A&R Director

Job Description:

At Warner Music Group, we’re a global collective of music makers and music lovers, tech innovators and inspired entrepreneurs, game-changing creatives and passionate team members. Here, we turn dreams into stardom and audiences into fans. We are guided by three core values that underpin everything we do across all our diverse businesses:

●Curiosity: We do our best work when we’re immersing ourselves in culture and breaking through barriers. Curiosity is the driving force behind creativity and ingenuity. It fuels innovation, and innovation is the key to our future.

●Collaboration: Making music and bringing it to the world is all about the power of originality amplified by teamwork. A great idea, like a great song, travels globally. We ignite passions and build connections across our diverse community of artists, songwriters, partners, and fans.

●Commitment: We pursue excellence for our team and our talent. Everything in music starts with a leap into the unknown, and we’re committed to keeping the faith, acting with integrity, and delivering on our promises.

WMG is home to a wide range of artists, musicians, and songwriters that fuel our success. That is why we are committed to creating a work environment that actively values, appreciates, and respects everyone. We encourage applications from people with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences.

Consider a career at WMG and get the best of both worlds – an innovative global music company that retains the creative spirit of a nimble independent.

Job Title: Director, A&R

A little bit about our team:

The A&R Department at Warner Music Nashville is the creative department responsible for finding, signing, and developing musical artists. The members of this department, in collaboration with artists, managers, and producers, hone each unique artist vision from initial musical creation to all forms of musical release, be it physical, digital, or live performance. The A&R team at Warner Music Nashville is a group of passionate and experienced music industry professionals dedicated to discovering, nurturing, and developing dedicated artists. The team acts as the creative backbone of the label, playing a crucial role in shaping the future of music.

Your role:

Warner Music Nashville is seeking a creative and strategic Director, A&R responsible for identifying, signing, and developing outstanding recording artists. This role requires a broad, multi-genre understanding of the current music landscape, an obsession for being a first mover in unearthing new talent, and the ability to guide artists to the realization of their creative vision. The ideal candidate is an upbeat, enthusiastic, and highly motivated music industry professional with a consistent track record of identifying exceptional talent, success in artist development, and a strong network of industry and cultural contacts.

Here you’ll get to:

Scout and pursue unsigned artists, artists signed to independent labels, major labels, or international artists who are or may soon become available for signing to Warner Music Nashville and present them to our Department for possible inclusion on the Warner Music Nashville Roster.
Use various channels of discovery, including showcases, online platforms, industry events, and networking, to find new talent. Evaluate artists’ musical abilities, potential for growth, and overall fit with the label’s custom brand.
Cultivate vigilance around current music trends, competitor activities, and emerging genres. Analyze this market data to find opportunities for new artist signings and strategic album releases.
Guide and mentor artists throughout the creative process, providing constructive feedback and connecting them with appropriate producers, songwriters, and other collaborators.
Assist in the making of the artist’s recordings in all vital ways, including finding songs, co-writers, producers, mixers, engineers and musicians. Build a cadre of such mixers, producers, songwriters and other creatives to help artists define their vision.
Work with A&R Administration to establish recording budgets, acquire the necessary approvals of such budgets and ensure the recordings are delivered on budget. Book studio time, negotiate studio rates, hire musicians, obtain source materials, coordinate all necessary sessions and arrange for receipt of all materials vital for accepted delivery of recordings to ensure timely releases / ensuring release dates are met (sticking to the release schedule).
Ensure that all such recordings are acceptable for delivery, including following all procedures established by the A&R Department as necessary for such acceptance.
Collaborate closely with other departments within the label, including marketing (traditional, digital, and viral), promotion and commerce, to ensure cohesive and effective album campaigns.
Develop and handle budgets for artist projects and A&R activities. Monitor expenditures and ensure cost-effectiveness as they pertain to the recording process. Arrange for all remixes requested within an approved budget, ensure accepted and on-budget delivery of such remixes.
Engage and facilitate partnerships with artist’s management, lawyers and agents, as well as collaborating closely with all Departments within Warner Music Nashville with respect to all such artists and their recordings.
Perform any A&R research tasks requested, including searching social media, blogs and other online websites, radio charts such as Mediabase and BDS and sales charts for not only artists worthy of signing to Warner Music Nashville, but daily data as necessary to partnerships with artista and managers.
Find and identify needle-moving songs whether self-written by artist or written by outside writers.
Build a cadre of mixers, producers, songwriters and other creatives who will help artists reach their full potential.
Perform any other A&R tasks requested by the Head of A&R or any other applicable executive.

About you:

3+ years of working in A&R
Must show the highest level of judgment and effort in finding and presenting outstanding artists worthy of signing to Warner Music Nashville and aid in the process of signing them.
True understanding of the recording process and ability to deliver releases on time.
Existing relationships within the industry with artists, managers, publishers, writers, producers, and attorneys, etc.
Excellent attention to detail and follow through and follow up.
Experience working with artists, managers, and key label personnel.
Must excel at multi-tasking.
Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.

We’d love it if you also had:

Extensive knowledge of music, music industry, music history, artist careers.
Experience and knowledge in making records and introducing artists to the marketplace.
Guide in the most current research tools and knowledge of industry trends.
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in music, marketing, communication, business, or related major.

About us:

As the home to 10K Projects, Asylum, Atlantic Music Group, East West, FFRR, Fueled by Ramen, Nonesuch, Parlophone, Rhino, Roadrunner, Sire, Warner Records, Warner Classics, and several other of the worldʼs premier recording labels, Warner Music Group champions emerging artists and global superstars alike. And our renowned publishing company, Warner Chappell Music, represents genre-spanning songwriters and producers through a catalog of more than one million copyrights worldwide. Warner Music Group is also home to ADA, which supports the independent community, as well as artist services division WMX. In addition, WMG counts film and television storytelling powerhouse Warner Music Entertainment among its many brands.

Together, we are Warner Music Group: Independent Minds. Major Sound.

Love this job and want to apply?

Click the “Applyˮ link at the top of the page, or apply directly with your LinkedIn. Applying with LinkedIn will import all of the information you put in your profile, but will still allow you to upload a resume and cover letter.

Donʼt be discouraged if you donʼt hear from us right away. Weʼre taking our time to review all resumes, and to find the best people for WMG.

Thanks for your interest in working for WMG. We love it here, and think you will, too.

#LI-Onsite

This position requires a minimum of four days per week in the office. We value in-office collaboration and believe it's essential for talent development and fostering strong working relationships.

Warner Music Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Warner Music Nashville LLC

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A&R Director