TAXI TV

AI music is changing incredibly fast. But what does it actually mean for songwriters, artists, composers, and producers?

There’s no shortage of headlines, videos, predictions, lawsuits, and opinions about AI music and the future of the music industry. Keeping up with all of it can feel like a full-time job.

In this episode of TAXI TV, Michael Laskow talks with TAXI member and music-for-media creator Paul Croteau, better known as Yo Paulie, who has made it his mission to follow the rapidly changing world of AI-generated music and understand how these developments could affect independent musicians.

Rather than focusing exclusively on the doom-and-gloom predictions surrounding artificial intelligence and music, Paul takes a broader look at the technology, the business, and the potential implications for working musicians.

In this conversation, you'll learn more about:
- How AI music is changing the music industry
- What AI-generated music could mean for independent songwriters and artists
- The impact of AI on composers and music creators
- Major developments involving AI music companies
- The legal battles surrounding AI-generated music
- What musicians should understand about companies such as Suno and Udio
- How record labels, publishers, and other music industry companies are responding to AI
- The difference between facts, opinions, predictions, and hype surrounding AI music
- Potential opportunities AI could create for musicians
- What independent music creators should be paying attention to as AI technology evolves

If you're a songwriter, artist, composer, producer, or musician working in sync licensing or film and TV music, this episode will help you get a clearer picture of where AI music fits into the changing landscape.

Paulie has been doing the homework.

Watch this episode of TAXI TV to get the 10,000-foot view of AI music and what it could mean for your career.

Want to learn how to compose music for movie trailers? Trailer music is becoming a major opportunity for composers, producers, and musicians creating music for production libraries—and the demand for high-quality trailer music continues to grow.

In this episode of TAXI TV, Michael Laskow sits down with composer Michael Whittaker to discuss what composers need to know when creating music for trailers and production music libraries.

For years, trailer music was often associated with large orchestral recordings, professional studios, and substantial production budgets. But advances in home studio technology, virtual instruments, orchestral libraries, and music production have changed the landscape dramatically.

Today, production music libraries are increasingly being asked to supply trailer music—and they're looking for composers who can create powerful, cinematic instrumentals that work for film and television marketing.

In this episode, you'll discover 10 important things to know about composing trailer music, including practical insights that can help you create music that production music libraries and trailer clients actually want.

You'll learn more about:
- How to compose music for movie and TV trailers
- What makes a great trailer music instrumental
- Writing cinematic music for production music libraries
- What trailer music companies are looking for
- How home studios have changed trailer music production
- Creating powerful, dramatic instrumental music
- Approaching trailer music differently from other types of sync music
- What composers should consider when writing for music libraries
- How to make your music more licensable for film and television
- Opportunities for composers in the growing trailer music market

Whether you're an experienced composer or you're just getting started creating cinematic music, production music, or sync music, this episode is packed with practical advice you can use when writing your next trailer cue.

If you're interested in trailer music, sync licensing, production music libraries, film music, TV music, or composing for film and television, don't miss this conversation with Michael Whittaker.

Grab your headphones and take notes—there are some trailer-writing concepts in this episode we haven't covered before on TAXI TV.

Could you tell which songs are worth forwarding to a music industry client?

Put your A&R ears to the test in this episode of TAXI TV, where Michael Laskow puts viewers in the A&R Hot Seat and challenges them to listen to real music submissions and decide what they would forward—and what they wouldn't.

This episode features actual submissions for recent TAXI listings seeking Singer/Songwriter songs and Investigative Tension Hybrid instrumentals.

Before revealing what TAXI's A&R team decided, you'll get the chance to make your own call.

Would you forward it?

Would you pass?

And, most importantly, will your decision match the professional A&R team's decision?

This exercise isn't just about identifying music you personally like. It's about learning to listen objectively and recognizing whether a song or instrumental actually fits a specific music licensing opportunity.

In this episode, you'll learn:

How professional A&R teams evaluate music
What makes a song worth forwarding for a music licensing opportunity
How to listen objectively instead of relying on personal taste
What to listen for in Singer/Songwriter submissions
What makes an Investigative Tension Hybrid instrumental work
How matching music to a specific brief affects A&R decisions
Why objective listening can improve your own songwriting and production
How to develop better ears for sync licensing and music placement opportunities

One of the best ways to improve your own music is to learn how to objectively evaluate someone else's.

So grab your headphones, make your picks, and see how your A&R instincts compare with TAXI's professional screeners.

Would you forward these songs? Let's find out.

How much of what you’ve heard about sync licensing and the music industry is actually true?

The music licensing world is full of myths, misconceptions, outdated advice, and conflicting information—especially on social media and online forums. In this episode of TAXI TV, Michael Laskow separates fact from fiction and answers some of the most common questions musicians, songwriters, composers, and producers have about music licensing.

You'll learn the truth about:
How music supervisors, production music libraries, and TV editors choose music.
Whether the “best” song always wins a placement.
How many music libraries should you work with?
Whether you should keep pitching a song after submitting it to a library.
The fastest way to build a career in sync licensing.
How TAXI submissions are evaluated and forwarded.
How many submissions TAXI receives for each listing.
Why you may receive different feedback on the same song.
What happens after your music is forwarded to a client?
What happens after a music library signs your music?
What to do when a library asks if you have more music.
Developmental arcs, edit points, button endings, and stingers.
What a PRO (Performing Rights Organization) is.
Whether you need to join a PRO and how they work.
What “broadcast quality” means.
What a “universal” lyric is.
The difference between an instrumental cue and an instrumental.

Whether you're just getting started with sync licensing or you've already had music placed in TV, film, commercials, or production music libraries, this episode is designed to help you make better decisions based on how the industry actually works—not on myths repeated online.

Grab a notebook, because there are a lot of misconceptions to unpack!

Plus: One viewer will win a copy of Writing Production Music during the live broadcast.

What’s the hidden “tax” every sync musician pays—and how can you reduce it?

When you create music for sync licensing, making the music is only part of the job. There’s also metadata, paperwork, registrations, organization, administration, and other business tasks that can quietly consume hours of your time.

And as every musician knows, time is money.

In this episode of TAXI TV, Michael Laskow talks with music industry professional Robina Ritchie-Barker about the business side of music licensing and how musicians can spend less time dealing with administrative tasks and more time doing what they actually want to do: creating music.

You’ll learn about:

The hidden time “tax” that comes with sync licensing
Music licensing administration and paperwork
How organization can save musicians valuable time
Business practices that can make your music workflow more efficient
The behind-the-scenes work involved in getting music ready for licensing
How to minimize time-consuming tasks after creating a track
Why treating your music career like a business matters

Whether you're a songwriter, composer, producer, or artist creating music for TV, film, commercials, or music libraries, understanding the business side of sync licensing can help you work more efficiently and protect more of your valuable creative time.

The goal isn't to work harder.

It's to spend less time on the tasks that keep you from making music.

Watch this episode of TAXI TV and discover how to minimize the hidden “tax” you're paying on every track.

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