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.
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.
Building an audience for your music isn’t easy, but it can be done. In this post, we’ll explore how to build a fanbase from scratch. We’ll go over the different types of fans you want as well as how to get them, and then we’ll talk about strategies for success with each type.
When it comes to building a fanbase from scratch, many aspiring musicians have the same question: how do I get people to follow me?
To answer this question, we’ll look at some of the most common mistakes that new artists make when trying to reach out beyond their initial social circles. We’ll also examine what kinds of things you should be doing and saying on your social media channels to gain followers and fans who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer. If you’re looking for more detail about creating an emotional connection with your audience at large, check out our article What Is Fan Engagement? How To Build A Fanbase From Scratch.
There are three types of fans that you can build.
Don’t take anyone for granted. You may be the most important person to yourself, but don’t ignore the people around you.
Don’t just focus on your fans. Focus on your music, brand and business too!
Don’t just focus on your music. Focus on social media and email marketing too!
One of the best ways to build a fanbase is by being yourself. When you’re building your brand, it’s important that people can see who you are and what makes you unique. To do this, there are some steps that you need to take:
Social media is a great way to engage with your fan base, but you shouldn’t post constantly. Posting consistently is the key to building a fanbase.
When you start your podcast, you’ll likely have a goal in mind for the size of your audience. Maybe it’s 100 downloads per episode or 1,000 listeners on any given day. Whatever the number is, don’t get too hung up on it:
It’s important to realize that numbers aren’t everything when it comes to building an audience. The quality and engagement of your listeners are much more important than the sheer quantity of them. If two people follow you and engage with each episode then they’re going to be more valuable than 100 people who just listen passively without commenting or interacting in any way with what they hear (or worse still don’t even download episodes!).
Live shows are a great way to build an emotional connection with your fans, and they’re also a great way to build trust. Your fans will know you’re not just making stuff up in the studio or on the Internet they can see for themselves that you’re real and that what you do is worth listening to.
Live shows also give people a chance to connect with you in person, which can lead them down the path of becoming your biggest fan (and perhaps even becoming your friend). If someone enjoys meeting up with other people who like something they like, then they’ll probably want more opportunities like this one.
If all else fails, ask them if they’d be willing to help promote your show! This works especially well if there’s something fun or interesting going on at the venue where it’s happening (like free food).
Collaborating with other artists is a great way to build your fanbase. When you collaborate with other artists, you can gain exposure, receive feedback on your work, make new friends and learn new skills.
I’ve collaborated with many people over the years. Some of my favourite collaborations were when I was in college and made a music video for my song “Life Is Good” with the band The Rival Rockets in 2011. This helped me gain exposure because it was shared on social media by more than 100 people who were fans of both bands at the time. It also helped me receive feedback on my work because we had a few rehearsals before filming so that we could make sure everything worked out well during filming as well as post-production editing work afterwards.”
Giveaways are a great way to build your fanbase! But you have to do it right.
First, it should be fun. People love free stuff, but they don’t want something lame—they want something cool. When you’re giving away a prize that’s only worth $5 or even $1,000 (yes, we’ve seen artists do this), the contest has to be interesting enough that people will pay attention and share with friends so they can win too! If you can tie the game into some aspect of what you’re doing as an artist or brand then even better: if someone likes your music they’ll probably like anything else related to it too!
You should also make sure it’s something relevant—don’t just throw anything out there because “it could work.” Make sure whatever prizes/giveaways are available to fit well with what your fans want and love about themselves because then when people see them they’ll feel good about themselves too which means more fans joining up with us later down the line when our careers take off thanks again, guys!!
Building a fanbase from scratch can take time, so be patient and persistent. Don’t get discouraged by the slow progress at first, because it’s normal to feel like you’re not making much progress when you’re just starting. As long as you continue working hard and stay consistent with what you do, then eventually your efforts will pay off!
The music industry has become more and more competitive over the past few years. With the rise of streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music, there’s a whole new way for artists to get their music heard by fans. This means that you need to be proactive about promoting your music online. Here are some simple ways to get your songs noticed.
You can promote your music online by taking advantage of social media and radio, but you also need to think about offline opportunities. Promotional strategies for music include social media marketing, radio marketing, and online marketing.
Marketing companies that specialize in music promotion offer an array of services to help artists get their sound out into the world. These companies can make it easier for you to reach new audiences and gain exposure by helping you find new fans through a variety of means—including social media sites like Twitter and Instagram as well as traditional outlets like print magazines or radio stations.
When choosing a promotional strategy for your band’s next album release or another upcoming project (like an EP), consider your options carefully before making any decisions about where your band will focus its efforts. What kind of audience do they want? How much money are they willing to spend? What kinds of opportunities exist within each category? What kind will benefit them most at this stage in their careers?
In the music industry, especially in Africa and Nigeria, A&R stands for Artist & Repertoire. An A&R is a person who manages the recording contract of an artist and ensures that all aspects of their career are handled professionally. This includes securing studio time, booking shows and making sure that your brand is promoted effectively. A&R Companies in Nigeria play a vital role in helping artists record their music professionally and get it distributed to top radio stations across the country. They also develop strategies to help you reach new audiences while growing your fan base by sharing your content on social media channels like YouTube, Instagram etcetera…
A&R DUTY is an independent A&R company with a passion for music. We are creating a community for A&Rs to come together under one umbrella, training and educating them on how to trade in their business space without being ripped off, and also creating an avenue for a record label and independent artist to hire professional A&Rs when the need arises, to increase the population of the artist making hit records in Africa.
A&R Duty also assists new artists in finding their footing in the industry by offering them professional management services and guidance through their careers. You can hire HiRE A&R for your upcoming album release or single launch!
If you want to make your music popular, there are a few things that you can do. First of all, you need to make sure your fans are aware of your music. The Internet is the best way to do it. This can be done by creating an online presence for yourself and putting up links for people who may not know about you yet. You can also use social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to promote yourself with ads on these platforms or create a blog where people can find out more about what you have done so far in terms of promoting your music online in 2022
When it comes to promoting your music online, one of the best things you can do is revisit the goals that you set for yourself at the beginning. When you are clear about what these goals are, it becomes easier for you to track your progress and see if anything is holding back your success. Once you have decided on a goal and have started working towards achieving it, make sure that:
Your website can be a separate entity. It doesn’t need to be part of your social media sites or any other online platform; it should be an independent site that hosts all of your music and information about you, your work, and how people can get in touch with you. Not only will this help you build up an audience and increase visibility for yourself as an artist, but it will also make it easier for potential fans to find out more about you and the work that you do.
The first thing that people will notice when they visit your site is its design – so make sure that it looks professional! You don’t have to hire a web designer if this isn’t in the budget – there are plenty of free tools available which give easy access to creative templates. However, always remember: just because these templates may look good now doesn’t mean they won’t look dated later on down the line…
You’ve probably heard about the benefits of using YouTube to promote your music, but did you know that it’s also one of the world’s largest search engines? The platform has over 1 billion users, which means that if you create content and share it on YouTube you can attract a huge audience.
YouTube is an excellent way for musicians to get their music heard by a wide audience. The platform allows artists to build their brand by creating quality videos about themselves and their work, as well as providing valuable information about how artists can use the platform effectively.
If you are an independent artist and want to expand your reach, social media is a great way to do that. You can use social media to interact with fans and get feedback on new songs or music videos, promote events and shows you’re going to be at or working at, or just run contests for free stuff (t-shirts, posters, etc.). With the rise of Instagram live streams becoming popularized by celebrities like Diddy and Kanye West any artist needs to be able to show off their talents. This is not only good for promotion but also for gaining new fans as well as keeping current ones interested in what you have going on.
Social media algorithms are constantly changing, so it’s important to keep an eye on the latest trends.
Make sure that you know what works best for each platform and adapt your strategy accordingly.
Don’t forget to engage with your existing fans constantly.
It’s important to produce and post content frequently on social media, but it’s even more important to engage with your fans in the comments section. This will help build a stronger relationship between you and them, which can lead to more shares and likes on each post. Additionally, this increases the likelihood that they’ll purchase tickets for shows or stream/purchase music from your site!
You can use Facebook ads to reach new fans, but don’t just blast your music on Facebook. You will likely annoy people and end up with a bad reputation.
Instead, target people who are already interested in your music genre and live near where you will be performing.
Facebook advertising is a great way to get more eyes on your page and build loyalty among your existing fan base if done correctly!
The Reddit community is a large and passionate group that loves new music. They’re constantly looking for the next best song, album, or artist to listen to! If you want your music to be promoted by thousands of genuinely interested in hearing it, then this is the place for you.
Reddit is also great for finding feedback on your songs! You can post links to specific songs or even entire albums on Reddit and ask questions about what works well and what could be improved upon. This is a great way of getting constructive criticism from people who want nothing more than to help out musicians like yourself!
Another benefit of using Reddit as part of your marketing strategy would be reaching new fans who may not have otherwise heard about your work before now. Since there are so many users looking for new music all the time, there’s no doubt someone will stumble across one of yours soon enough!
Collaborating with other musicians is one of the best ways to get your music heard.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re just starting or well-known; everyone can benefit from having a network of people who share similar interests.
The more connections you have, the greater your chances will be forgetting noticed by other artists and labels. Websites such as ReverbNation are great places to find like-minded individuals who may be able to help further your career.
Music marketing is about building momentum over time and creating exponential growth. If you are releasing music once a year, how are you supposed to create any noticeable momentum or build a fanbase for the long term? Planning your next single release is great. But what about the next few singles? Releasing one song without knowing when the next single is going to be released means you are starting from scratch after every music release. This causes you to have popularity and focus spikes which constantly lower over time because you aren’t focused on consistent growth.n Quality of music and consistency come first.
look after your fans and provide value over and over again with consistent and frequent releases. remember you’re only ever ONE song away from greatness. One song can completely change your life. You never know JUST how close you are. Keep writing, releasing, and learning!
ITogrow online and expand your reach, it’s best to stick with the strategies mentioned above. If you’re not sure how to use any of these tips, just ask us! We have experience helping musicians and artists promote themselves on social media, YouTube and other platforms.
So, if you are looking for a way to promote your music and get it noticed by the right people, then A&R Duty is the best option.
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.
n
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!
When you’re trying to get your music heard by labels, there are plenty of things you can do to stand out from the crowd. You could try sending them a personalized email or even calling the label manager on the phone to introduce yourself. But how do you know what will work best? Well, there’s only one way: trial and error! The good news is that there are a few proven ways of making yourself stand out from the crowd and helping their job easier and they’re all fairly easy once you’ve got used to doing them regularly.
Many labels receive a high volume of submissions, so it may take them a while to respond. It is important to remember that A&R teams are almost always very busy people who have many responsibilities. As such, they may not be able to respond immediately and may not respond at all if they do not think your music fits their label’s needs at the time you submit it.
If you know an A&R representative personally or have worked with them before, then try submitting your song directly via email rather than using our system…
In order to be considered, you will need to send them the link to your music. This can be done by email or through a service like SoundCloud, or Spotify. If you don’t include a link, they won’t know what you’re talking about and they won’t be able to listen to it!
You need to be on Spotify and iTunes. If you’re not on those platforms, then it’s unlikely for anyone to hear your music. There are exceptions, but they are extremely rare and require an extreme amount of luck or connections at the label level that most artists don’t have. You also need to have your music on other streaming services as well as stores like Amazon or CD Baby so people can buy it if they want physical copies (physical copies still sell). If someone wants to buy your album from iTunes or Amazon but can’t because your album isn’t there yet, you’ll lose out on more sales than just the ones who would’ve bought digital versions through those stores.
When sending a music submission to a label, it’s important not to simply message the label with your SoundCloud link and hope they listen. You should have a dedicated page for your music, with links to all your social media accounts and all of your releases there as well. If you don’t have a website, you can use Bandcamp or another similar platform that has an embeddable player so people can listen directly from the page.
The best way to submit music is through a custom email address made just for the purpose of submitting tracks from unsigned artists. This email should include all relevant information about yourself (links to previous releases), links to streaming services where fans can listen (Spotify/Apple Music, etc.), and any other places where fans might hear it like YouTube/SoundCloud/etc., and any other relevant information like what genre(s) it falls into or any notable features on albums, etc., as well as anything else they might need in order fully understand what they’re listening too before making a decision on whether or not it’s right for them at this time.”
While you’re submitting your music to labels, it’s important to make sure you have all the important copyright information in place. The first thing a label wants to know about your song is who wrote and recorded it, so make sure that’s clear. Make sure their name is included on every track and that it matches up with their website or social media profile.
Most importantly, make sure there’s no confusion about when you wrote your song or when it was released. Many artists include incorrect dates on their releases because they don’t know better or don’t care enough (or both). This can be confusing for both listeners and labels alike, so be sure not to leave off any crucial details like this one!
You’ve got to have a dedicated page or website for your music, with links to your social media and all your music in one place. Make sure it’s easy to find and link directly back to any kind of social media you want (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook). Also, make sure this is the same URL that people can send out via email when they want other people to hear your track.
The better you can make yourself stand out from the crowd and help their job, the more likely they are to notice you.
Here is a list of things that will help your chances:
Remember, this is your music. You are the one who should be proud of it, not the label. So don’t just submit to a label because they have good feedback on SoundCloud or because they’re huge. Start by sending them only your best tracks and see what happens from there. Don’t forget that most labels want to work with artists who can promote themselves too; if you don’t have any social media profiles set up yet then get started on those today!