The new A&R: how social media has reshaped the music industry

martinagvisionfact
Sep 5
3 min read

Introduction

A few years ago, getting discovered in the music industry meant late nights singing in bars, passing demos to anyone listening and praying an A&R might be in the crowd. Now it can happen anywhere, wherever we are, in our bedroom just with a phone in our hands. Social media hasn’t just changed how artists share their music; it completely changed the way the industry finds them.

A&R are no longer going around looking for the next big thing, they’re rather scrolling, clicking and chasing the next viral moment. It’s a new game and the rules are being written each and every day.

From demo tapes to digital metrics: old and new ways of discovering talent

The music industry revolved around a simple yet laborious process: recording rough versions of songs onto cassette tapes and distributing them to anyone who might listen.

But now A&R scouts don’t have to drive across cities to find the next big thing anymore.

They’re camped out on Tiktok and Instagram, scrolling like we all do; except that their scroll is a hunt.

They’re looking for that moment when a song hits differently: maybe it’s a reimagined version of a classic, maybe it’s a 15 second chorus that somehow gets stuck in our head for days. They watch the comments blow up, the shares multiply, and they know they might be witnessing the start of something huge. In this digital system, virality is the modern street performance, and every like and every share is a future crowd gathering to watch and support the artist.

When a social media post becomes a record deal

Social media is now the driving force behind a global hit. With the right marketing strategy, an independent artist can go viral in a matter of days, often surpassing what traditional labels can deliver.

What’s powerful about this shift is that the audience decided first.

We can take Lil Nas X as an example. “Old Town Road” started as a meme on Tik Tok, but when the song blew up, labels saw the numbers, the cultural impact and within weeks he had a multi-million record deal.

A good song, a good vocal and an artist that really wants to make it, doesn’t need a high budget music video or expensive production to prove its worth.

It’s almost as if the fans are doing the scouting and the post is the audition.

The follower is the new fan

In the past being a fan meant buying albums and lining up for concerts. Now that the “Follow” button has become the modern autograph; it’s a way of saying “I’m with you, I'm part of this journey.”

Labels take followers as real-world currency: the bigger your following, the bigger your perceived reach. A thousand passionate followers who comment, share and show up for an artist can mean more than a hundred thousand who scroll past.

Fans as Family

Before social media, artists had to rely on labels, managers, and radio stations to reach listeners. Now, an artist can upload a track, share a story, or go live on Instagram and instantly connect with thousands of people. That closeness changes everything; it’s not just music, it’s personality, behind-the-scenes moments, even vulnerability that fans connect to. Artists no longer need to wait for approval from gatekeepers; they can build their own community from the ground up.

Take Doja Cat, for example. Long before her Grammy wins, she was livestreaming from her bedroom, joking with fans, and even going viral with quirky songs like Mooo! on YouTube. That raw, playful connection built a loyal base of followers who didn’t just consume her music, they championed her growth. Social media has turned fans into part of the journey, not just the audience at the end of it.

Conclusion

Social media can launch an artist’s career in the blink of an eye, one song, one post and suddenly the whole world is listening. But that same speed can also be brutal.

Today’s viral hit can be tomorrow’s forgotten track and chasing the algorithm isn’t the same as building a lasting connection with listeners.

In the end, it’s still about the same thing it’s always been about, making music that sticks in people’s hearts, not just their feeds.