Welcome!
Who are we and what do we do?
We are experienced and successful music industry executives and have all had major success having worked with many Gold, Platinum, & Multi-Platinum Artists. We have all worked in A&R departments at record and publishing companies in the US and overseas. Our average industry experience is 25 years. We have worked for majors and indies in every genre you can think of (although we’re pretty sure none of us have worked for a polka label – we like Polka). We know what it is like to struggle but ultimately succeed.
We prefer success and we want to be a vital tool to help you do that in the entertainment industry.
The result is The Looking List
We created this site with the intention of making it a resource for anyone in the business of music and entertainment; whether you’re an artist, a writer, a producer, an attorney, an accountant, a manager, an engineer, a tour manager, a mixer, a sound engineer, a film crew, an executive, an assistant or anyone who is looking to work in this still amazing industry, we did this for you and we strived to be as friendly as possible.
What do we offer?
Amongst the many things we offer is our very own “Who’s Looking List” of key recording projects. It is extremely useful for songwriters and is only $20 a month.
We also offer “Who’s Looking” sections for Producers, Engineers, Mixers, Managers, Photographers, Attorneys. We’ll be adding PR companies, and many other sections, so don’t worry if you don’t fit the categories we just mentioned; we’ll add more and more headings and categories as we go along. Email us with your info and we will add you, free of charge!
Here is some more info about our key projects “Looking List” for songwriters.
In case you are not aware, music publishers like to keep their songwriters busy, hopefully writing the next big smash which will generate millions in earnings. So, once a month, the publisher sends out their “Who’s Looking List” (or “Casting List”) which gives valuable info on artists looking for songs, co-writes or collaborations. A publisher’s list is usually put together by some long-suffering, overworked assistant low on the totem pole delegated to this tedious task because nobody else wants to do it or has the time. So, its usually put off by them until the last minute and then quickly hashed together. As former A&R staffers we all took calls from such a person, their bored voice spoke volumes about how seriously they took this task. So they often fudge things. (take it from us, this is the truth). We try to be different!!!
Nevertheless, if you are a songwriter signed to a publisher it is still great to receive such a list and better than nothing. But, what if you are not signed to a publisher, or your self published? What if your publisher does not have the means to create such a list and what if the list your publisher sends you just sucks or you have not heard from your A&R rep in a while?
Our Looking List is designed to allow any Songwriter, Artist, Manager, Producer, Attorney and Music Publisher see who’s currently looking for songs, co-writes or collaborations.
What makes our list of key recording projects different?
What sets us apart is you can buy our list only when you need it. We are the most diligent team out there updating our lists. And our staff is comprised of industry experts.
“How often do you update the list of recording projects?”
The Looking List is updated and published on the first day of each month. As we grow, we plan to update much more frequently. We update all other categories whenever someone sends us info.
Our Staff
Our staff have all worked in A&R departments at both record and publishing companies. Our average industry experience is 25 years (combined, that’s, well over a couple of centuries!) and we have broad experience working for majors and indies in every genre you can think of (although we’re pretty sure none of us have worked for a polka label – we like Polka).
How to submit written songs to record labels A&R Depts.
Look at our Label Submission Policy page for information on how to submit songs. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. we based it on our own experiences working in A&R,
Let us just say here that we value our relationships with these companies, so please respect the privacy of the A&R staffers, as well as the policies of their companies and DON’T send anything unsolicited; you’ll just be wasting your time doing that.
Our future plans:
We don’t plan to offer a service where we critique your songs or packages for a fee. To us that’s just total BS and complete rip off.
We currently don’t plan to offer a music submission service where, for a fee, your songs will be submitted to A&R execs working on specific projects. This may change, but only when we have developed an honest, ethical, transparent and accountable way of doing this so your interests are protected. We respect artists and like to sleep at night.
If you want to go that route, we recommend Taxi as the best way to do it. check them out at www.taxi.com (and no, they are not paying us to say that!).
Unsolicited advice from us and a key recommendation.
We recommend the “A&R Registry”, (see the links page) Note we are not affiliated with the A&R registry, however, we do think its an awesome reference tool and the people who run it are great. Its SO worth the money!
You can follow us on Twitter @THELOOKINGLIST and check us out on Facebook (The Looking List). We’ll use them to keep you posted on any new developments to our site and new projects which can’t wait until the next publication date.
Thanks for your support. We appreciate it!
Best wishes,
The Who’s Looking List Team.