“I thought this was a great article for artists to read, I see it all too often, and I’m not even a hotshot a&r, so I can’t imagine what the major a&r’s have to put up with… And this supports my theory (which most artists don’t want to hear) about why it’s important to invest that money wisely into a quality recording before an artist showcase or promotions. Read on… And please don’t take offense to the choice of language… I didnt write it.”
-Dane Boles
CEO- Great Productions LLC
A&R Etiquette
by Tone Milion
A&R Consultant/President
Famous Rebublic South
A lot of artists ask me a barrage of questions when it comes to submitting music, but it seems to all have one central theme “WHAT DO YOU ASSHOLES WANT FROM ME?!”. With that in mind I’ve decided to do this post to help you up and coming artists out a bit…Thank Me Later.
Artists think once u get signed its all fun and games, and everyday is just like a music video…WRONG! The work is just beginning. Ask any recently signed artist about their work schedule and they will tell you there are meetings, Promo tours @ Radio, Free Shows, Photoshoots and a plethora of other responsibilites that you must fulfill as an artist aspiring to be the next hot act. Bottom line: You have to be built for this business or it’ll eat u alive. You have to be mentally tough and able to accept criticism. Don’t get upset with me or any other A&R when we tell you that you need polish…it’s to help you! We’re already making moves, and chances are if we tell you to work on something it’s because through experience we have learned how things should be.
The next thing I want to talk about is presentation, I’m sure you’ve heard the expression
“You only have one chance to make a first impression”. It’s especially true when approaching an A&R, or a record exec. Think about this, how many people do you know that rap or sing or model? No seriously, I want you to think about it. 3/4ths of twitter & myspace are filled with at home supermodels, rappers and singers all pushing their latest single, mixtape, or album. So if you are lucky enough to get an opportunity to send your music into an A&R directly…don’t fuck it up.
When u send in material it’s like applying for a job. Would u say to a manager at a local restaurant that you are applying to “what up son?” NO. Be professional. Find out what labels accept unsolicited material and what the person you are sending music to wants. As a general rule of thumb when sending in a demo you need a one sheet, [A one sheet is basically a brief bio (summary of who you the artist are, how you got started etc), a list of clubs you've done shows at and/or radio stations that have played your song, and any relevant information. This one-sheet should sell you the artist, but be careful not to oversell (I'll touch on that later)] at least one good headshot (photo of the face), and your BEST 3 original songs. Let me repeat that last one… YOUR BEST 3 ORIGINAL SONGS. DO NOT send freestyles over commercial beats to an A&R, and remember: No A&R wants to listen to your entire mixtape/album. Don’t oversell yourself…Let the music speak for you. When you send in your material I don’t wanna hear “I’m better than Lil Wayne” Lil Wayne sold a million plus records, how much have u sold again? I’ll wait…
Put your best foot forward! A&R’s have 100’s if not 1000’s of submissions to go through a day, so the chances of an A&R taking the time to go through and listen to every single song are slim. For this reason it is imperative that you put your best song first. If the first song is garbage…that’s where your submission is going. Make sure your music is good quality, PERIOD; I can’t stress that enough. I understand you may not be able to afford a million dollar studio, but I don’t wanna hear something that sounds like u recorded it with a Fisher Price “Sing Along With Me” Tape Recorder….sorry. A lot of artist like to try to add excuses to explain that the music just needs a little more work here and there. If the music is unfinished DON’T SEND IT IN…would u like to order a pizza from Pizza Hut only to recieve a half cooked one?; of course not, and just like you don’t wanna eat unfinished pizza, A&R’s don’t want to listen to unfinished music. Look in your local area for a studio that can help you enhance your sound through the wonders of mixing and mastering…
Once you send your material to an A&R, be sure to follow up! A&R’s are very busy people and our job description varies from talent scout to project manager and everything in between so chances are they probably weren’t sitting at their computer when your music came through the email. Notice i said “Follow up” not stalk. I didn’t think i’d have to put this but as i was recently shown…I do: Don’t stalk the A&R. We, like you have lives to live too and we don’t want a 2AM email asking “what’s up?”. A simple follow up email/tweet (bbm message/phone call if u should have such personal info) during normal business hours is acceptable.
It’s not easy getting a record deal, (if it was then everyone would have one) but if you have a good product, and you follow these simple rules of A&R etiquette as well as using a little common sense…you may get signed.
