In the music industry, signing an artist is a very important decision. You will be investing time and money into this person and their career. Therefore, either you are A&R,Label owner, producer or talent manager it is essential that you do your due diligence before signing that contract.
There’s a lot to consider when you’re signing an artist. Here are some of the most important factors to consider when deciding whether or not to sign an artist.
A&R is a crucial role in the music industry. It’s the job of an A&R person to find and sign new talent, as well as develop it for commercial success. But what makes an A&R person successful? What are the qualities of someone who excels in this role?
Here are some things you should keep in mind when hiring an A&R:
A good A&R will have a deep understanding of the artist’s history and how they’ve developed over time. That means knowing how they started out, why they decided to pursue music, and what happened in between.
If you’re looking at someone who has never signed an artist before, you want to make sure they have this kind of knowledge. It shows that they understand where artists come from and what drives them to create their art.
An artist who has been around for a while may not need as much coaching on their development process because they already know what works for them. But if you’re looking at someone who has never been signed before or doesn’t have much experience working with artists, it’s important to get them up-to-speed quickly so that they can help guide your new signing through their career path from day one.
As an A&R executive, it’s your job to find and sign artists that will help your label grow. But before you sign someone, you need to know what you’re getting yourself into.
Do they have a unique sound? Do they have a big social media following? What makes them different from other artists?
What kind of artist do they want to be? Are they looking for commercial success or is their focus on artistic growth? What’s their ultimate goal in music?
You also need to consider how well albums have sold for other bands in your genre. This will tell you whether or not this particular band might be worth signing or not
An A&R’s job is to sign artists and help them develop into successful acts. But the A&R must also look at the entire picture of an artist’s career.
If you’re just starting out as an A&R, there are some important things to consider when signing an artist.
You’re going to need fans before anyone else will take you seriously. If you don’t have a built-in fan base, consider if they have a way of building one on their own. Some artists have huge social media followings, while others make music that appeals directly to listeners who might not be on social media at all. The more options an artist has for growing their fan base, the better their chances are in making it in the music industry.
The best way to determine an artist’s talent level is by listening to their music or watching them perform live. However, if they’re still developing their craft, it can be difficult to tell how good they really are until they’ve had some time to improve their skills and build confidence on stage. In this case, ask yourself whether their songwriting abilities are strong enough for them
As an A&R, you’re going to be responsible for finding and signing new artists. But before you do that, there are a few things you need to consider.
The first thing you need to know is whether or not your artist is ready for the spotlight. Artists can be ready for fame at any age, but there are some things that will help them get there more quickly and easily than others. If your artist doesn’t have good vocals yet, you should probably wait until they do before trying to take them on tour or promote them in any way. If they don’t have enough experience performing in front of crowds or making music videos or photoshoots, then again this could be something you want to wait on before bringing them into the spotlight.
It also helps if your artist has a solid social media presence so that fans and potential fans can see what they have to offer before signing with your label. If they don’t have any kind of following already established online, then you’ll want to make sure they start working on this right away once they join your label so people will know who they are when their album comes out!
The next step is checking out
The A&R Guide to Signing Artists is a book that sets out the basic principles of A&R and how they apply to sign artists. The book covers all aspects of artist development, from signing artists through to the release of their first album. It also covers how artists can be developed through social media and other digital channels.
The book is aimed at people who are interested in becoming an artist manager or an A&R person for a record label. Still, it would also be useful for anyone who wants an insight into how the record industry works.
The nature of A&R and the artists signed by a record label is changing. The power and potential of the ‘hit’ song are now just one of the factors when signing an artist whereas a decade ago it was, along with the image of the artist, the most important. These days due to the increased power of the consumer, the development of social media and its mass appeal and promotional power, the financial risks that record companies now face (due to the decline in physical album sales and the effect that has had on their traditional business model) and the hundreds of media channels have meant that signing an artist is no longer done on a whim or one person’s hunch.
The role of A&R has changed from being solely responsible for finding new artists to managing those artists already signed. The days when an A&R person would travel around trying to discover new acts have gone. The world has changed regarding how music is marketed and promoted; therefore, so must A&R departments if they remain relevant in today’s music industry.
The A&R scout is the talent spotter and is the ears and eyes of the record labels and publishing companies. The A&R scouts’ job is to discover the hottest new artists around and to be aware of the latest media & cultural trends. They will attend dozens of gigs, artist showcases and industry meetings throughout the week to enable them to be aware of every new artist being talked about within the industry.
The A&R scout will listen to demos sent in by bands they may have heard about through word of mouth or friends in bands who have previously been signed. If an act impresses them enough, they will invite them into their office for a meeting or invite them to a showcase gig where all the record labels will be present.
During this meeting or showcase, the band will play several songs and talk about their history, goals etc. If they impress during this meeting then they may be invited back for another meeting at their office or even asked to come into one of their offices for an interview with their marketing team. At some point during these meetings, they will discuss signing contracts if they want to sign with a label and negotiate how much money will be paid out if they do sign up with them.
If both parties are happy then an agreement will
The role of A&R is more about selecting quality music than anything else. This means that A&R need to know about all the best new music, the latest hyped artists and ‘buzz’ bands, and the bidding wars between labels and the most popular in-demand artists around. In summary, if the artist is good enough A&R will know about them.
So how do you get their attention? How do you make sure they pick up your music? And how can you pitch yourself so that they take notice?
A distinctive voice, vocal style, quality and a great emotional connection with a song.
Songs: The ability to write hit quality songs to promote artist and album, to gain radio play, press reviews, and television performances and ultimately drive record sales and brand awareness.
Music & Image
The musical direction and production of the record. Does the music fit the current market and follow trends or is it a trendsetter and market leader?
The image has to be marketable. Does the artist’s look suit the music? What are the Press and TV implications and brand potential?
This is the personality, charisma, mystery, confidence, commitment, passion, ambition, humour, and political/controversiality of the artist – The Star Quality!
The back story is an essential marketing tool. It helps connect emotionally with the consumer, gain media interest and provide journalistic content for the media helping to build a celebrity profile.
An artist needs to show that there is a lot of promotion, fan engagement and media activity surrounding them. This shows commitment and ambition too. The more website traffic, Youtube views, tour date bookings, fans at gigs, Merchandise sales, Facebook ‘Likes’, online chatter, press coverage, music reviews and music downloads the more it attracts attention from A&R and the media. The more attention the artist gets the less risk it is for the label and the more sales potential there is.
This is the professional team around the artist. If the artist is represented by a manager with proven success, has a credible press and radio PR agent on board, a live agent and possibly a music publisher then this can increase the chance of success and lessens the financial risk for the label.
The financial investment required. Pop artists such as boy bands and girl bands are very expensive acts for the label due to the costs of transport, styling, hair, make-up and the polished production values required when promoting these types of acts. Additional revenue streams will be important to the label when considering signing a pop act. Solo artists and rock/indie bands are much more economical for labels to promote and work with. This can be an important factor in deciding whether to sign an artist.
We hope that this A&R Guide to Signing Artists is useful for any music lover out there looking to strike it big in the music industry. We have attempted to cover as much of the “art” and “science” as we could, so take a look at our music industry blueprint and get your career on its way!
The history of A&R can be traced back to the early days of the recording industry when companies such as Columbia and Victor were signing acts to contracts. In those days, there was no such thing as independent record companies. The artists signed to labels like Columbia or Victor all came through the same talent scout system, which was referred to as artist and repertoire.
The first record company that used this system was Columbia Records in 1917. The company’s founder, Eraklai V. Phonograph Company, hired a young man named Frank Walker to find new talent for his label. Walker did this by going around New York City and visiting theatres where musical acts were performed. He would watch these acts perform and then sign them if he liked their sound.
This system continued until 1928 when Victor Talking Machine Company started its talent search department under the direction of Arthur Judson and Harry Jolson (father of Al Jolson). This department was known as the Artists’ Bureau; it continued until 1931 when it became known as Artists Records Incorporated (ARI).
ARA continued through World War II, but by 1947 it had been replaced by a new company called Artist Management Association (AMA).
The term “A&R” was coined by Jerry Wexler, who was then a talent scout for the Atlantic Records label. He coined the term “A&R” to refer to his duties at Atlantic, which included both artist and repertoire.
Wexler later became famous as the vice president of A&R at Atlantic Records. He had been hired by founder Ahmet Ertegun in 1947 after having worked with Ertegun at Billboard magazine.
In 1963, Wexler described his role at Atlantic Records: “I was doing all right by myself, but then I got into work with artists such as Ray Charles, Bobby Darin, and others. They were also responsible for discovering major talents such as Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, and Otis Redding.
Wexler claims that he turned down numerous artists including Elvis Presley, James Brown, and Bob Dylan because they did not fit the image that he wanted for the company: “Blues singers were beginning to be heard on what we called rhythm-and-blues stations on their local radio stations” (p. 12). However, he also states that “we didn’t get into the rock until we found out that it paid
A&R – BACK TO THE beginning over a hundred years ago the music industry consisted of the live industry and the music publishing business. The public could listen to popular songs by either going to see a live concert or by listening to someone playing the piano at home or by mechanical means via the Piano Roll. Before the invention of phonographic records (the 7 and 12-inch vinyl records as they came to be known), the music business was dominated by sheet music sales. Music publishers would discover a songwriter and print their music on sheet music to sell in music stores to the public.
The emergence of popular entertainment and the success of Vaudeville variety shows across America gave a huge boost to the publishing business. With Vaudeville and Broadway shows in New York, music publishers and instrument stores started to congregate around an area that would become, famously, known as Tin Pan Alley. These publishers would hire pluggers to promote their sheet music in stores and to Vaudeville and Broadway performers.
PHONOGRAPHnRecords were invented by Thomas Edison in 1877 and were originally called Phonographs – the ‘P’ in the copyright symbol ℗ stands for Phonograph. The development of Phonographs over the next few decades ushered in the first record companies that saw commercial value and market potential.
Record companies, in the form we know them today, came to the market soon after the invention of the Phonograph by Edison, and the further development and innovations made by Emile Berliner shortly afterward. With the advent of record labels at the turn of the 20th-century records became the main sound-carrier format that people purchased to enjoy music. Music publishers needed artists to record their songwriter’s songs, whereas Record companies needed publisher’s songs for their artists to record. For the first half of the century, the recording industry’s business model was founded on the hit singles market – it was all about the ‘Song’. In the early 1900s, there were three major record companies: Victor, Edison, and Columbia. Today, just over 100 years on and after many mergers and buy-outs, there remain three major record companies: Universal, Sony (that owns Columbia records), and Warner – and the business, once again, is all about the song.
Although phonograph records existed since the 1880s, for the first 50 years the album and Long Playing record format (LP) did not exist commercially. The technology not arrived at the mass market which could produce over 45 minutes of music in one sound-carrier format. The phonographic record was the disruptive technology of the time and the record industry replaced sheet music as the main form and structure of music consumption.
Artists such as Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, and Bing Cosby were amazing performers, personalities, and vocalists who could capture a great song’s emotional essence and vocal performance. However, they didn’t write the songs so the artist & Repertoire representative would marry the artist to the song (or the artist with the songwriter, composer & arranger). Song standards such as ‘Come Fly with Me’, ‘Summertime’, ‘Stardust’, ‘Mack the Knife’, and ‘My way’ were written by famous songwriters such as Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael, Leiber & Stoller, and George & Ira Gershwin who wrote for Broadway Musicals and the popular artists of the time.
The 1950s saw the continued success of the phonograph record. This was thanks to technological advancements in recording and sound reproduction; the growth of national radio broadcasting, Broadway musicals, and the Hollywood film industry; the popularity of jukeboxes as well as the increased economic conditions after the great depression and World War II. The 1950s saw the record business boom with success from global superstar artists such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, Peggy Lee, Bobby Darrin, and Andy Williams. It also saw the post-war growth of the youth market with the birth of Rock n Roll and exciting new artists such as Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Elvis Presley.
A&R was most evident during this period which saw the number of artist signings increase significantly to the major record labels. It was the decade that ushered in the 45” EP, the popular format for releasing singles, and the 12” vinyl record which was soon to become the significant format and game changer to the traditional business model. Originally best suited to classical music’s longer pieces, the 12” became an art form in itself with concept albums such as Frank Sinatra’s ‘The voice of Frank Sinatra’.
Although during the 1950s the 45” format was the biggest selling format, it soon became apparent that there was more profitability in selling the more expensive LP format and so record companies started using singles as promotional tools to sell albums. They also started making hit songs only available to buy on LPs to increase profits.
Singles have always been treated as a non-profit making promotional tool (i.e. a loss leader) but their purpose was to market and drive album sales. Of course, if you sell millions of singles and can license the song to compilation albums and synchronize it to a movie or television program then there is a very healthy income stream. However, the traditional business model and main income stream were in selling albums. Today with the fast-changing market conditions and the move to online digital download and streaming services the model is changing, although albums still account for half of the recording industry’s revenue streams.
By the mid-1950s and the explosion of rock n’ roll to the youth market, artists started writing their songs. Artists such as Chuck Berry, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Kinks, and Rolling Stones wanted to express the feelings of their generation and started writing their songs for creative and financial reasons.
with the advances in recording technology and technical complexities of the recording process the role of record producer developed and adapted as artists sought more sophisticated arrangements, experimentation, and artistic expression in their music.
During this period it was often the case that A&R managers were also recorded producers, composers, and arrangers for the artist such as in the case of Lieber and Stoller for Elvis Presley and George Martin for The Beatles and either worked or were hired by Record labels to work with their artists on composing, arranging, recording and producing their music.
Throughout the 1960s A&R executives became more focused on signing artists that could write their songs, rather than seeking songs for their performers. Those artists that didn’t write their songs started to form long-standing relationships with songwriters such as Elvis Presley with Leiber & Stoller, Elton John with David Taupin, and still happens today with collaborations between Robbie Williams with Guy Chambers or Adele with Paul Epworth.
This era was the domain of only 5 major labels that started acquiring other labels in buy-outs and mergers. It was a Singles driven market and the 12” was the new disruptive technology of the time.
Are sounds familiar doesn’t it? These days most people download singles, cherry-picking their favorite tunes rather than buying full albums. The business consisted of 5 major labels in the early 2000s but with the de-merger of Sony/BMG and the recent acquisition of EMI by Universal Music Group, the market is left with only 3 major record companies. Napster and iTunes are the recent disruptive technology. And all of this happened 50 years after the launch of the 12” record.
From its early days under Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson to its maturation as an industry segment in the 1990s, A&R has seen it all. It’s gone from a job title to an entire department of execs and artisanal record-makers. From its 1960s dominance to its struggles in the ’90s, A&R may never be quite what it once was (or in some cases, was again), but it has always influenced popular music.
A&R Terminology – A&R stands for Artist & Repertoire. This is the department in a record company that is responsible for scouting upcoming talent, signing new artists, and overseeing their creative development. (To read more about the history of A&R see Wikipedia – A&R)
A&R terminology is a working knowledge that will help you and your colleagues stay on the same page when referencing an artist and his or her work. It is also useful if you wish to enlist the help of professional music execs. Knowing A&R terminology will also help you understand how artists (and their record labels) are evaluated.
A&R stands for Artist & Repertoire, it refers to the person who searches out new music talent. The Scout is at the frontline of their label’s A&R team and they are responsible for discovering new talent
Where the artist, the A&R representative, and key record label staff (and any invited special guests) listen to the finished record together for the first time – can be quite nerve-racking for the artist and A&R person.
The artist will be listening out for any negative comments from their new team; the A&R person will be looking out for signs that their role has been usurped by someone else. The whole team will be hoping that the record is good enough to get signed on the spot, but in reality, this rarely happens.
Playbacks should take place as soon as possible after the completion of production so that there’s still time to make changes if necessary, but not so early that everyone gets bored of hearing it over and over again. The ideal situation is when everyone can all sit down together in one room at one time and listen without interruption, but this isn’t always possible.
If you’re doing a playback over email or phone, then it’s best to send out one track at a time so that people can respond to each one individually before sending on to the next one (there’s nothing worse than hearing two tracks back-to-back which doesn’t work). Make sure there’s enough space between tracks so that
The monitor mix is the version of a record that leaves the recording studio before it has been professionally mixed.
A rough reference copy from the recording studio to send to the artist, A&R dept, and mix engineer before the mix session.
The monitor mix is usually made with a limited set of speakers or headphones, so it sounds as close as possible to what you’ll hear on other systems.
The sleeve notes contain the songwriting and producer credits, the long list of thank you’s, lyrics, and the copyright information contained in the inlay sleeve of records.
Artists & Repertoire. The person or people who have control over an artist’s musical direction, including their selection of songs to record. Often these people also act as producers.
The visual elements that are used on an album cover or CD booklet include photographs, illustrations, typefaces, logos, etc…
An audio processor used for correcting out-of-tune vocals during recording sessions or live performances. Andy Hildebrand originally developed Auto-Tune from Antares Audio Technologies Inc. His original intention was to use it as a tool for singers with disabilities such as laryngitis or bad vocal habits (such as poor breath support) but it has now become a standard studio tool for many mainstream pop artists too!
A non-refundable amount of money is received by the artist and songwriter from record and publishing companies for the exclusive right to copy, sell, adapt, distribute, broadcast, and perform their music. It is paid upfront before recording commences and allows the artist to concentrate and focus their time and energy solely on their music. An advance is negotiated between the artist manager and the record company via music lawyers.
The person who manages an artist’s career on a day-to-day basis acts as an intermediary between the record label and the artist or band. Artists’ managers are responsible for all aspects of their clients’ careers including booking shows; booking studio time; negotiating recording contracts with labels; negotiating publishing deals with publishers; marketing; promoting tours etc.
A type of record deal where an artist receives a small amount of money upfront from a record company in exchange for ownership of their master recording (the finished album). This type of deal is most commonly used by developing artists who are not yet making any money from touring or merchandise sales (or have only just started doing so).
This is an agreed % of revenue an artist will receive from every record sold, e.g. a 20% artist royalty rate will mean that the artist will be paid 20% of the published dealer price (PPD) of each record sold. If an album’s dealer price is £8 per CD then the artist will receive £1.40 in royalty payments from the sale of that one CD after all costs have been recouped by the record label (see below).
These are expenses that are charged back to an artist on a per-unit basis, such as manufacturing, marketing, and distribution costs. The recoupable period for physical products is usually between six months and one year after the release date, depending on the type of product being released. For digital releases, there is no recoupable period, as all costs are borne by the label and then recovered out of royalties earned every month following the release date.
This refers to units lost during manufacturing or handling processes due to breakage or damage. Breakage rates may vary depending on how sensitively fragile your product is but we recommend budgeting
The ‘drop-down’ section of a song comes directly after the second chorus. It features either an instrumental solo section or an alternative melody line to that of the verses and chorus. It is usually 8 bars long, hence why it is known in the UK as the Middle 8.
A section of music within a song that directly follows the Chorus and precedes the Refrain.
The main refrain of a song is repeated several times throughout the song.
Refrain (or Chorus): The main refrain of a song that is repeated several times throughout the song.
The first part of each verse typically sets up what will be said in the second part (the body) and often ends with an incomplete thought or idea (incomplete rhyme scheme).
A solo played over an instrumental backing track without any vocals present; this can be during or after a bridge or middle 8 sections of a song, or at any other point in time within an arrangement where you feel it would suit your purpose best! Instrumental solos are usually between 4-16 bars long but can be extended beyond this if required.
A&R (Artist & Repertoire) is the department in a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the careers of recording artists.
As the undisputed leader of A&R (Artists & Repertoire) in Nigeria, A&R Duty is an A&R services company with a difference. Where other companies claim to be one thing and turn out to be something else, making promises they can’t keep, we are honest and respectable people who believe in quality and value for money. We are true professionals who put YOU first.
A&R is a music industry task that has been around in Nigeria but still remains unknown to a large number of Nigerians. What exactly is the role of an A&R? With the gradual takeover of social media in Nigeria and the need for new music and songs, A&R becomes even more relevant within the Nigerian Music Industry.
A&R is a term used in the music industry that stands for Artists and Repertoire. A&R people are responsible for scouting new talent, signing acts, running established artists’ signings, and that ey often coming up with creative new ideas to keep the musicians popular. Sometimes A&R personnel get involved in an act starting from recording part of their demo recordings to producing their debut albums.
An A&R representative plays a pivotal role in the industry. An effective and professional A&R rep can find, pinpoint, and develop new artists while shunning those with insufficient talent from ever-releasing an album. Naturally, due to their importance in the business, some A&R reps earn large salaries in the seven figures, while others make small fortunes for themselves. No matter what the salary, these individuals must keep up with new music trends, listen to hundreds of albums each month, work long hours, go to many concerts, and scout anywhere they think they might find the next big name.
A&R DUTY is the only Independent A&R firm that signs and empower A&R Officer/Managers to join forces and respond to artists.
We are a team of A&R and music experts who conceptualize and execute bespoke artist development services to support our clients’ artists’ general careers, including their singleartistsum releases and tours. We design and develop artist strategies, target fan bases, and generate public awareness.
A&R DUTY offers A&R services that are unparalleled. The service it offers includes:- Signing and educating A&R. Signing, training, and empowering artists for you to maximize your brand succesartistsng term.- Acquiring and developing new talents or independent artists with their fan pages from grassroartistsajor online commercially successful artists. We also provide music production services to most of the signed acts we handle depending on the genre of music they are related to.- Managing your offline activities.- Promote your brand through quality digital marketing.- Sales and marketing strategies.
We can’t deny that Music is an integral part of us and has the capability to shape our lives.
If you’re looking for A&R Services in Nigeria, then our A&R department can help. We work with A&R and artists to produce music that gets airplay and helps gain fans. Our Music Selection Team (MSL) and A&R Department can also assist in finding producers, engineers, and even PR companies and shiz like that.
A&R Duty is a rating system that rates artists and their music on four different disciplines: Relatability, Delivery, Replay Value, and Mixing. We have created this company to help bring artist development to the forefront of the modern music business and bring about a positive change in the way artists push their music.
At A&R DUTY, we know that the most effective method of identifying hits is to find songs method resonate with our audience. We design innovative A&R services and techniques that are proven to get us closer to pinpointing these songs. Our dedicated teams of music experts and specialists help us uncover this untapped potential in your tracks and ensure that they are positioned to hit with listeners around the world. The audience must be able to relate to a song. The kind of lyrics you have on your music determines the audience that will listen to your song. There is a correlation between lyrics and audience. A bad lyric can make listeners become bored but a good lyric gives listeners something to relate to and appreciate.
It’s one thing to have a track, or even an album that you feel represents you well. But it’s another thing altogether to know how the music will be received by the listeners. The best way to do this is to get the perspective of someone in your target audience, and A&R services can provide that type of insight. An A&R representative can listen to your music and offer their thoughts on how popular it will be, what genre it would fit into, or many other things depending on the specifics of your project. Once you know this information, you can adjust based on their feedback and give your project the exposure it needs to succeed in the long run.
Are you looking to take your brand to the United States or across the world? Are you hoping to get a contract signed in Nigeria? Are you struggling with trying to find local music? Then you’ve come to the right place. If you’re facing these issues and many others, then A&R DUTY is the answer to your problems. Our team of dedicated professionals has 20+ years of experience in the music and entertainment industry. We know how to help you build your foundation and secure your future.
A&R is a vital role within the music industry. It is a job that involves identifying new talent, developing artists, and working with them to ensure their success. A&Rs are responsible for signing new artists, helping them develop their sound, and delivering songs to labels for release.
The responsibility of an A&R lies in finding the right artists for your label, which can be a challenging task. The only way to be successful in this role is by knowing what you are looking for and being able to identify those qualities in an artist.
When it comes to A&R, there are many things that you need to consider when making decisions on which artists will be signed by your label. This guide will give you some tips on what to prioritize as an A&R when scouting new talent.
To me, the most important thing is the music. It has to be good enough to stand on its own. If it’s not good enough, then everything else is irrelevant. The only way that you can really know if it’s good enough is by listening to it. So that’s what I do first — listen to music.
know about what makes them special as a person and an artist, as well as what their life experiences have been like up until now. What are their goals and motivations? Who inspires them? What inspires them? Who do they look up to? What do they want their legacy to be? What do they hope people will remember about them when they leave this world? I ask these questions because I want to get a sense of who they are as a person so that I can better understand why they make the music that they make and what kind of music would best represent who they are as an artist.
Another thing to look for in artists is whether or not they have a strong network of people around them who believe in them and support them unconditionally — both
Be sure the music is original. Look for songs that aren’t derivative of other artists or styles. It might just be the next big thing if it doesn’t sound like anything else!
The song has a memorable chorus or hook. A catchy melody that sticks in your head is always a good sign of potential hit material. You can tell who wrote the song by listening to it once or twice and paying attention to who wrote it (if you don’t know already). This is true of any songwriter, but especially true if they have written multiple hits and/or had their songs covered by other artists.
Collaborating with other A&R teams – You don’t have all the answers to identifying and developing great talent; other A&Rs do! So reach out to them and ask for their feedback on certain artists or projects that interest you. Let them know what kind of music you’re looking for and see if there are any names they can recommend. Also, think about ways you can help them out too! For example, if they’re working with an artist on a single release or EP release.
The most important thing to do as an A&R is to be able to identify a great artist when you hear one.
this is a broad topic, so I’m going to break it down into three parts:
Identifying a great songwriter/artist
Identifying a great producer or feature artist
Positioning (the best winning opportunities for your artists always)
There is a lot of marketing terminology thrown around in the music industry. It’s pretty confusing for musicians, and if you are trying to find information about your options, it might be hard to discern all the different types of music marketing platforms out there for musicians. Six main forms of music marketing platforms are available to musicians. And those are:
Marketing platforms of the music industry can be divided into the following types:
Social media marketing is a powerful tool for customer engagement and building brand awareness. However, to build a following on social media, you need to understand the demographics of your target audience and set goals in terms of web mentions or content engagement metrics. In the digital sharing age, your fans are the media itself, one that can sometimes be much more powerful than conventional communication channels. However, don’t forget about other channels. Social media marketing should be just a part of your overall communication strategy.
Social media has become an integral part of modern marketing strategies for small businesses. As this trend continues to grow with each passing year, social media marketers continue to refine their methods and focus on new strategies.
When you’re looking to reach out to a specific audience, digital advertising is a great way to go. Digital advertising allows you to choose not only the time and place of your communication but also the type of people you engage with. Advertising through social media (e.g. Facebook ads), search engines (e.g. Google AdWords), digital displays, or even digital audio platforms of Spotify/Pandora allows you to target people based on demographics (age, location, income, etc), musical preferences, and interests.
This is different from physical space advertising like OOH (out of home) advertising — although it remains reserved for more popular acts, targeting wider audiences — because it allows us to target people based on their interests and preferences rather than just their location or age range.
Paid advertising is a great way to get in front of the audience, but it should be approached with caution — the acquired traffic won’t stick around for long if you’re not able to spark an organic interest across other channels and platforms.
When it comes to cultivating a loyal fan base, direct-to-fan communication is crucial. First and foremost, music is a passion and part of people’s identity. Direct engagement helps to build a deeper connection with your audience — and that is something that can come a long way in the music business.
Emails, text messages, or direct messages over social media — whether manual or via bots — will help you build a tight-knit ring of fans that will stick with you (and consistently support you).
Digital Service Providers (DSPs) play a crucial role in the digital music consumption landscape. They help artists reach their fans and grow their careers, by distributing their music to the various platforms that host playlists.
Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, SoundCloud: the digital music consumption landscape is made up of dozens of DSPs. Getting in front of the audience of these platforms is key to expanding your fan base and growing your career.
One of the most prominent channels to reach the audience of the various streaming platforms are playlist placement. That’s why the playlist strategy is now at the heart of any music marketing campaign.
Playlists are a powerful tool for digital service providers to connect with their listeners, but they can also be dangerous if you’re not careful. There are five types of playlists on DSPs:
Generally, playlists on the DSPs can be divided into five types:
Today’s most successful artists are building their brands on multiple platforms. And one of the best ways to do that is through a playlist.
Playlists can offer a vast opportunity to reach new fans, but at the same time, they put the artist at risk of being reduced to just another name in a long list — so you have to build your story on other platforms first and turn the streaming audiences into fans who will go out to your shows.
In the music industry, there are few things as important as publicity. It’s a good thing, then, that there are so many ways to get your name out there:
Promotion of this kind of free advertisement — except that it never comes for free. It would help if you had a PR strategy, a network of connections across different mediums, a press event, and a solid (and preferably data-based) pitch. News doesn’t create itself, so musicians have to work with journalists and media pros to make it happen.
The world is more connected than ever. And while music was always a social phenomenon, the digital space has made the world even more connected than ever. Digital Word-of-Mouth can now travel around the globe overnight and turn an unknown artist into an international sensation.
Right now, TikTok is the user-generated content platform on top of everybody’s mind — but the fan-driven content can live on several platforms: from Twitter to YouTube to Spotify (remember those user-generated playlists?). However, you have to remember that virality doesn’t just happen — it’s always driven by a solid strategy.
No matter what kind of music marketing service you need, there’s a platform out there for you. But the world of music promotion is incredibly complex, and it can be not easy to know where to start. These six music marketing platforms offer a variety of services, so no matter what your needs are, you’ll find something that meets your criteria. click here to hire a professional
You want to find an A&R song, but you don’t know where to start. Well, you’re in luck! This article will help you understand what A&R means by defining the term and explaining how you can use it as a marketer. We’ll also look at why an A&R song is important for your brand, as well as how to find one that meets your needs. So let’s dive right in!
It’s easy to find record companies with varying results. But how about finding an A&R song? I’m going to explain why it’s so difficult to find an A&R song and what it takes.
There are a number of ways to find an A&R song. You can start by searching for the right kind of artist, or you can search by genre, topic, or mood.
You’ll also want to consider what type of sound your song needs; does it need drums? Bass? Guitar? Strings? If so, make sure the instrument has the proper instruments and sounds before you commit to it.
Once you have your idea in place, start listening to artists who would be well-suited for this project. It’s important that they not only sing well but also have good writing skills!
It’s time now for us all – writers and listeners alike – to get excited about what we do because there is nothing better than hearing someone perform your creation live on stage with full orchestration behind them.”
A&R stands for Artist and Repertoire. An A&R team is often the first point of contact between a record label and new musical talent. The job of an A&R representative is to find new music artists and to evaluate their talent (and commercial viability) in view of the current market. The role involves developing and aiding the success of new talent in areas such as music production, songwriting, instrumentation, arrangement, and marketing. In addition to signing new artists, A&Rs may “sign” an artist to certain aspects of an artist’s career; for example, a contract might state that no secondary or tertiary co-publishing rights (known collectively as “mechanical rights”) are allowed without permission from the signing A&R executive.
If you’ve already written some songs but aren’t sure if they’re good enough for A&R reps yet, listen closely for similarities between your material and the kinds of artists who have been signed in recent years. You may notice patterns emerging after listening enough times maybe certain instruments or genres seem overused by new artists lately? Maybe there’s an emerging trend around certain styles or topics? By keeping up on current trends in music publishing (and by staying up on industry news), you’ll always be ahead of the curve when it comes time for an A&R meeting!
In summary, finding A&R music today is very difficult, because of the huge number of new artists arriving each year. If you’re an artist, I suggest that you have 2 or 3 great songs prepared for sending to record labels and that you send them as you find a label that shows interest in your music. You should definitely include your name and contact information on the CD-R so that labels can easily get back to you.
If you can’t find an A&R song, then you probably shouldn’t be in the music business.
The A&R Duty team has the unique combination of experience and expertise required to take your musical career to the next level.
A&R Duty is a music company that works with artists and producers to help them build a career. It’s an independent company, not affiliated with any record label or music company. We are the future of A&R in Nigeria!
Our goal is to create a world-class Artiste & Repertoire Company that will help artists, musicians, and producers maximize their potential in terms of building a career out of what they love to do.
A&R Duty is a world-class artist & Repertoire Company. We are passionate about Music, the business of Music, and its future. We stand for the artists, Musicians, and Producers who create music and make it possible for us to enjoy our favourite songs and albums.
The primary function of an A&R is to discover new talents. This means going out into the world and finding people who have a particular talent, and then helping them find success with that talent.
Our primary function is to find talents in all the cities in Nigeria and discover new talents, nurture them and groom them into world-class acts that will be self-sustainable. We look at our artists as brands, which means we are committed to finding their strengths and giving them the best advice on how to build a career out of that strength.
We have an excellent team of professionals whose primary function is to guide our artists toward success. These team members are experts in every aspect of music making (recording, producing, songwriting, marketing, etc) and have worked with major acts in Nigeria.
Their passion for music; knowledge of the industry; experience and expertise make them ideal partners for your career. They stand for the artists, musicians, and producers who create music!
Our goal is simple: we want every artiste on our roster to make it big
The A&R Duty team has the unique combination of experience and expertise required to take your musical career to the next level. Our primary function is to find talents in all the cities in Nigeria and discover new talents, nurture them and groom them into world-class acts that will be self-sustainable.
Our role is not just limited to discovering new talent but also developing existing artists by helping them with their videos, branding strategies, and even networking opportunities. We ensure that each artist gets the best exposure possible from our network on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook & Youtube, etc as well as other online outlets like Soundcloud & Spotify, etc.
Being part of an A&R company with high standards means being willing to work hard towards achieving your dreams! With our team behind you every step of the way through training sessions & workshops we will show you why we are called THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS!
A&R jobs have a lot of appeal. You get to work with artists, help them achieve their dreams, and make good money doing it. However, there’s no guarantee that getting an A&R job will be easy. There are many factors at play when it comes to trying to find this type of position in the music industry:
You will need to stay positive and be patient. A&R jobs aren’t easy to come by, but you should know that it’s worthwhile to look for one.
To get an A&R job, consider what you want. Do you want to join a big company or go independent? Think about your life goals and how this job fits into your overall plan for the future.
Be persistent in your search for an A&R position and don’t give up! With persistence comes opportunity; if someone doesn’t respond right away, don’t assume they won’t ever get back to you keep trying until they do! Don’t be afraid of rejection either it happens all the time!
Keep learning new things every day so that when opportunity strikes (and it will), be ready with your knowledge base and experience level under lock and key so that everything can go smoothly once hired on board at whatever company holds open positions at any given moment during their hiring cycle…
You know what it takes to get a job in A&R because you’re already doing it. You’re spending hours listening to music, talking about music, and thinking about the business of music. That’s the most important thing for you to do before even considering applying for an A&R position: be passionate about music and spend a lot of time just listening to it every day.
As an A&R, you are in a unique position to understand exactly what is needed to get record label attention. You may have already started your A&R job by signing with a manager and booking gigs at venues across the country. You know what it takes to get signed because you’ve done it yourself!
As an artist, you have the additional bonus of being able to see what other artists are looking for in terms of A&R representation. You know what they want from their team members; therefore, being able to match those needs will make your job application stand out from the others. As an artist looking for work as an A&R rep, this insight will help ensure that when someone starts hiring again (and they will!), they’re hiring people who truly understand them as artists and can support them in achieving their goals in music industry success!
Getting a sense of the artist’s goals and how they want to achieve them will help you guide them in the right direction. It can also be helpful to understand where they are at in terms of their career development so that you can set realistic expectations for yourself and them.
There is no point in trying to sell an artist something that is completely beyond their abilities or comfort zone if it means compromising their integrity as an artist or producer. Understanding what makes someone feel comfortable is essential when working together with artists who are still developing as producers and songwriters, so don’t be afraid to ask about what skills or techniques someone uses regularly before recommending anything else
Your record label’s A&R department can help your artists find their labels.
If you’re considering a career in A&R, it’s important to know that there are certain things you should never do. If your artist feels pressured or uncomfortable at any point during the process of creating music, that’s not good for anyone. If an artist is only interested in signing with one label or in working with one producer, then don’t try to change their mind just because you want them on your roster. Don’t pressure them into doing anything they don’t want to do. Remember that everyone has different perspectives about what makes a song successful and how it should be recorded and produced.
You can get an A&R job, but keep in mind it will take time and effort.
The most important thing you should remember when applying for an A&R job is patience. You need to be willing to wait for replies from labels and studios, even if you’re constantly sending out your resume and portfolio work. The record industry moves slowly because there are so many people involved with each project and decisions made by the artist or label can take weeks or months as they try to figure out what direction they want their career to go in.
Your persistence will pay off eventually, though! After all the hours spent on research and networking with people who could help you land a position somewhere (including friends who know someone who knows someone at a major recording studio), this is one of those situations where it pays off being nice instead of cocky or arrogant through the entire process!
Many factors go into getting an A&R job, but it is possible to get one. You need to have connections and know people in the industry who can encourage them to hire you as an A&R. You also need some luck! The more experience you have with artists and record labels, the better your chances will be at landing an A&R job.
The A&R scout is a record label employee who is responsible for finding and signing new talent to the label. This can be a very exciting job, but it’s also hard work because you’re constantly searching for new music and sometimes the best stuff isn’t easy to find!
An A&R scout is someone who works with artists and their music, helping them create and promote their work. The first part of their title “Artist and Repertoire” is an old term for record labels but still has relevance today.
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The job of the A&R scout is to find new talent, including singers, songwriters, producers, artists in other mediums, etc. An A&R scout might also help sign up existing bands or solo acts that already have a following among fans but need help getting off the ground with record labels.
The A&R scout’s job doesn’t end there! They’ll also be responsible for finding songs that could become hits on radio stations or at clubs across the country and they’ll get paid to do this because they’re so good at what they do!
To become an A&R scout, you should be musically talented and have a good ear for music. In addition, you must possess good communication skills and can work with others. An A&R scout will spend most of their time listening to music and talking about new artists or songs with other people in the industry. They will also need to know how different genres of music fit into the industry as a whole so that they can figure out which artists might be right for different types of projects.
A&R scouts are responsible for identifying, developing, and signing new artists. A&R stands for Artists and Repertoire, which means they work to find new talent and then create that artist so they can be signed to a record label. In addition to finding new talent, an A&R scout may also help manage the careers of established artists after they are signed by a record company. They often act as a sounding board for their artists, offering feedback on song ideas or helping them decide what direction their album should take in terms of sound or theme.
A&R scouts have many duties when it comes to promoting their acts:
An A&R inspector is a person who inspects goods and services to ensure they meet certain standards. They may also be called quality controllers or inspectors. Their job is to make sure that the quality of products or services is accurate and consistent across all manufacturing plants, including food production and processing plants, pharmaceutical companies, clothing manufacturers, laboratories and more.
There are several qualifications you must hold to become an A&R inspector:
An A&R scout is responsible for finding new talent, both in the music and entertainment industry. They are also responsible for discovering new producers, writers, artists, managers, and labels who might have the potential to make it big in a certain genre of music.
A&R scouts are often responsible for scouting talent at live shows or watching them online. They will then submit demos or CDs of their work to the record label’s office where they will be reviewed by other members of staff before being passed onto legal teams who check that all rights are clear so there’s no copyright infringement taking place.
The A&R executive is responsible for finding and developing new talent, as well as the music side of a label. These responsibilities include:
The A&R scout’s duties are very similar to that of an independent music scout, but with one important difference: An independent scout can sign artists who are not signed to any labels at all. When you’re working with a major label like Mavin Records, there’s no need for anyone else’s approval you have complete control over everything related to your job title.
An A&R scout is responsible for finding new talent and signing them to a record label. They also help to develop the talent they find. An A&R scout works with artists to write and record songs, as well as promote their music.
Some of the responsibilities of an A&R scout include:
As an A&R executive, you are responsible for the following:
If you need to find the right music talent for your new album, or mixtape project with A&R DUTY. We have a large pool of talented music artists who can fit into any genre of music.
We take pride in being able to land our clients with top-notch artists/producers and video directors as well as making sure they get paid on time every time. Our track record speaks for itself; we have worked with some of Nigeria’s biggest artists including Cynthia Morgan, G-worldwide ent (Kizz Daniel), Shaydee, Dj Jimmy Jatt, and many more under the roaster of Gidioti Empire.
An A&R scout is a person who works for a record label or publishing company and finds new talent for the company. They look at the music and decide if it is good enough to be recorded on an album or mixtape. There are many different types of scouts out there, but they all have one thing in common: They want to find the next big thing!