Director, A&R

Job Summary

We’re looking for an entrepreneurial and culturally fluent Director, A&R to build the Create Music Group roster. This role will source commercially viable music, lead music deals, deliver artist signings, and build a pipeline of music talent.

This role is built for someone with strong taste, sharp instincts, and an entrepreneurial approach to building business. You’ll identify opportunities across a wide range of genres and markets, develop relationships across the music ecosystem, and help move deals from sourcing through execution and long-term growth. The right person knows how to connect culture and commerce, spotting what matters early, evaluating it thoughtfully, and helping turn it into durable value.

This is a growth-focused role centered on deal sourcing, artist and partner development, commercial strategy and includes day-to-day tactical A&R administration. You are energized by talent, rights, and partnerships alike, with the ability to spot real opportunity beyond the hype. You can take ownership of deals across their full lifecycle, and bring a strong mix of taste, hustle, sound judgment, and builder-operator energy to the role.

Responsibilities

• Source, evaluate, and close a range of opportunities across artist deals, distribution partnerships, publishing and/or catalog
• Identify culturally relevant and commercially promising talent, rights, and partner opportunities across global and contemporary genres, including Afrobeats, Amapiano, Latin Jazz, Latin Trap, Rock, Country, and other modern music categories
• Present and pitch potential artist deals and acquisitions to VP, SVP, CFO and CEO
• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of artist, rights, and business development opportunities aligned with company growth priorities
• Develop relationships with artists, managers, attorneys, producers, publishers, entrepreneurs, rights holders, and strategic partners
• Support deal strategy, business case development, and internal recommendations around signings, partnerships, and acquisitions
• Partner with Legal, Finance, Marketing, Distribution, Sync, and executive leadership to help structure and advance opportunities through the deal lifecycle
• Take ownership of opportunities from early sourcing through negotiation, onboarding, and ongoing business development support
• Monitor market shifts, genre movements, and emerging business opportunities to inform growth strategy and roster direction
• Represent the company externally at industry events and artist shows

Qualifications 

• 5+ years of experience in A&R, artist deals, business development, label partnerships, publishing, distribution, catalog, or related music industry roles
• Strong track record of identifying, sourcing, negotiating, and/or supporting commercially sound music deals
• Deep understanding of today’s music business, including artist services, distribution, publishing, rights, and growth-oriented partnerships
• Strong network across artists, managers, attorneys, publishers, entrepreneurs, and other music industry stakeholders
• Broad musical fluency and enthusiasm for a diverse range of global and contemporary genres
• Strong commercial instincts and ability to assess opportunity, strategic fit, and long-term upside
• Entrepreneurial mindset with strong ownership and follow-through
• Strong communication and relationship management skills, with the ability to operate effectively across creative and business settings
• Proficiency in Google Workplace (Docs, Slides, Sheets)
• Strong fluency with platform-native analytics tools such as Spotify for Artists, Spotify Charts, Apple Music for Artists, YouTube Analytics / YouTube Studio, TikTok analytics, and Instagram / Meta Insights, with the ability to interpret fan behavior and audience signals beyond third-party dashboards.
• Familiarity with rights, publishing, and diligence resources including ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, Songview, The MLC, and internal royalty, rights, and catalog systems to support informed deal evaluation and ownership analysis.
• Strong fluency with modern music analytics, rights, and market intelligence tools — including platforms such as Chartmetric, Soundcharts, Luminate, Viberate, and native DSP/social analytics — is strongly preferred.
• Must be Fluent in English, Spanish an asset

Pay Scale

• $90 000 - 120 000 USD/ year + performance bonus
• The final compensation within this range will be determined based on the candidate’s experience, skills, and overall fit for the role.

Fair Chance Policy

In accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider employment for qualified applicants with criminal histories. We evaluate candidates based on their qualifications and the nature of the offense in relation to the job for which they are applying. Create Music Group, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.