Guitarhacker
I've been away for a few days so I missed a number of posts here. 
 
Jeff is spot on with his comments about the bar being extremely high, and the forum NOT being a good place for critical feedback. Most people will tell you a song is good even if it's horribly constructed, lyrics make no sense, singing is pitchy, instruments are out of tune, etc..... all you have to do is read the comments in the songs forum....yeah I get it that people like to be nice, and want to be encouraging and that's all well and good, but if you're shooting for a commercial cut, you have to be honest and most folks listening are not professional song pluggers and don't really know what they are listening for. A few people in the forums have opinions and advice that I trust. Sharp well trained ears. The rest.... I  love them anyway and appreciate their comments as well, it's just that they don't dig deep with their comments. Hey, we're all having fun..., right?
 

Guitarhacker
 
Most of the guys and gals I know who are in the top libraries are not giving up the names of the libraries or the folks involved. Those names and contacts were generally very hard won. More than one time other folks not quite as professional or ready to be playing at that level have contacted the producers and presidents and used the names of those folks, saying essentially that "so and so recommended that I contact you" which creates an awkward situation for the guy there legitimately.  Once bitten, twice shy......Once you get there on your own, other people get to know and then it's OK to discuss the names once you're all on the same side of the gates.  One A-class I'll tell you about is Studio 51. they only take referrals from TAXI....I've seen the owner post in the forum on TAXI......Do you want in? They land big cuts for their writers. Very exclusive bunch. You gotta submit through TAXI, and TAXI isn't telling you either what the name of the library is before you submit, or after you submit unless you get a forward to the listing, and even then..... I've had forwards to "Major TV Library"..... as opposed to a specific name of the library. That's by the library's request.....lots of secrecy in some of the bigger places. Whether that is good or bad, right or wrong, IDK..... but that's what I've seen. And yeah, some of the libraries I'm in took a lot of time and effort to get there..... I'm not willing to tell that info to anyone .... you need to earn it yourself. You'll value it more that way. I share the info rarely and only when I;m sure the person is capable and ready..... just do me a favor and don't mention my name. (just in case you blow it)
 

Guitarhacker
 
 
The better libraries tend to not advertise or accept unsolicited material form unknown writers. You get one shot with a recommendation. On those, I'm not giving up those names nor are anyone else I know who's in them.
 

Guitarhacker
As far as my last year at TAXI being a rip off, I disagree. As Jeff mentioned, while I submitted good songs, they were not good enough for any of a variety of reasons. Could have been the lyrics didn't work for the listing, the style was not close enough, the recording had quality issues, or anything else that the screener heard that I didn't.
 
I had one song a number of years back that the screener commented that the lyrics were dead on target, but the style wasn't close enough..... returned.  Rock ballad, not indy rock enough....go figure.
 

Guitarhacker
You never succeed when you give up or slow down. Even the B-libraries can land you a lucrative TV deal. So keep working on the dream.

Guitarhacker
Well, you can pick everything apart that I say if you wish. That's your choice.
 
I stand by the things I posted.  If you are seeking new libraries, why not simply google them on the internet. A search I just did for "music production libraries" on google turned up a bunch of them.
 

Guitarhacker
 
One thing I will respond to in your last post. Yeah so you work with A class companies and yet you still paid TAXI for submissions who rejected you ? What can I say man ?? Why didn't you approach your contacts or use one of your recommendations ?
 
Did you read the section above that which you quoted? Taxi screeners are very targeted to the requirements for the listing. Miss that by a small margin and no matter how good the song, they will "return" it to you. When the listing says "indy rock" you get a return if it's not "indy rock".  Taxi runs a streaming show called TAXI TV once a week. Look it up. The president (Michael L) hosts shows on occasion, featuring a specific listing and plays a handful of "returns" and "forwards" from that listing, live, to show what has been submitted and why it was forwarded or returned. It's interesting to see because they will sometimes have a screener on with him explaining their reasons for their decisions.
 
Besides that whole targeted thing, Taxi is constantly adding new libraries and production companies to their listings. So the chance to connect with new blood in the biz is always there. No matter what people think about Taxi, they do have a growing and well respected reputation in the music business. If you had ever attended one of their road rallies in LA, you would know that from the caliber of people who volunteer to come in to conduct the sessions and lectures. Some of the top songwriters and producers and library owners in the music business are there and active in that event.
 

Guitarhacker
I'm looking to approach music libraries and was hoping maybe some people on here can give me some pointers to libraries they've worked with and would consider them worthwhile ?!
I've worked with a couple of good libraries in the UK and have done ok with them...just looking at branching at a little and not to put all my eggs in one basket :)
 
exactly!  Me too.
 
Peace....