A&R Manager, MENA
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Key skills for this role
About the Role
Kedoo Entertainment seeks an A&R Manager for the MENA region to identify, sign, and develop talent for FreshTunes' Select catalogue. The role requires 3-5 years of A&R or label management experience, deep knowledge of MENA music scenes, and native Arabic fluency.
Key Skills for This Role
Responsibilities
- Identify, sign, and develop talent (artists, producers, independent labels) for FreshTunes' Select catalogue
- Talent scouting across social channels, local platforms, showcases, clubs, and music competitions
- Manage candidate pipeline and lead signing negotiations for FreshTunes services
- Oversee release cycles end to end: release plan, marketing assets, coordination with Account team for DSP promotion
- Track regional chart movements and competitive landscape
- Mentor artists on metadata, creative packaging, and release strategy
- Deliver monthly A&R reporting to HQ
Requirements
- 3 5 years of experience in A&R, label management, artist management, or music marketing in the MENA region
- Deep knowledge of music scenes in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, and the Levant
- Arabic native with comprehension of 2 3 dialects
- English fluent
- Active portfolio of case studies: artists signed/developed with growth metrics
- Established network of contacts: artists, managers, producers, music journalists in the region
- Strong grasp of streaming economics and metrics
- Sharp ear for trends: ability to identify hits before they break
Full Job Posting
Role Mission
- Identify, sign, and develop talent (artists, producers, and independent labels) for FreshTunes' Select catalogue.
- Build the regional repertoire pipeline with focus on commercially promising artists in MENA pop, Khaleeji, Egyptian shaabi/mahraganat, Arabic hip hop, Levantine indie, and Maghreb urban genres.
Key Responsibilities
- Talent scouting across social channels (TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat — critical in KSA), local platforms, showcases, clubs, and music competitions.
- Manage candidate pipeline and lead signing negotiations for FreshTunes services (distribution, label services, marketing).
- Oversee release cycles end to end: release plan, marketing assets, coordination with the Account team for DSP promotion.
- Track regional chart movements and competitive landscape (Mass Appeal Arabia, Empire MENA, Universal Arabia).
- Mentor artists on metadata, creative packaging, and release strategy.
- Deliver monthly A&R reporting to HQ.
Requirements
- 3 5 years of experience in A&R, label management, artist management, or music marketing in the MENA region.
- Deep knowledge of the music scenes in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, and the Levant — emerging artists, current hits, trending producers.
- Arabic — native (with comprehension of 2 3 dialects).
- English — fluent.
- Active portfolio of case studies: artists signed / developed by the candidate, with growth metrics (streams, follower growth).
- Established network of contacts: artists, managers, producers, and music journalists in the region.
- Strong grasp of streaming economics and metrics: monthly listeners, save rate, skip rate, playlist conversion.
- Sharp ear for trends: ability to identify hits before they break.
Nice to Have
- Background at a label or distributor with a MENA catalogue.
- Working knowledge of sync licensing.
- Experience managing soundboards / playlists on DSPs.
- Familiarity with sharia compliance nuances for the KSA market.
- Visible industry profile — publications, speaking engagements, recognition as a domain expert.
KPIs (variable compensation)
- Number of artists / labels signed per quarter.
- Average streaming volume of signed artists at 6 and 12 months.
- Hit rate — percentage of releases landing in editorial playlists on DSPs.
- Revenue per signing.
- Artist retention in catalogue (year over year).
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