Taxi Forums/Reveiws

As I mentioned in my most recent blog we have been looking into an A&R company called Taxi.  Again, your first year of membership is $299.95 with 1 year customer satisfaction money back guarantee.  After putting some numbers on paper that is not a bad price if you stay focused on what Taxi offers.  

We went to several forums where members of Taxi put out their personal Pro's and Con's regarding Taxi services.   So far it looks like Taxi is a reliable resource but of course success is never guaranteed.

Industry listings are put out every 15 days via Taxi resources.  The more listings you submit your songs to the higher chances of placement your songs will have.  According to the website nearly all of your songs will be constructively critiqued.  This is a good thing as long as you can take the opinions of others listening toyour music. 

A number of complaints were members stating how great they believe their music is and somehow it was never picked-up.  In all aspects of life there is a measure of quality over quantity and expectation.  Both of those are blurred by a relative perspective.  In short, if everyone had great music there would be no need for Taxi. 

We will keep digging to find out as much as we can about Taxi before dishing out $300.  Stay tuned....

http://www.taxi.com/

Chuck Anderson
CEO, BSMG

Disclaimer: All text published in this blog will not replace performing your own research and forming your own opinion.  BSMG is not liable for any decision you make based on our perspective/opinion of any and all topics discussed.  In short, do your own research and make informed decisions on all sources discussed in this blog.      

Taxi.com (A&R) - Not What You Think

  I have been doing some reading and came across an A&R company called Taxi.  It is an interesting name and mildly deceiving when you're looking to break into the music industry.  Taxi is the worlds leading A&R company.  Their job is to facilitate the exposure of your music.  Industry listings are presented to Taxi and are forwarded to Taxi members.  The listing breaks down exactly what the Record Label, Music Supervisor, Program Director, etc are looking for.  Here is an abbreviate Taxi industry listing for a television show:

"THOUGHTFUL, CONTEMPORARY, HEARTFELT, ACOUSTIC INDIE POP or SINGER SONGWRITER BALLADS with DISTINCTIVELY THROATY FEMALE VOCALS a la Adele ("Make Me Feel My Love"), Holly Palmer ("Bad for You") and Duffy ("Syrup and Honey") for a long-running, emotionally-charged soap opera. Your INTIMATE, STRAIGHT-FORWARD song must help set the tone for various emotional scenes ranging from melancholy to sultry to joyous. Keep lyrics current and fresh, uncomplicated and heartwarming."

Taxi charges $299.95 for the first year but offers a 1 year money back guarantee if you are not pleased with their services.  Each song submission in response you provide to an industry listing is $5.00 per song.  $299.95 may sound like a lot but it appears to be worth it if you have a full-time job and take your music seriously.  Take a look at their website to learn more. 

Better Business Bureau Rating: B
http://www.la.bbb.org/Business-Report/TAXI-13006572

Taxi.com Website - Check out their FAQ for a rundown of services they offer
http://www.taxi.com/

Chuck Anderson
CEO, BSMG

Patience Please

Patience is a virtue we all have to address on a regular basis.  With the Holiday Season arriving things for us have slowed down a bit.  The collaboration I have been blogging about has been pushed back to mid January; for positive reasons.  The other client who contacted us to create music for his website is moving to Florida.  He will need a few weeks to get settled into his new digs with his family.

One of the valuable and more tangible aspects of patience is the outcome.  When people feel comfortable and are mentally/emotionally prepared to work, the end product is typically at its peak.  In the meantime  I will be working to expand my catalog of music and we will be seeking local artist for future collaborations.

I have found a new interest in classical music.  In another month I will have the new Orchestra/Symphony sw upgrade.  I will be experimenting to see what I can come up with.

See "100 Must Have Classical Songs A-Z" on iTunes if your into soothing passionate music.


Chuck Anderosn
CEO, BSMG

Website Music Updates

  Go to our website and check out the music updates.  Several songs have been added to each category.  Your feedback is always welcomed.  Enjoy

http://www.beatsciencemusicgroup.com/BeatScience/Home.html

Chuck Anderson
CEO, BSMG

Mastering Software

Looking for music mastering software... recommendations pls? (Mac/Logic Compatible)

Sent from my iPhone

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all our American readers.

Sent from my iPhone

Website Musical

I mentioned in a previous blog about an old high school friend who asked me to create music for his website. Sometime this week I will be chatting about the specifics of the sound he is looking for. I have a decent sized catalog of music so it could be possible I already have music that fits his request.

We are still waiting to hear back from our other client who we're collaborating with. It's only been a couple days since we sent the music and we hope to get feedback soon.

Tomorrows Wednesday - Enjoy

Chuck Anderson
CEO, BSMG

Sent from my iPhone

A Break

Taking a break from the music tonight. I've spent the last week locked down in the studio putting the collab music together. A mental vacation is what I need. Have a great night.

Chuck Anderson
CEO, BSMG

Sent from my iPhone

Lift Off - Songs Have Been Sent

Being that this is our first collaboration we are very excited to get feedback from the artist (her). I spent several nights working long hours to provide the best quality music I could. We will keep you posted on what comes next.

Sent from my iPhone

A New Song - "Meadows"

 I am working on a 4th track for this up coming collaboration titled "Meadows."  We will be sending her a total of four tracks including "Meadows."  She provided a brief description of what genre/style of music she is in to and I believe I hit the mark. 

"Meadows" is a beautiful love story with intrinsic value that gives me such a relaxed vibe each time I listen to it.  We really think she will enjoy this song.  No pressure though :-)  We have three other song to choose from but we would be happily flattered if she enjoyed them all.   We will be sending all four songs out this Sunday.   We are putting together a simple "beginner" agreement for the first stage of our collaboration laying out our legal expectations and supporting hers.  Sharing creative ideas and inspiration is invaluable...but business pays bills.  

To get an idea of what "Meadows" production sounds like listen to Matt Alber's "End of The World" from his album titled Hide Nothing.  Its a beautiful song with or without the lyrics.  You can catch him on iTunes. 



By the way, if you have any intention what so ever to get into the music licensing business I highly encourage you to read "The Musician's Guide to Licensing Music."   It is an incredible resource and has given me all the resources I need, and then some, for our production company....Read the book! 

Hope you have a great night.

Chuck Anderson
CEO, BSMG

Jazz and Then Some - Collaboration

 I have been working all night on several different songs for this upcoming collaboration.  The artist we are working with is primarily into Jazz.  I have a few different songs I've created that have a Jazz feel with a contemporary touch to them.

On a side note - We were contacted this morning by an old  high school friend of mine who asked us to create music for his website.  Once I send off the music for our collaboration I believe we will be creating cyberspace music.  Have a great night!


Chuck Anderson
CEO, BSMG

Camille - French Pop

Yesterday I talked about Randy Weston and his incredible 6 decades of contributions to Music. Another artist I am listening to for this collaboration is a French Pop artist by the name of Camille. The artist that I am working with has an unorthodox approach to her musical taste...which I genuinely appreciate and respect.

Camille's music has landed her several French music awards over the years. I believe Camille's last album was released in 2008 but my favorite was put out in 2006. She has been described as being heavily influenced by the icelandic icon Bjork. Check Camille out on iTunes and decide for yourself.

Chuck Anderson
CEO, BSMG

Sent from my iPhone

Randy Weston (The Storyteller) - "Fly Hi"

 When I spoke with the artist I've mentioned a couple of times on here about collaborating with one of her favorite artists is Randy Weston.  Mr. Weston is a funky jazz piano player that has been putting out music since the early 50's (six decades) with an African influence.  I looked him up on iTunes and purchased a few tracks off of his latest album, "The Storyteller."  My favorite is track 10,"Fly Hi."  Check it out on iTunes

With this collaboration our intent is for me to create/produce the track and have her provide the vocals. Our discussion was much more fluid than that but this is where we decided to start for now.   I will be putting the track together this week as well as sending previous tracks I made in the Jazz genre for her to listen to.  Once she gets a solid feeling about one or two of them we will move forward with adding vocals and tweaks.  My intent is to put together a song that feels a bit like Randy Weston with a more contemporary sound.  This will be a fun and exiting journey.  There is more to come.  Thanks for reading.

For more on Randy Weston check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Weston

Chuck Anderson
CEO, BSMG 

Early Morning

Going to bed early on a Saturday night to get an early start tomorrow. I'm working on a couple of Jazz/soul tracks for our collaboration with a local artist.

Sent from my iPhone

Website - Background Music

An old high school friend of mine reached out to us to create music for his website. We aren't sure what type of sound he is looking for just yet. This will be our first website request and we hope it works out. Ill fill you in when we get more info.

Chuck Anderson
CEO, BSMG

Sent from my iPhone

Collaboration - A Discussion

  We were expecting a call tomorrow afternoon (Saturday) from an artist who we recently met at a meetup group.  I mentioned her talent in a previous blog.  She called us earlier today due to appointment conflicts tomorrow.  The conversation went really well.  I will tell you all about it tomorrow....
Have a great Friday night!



Chuck Anderson
CEO, BSMG

Mechanical License - (Not for the guy that fixes your car)

I mentioned previously that I have been reading a book on licensing music.  Here is a snippet from the book on Mechanical Licensing:

The Musician's Guide to Licensing Music - By Darren Wilsey, with Daylle Deanna Schwartz

Page 91: The term mechanical rights is used in reference to the right to manufacture and sell copies of a recording.  Permission for doing so is granted through what's known as a mechanical license.  This is the type of license that is involved with recording contract, soundtrack albums, DVD's, compilations, or any msuic collections where copies are manufactured and sold. 


If you're serious about music, read the book.  It's a great resource.


Chuck Anderson
CEO, BSMG

A Saturday Collaboration - Ella Fizgerald Sound

  Over the past several months we have had about a half dozen artist approach BSMG for a collaborative effort.  Unfortunately not a single artist followed through and it seems their inspiration/motivation fizzled. 

While at our first meet-up, when the gentleman freestyled on our track, I met another artist who writes/sings/produces her own music.  She has a smooth jazz Ella Fitzgerald type sound.  This would be the first time an artist followed through so it is exciting to see what the outcome will be.  At this point we just want to know the basics, not only about her music but her as a person and an artist.  It's important for us to have a good feeling about someone we intend on doing business with.  She has great music and appears to be very approachable based off our initial encounter.  At the very least I believe it could be a pleasant conversation even if we decide not to move forward with a collaboration.  I will fill you in Saturday night after we chat with her to see where each us is headed musically.


Have a great night....

Chuck Anderson
BSMG, CEO
  

30 Seconds - A Commercial's Lifespan

  The average commercial is 30 seconds long.  The music you hear behind each commercial plays a significant role in how the consumer views a product.  Think about your favorite commercial, for those of you who have one,  and try to separate the image on TV from the music behind it.  The image you see and the music you hear have been created to identify one with the other.   It's always interesting to dig a little bit deeper and see how much effort goes into selling products. 

Enjoy your Tuesday evening, or Wednesday afternoon, depending what timezone you're in.


Thanks for reading...

BSMG Staff

Cover By Copyright

  We put several of our new songs along with some older songs together to send off to the Copyright Office.  The U.S. Copyright Office provides you with protection of your works.  Submitting to the Copyright Office is not a requirement but it does provide you with legal rights you would otherwise not have.  To file your works online it would cost you approximately $35.  That's a good deal that guarantee's that your work will always be your work. 

Check out the U.S. Copyright Office at www.copyright.gov for more information on protecting your investment. 


Have a great night


Chuck Anderson
BSMG, CEO

Blogging Do's and Blogging Dont's

  Tell me what you think about our blog.  What about our blog do you enjoy?  What other blogs do you enjoy and why?  Comments and feedback is always welcomed....


Have a great Sunday night

BSMG Staff

Legal Advice - An Entertainment Industry Must Have (Meetup Group)

It is a Saturday at approx 4:30pm and we just arrived home from our second meet-up group. As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, we went to Breasia Studios for a meet-up. An Entertainment Lawyer was kind enough to provide members of the group legal advice. He provided us with an informative presentation on Copy Rights. The setting was really laid back and he answered all of our questions from a professional and informed perspective.

Photo courtesy of Breasia Studios

We discussed the means and process of publishing, protecting, and advancement of our music through a vast amount of resources he provided. We also discussed the advantages of registering with Performance Rights Organizations (PRO's) such as Broadcast Music Inc (BMI), and American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). PRO companies collect royalties on behalf of copyright owners. For instance, if your an artist who has a song being played in a bar in Washington D.C., that bar must pay a fee to BMI/ASCAP to play your song. BMI/ASCAP will then send you a check (quarterly) to compensate you for your artistry. It is a way of controlling who uses your material and making sure you get paid your percentage of royalties.

We also talked about Copyright laws regarding payout. Did you know the minimum a record company can pay a songwriter for copyright per song is $0.091? We had no idea but believe it or not that 9.1 cent can add up if a song is successful. This $0.091 rate is not a requirement or a standard. The benefit of negotiating deals is you can ask for anything you want for your music. If you want $8.00 a per unit (song) you certainly can ask. The difficult part is convincing the other party your deal is just as beneficial to them, if not more, as it is to you.

Photo courtesy of Breasia Studios

At the end of the day business is just that, business. Everyone involved is in it to make money. Typically a record label or publisher has more to lose when signing deals/agreements because you are not their only liability. The opportunity for you/me comes when your musical abilities are in-demand. This gives you the upper-hand and the chance to get the money you want and believe you deserve. Keep in mind, during a recession most businesses are more willing to negotiate terms that would benefit you more now than a couple years ago. Basically, ask for and take as much as you can. (Always get it in writing)

If you are interested in Entertainment Legal services in the DMV area, contact Mr. Conroy C. Harding, Harding Law Group, directly at www.hardinglawgroup.com. He was a cool laid-back guy who gave us solid advice and comes highly recommend by Breasia Studios.


PRO's:

BMI Website: http://www.bmi.com/licensing
ASCAP Website: http://www.ascap.com/

On a side note, we will not be posting video footage of John Legend, The Roots, Ozzie Ozbourne. We found out that we could get sued for putting live performances on our blog. With that said, it's a no go.


As always, thanks for reading

Chuck Anderson
CEO, BSMG

P.S.  Eric Emerick, BSMG COO, is a primary reason for BSMG's existence and future.  I do most of the blogging but outside of the music it's all him.   From designing and creating our website, keeping us organized, and managing day-to-day operations his knowledge and resources are invaluable.  I thought I would mention this because with him doing the behind the scenes work he has very little exposure to our readers and fans.  We are a fantastic team with nothing to stop us but ourselves!

    

Entertainment Lawyer - Meetup Group Legal Advice

Tomorrow afternoon we will be meeting with an Entertainment Lawyer at Breasia Recording Studio. The last time we discussed Breasia we were able to record a freestyle on two of the tracks I made for a Jam Session. I don't foresee anyone getting on the mic but we are still hoping to get some camera time during the legal discussions. This will be a great opportunity for us to soak in as much legal guidance as possible. We have a list of questions we plan to bring so we can fire at will to get the most of this meetup. Check back tomorrow to hear how things went.


For more info on Bresia Studios go to http://www.breasiastudios.com/ or check out their meetup.com webpage at http://www.meetup.com/breasiastudios/

Check out our latest track "Seduction (Love Me)" on our website at www.beatsciencemusicgroup.com. It will be available at full length for the next 24 hours.

Thanks for reading and enjoy your Friday!

Chuck Anderson
CEO, BSMG

Seduction (Love Me) - Available For The Next 48 Hours

I have been blogging about "Seduction (Love Me)" House track for about two weeks. It is finally here and will be available for the next 48 hours at full length on our website. Enjoy the audible show. Comments on the blog are welcomed...

www.beatsciencemusicgroup.com

Chuck Anderson
CEO, BSMG

Song Of The Week - "Bonafide" By: Druw & Perez (To London, Australia And Beyond)

Some of my favorite House tracks have a smooth rhythm, two-step tempo, and soul to keep you feeling the beat from beginning to end. This track defines what I look for with its incredible yet smooth sound. "Bonafide" is brought to you by duo "Drew and Perez" out of the UK. They produce some of the greatest sounds coming out of the UK that could be considered the digital version of Earth Wind & Fire. This track is a little over six minutes long, so ladies, don't forget your dancing shoes. You can get this amazing track on iTunes via the August 13, 2010 released "The Sound Of Soul Heaven Records" (mixed by Aaron Ross & Neil Pierce).

Press play, close your eyes, and see yourself on the dance floor with your favorite drink, 2 hours into your local Saturday night classy/sexy dance club, and a handful of your closest's friends. (Don't be afraid to dance, no one cares about your lack of rhythm as much as you.)

Druw & Perez MySpaceMusic Page:
http://www.myspace.com/druwperez


A KnightBridge PentHouse Affair:

I spent a couple of years living in Canberra, the capitol of Australia. Canberra was a small city that didn't provide the largest variety of entertainment but there was one I would consider the best in the world. "Bonafide" takes me back to 2004-2006 when me and a half dozen friends would go out to this lounge bar in Canberra called Knights Bridge Penthouse. It was in a small suburb called Braddon about a 5 minute drive or 20 minute walk from where I lived. It was a small venue but offered one of the most comfortable and classy environments you could ask for. Take a look at the website and check out the photos.

KnightsBridge Penthouse Website:
http://www.knightsbridgepenthouse.com.au/index.php


Check out Soul Heaven Records for other artist like Druw & Perez:
http://www.soul-heaven.com/

Thanks for reading....have a great night

Chuck Anderson
CEO, BSMG

Song of The Week - Will Be Posted This Afternoon

We are still in House (music) mode this week. Next week we are moving onto Commercial/Movie/Entertainment. More info on that is soon to come. Check back later today.

Stay Tuned
BSMG Staff

An Election Day - Where Will You Be?

Today is election day and we encourage all of those who have an opinion to go out and vote. The choice you have today will affect tomorrow. Be mindful of the candidate you select and be sure to do your research prior to your vote. An informed voter is effective in sending his or her message. An ignorant voter is sending an ineffective message.

We will be out volunteering at the polls today but we will be sure to get back on the music tomorrow. It's going to be chilly today (in D.C.) so don't forget your hat and hot tea/coffer if you plan on voting in the evening. Have a great day...

Get out and Vote!

BSMG Staff

"Drop In 60 Seconds" to "Seduction (Love Me)" - Laws Of Creativity

A few blogs ago we mentioned I have been working on a House track titled "Drop In 60 Seconds." That was actually its second title and we have since moved onto a third. The new title of this song is "Seduction (Love Me)" which fits perfectly. When I start building a song with the intro, verse, chorus, verse, etc...I tend to lead with my creativity. My direction is always there, for instance, if I want to create a House track or Hip-Hop track I keep it House or Hip-Hop all the way through. That part is easy. When I record a hook or put together a sweet chorus the track has a mind of its own. At times I modify the first verse and we like it so much I change the other three or four verses to match. This track has had three different names with three completely different stories behind it. As with all my other music, I downloaded this tracks to my iPhone and listened to it at least 20-30 times to catch what I consider flaws. This helps me in the creative process and allows me to think outside of our studio for inspiration. Because I ran this track through my ear drums several dozen times it turned out to be exactly what I wanted. I try not to search for perfection (relative term) but nearly perfect is always a goal.

Being an independent artist and entrepreneur we have the luxury of modifying and redirecting our vision to what we see as greatness or from a poor excuse for a song. We are confident with our product and have always felt going with your gut is the best motto to live by. My gut has made solid music for some time now. We are proud of what we produce and excited to share with everyone because it is a natural process we go through.

(If your gut is stuck, go on YouTube where you can find all types of tutorials and inspiration for your music productions. Or take a walk outside, watch a movie with your favorite music score, listen to the radio, read an entertainment mag, watch MTV2, etc... Inspiration is everywhere, we just have to find it.)

We will be posting a sample of this track on the blog and/or website within the next week. The lesson from this blog is.....go with your gut and don't be afraid to change it up.

If you have heard a sound/track we've created contact us directly via BSMG@BeatScienceMusicGroup.com. My creativity is sporadic and adventurous but if you give me a vision or goal we can certainly accommodate.

P.S. Always back-up your music on a backup HD separate from your Mac/PC. This was a lesson I learned a long time ago that I will never forget. If (when) your Mac/PC dies you will have all your works saved.

Check back soon for clips from John Legend and The Roots Crew.

Thanks for reading

Chuck Anderson
CEO, BSMG