A&R Research Manager

HYBE AMERICA; Atlanta (GA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) match up to 5%

Flexible paid time off

FSA

Life insurance

Wellhub membership

Parental leave

Job summary

Quality Control Music, based in Atlanta, GA, is seeking an A&R Research Manager to uncover emerging artists and cultural movements shaping Hip-Hop, R&B, and global music culture. The role partners with the A&R team to drive signing decisions, artist development, and release strategy.

The position is full-time and hybrid, with offices in Santa Monica, CA or Atlanta, GA, requiring in-person collaboration 3 days per week and remote work 2 days per week.

Qualifications

• 3–7 years in music, entertainment analytics, strategy, or related field.
• Deep passion for Hip-Hop, R&B, and contemporary culture.
• Strong understanding of artist development and the music ecosystem.
• Experience using audience intelligence tools and data storytelling.

Responsibilities

• Identify emerging artists, songwriters, producers, and creators across core genres.
• Monitor DSPs, social platforms, and grassroots movements to surface opportunities.
• Build and maintain a scalable talent discovery pipeline in US and key international markets.
• Produce reports on trends, genre shifts, audience behavior, and cultural movements.
• Provide insights to inform signings, development, and release strategies.
• Track fan communities, streaming, and content performance for strategic guidance.
• Support cross-functional teams with audience insights for creative direction.
• Present findings to A&R leadership and artist teams.

Skills

Music industry expertise

Audience analytics

Presentation & storytelling

Strategic thinking

Collaboration

Tools

Luminate

Chartmetric

Spotify for Artists

YouTube Analytics

TikTok Analytics

Soundcharts

Google Trends

Job description

Posted on behalf of Quality Control, an entity of HYBE Americas:

About Quality Control Music

Quality Control Music is an independent entertainment empire based in Atlanta, GA that provides label and management services to unique talent. QC is the home of rappers Migos, Lil Yachty, Lil Baby, JT, The Boykinz, EJ Jones, BEO Kenny, Kocky Ka, Syamali, Concrete Boys, and a host of other talented artists and producers.

Position Overview

Quality Control Music is seeking an A&R Research Manager to help identify emerging artists, cultural movements, music trends, and fan communities that will shape the future of Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop, and global music culture.

This role will serve as a strategic partner to the A&R team, providing actionable insights that drive artist discovery, signing decisions, creative development, release strategy, and long-term company growth. The ideal candidate is equally obsessed with music, internet culture, data, and fandom behavior, with a deep understanding of how artists build audiences in today’s marketplace.

This position will work across Quality Control’s frontline and developing artist roster while helping build a scalable talent discovery and artist development pipeline.

This is a full-time, hybrid role based in our Santa Monica, CA or Atlanta, GA office, with in-person collaboration 3 days per week and remote work 2 days per week. Candidates must be based in or willing to relocate to the greater Los Angeles or Atlanta area at their own expense prior to their start date — we are not offering relocation assistance for this role, though it may be considered on a case-by-case basis for select candidates.

Key Responsibilities

Artist Discovery & Talent Identification

• Identify emerging artists, songwriters, producers, creators, and cultural influencers across Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop, Afrobeats, Latin, and adjacent genres.
• Monitor DSPs, social platforms, live performance activity, independent releases, and grassroots movements to surface early opportunities.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive pipeline of developing talent across the U.S. and key international markets.
• Track artist momentum and audience growth before traditional industry awareness.
• Produce recurring reports on marketplace trends, genre shifts, audience behavior, and emerging cultural movements.
• Monitor streaming activity, social engagement, fan communities, touring trends, and content performance.
• Analyze competitive label activity, artist signings, partnerships, and release strategies.
• Identify white-space opportunities for QC artists and future signings.

Fan & Community Research

• Study fandom behavior across music, gaming, sports, fashion, and entertainment.
• Analyze how audiences engage with artists across platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Discord, Reddit, Twitch, and emerging communities.
• Provide insights that help deepen artist-to-fan relationships and support long-term audience development.
• Support QC’s efforts to build sustainable artist brands and cultural movements rather than short-term viral moments.

Artist Development Support

• Partner with A&R, Marketing, Digital, Commerce, and Management teams to support artist development initiatives.
• Provide audience insights that inform creative direction, collaborations, release planning, content strategy, and brand partnerships.
• Help identify songwriter, producer, and collaborator opportunities based on cultural and audience alignment.

Global Research & Expansion

• Track emerging music trends and talent across key international markets including the UK, Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• Support HYBE Americas' global music strategy by identifying opportunities for cultural exchange, collaborations, and international growth.
• Monitor global fan communities and music consumption patterns.

Reporting & Presentation

• Build executive-ready presentations and research reports for senior leadership.
• Translate large amounts of information into concise, actionable recommendations.
• Present findings to A&R leadership and artist teams.

Qualifications

• 3–7 years of experience in music, entertainment, media, research, analytics, strategy, consulting, or a related field.
• Deep passion for Hip-Hop, R&B, and contemporary culture.
• Strong understanding of artist development and today’s music ecosystem.
• Experience using music and audience intelligence tools including:
• Luminate
• Chartmetric
• Spotify for Artists
• YouTube Analytics
• TikTok Analytics
• Soundcharts
• Google Trends
• Excellent presentation and storytelling skills.
• Highly organized with the ability to synthesize large amounts of information.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment.

What Success Looks Like

In the first 12 months, this individual will:

• Build a best-in-class artist discovery and market intelligence function for QC.
• Create a scalable talent pipeline supporting both frontline and developing artists.
• Surface emerging talent before competitors.
• Deliver meaningful insights that influence signing, development, and release decisions.
• Help establish QC as the leading cultural authority in Hip-Hop and R&B discovery.
• Contribute to QC’s long-term vision of building the next generation of globally relevant artists and fan communities.

Salary Range

The salary range for this job is $90,000 to $115,000. This is a good faith effort at the time of posting. This range is base salary only and does not include benefits and any other compensatory components of the role.

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Company 401(k) match up to 5%
• Flexible paid time off
• FSA
• Life insurance
• Wellhub membership that gives you access to gyms and fitness studios
• Excellent parental leave policies

**Quality Control Music is an equal opportunity employer, and more than that, actively strives to build and nurture a diverse, inclusive, and equitable team. We celebrate differences and screen for shared values and cultural fit. We are committed to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment.**