As an A&R, you’re often working with new artists who are still learning the ropes of the industry. However, there are some things that you should never do when working with a new artist — it’s very easy for them to feel pressured or intimidated by your position and experience in the music industry.
Here are five studio etiquette mistakes to avoid:
It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the workplace and forget about being considerate of others. However, if you want to avoid being labeled as a bad employee, then you must think twice before doing or saying something offensive or unprofessional. In fact, according to a survey conducted by The Muse, 65 percent of employees say that when they see a coworker make an effort to be considerate at work, it makes them more likely to do the same. So even if you don’t think you have anything to prove and don’t care what other people think about you, remember that their opinions could have an impact on your career and reputation within the organization.
It’s tempting to jump in and take over when something goes wrong. But it’s better to let your team members learn from their mistakes. You can help them by offering suggestions, but don’t do the work for them.
If someone asks you a question about something you said earlier, don’t assume that they understood what you meant — explain it again if necessary! It may be frustrating at first, but it’s better than having two different interpretations of what was said last week, which can confuse the line.
even if an artist is struggling, don’t give them a damaging critique in front of other people around the studio; instead, find a private moment where you can explain what needs improvement without making them feel bad about themselves or their work ethic.
if an artist has written something that doesn’t make sense in context or doesn’t sound good when sung by another person (e.g., “I’m gonna be famous someday”), don’t dismiss it just because it isn’t perfect
Whether you’re starting a record label, running a band, or want to build a DIY music project for fun, you need to have certain team members. These “essential” team members will be there to help when all other support is gone. If you run your show and plan to release music/an album, these are the members you should find.
You’ll need someone to oversee the A&R process and make sure all your artists are signed to a record deal. The A&R manager will also negotiate contracts, check budgets, and make sure everyone’s in line with their musical direction.
These are the guys who will help you make music. They can be producers, engineers, and songwriters — they all make the world go round!
A manager handles all sorts of things for an artist, from booking shows to negotiating deals with labels and promoters. They know how to run your career like a business — which means they’ll help you make more money, too!
A booking agent books show for bands and DJs all over the world. They work closely with managers and labels to secure dates in clubs, festivals, and other venues.
A good attorney will protect your intellectual property rights and ensure that any contracts you sign are fair. An even better attorney will help you get out of bad contracts if they need it — which happens more often than most people think!
The art director designs album covers, posters, and merchandise items. They also work closely with photographers, illustrators, and graphic designers to create promotional materials that reflect the image of your artist or band.
The publicist works with journalists from local newspapers through national magazines to help generate publicity for your music releases. This includes writing press releases and pitching stories to journalists.
This is the person who will help you shape your strategy and plan for growth. The strategist is responsible for identifying what needs to be done next and making sure everyone is on board with the direction of the company.
This person will help you identify the best marketing channels and strategies to reach your target audience. They’ll also help you create compelling content that will make your business stand out from the crowd.
Design is incredibly important to any business, so having someone on staff who can design engaging visuals will help your brand stand out from competitors.
Product managers are responsible for managing all aspects of a product’s development process, including testing, releasing new features, and updating existing ones based on user feedback or analytics data.
This person is responsible for making sure everyone gets to where they need to be when they need to be there. They’re essentially an assistant tour manager who plans everything down to the last detail (and sometimes beyond).
These people make sure that everything runs smoothly on tour — from making sure hotels have extra towels for when you arrive late at night, to arranging for sound checks and transport between venues.
Tour Accountant/Bookkeeper/Business Manager (or however many titles this person has).
Someone who keeps track of all your money — from revenue streams like ticket sales and merchandise sales to expenses like flights and hotels. They also handle taxes and other financial matters related
Getting the attention of an A&R can be difficult, but there are some things you can do to increase your chances of being seen by one. An A&R is responsible for signing new artists and developing careers. Not only does this person see potential in your work, but he or she can also provide feedback on how your music will fit best in the high-profile industry it was created for.
In today’s music industry, branding can play more of a role in an artist’s success than the music they create. Artists are not merely selling their music; they’re selling an image, an experience, and a message which defines them.
An artist is defined by their brand. People will remember the name of an established musician or artist much more than a person with no brands at all. You need to build your brand to get A&R (artists and repertoire) attention. This post will help you do just that!
A&R reps take more interest in an artist with a strong fan base. Expand your fan base by:
Having an established brand can give you an edge over other brands and producers. The more momentum and excitement you can build around your brand, the more likely an A&R will take notice.
Building relationships and networking in the music industry is always helpful. Boost your chances of getting noticed by making connections. Get out and connect with people, regardless of their status. Try to meet other artists, producers, DJs, publicists, booking agents, label staff, fans, and anyone else in the music scene. These connections could lead to opportunities. But you must be professional and approach them in a way that makes you seem like a businessperson.
Music discovery websites make it easier to capture new fans, discover new music, and more. Many connect you with the right people and services to help you advance your career in the music industry… They serve a valuable role in assisting independent musicians with industries for promotion, sales, and engagement. But which sites are best? Here’s a list of my top 4 favourite music discovery websites: SubmitHub, Pitchfork, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, and ReverbNation
Marketing and promotional strategies are essential in increasing outreach and getting your music heard. An effective marketing campaign will help you increase exposure, establish credibility, and open new opportunities. There are several excellent ways to promote your music and reach new audiences. Do some research on public relations and marketing strategies for musicians. Here is a description of the five most effective strategies you can use:
The best way to build and maintain a large, successful music career is to surround yourself with people who are just as passionate about your music as you are. You may not believe it at first, but there are many pieces to the puzzle when it comes to building this foundation. There’s management (with representation), publicists, agents, and attorneys. Each of these groups has relationships with label A&R reps — meaning if you’ve already got someone representing you — then all these people have some sort of pull in the form of following-up phone calls, emails, and future discussions/parties that could help move your career forward.
Artists and repertoire (A&R) is the division that consumes and distributes all of the musical content you see on television, in ads, and on your favorite streaming services. It’s also responsible for any live events or performances that take place in a venue. A&R works with artists who want to get their music heard by brands and marketers looking to work with them (e.g., TV shows like Big brother Ninja).
A&R stands for assistant and remuneration. It is a promotion structure that makes money by finding talent. A&R works as a middleman between the artist and their label or service provider and in most cases receives a percentage of their earnings.
A&R reps spend the majority of their time listening to music, scouring clubs, watching social media, reading music blogs, checking metrics, and tracking industry buzz on the hunt for promising new musical talent. They also rely on an evolving understanding of current music tastes and industry trends to find talent with the most potential for commercial success.
However, A&R roles vary depending on the size, structure, and budget of a record label or publishing company. Traditional A&R responsibilities involve signing an artist, guiding their subsequent career, artist development, and representing their interests within the label. A&R duties may also include organizing promotional and marketing efforts, supervising the entire recording process, finding musical collaborators, offering creative input, and more.
A&R also involves liaising with other departments within a company such as marketing (i.e., promotion), finance (i.e., promotion), legal (i.e., contracts), creative (i.e., songwriting or production credits), sales (i.e., performance rights agreements) and distribution (i.e., digital download sales).
The A&R role has changed. In the past, an A&R person would oversee a record company’s entire roster, from songwriting and production to publishing and marketing. Today, that’s no longer true. As technology has evolved and become more accessible, the role of the A&R manager has evolved as well.
A&R managers are no longer responsible for overseeing everything about their acts — they’re more often relegated to working with one or two people at a time on their careers. In addition to recording artists and songwriters, today’s A&Rs also work with social media influencers who have millions of followers on Instagram, Snapchat, or Vine; they may also have some experience in podcasting or video editing.
This kind of specialization is part of what makes music industry jobs so attractive today — especially if you’re someone who wants to focus on one aspect of making music instead of being spread too thin across every aspect.
Getting the attention of an A&R can be difficult, but there are some things you can do to increase your chances of being seen by one. An A&R is responsible for signing new artists and developing careers. Not only does this person see potential in your work, but he or she can also provide feedback on how your music will fit best in the high-profile industry it was created for.
In today’s music industry, branding can play more of a role in an artist’s success than the music they create. Artists are not merely selling their music; they’re selling an image, an experience, and a message which defines them.
An artist is defined by their brand. People will remember the name of an established musician or artist much more than a person with no brands at all. You need to build your brand in order to get A&R (artists and repertoire) attention. This post will help you do just that!
A&R reps take more interest in an artist with a strong fan base. Expand your fan base by:
Having an established brand can give you an edge over other brands and producers. The more momentum and excitement you can build around your brand, the more likely an A&R will take notice.
Building relationships and networking in the music industry is always helpful. Boost your chances of getting noticed by making connections. Get out and connect with people, regardless of their status. Try to meet other artists, producers, DJs, publicists, booking agents, label staff, fans, and anyone else in the music scene. These connections could lead to opportunities. But you must be professional and approach them in a way that makes you seem like a businessperson.
Music discovery websites make it easier to capture new fans, discover new music, and more. Many connect you with the right people and services to help you advance your career in the music industry. They serve a valuable role in assisting independent musicians with industries for promotion, sales, and engagement. But which sites are best? Here’s a list of my top 4 favorite music discovery websites: SubmitHub, Pitchfork, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, and ReverbNation
Marketing and promotional strategies play an essential role in increasing outreach and getting your music heard. An effective marketing campaign will help you increase exposure, establish credibility, and open new opportunities. There are several excellent ways to promote your music and reach new audiences. Do some research on public relations and marketing strategies for musicians. Here is a description of the five most effective strategies you can use:
The role of A&R has changed significantly in the last decade. With the advent of digital technology and social media, most artists play for themselves these days. Record labels that depend on A&R to make albums are a dying breed. This doesn’t mean that A&R is out of a job, though. It merely means that it is easier than ever before to find artists that merit a record deal through alternative means. And now more than ever, there are many new models to choose from…
It’s a big news week for A&Rs in the African entertainment landscape.
The last decade has seen the African music industry undergo some cultural shift moments, evolution, and explosion internationally. By chance, think of development in lyricism, sound engineering, A&Ring, songwriting, and collaboration.
With many accolades to some major key players and decision makers – Like A&Rs who continue to keep their nose to the grindstone, working closely with labels and independent artists to provide the kind of work execution to showcase their artistry to the world. Closing strategic partnership deals with major international labels, international repertoire, publishing deals, and many more.
There is still so much more potential within the African music scene and the community that has grown around it and A&R duty are first of its kind in building a marketplace connecting all aspiring artists with producers, songwriters, and industry decision-makers. Will also be responsible for developing superstar talents in creating a music catalog and the business side of it.
A&R Duty is an independent creative-based company founded in November 2021. Providing creative support and services to both inspiring musicians, A&R executives, and industry networks in each of the music market ecosystems and exploring new collaborations, and opening a wealth of opportunities for music creatives.
Based in Nigeria but with global outreach, A&R duty will work closely with labels, music distribution companies, Music journalists, and music executives to serve as a trend spotter, and talent developer responsible for breaking new artists to the music business markets.
“THE COMPANY WILL POSITION ITSELF AS A TOP-OF-LINE AGENCY JOINING FORCES WITH CREATIVES AND EXECUTIVES, LOOKING TO CONNECT THE DOTS AMONG A&RS ACROSS THE AFRICAN MUSIC LANDSCAPE, PRODUCERS, SONGWRITERS ALIKE SUCCEED ON A GLOBAL SCALE”. According to Babatunde Makinde Williams, Co-founder and Director of A&R for A&R duty.
Over the few years, A&R Duty has previously worked closely with different independent labels and a variety of artist projects in the Nigerian music scene with proven stacked records, under the umbrella of a parent company “Gidioti Limited” all while supporting up-and-coming artists and involving in talent development programs and mentorship.
The company’s rosters have featured the likes of Los Angeles CA, based Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Jackiesboy, Cynthia Morgan, Kiss Daniel, Dapo Tuburna, Chinko Ekun, Shaydee, Psalm E, Wale Turner, Dj Neptune, Dj Jimmy Jatt and many more.
Added Omotola Slasha, Head of Marketing For A&R duty, Our Modus operandi at A&R duty is special delivery, the company which will also operate as a community and marketplace for diverse cultures, languages, and creative collaboration amongst other interesting business and creative opportunities the company has to offer. Working alongside A&Rs in their drive to empower artists across the African music continents.
Looking forward to expanding our repertoire with new talent and opportunities whilst continuing to drive our artist-centric culture forward.
To read more about where the future of Artists and repertoire in the African music industry is headed through A&R duty and to sign up either as an A&R or Music artist visit here – http://www.aandrduty.com
Connect with A&R Duty on social media: @aandrduty
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.
Think of building a fanbase as the final stage in a funnel. You have to get people into that funnel, but once they are there you have to keep them in it. That’s why so much attention has been paid over the years to things like fan clubs and street teams (read: groupies). But these days, it’s not hard to find ways to build your online presence and engage with fans directly through platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. In this article, we’ll look at 15 ways to build an online fanbase by engaging with potential fans on social media or other online platforms.
One of the most effective ways to build a fan base is by engaging with people on social media. That means posting regularly and responding to comments, as well as using hashtags and other tools to get your content in front of more people.
But engaging on social media isn’t just about driving traffic back to your website or YouTube channel; it’s also about building relationships with your audience and sometimes that means taking a step back from direct promotion so you can focus on being human.
Branding is the first step to building a fanbase.
You have to know who your target audience is and what kind of person you’re trying to reach. You need to consider your music, image, mission, values, and message. What do you stand for? What are you trying to say with your music?
The more specific you can be about these things, the better off you’ll be when it’s time for marketing efforts later on in this guide!
While playing live shows is a great way to grow your fanbase, you need to make sure that you are also doing other things on this list. This is not the only thing that will help you grow your fan base, but it is extremely important. If you look at the top musicians and bands in the world today, many of them have built their careers by performing live shows and building their fan base organically.
You should perform at local venues and events as well as festivals and free shows. You don’t want all of your content being paid because while some fans can afford it, others might not be able to afford it or won’t buy tickets just because they like one song or video. If there are multiple people involved in putting together an event (such as putting on a concert), try asking around for advice about how best to promote themselves before making plans for things like posters so that they know how much money needs to be spent upfront versus later down the road when advertising starts happening even more aggressively after initial marketing efforts have ended successfully!
Uploading content to YouTube is a great way to get your music in front of new people. YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, and it’s a great place to build your brand and promote your music. Additionally, uploading videos can help you connect with your fans through comments on your channel or by responding to their comments.
Submitting your music to blogs is an effective way to get exposure. Find a list of blogs that cover your genre, and read the submission guidelines carefully. Make sure you have a good relationship with the blogger and that they’ve written about artists similar to yours in the past. Also, make sure you have an excellent song to submit!
A good place to start when building your fanbase is by creating an email list. This is a collection of people who have opted-in to receive emails from you about your content, updates, and offers.
If you have a small brand with a little-to-no budget for marketing, it’s important to know that email marketing can be just as effective as other methods if done well. Email lists give companies the ability to engage with their customers directly and on a deeper level—even after they’ve been sold! They are also relatively easy to manage: once you’ve built up your list and sent out an initial message or two, the rest falls into place almost effortlessly.
It’s not difficult (or expensive) to build an email list these days; all it takes is some basic HTML knowledge or some help from someone who knows what they’re doing (like us). The first step towards setting up your emails is choosing which service provider will host them—we recommend MailChimp because they’re free for up to 2k subscribers and has great features such as A/B testing and automation tools. Once you’ve set up MailChimp, there are plenty of tutorials online that will walk you through how best to utilize its features so we won’t go too deep into this here – but suffice it to say there are lots of cool things about having an active subscriber base!
Collaborating with other artists is a great way to build your fanbase. You can find artists that have similar fan bases to your own, or you can find artists who are in the same genre as you or even artists who are not in the same genre as you.
It would help if you also kept in mind that there are different ways to collaborate:
In addition to creating your content, it’s also a good idea to encourage user-generated content. This can be done by hosting a contest on your social media channels and asking fans to share photos or videos of themselves with your product. You can also get them involved by posting a question that asks fans to submit their best answer with the hashtag #yourbrandname. For example, if you’re running an Instagram campaign for a new pair of sunglasses, ask people why they need shades this summer and share the most popular answers on Twitter. Finally, consider offering prizes in exchange for valuable feedback from customers:
Getting more engagement is only one part of building an audience; another important element is getting fans to become loyal customers who evangelize about your brand when they recommend it to others.
If you want to build an audience, starting a podcast or radio show is a great way to do it. Podcasts are easier than ever to create and distribute because of the many free and low-cost services available. Here are some recommended services:
Music videos are an essential part of building your fanbase. They can be used to promote your music and introduce fans to the personality behind it, while also keeping them engaged through visual content that complements the song.
You should make sure that you’re sticking true to yourself in everything you do as an artist—don’t try and be something or someone different just for the sake of having a music video. If it doesn’t feel authentic, people will notice, and then they’ll probably stop listening.
It’s also important to have quality equipment when shooting a music video; otherwise, likely, your efforts won’t turn out very well!
Performing at events and festivals is another great way to gain exposure, build relationships with other artists, get feedback on your music, meet new fans and make money. While most artists charge a fee for their performances (and rightfully so), there are many opportunities out there where you can perform for free or very little pay. For example, if you’re an up-and-coming artist looking to build a fan base by performing at local venues in your area then consider offering your services as an opening act for bigger acts that are coming through town. Or maybe offer some of your music as part of the background music at parties and events? In these cases, it’s all about doing something for others so that they’ll do something for you later down the line when you’ve got something to offer them.
This can be a great way to get your message out there, and it’s sometimes a lot easier than you think.
Let’s say you’re an up-and-coming rapper who just released his first album. A journalist from the local paper might be interested in interviewing you about your journey from rapping in the subway to becoming a full-time professional musician. This kind of article is usually more fun for them than writing about political issues or even how to fix potholes (the reporter’s typical beat), so they’ll probably jump at the chance to interview someone interesting like yourself! The key here is not only having an interesting story but also being able to tell it well otherwise this could turn into a disaster instead of something awesome that helps promote your brand.
Sharing a quote on social media is one of the easiest and most effective ways to engage with your audience. You can use a quote from an inspirational speaker, or write your own! If you’re feeling especially creative, try putting together some fun memes or infographics that illustrate a point about your subject matter. These types of shareable content are easy for people to spread around online and can be fun and light-hearted, which helps build rapport with potential followers.
Following these steps will help you build your fanbase one person at a time:
A digital distribution company is the best option for an artist to get their music online and into stores. Digital music distributors will help you with everything from formatting your release to managing your distribution sales and royalties. They take care of uploading your music onto major stores like iTunes, Spotify, and Amazon, but you have to make sure that they’re the right fit for you before signing on with them
You should ask your distributor if music distribution is their primary business. If it is, then they should be able to answer this question easily. If not, you should ask why they are distributing your music and what kind of experience they have with digital distribution. They might have a great business model, but if they don’t know much about digital music distribution or they don’t have a large team behind them that does, that might be an issue in the long run.
If you are a new artist, A&R Duty is the best to go with we specialize in digital distribution. We can help you set up your account and get your music on all the major streaming platforms.
One of the most common questions I get from clients is whether or not they can make money from the digital music distributor they distribute with. The answer is yes, but it’s not as simple as a 10% commission on sales revenue. The more important question to ask yourself when choosing a digital distributor is “will they take any portion of the sales revenue my music generates?” The answer should always be no; distribution services are paid for by artists themselves via fees that are based on their level of success and/or popularity to cover costs associated with providing such services (such as royalties and licensing fees).
While some distributors do offer payouts based on the total revenue generated by your catalog (which we’ll discuss below), these are generally reserved for labels who have multiple artists signed under one umbrella company or managers who manage multiple acts. Most individual artists will receive royalty checks once per year, usually paid out over two quarters (i.e., January through March; April through June).
The best digital music distributors have a dedicated team that can answer any questions you may have. If you’ve tried to get in touch with them and they haven’t responded, then that’s not good. You want to be able to talk to someone who knows what they’re talking about whenever something goes wrong with your account or the way your music is being distributed.
You should be able to find answers to your questions quickly and easily. Your digital music distributor should have a helpful tool that’s easy to use and understand, whether you need assistance with uploading or downloading music, or just want an explanation of the terms in their contract.
The most important thing to know about this is that you need to make sure you have the right artwork, metadata, and licensing for the store it will be distributed. Having the wrong artwork or metadata can result in a delay in your release being sent out by your distributor. You also need to ensure that all of your audio files are encoded at the right quality (for example 44100hz 16bit). This is especially important when uploading music directly through stores like Spotify, which may not accept low-quality audio files.
“How transparent and detailed are the sales reporting?”
If you want to get as much helpful information from your distributor, you need to ask them this question. The answer will show how much they know about their customers’ needs and how far they are willing to go to provide them with the best service possible.
iTunes trend reports are a great way to see how your music is selling in stores. While it’s not uncommon for digital distributors to offer iTunes trend reports, some only give you the option of viewing your sales data in the form of a spreadsheet. If you want easy-to-understand graphs and charts that make sense at glance, go with a distributor whose system offers them.
There are several things to look for when searching for a digital distributor:
Publishing administration is when a third-party company helps you collect royalties owed to you by the owners of songs that are streamed on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Why is this important? Because these owners are often difficult to track down and collect payment from, which can be time-consuming and frustrating. The more time you spend chasing down royalties, the less time you have to write new music or perform live!
Why should I have my publishing administrator?
Ringtones are a special type of sound file that can alert the user of an incoming call or message. It’s a small audio file, usually 30 seconds or less in length, which can be heard when someone calls you.
Ringtone files are typically created from music found on CDs or MP3s, though ringtones can also be composed specifically for your use (such as custom ringtones).