‘The work we do isn’t algorithmic’: A&R in the era of TikTok

In the digital age, marketability is just as important as music. Artist and repertoire reps from Warner, Ministry of Sound and Partisan explain how they discover music in 2022

Artists and repertoire representatives (A&Rs) are the wildcatters of the music business, spotting new acts, signing them and guiding their artistic development. The essence of what they do hasn't fundamentally changed in over a century - but the way they do it has shifted significantly.

Joe Kentish is president of Warner Records UK, and has signed acts such as Dua Lipa and Griff. He says his early days in A&R took place in an analogue world" where he might be tipped off at 4pm to see an act in Preston tonight" that he had never heard of, scrambling to arrive in time lest his competitors swoop first.