What does an A&R actually do?
When people hear "A&R", they picture someone scrolling through playlists all day and signing whoever is trending. Finding artists is part of the job, and a time-consuming part. But it's the beginning of the work, not the work itself.
I started producing in 2013 and spent the following years on the artist side before moving to the label side. I was an A&R at Panther's Groove from 2018, then head of A&R at Distinct Records, the label of Boomerang in Hong Kong, until 2026. Along the way I got to work with artists like James Carter, Old Jim and Tungevaag. Here's what the job looks like from the inside.
The job is a relationship
An A&R walks alongside an artist for part of their journey. Sometimes that's a single release, sometimes it's years. In that time you might help shape the creative direction of a project, put a release together from the first demo to the final master, or just sort out the logistics nobody else has time for.
Most of the artists I've worked with I still talk to today, and a lot of those working relationships turned into friendships. That's what I found most rewarding in the job: seeing people grow, and watching some of them reach the point where they make a living from their music.
None of that happens if the label sees artists as content to fill a release schedule. The labels artists want to work with are the ones that treat them as partners, listen to them, and stay honest when things aren't working.
Finding artists is the hardest part to scale
Around 100,000 new tracks land on streaming platforms every day. For years my digging meant hours on Spotify, and then on Instagram and TikTok as those platforms became the places where artists break. Most of what you hear on a given day isn't for your label, and that's normal. But it means the few artists who are right for you are buried under everything else, and finding them takes hours you could have spent with the artists you already have.
That's the trade-off every A&R knows. Time spent searching is time not spent on creative feedback, release planning, or simply being available when an artist needs you.
How to reach out so artists actually answer
Artists receive more label emails than most people think, and many of them go unanswered. From my experience on both sides, the ones that get replies have a few things in common.
They are personal. The email shows that someone actually listened. It names the track you heard or the release that just came out. A message that could have been sent to anyone tells the artist you're not really interested in what they do, and they can tell within a line.
They are well timed. Reaching out when an artist has just released something, or just landed on an editorial playlist, means your message arrives as recognition. They're paying attention, and you're one of the people who noticed.
They show what the label can bring. An artist wants to know you can help them grow. A couple of releases, the artists you work with, how you support a record once it's out. Said simply, without turning it into a sales pitch.
They are short, and they introduce the label. Artists like to know who is writing to them, but a first email should be read in under a minute. Who you are, why them, and how to share music with you is plenty.
Feedback is where trust is built
Once a demo comes in, the most valuable thing you can give an artist is an honest answer. If it's not right for the label, say so, and say why in a sentence. If it's close, be specific about what would make it better. A note like "the groove only kicks in after a minute and a half" is useful. "Not for us right now" with no reason helps nobody.
I've always believed in being direct with feedback while staying polite and looking forward. Artists can take honesty. What they remember badly is silence, or vague answers that leave them guessing. A thoughtful no, sent quickly, often leads to a yes on the next track.
Where the time should go
The best part of A&R work has never been the search. It's the moment an artist sends you a version that's better than the last, the release that finally connects with an audience, the call where you plan the next step together.
That's why I built SOUNDAR. It does the daily digging for a label's sound and handles the first hello, so A&Rs can spend their time on the artists, the music and the relationships. The rest of the job, the part that matters, stays human.