A&R: Tuning India's Independent Talent

Deep Dive 03 | The industry, the promise and a fantasy ✨

Let’s start with a poll.

Reading The State of A&R got me thinking about the A&R industry in India—how it’s evolved over the years, where it currently stands, and the unique challenges it faces in a rapidly changing music landscape.

It made me consider whether we’re truly harnessing the potential of our talent or if we’re playing it too safe, missing out on the bold moves that could propel the industry forward.

With this in mind, I began to explore the nuances of A&R in India, from its cautious beginnings to the opportunities and hurdles that lie ahead.

Edit: I created a database of A&R professionals in India as part of the research for this post. Scroll to the end to find out how you can access it.

A&R as a Service

Artists and Repertoire or A&R; is about identifying, signing, and developing talent for commerce.

A&R is the rank and file of the music business; responsible for talent scouting, signing artists and overseeing the creative-marketing process from inception to release. It’s how raw talent gets discovered, polished and transformed into the next big thing.

“A&R is part of a continuum, a process that dovetails into marketing..…A skill that distinguishes great A&R is the ability to see the entire path to build an audience, and to communicate that vision to a marketing team to execute.”

A&R is both art and science. It requires an acute sense of what’s happening in the market (the science) and a creative vision to guide artists to commercial success (the art). It’s a journey more than a destination—a process that requires time, patience, and an intuitive grasp of the ever-evolving music landscape.

The best A&R professionals are those who have spent years honing their instincts—what management consultants might call the “Time-in-Role” phenomenon. The more time you spend in the industry, the more attuned you become to spotting emerging opportunities and linking them with the right talent. There’s no set track to becoming an A&R professional, just as there’s no guaranteed path to artistic success. It’s a role that often attracts those from adjacent creative fields—marketing, branding, events—because it requires a unique blend of skills and sensibilities.

Despite the technological advances and shifting consumer preferences that have reshaped A&R today, the core fundamentals of the job remains the same. It’s about bringing together the right mix of creativity, market knowledge, and strategy to turn artistic vision into commercial success.

Traditionally, labels have been the primary platform for A&R professionals, relying on strong A&R divisions to fuel their business models. However, in today’s landscape, labels often get a bad rap for prioritizing “proven” artists over discovering and developing new talent. It doesn’t help that artists are conditioned to mistrust labels (pro tip: always get a second opinion from a trusted business/legal professional).

There’s some truth to that, but it’s not the whole story. Take Hanumankind, for example. Was he a ‘proven’ act when Def Jam India signed him in early 2023? It depends on your definition of proven. Was he an artist with incredible potential that could be polished and transformed into a breakout star? Absolutely.

A&R is basically this—assembling talent into a star

All of that, and some more, contributes to the dynamism of A&R as a service, which is invaluable to independent artists navigating the complexities of the music industry. Just as an artist needs a manager to level up their career, they need label support to amplify their reach.

A&R enables this by bridging the gap between artistic vision and market success.

The deal with India

When it comes to A&R, India’s scene is more demure than brat.

It’s a far cry from the risk-taking ethos that defines the role in more mature markets. The thrill of discovering raw, unpolished talent and turning it into commercial gold? It’s not exactly the modus operandi here. Instead, India’s A&R ecosystem seems content to play it safe, chasing after sure things rather than taking bold bets on the next big thing.

A&R in India: What should it aspire to be?

The potential for a thriving A&R industry in India is undeniable. With a population as young, diverse, and culturally rich as ours, the music scene should be buzzing with fresh discoveries, innovative sounds, and groundbreaking artists.

If streaming has made it possible for anyone to be an artist, why aren’t we seeing a broader range of scenes and genres being championed by the industry? It’s like cars—they all look the same; it’s because they’ve been through the same wind tunnel in testing. Don’t let streaming numbers and social media metrics be the only lens through which you evaluate an artist. Get them on stage and see what they’re really made of!

So why is A&R in India lacking in dynamism? The reasons are multi-faceted, rooted in both historical context and current industry practices.

I posit a few hypotheses -

India missed the wave of a strong A&R culture taking root before digital streaming became dominant

Streaming has shifted music consumption toward a passive listening culture, becoming the dominant—if not the only—revenue stream for new artists. It has reshaped the economics of live music, leading to a decline in grassroots live music scenes worldwide. In this landscape, digital consumption data reigns supreme, often serving as the sole insight into emerging talent.

Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but if you want to glean if an artist has long-term potential, you have to catch them on stage. The rise of streaming platforms has overshadowed the art of nurturing talent, prioritizing algorithmic hits over organic artist growth. A&R today feels more like data analysis than talent discovery, restricting our future to what’s already been done.

Fair point raised by a Redditor who owns a small label though!

In a market where algorithms dictate trends, the true art of A&R is fading. A&R will still exist, but in a tamer, less daring form that seldom drives music culture forward.

A&R is not lucrative in India

There’s a lot of noise in the music talent space; everyone has access to the same consumption research and tech tools, so there’s little competitive advantage. Moreover, it’s often not profitable to invest in boots on the ground. It’s easier to sit back, wait for an artist to go viral on social media or catch wind through the industry grapevine, and then rush to sign them.

But also, maybe ask Def Jam India if signing HMK in early 2023 was worth it. They’ll likely have a different perspective.

Good things take time

There is growing evidence that an artistic development model fosters long-term success far better than viral breakouts. Some of India’s biggest independent acts have spent years releasing music, performing for new audiences, and steadily building a loyal, resilient fan base - and thereby growing to earn the life-changing monies from their art that you only hear about, benefitting everyone that supported their journey.

“According to Chartmetric, most artists that do make it to Superstar level make the jump from the Mainstream category and not from Undiscovered or Mid-Level. That means that you’ve probably already had considerable success before you break out into true superstardom. It also means that you shouldn’t use a viral TikTok video as a strategy”

This underscores the vital role A&R plays in nurturing talent with staying power, rather than chasing viral acts. A&R can be instrumental in priming an artist for a breakout moment—provided they support the artist’s craft by helping them release a cohesive body of work. Good things take time. Period.

An expanded, more dynamic A&R is needed in India. If A&R isn’t seen as a lucrative opportunity, it’s a harsh reality for the industry to face, especially given India’s vast and diverse talent pool.

The industry is not investing in fresh A&R talent; the barriers to entry are too high in India

As India’s independent music industry matures, so too must its A&R talent. And as A&R talent matures, the industry will follow. Both must grow together, driven by a commitment to artistry and creativity rather than just chasing market trends.

Unfortunately, the path of least resistance has led to a focus on signing only breakout artists, while true innovation lies in discovering untapped talent and creating new market opportunities for them. Where are the A&R professionals who are breaking new ground, championing new genres, and building new audiences?

Without fresh blood, the A&R landscape is stuck in a loop, recycling the same old formulas rather than pushing boundaries.

“Experience Inflation” is funny when its not

The few A&R roles that do exist are highly competitive, leading to “experience inflation” and steep barriers to entry for what were once entry-level jobs. In this environment, ‘experience’ often translates to ‘network,’ resulting in elite capture—where opportunities go to those with the right connections rather than the right insight or ambition.

Even if you have the right chops—you’ve built your network, understand different scenes, and have refined your A&R approach—do you really want to join a label? It’s a Catch-22: you need a strong portfolio to move to a label, but if your portfolio is already strong, why join a label at all? From the label’s perspective, this is also problematic—the most entrepreneurial talents may choose to forge their own paths instead.

All of this points to one solution: the best way to jumpstart the A&R industry in India is by investing in young, raw talent and coaching them up to standard. Building the A&R talent pool from the ground up might be the most important thing labels can do for the future of the independent music industry in India.

The promise

A&R in India needs to be more bigger and bolder than ever.

Especially, in a world where algorithms are flattening culture and AI has no personality.

Compared to the West, India’s A&R culture is still in its infancy. The independent music industry here is just beginning to find its footing, and with it, so is the A&R ecosystem. While it might appear stagnant on the surface, the truth is that might be witnessing its warm-up phase. A&R in India is only now starting to professionalize, and that’s where the real promise lies.

Lots of room for growth

A&R is more than just the organized machinery of music labels. The real work of A&R happens across a decentralized network of talent scouts, promoters, artist managers, and tastemakers who are integral to discovering and nurturing new talent. These professionals, scattered throughout India’s diverse music scenes, play a crucial role in bringing fresh acts to the surface, often outside the traditional label structure. They are the unsung heroes who elevate artists to the point where labels take notice.

At the top of the economic chain sit the labels, whose role is to identify and invest in breakout talent that fits their league. Below them, a vast and slowly professionalizing network is working tirelessly to surface new acts and scenes, bringing them up to standard for the next phase in artistic development. This ecosystem is quietly churning, filtering talent upward, refining the raw into the polished.

The pipeline is active, even if we don’t always see it. The artists who eventually break through to the mainstream are just the visible tip of the iceberg—beneath them lies a deep and dynamic system of talent discovery and development. It’s the invisible work of this distributed network that ensures we find and nurture the next big thing.

I’d like to see lists like this made for India; and even more A&R professionals sharing their thinking on world-building/market-making with new sound from India.

This is the best case scenario. The one I am most excited about.

PS: There are 161 A&R professionals in India as per LinkedIn

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The fantasy ✨

This post has focused a lot on the importance of giving opportunities to young, raw, fresh A&R talent. Calling all trend-spotters, audio-visionaries, talent scouts!

Let’s put that into practice.

Imagine you’re a label head with a budget to sign a portfolio of artists. Who would you choose? Do you have the sharp eye to spot music talent that can also achieve commercial success?

It doesn’t matter whether you’re from the music industry or not—all that matters is your interest in honing your A&R skills. The best way to learn the trade is by diving in and getting involved.

To participate, please sign up on this form 🚀

This will be an analog game stitched together with the most basic tools and the game economy fully transparent.

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After spending good time on LinkedIn, I’ve put together a database of A&R professionals in India - those who shared A&R as their current responsibility or title.

Below is a snapshot of what I’ve compiled.

If you’re interested in accessing the full database, I have a little request in return:

Take a screenshot of this blog post, share it on your Instagram story with the Substack post weblink, and tag @undertheradarind and @utrlabs.

Once you’ve done that, I’ll send you the Excel file by the next day! 🚀

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Do leave a comment below if this resonated.

Thanks for reading,
Rohit