Sellaband, a crowdfunding site for musicians, has had some difficult times but has remained in the business of helping artists get funding from fans. They're now launching an interesting initiative called the SellaBand Worldwide A&R Program (WARP) and are looking for individuals in numerous countries interested in such a role.
The short version is that WARP participants will identify and recruit bands for the Sellaband platform and help them get started on Sellaband. In return you will have a Sellaband business card and email and will receive an undisclosed percentage of funding. There are ten vacancies, one each in the US (West Coast), US (East Coast), Japan, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Benelux States, Eastern Europe, Australia.
Requirements include having a passion for music, a basic understanding of musical styles, solid written and verbal communication skills and a knowledge of such concepts as "crowdfunding" and "viral marketing". Having a background in the music industry will make you a stronger candidate.
Given the changing nature of the role of A&R's in the music industry as well as shifts in how such roles are fulfilled beyond record label personnel, WARP may be as useful for other career interests as it may be for budding A&R's.
For example, you're not only identifying talented musicians but also identifying musicians who have the perspective and initial base of support to successfully launch a crowdfunding campaign. Knowing a lot of bands will make it easier to identify potential Sellaband success stories and thereby increase your chance of doing well with WARP. But being able to recognize who's a good fit is an important skill that can be applied in all sorts of areas from biz development to human resources.
WARP doesn't sound like a get rich quick scheme but it does sound like an interesting opportunity for self-starters who seek a structured role for connecting artists with opportunities.
If being a Sellaband A&R interests you, send a CV including a picture, music background and interests, a one page "letter of motivation" plus any questions to warp(at)sellaband(dot)com where Michael Bogatzki and Malte Graubner will be your contacts. Applications will be accepted until mid-January.
Hypebot contributor Clyde Smith maintains his freelance writing hub at Flux Research and blogs at All World Dance and This Business of Blogging. To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.
