A&R Record Label Secrets: How to Find the Next Star

Liam Preston

Oct 6, 2025

Understanding A&R in the Music Industry

A&R (Artists and Repertoire) is one of the most crucial functions in the music industry, responsible for scouting, signing, and developing new talent. A&R professionals at record labels continuously seek emerging artists who show promise, ensuring that their label remains competitive. Their work includes identifying potential hitmakers, evaluating an artist’s growth potential, and nurturing talent through production and marketing support.

In real-life scenarios, A&R teams use data-driven insights to find rising artists before they break into the mainstream. Instead of relying solely on gut feeling and traditional networking, they analyze streaming numbers, social media engagement, and audience growth trends. For instance, a label might spot an independent artist gaining traction on TikTok and sign them before a competitor does. Alternatively, they may track an artist's Spotify playlist placements and follower growth to determine the right moment for a signing.

With the overwhelming amount of data available, relying on the right A&R tools is essential to stay ahead of the curve. Music analytics platforms provide valuable insights, making the talent discovery process more precise and efficient.

Pricing Comparison of A&R Tools

When choosing an A&R tool, pricing plays a significant role. Viberate offers a cost-effective solution starting at €19.90 per month when billed annually at €239. On the other hand, Soundcharts is priced significantly higher, starting at $129 per month or $1,548 annually. Depending on your budget and specific needs, both platforms provide powerful tools to enhance A&R efforts.

Top A&R Tools for Record Labels

Viberate: Data-Driven Talent Discovery

Viberate provides record labels with an advanced A&R dashboard, making the scouting process more efficient and precise. The platform is built around its comprehensive artist chart, ranking musicians based on their overall music and social media performance.

One of its standout features is the ability to apply A&R-specific filters. Labels can filter artists by genre, location, rank, and social media engagement. Additionally, the "HOT" filters highlight trending artists, making it easier to discover who is gaining momentum. Labels can refine searches further by setting parameters such as fanbase size, performance trends across streaming platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and TikTok, and recent ranking changes.

Once an A&R team finds promising artists, they can save their custom charts and revisit them at any time. The charts update in real-time, allowing for continuous monitoring of emerging talent. Viberate also offers performance screening through its "Career Health" and "Career Performance" indicators, which provide a snapshot of an artist’s long-term viability. Additionally, users can customize their dashboards to focus on specific metrics, making the scouting process even more tailored and efficient.

Soundcharts: Real-Time A&R Research

Soundcharts is another leading platform designed for A&R professionals who need real-time insights into global music trends. The service combines data science with real-time monitoring, enabling record labels to make data-backed decisions when scouting new talent.

The platform covers more than 5 million artists, offering deep insights into fanbase growth and audience engagement. Soundcharts allows users to apply filters to digital charts, helping them focus only on artists that match their criteria. The custom blocklist feature enables labels to exclude specific songs, artists, or labels, ensuring they only discover fresh talent.

One of Soundcharts' key advantages is its ability to generate custom algorithmic charts. Users can create tailored charts based on country, genre, and platform, with adjustable refresh rates. This allows A&R professionals to track trends in real-time and respond swiftly to emerging opportunities.

Choosing the Right A&R Tool

Both Viberate and Soundcharts offer powerful A&R tools, but the right choice depends on your specific needs and budget. Viberate provides a more affordable and highly customizable solution, making it ideal for labels that want to maximize efficiency while keeping costs low. Soundcharts, with its extensive real-time monitoring capabilities and advanced filtering options, is a strong choice for labels that need highly detailed and customizable insights.

In today’s fast-paced music industry, leveraging data is essential for staying ahead in A&R. By using tools like Viberate and Soundcharts, record labels can discover new talent faster and make smarter investment decisions based on real-time analytics.