Everchanging Role of A&R: Finding The Next Rising Star

In today’s world of hyper-personalization, music discovery is increasingly driven by sophisticated algorithms. Platforms like Spotify, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts have mastered the art of delivering hyper-targeted content to audiences most likely to resonate with it. This shift has revolutionized how both new and old music finds its way to listeners, leading to the rise of fiercely dedicated communities that rally around niche genres.

What’s remarkable is that these artists and genres are no longer reliant on mainstream media to break through. The gatekeepers of the past—major labels, radio stations, and cultural tastemakers—are no longer the sole arbiters of success. Instead, indie and niche artists can now build global audiences, leveraging the power of algorithmic discovery to reach fans who feel a deep connection to their music.

Read also: 8 Tips on How to Find New Music: Overcoming Music Discovery Paralysis

This democratization of discovery is reshaping the music landscape. Niche scenes that were once confined to underground spaces are now flourishing on a global scale, creating a space where artists can achieve durable success without ever needing mainstream validation. It's an exciting time to witness the evolution of the industry, as these smaller, specialized genres gain momentum in ways previously unimaginable.

So, streaming and social media mean that more artists can make it on their own than ever before. But to continue to grow they need the right tools and the right support in navigating the complexities of their careers. Managing revenue streams, growing an audience, and maintaining creative integrity are full-time jobs—requiring at least three different skill sets. The increasing demand for more flexible, adaptive support, rather than the rigid structures of traditional labels, has paved the way for a new category of innovative companies in the artist services space.

Read also: 99% of Artists Struggle to Make It to Mid-Level, Let Alone Become Mainstream or Superstars, Study Reveals

Before the streaming era, A&R was largely a gut-driven process. Back then, label directors and distributors were the gatekeepers, and accessing their machinery was crucial to commercially releasing music.

As Head of A&R at one of these companies — Amuse — I lead a team of scouts who track emerging talent with the momentum we can help amplify. But how does a modern A&R discover these niche artists? What is our role in spotting underground trends, and how do we prioritize authenticity and cultural influence in this landscape?

Before the streaming era, A&R was largely a gut-driven process. You’d discover emerging artists by attending live shows or, in some cases, helping shape their sound from the ground up. Back then, label directors and distributors were the gatekeepers, and accessing their machinery was crucial to commercially releasing music.

Today, the game has changed. Thanks to digital distribution platforms and aggregators, most artists release music independently, often gaining momentum long before they’re "discovered." In fact, research shows that there are over 6 million self-releasing artists today. This surge means there’s not only more talent to sift through but an overwhelming amount of streaming data to analyze. Modern A&R now spends much of their time dissecting this data via subscription services and dashboards that leverage APIs to track surface-level streaming trends and growth.

However, the growth of niche and subcultural music remains difficult to pinpoint with these tools—at least before these trends cross over into the mainstream. But when that happens, can they still be considered niche or underground? The real challenge, and opportunity, lies in discovering and supporting these artists within their own scenes before they break out.

At Amuse, we aim to discover artists earlier than anyone else in the industry and provide them with modern, bespoke support that amplifies their growth.

That’s where Amuse comes in. Founded in 2015 in the heart of Stockholm, Sweden—the birthplace of Spotify—we anticipated how streaming would not only reshape the music industry but also the culture surrounding it. We noticed that the artist services space was evolving into two distinct models. On one hand, there were mass-market digital distribution platforms that offered upfront subscriptions, allowing any artist to release their music to streaming services. However, once an artist gained traction, these platforms lacked the infrastructure to continue supporting their growth. On the other hand, gated, premium distribution services—similar to labels—served a curated roster of talent, but only on an invite-only basis.

Amuse was built on the idea of merging these two models: an open-to-all platform paired with a premium, invite-only tier for more tailored artist support. We offer independent artists at all stages of their careers the right tools to distribute their music, secure funding, and receive strategic career guidance—all while maintaining ownership of their masters and creative control.

This model has allowed us to build a large pipeline of early-stage talent, whose granular streaming data we access as their distribution partner. Our proprietary technology tracks this data daily, giving us insight into artists with early momentum, and allowing us to support them at a critical point in their careers—within their niche, long before they reach mainstream visibility.

One of the most important metrics we track is something we call intent rate, which measures how many new listeners save a track to their personal playlists daily. This key metric, available through our granular streaming data, allows us to detect niche growth quickly and offer these artists strategic support—from funding and catalog management to targeted marketing—that can expand their audience globally while staying true to their scene.

At Amuse, we aim to discover artists earlier than anyone else in the industry and provide them with modern, bespoke support that amplifies their growth. Our model has enabled us to partner with a diverse range of artists who have found tremendous success within their niches—from American bedroom hyperpop acts like Yot Club and Rebsyyx to Argentinian ambient artist Lloyd Vaan, Turkish trap star Serhat Durmus, and Swedish rapper Y4ska.

The inherent truth of the niche is that there is no ‘one size fits all’ rule for success. These artists have different views on success and, therefore, different needs when it comes to artist services and support. The traditional model of the major industry does not fit them. However, partnering with a company like ours offers a distinct advantage over traditional labels. Beyond a modern approach to marketing and audience development, we offer truly tailored deals that simplify the independent artist journey while accelerating earnings.

Depending on the artist’s profile and momentum, we offer everything from substantial upfront advances to marketing strategies, catalog management, and different types of rights management, including publishing and sync. Most importantly, the artist remains fully independent, retaining complete control over their masters and future releases.