{"id":11817,"date":"2020-08-18T10:51:48","date_gmt":"2020-08-18T14:51:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/?p=11817"},"modified":"2025-10-10T12:06:57","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T16:06:57","slug":"ar-sample-labels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/ar-sample-labels\/","title":{"rendered":"How to do A&R for your sample label"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Illustration:<\/strong> Franco \u00c9galit\u00e9<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It might come as a surprise how often the sample industry develops creators from hobbyists to highly demanded hit-makers.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although the way people approach A&R (artists and repertoire<\/a>) has changed, it continues to play a pivotal role in the success of a sample label and the growth of its artists.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a follow-up to “How to start a sample label,”<\/a> we gathered specific insights from Kate Wild<\/a> of 91Vocals<\/a> and Grace Roslovic<\/a> from the Splice team on their approach to A&R for sample labels. Below, they share how they stay focused in their search, the tools they use, how they filter through a sea of talent, and how they vet for quality productions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Know what you\u2019re looking for <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re first starting out with A&R, know what genre, niche, or style you want to be known for before recruiting new talent. What\u2019s your unique selling point? Do you specialize in pop and R&B vocals? Are you focused on drums for trap and hip hop? Maybe you offer orchestral sounds, or you cover all genres but work specifically with women and nonbinary people. Perhaps you\u2019re redefining electronic dance music by discovering groundbreaking producers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grace says that people who are successful in the music business carve a corner of the market. It\u2019s easy to get sidetracked by exciting talent who have nothing to do with your initial goals. Build a reputation for quality in one area first, and then you can branch out and take risks in new areas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To illustrate this point, Grace said, \u201cFor example, TalentX Entertainment<\/a> develops talent from people who get noticed on TikTok. They\u2019re focused on music \u2018for the modern digital era.\u2019 Find, or even better, define your corner and start carving your spot there. After you\u2019ve helped develop a couple of acts in your realm, eventually, people will start bringing you new talent.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowing what to look for is inextricably linked to knowing who you are and what your label and brand represent. And by brand, we mean the type of music people think of when they hear your or your label\u2019s name. We talked about this in depth in our previous article<\/a> but to elaborate, your brand is essential for building a network. And a network is essential for discovering new and emerging talent. Grace suggests, \u201cSpend time putting people in your circle who push you to be better, and push you to explore talent outside of that circle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have an ear for emerging talent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you’re carrying out an A&R function, you’re looking for the next breakout act in your niche. You have to have an ear for emerging talent who might be nowhere near hitting the charts. Your job is to help them get there, and if things go well, you’ll grow with them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grace said to look for the triple threats in your niche or genre. For example, someone who can produce, sing, and songwrite. Better yet, someone who\u2019s pushing the genre in a new direction or redefining it entirely. She said, \u201cLook or listen for what makes you uncomfortable sonically, maybe even something that takes a few listens to appreciate. What makes you stop in your tracks and want to know where on earth it came from? More often than not, those are the artists who are carving the path to the future.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kate said, \u201cYou may not be able to knock down the door of Timbaland, but how do you find the next Timbaland?\u201d Simply put, how do you find the next producer who\u2019s going to shape and create a platform for the voices of the next generation like he did in the \u201890s? Someone who\u2019s versatile with a strong work ethic \u2013 who can work within different styles and collaborate or adapt to different personalities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When looking for acts, look for someone who has a strong foundation you can build on. Someone with their own sound or point of view who\u2019s ready to get to work. We dive deeper into this below, but you have to have an eye and ear for who\u2019s going to make waves in your space. Who\u2019s doing something fresh that helps their genre evolve?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spot trends and fill in the gaps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A&R for a sample label requires a mix of spotting trends and identifying the gaps yet to be filled. It\u2019s a matter of having an ear for what instruments or sounds truly made a track, melody, or beat stand out. What\u2019s carrying the song along aside from the lyrics? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grace says you have to be a detective. Scan the Viral 50 playlists<\/a> for who\u2019s producing fan favorites that you haven\u2019t heard of. This is a great example of someone who\u2019s clearly laying their own foundation, already building a reputation for themselves by putting in the work and building a network. They might be at the perfect stage to sign, or they may be too big already. Either way, take a look into their toolbox. Learn what instruments they\u2019re using, what geolocations they\u2019re inspired by, where they\u2019re drawing influence from. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An alternate or complementary approach is to identify what you\u2019re tired of hearing and find artists who are doing something totally different. What is going to draw a reaction from people? What instrument do you want to hear more of? Harps? Analog synths? West African rhythms? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Running a sample label is a business, so you have to make choices in part based on customer needs and wants. At the same time, you have the opportunity and arguably, the responsibility, to drive culture. To create new trends and movements. To make creative decisions that will have an impact on music either in your genre or across genres. Ask yourself what stand you want to take \u2013 this is how you\u2019ll carve that corner we talked about earlier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider investing in unique instruments and sounds. For example, Mario Luciano<\/a> has a specialty with sampling unique or rare analog instruments like Moog synthesizers. His toolbox allows him to craft sounds unlike any others. Ones that artists like A Boogie, Pop Smoke, and Denzel Curry have turned to him for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where and how to look<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When thinking of where music culture is headed from an A&R perspective, we look at music trends worldwide. We want to know what instruments both the charting artists and the up-and-comers are using. We\u2019re looking at where they draw inspiration from and what could potentially come next. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grace says that fans outside of the U.S. market tend to listen to more music and be more loyal. IFPI\u2019s Music Listening 2019 report<\/a><\/strong> indicated that music fans in Mexico spend the most time listening to music, at 25.6 hours per week compared to the 18-hour global average. Korea leads in music purchases with 44% of respondents saying they\u2019d bought CDs, vinyl, or downloads in the last week, well ahead of the 26% global average. The U.S. was second in purchases at 34% of respondents. The report is based on a survey taken in 21 countries amongst 34,000 people (note that the report leaves out much of Africa and the Middle East, as well as India and China).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s up to you to define where you think culture is going and how you want to influence it with your label. Once you do, here are some tools to leverage in your search. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Effective ways to use social media for A&R<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kate and Grace both turn to Instagram and YouTube in their search for talent. Kate said, \u201cI use social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube where you\u2019ll find most producers and musicians sharing their content.\u201d In addition to browsing her immediate community, she searches hashtags like #beatproducers or #samples. She also looks at who other labels (record and sample) and producers are following.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she comes across an artist with a natural, raw sound she likes on Instagram, she saves their posts in a \u2018producers folder\u2019 or \u2018vocalists folder\u2019 to keep a running list for when she\u2019s ready to recruit. After some initial research, she reaches out to gauge their interest and asks questions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n