The music industry is huge and it is the dream of all upcoming artistes to want to get in the industry and make their mark. Unfortunately, it is not so easy as the competition is fierce and intense. As we speak, there are a ton of budding musicians who want to get in the limelight but have so far, not been able to as a result of the fact that they either do not know how to go about it or do not have the ability to locate the Artist and Repertoire representative.
Truly locating the A&R rep is almost impossible if you are not properly positioned and well packaged. In case you are wondering what the Artistes and Repertoire representative is, he is simply, the guy who or girl who hires or spots talents, recruits them, and helps them to achieve their dreams while he and the record label company get rich. Most artistes fall in the trap of thinking that all they need to attract the record label companies is just a great hit. They do not know that it is like seeking a job. "If your resume ain't "solid", no one's gonna hire you."
So, before even trying to get the A&R rep, do yourself a favor and get your act together. If you have to package your demo CD, by all means, do it well. And if you have to churn out some great hits, do it too. This will put you far ahead of over 90% of upcoming artistes. After you have done all of these, it is time to look for the A&R reps of record label companies. Looking for them can sometimes be like looking needles in a haystack. So, here what you are going to do:
1. Start Looking for A&R Reps In Genre
A lot of upcoming artistes make the mistake of sending their demo CDs and packages to any record label company. Truth is if you are doing R&B, a country music A&R rep isn't going to be interested in your music. So, start looking in the right genres and you will soon start coming up with good and potential contacts.
2. Use Directories and Resources
A great place to contact A&R reps immediately upon signing up is www.reachfame.com. This is like a database or directory of A&R contacts. Sometimes, even when musicians have the contacts, they don't know the right time to call -which is mostly when the A&R reps is chillin' out and having a good time. This directory however, will give you all the necessary details including when to call, what the A&R has for lunch and provides tips on what will make him or her listen to you through a profiling of each and every A&R.
3. Use a Contact Directory
Directories like the CMJ Directory give you information on the different record label and all other necessary contacts. You could also go for showcases if you can manage to get in.
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