOT to pester the clients. Anyone with $50 can get the list.
I’m sure there are more, but these are the ones I know right away.
–
Paul Bordenkircher
Mesa Sand Productions
Music Services for Independent Artists
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Support the Show
Get Your Band Out of the Basement and Keep them Out of the Asylum available at www.musicianlibrary.com
Promoting Your Band with PodcastingFree Ebook at www.promotingwithpodcasting.com
Subscribe and ReviewThe Musicians Coolerat iTunes at www.musicianscooler.com/itunes
THROW DAVE A BONE http://www.musicianscooler.com/bone (go buy something).
Filed under PODCAST by Dave Jackson
Comments on 168 Reviewing Taxi and Other Music Pitch Sites »
Thanks for the info, it is very helpful.