Try this if you want to get your foot in the door as an A&R

Start a media platform

If you don’t quite have the relationships developed with artists, producers or songwriters yet, the best way to start gaining trust with a creative while showing off your tastemaking ability is to start your own media platform. It can be as simple as interviewing the artists, songwriters, and producers that you think are underappreciated or next up and highlighting them on your platform - which could be a website, TikTok, or Instagram page. This allows you to build up a bit of a following, gain credibility, and make yourself an asset to creatives and their teams.

Take Kids Takeover, for example. The founder, Arshan, created a platform that is early on trends and youth culture and becomes a part of culturally relevant conversations. His Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube channels essentially served as his resume, allowing him to turn his taste into a gig as an A&R consultant.

Host a writing camp

You may already have relationships with producers, songwriters, and artists in the city you live in. If you do, get them all into a room to create for an extended period.

The one thing to be aware of is that this shouldn’t feel forced. If you’re an aspiring A&R, this is your time to show off your skill set to put the right people in a room together. Account for personalities, writing styles, and egos. You’re in charge of curating an ecosystem for music to be created and ideas to be expressed without pressures, expectations, or deadlines.

If you and/or the creatives you plan to invite to your writing camp work full-time, find a three-day weekend that all of you have available on your calendars. Use some of the money from your job to rent out an Airbnb close by. Bring recording equipment, food, good energy, and start creating.

Make sure you all eat together throughout the whole weekend. If someone knows how to grill, even better. If possible, have everyone spend each night of the camp in the same house throughout the weekend. Hire a videographer and a photographer (or just bring a camera yourself) to capture everything. This will 1) allow you to have proof of what you were able to pull off, and 2) give you incredible content to use if and when you decide to release any of the music made during the camp.

Put your own compilation album together

This is a great approach if you’re an aspiring A&R who has relationships with artists and producers that you wouldn’t be able to get all in one room.

Start small. A 5-7 song EP that shows off the artists, producers, and songwriters that you’re able to blend to make a cohesive, well-rounded project will speak volumes more than being able to create a playlist of existing songs. Ask the creators in your network if they have any loose singles that they’d be willing to contribute to your project. Take any unfinished ideas and bring them to another person in your network that you think could add to it.

If you need to, book a studio session with an artist and producer you know would get along and let them create. Just make sure everyone goes into it with the understanding that you want them to make something for your project. Negotiate percentage splits of records and publishing for everyone involved to save on upfront costs. Set a small budget for any recording, mixing, and mastering that needs to be done. Then take it a step further and create a rollout plan.

If you execute well, you’ll easily land any major label A&R role or a contract as an A&R consultant.