''Erik Baker'' , the Recording Artist Manager at A&R , has been in almost every sector of the music business, with titles ranging from: Tour Manager, Record Promoter, Marketing Director, and General Manager to National Promotion Director and Director of A&R. His current title at “A&R” is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.

Erik Baker is an American music industry professional best known for his work as an A&R Consultant, Personal Manager and Record Promoter. Having held positions as National Promotion Director and V.P. of Promotion for affiliates of Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Atlantic Recordsfrom 2006-2008. Erik was the GM for Arsenal Records and independent record label owned and operated by current Island Def Jam Music Group Senior Executive Max Gousse from 2008-2009. Erik's most note-able credits as an independent promoter were with rock artists Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, Flyleaf, Skillet and Shinedown, and country artists Montgomery Gentry and Trace Adkins. Other credits include Korean mega-star BoA, R&B legend Jon B.

Early career

Born on July 22, 1979, Erik Craig Baker is a Florida native who began a career in the music industry as a concert and nightlife promoter in the mid to late 90's in Tampa, FL. He was a staple in the dance music scene in Florida working alongside fellow promoters such as Regis Gillespie and Dave Mirski (MARZ). In 1999 while mentored by current Idaho Center General Manager, Craig Baltzer, Erik and concert industry veteran Fred John formed Global Productions, a florida based concert production company. Global produced major outdoor festivals including "Suwanee River Country" and "Country Hits" as well as multiple arena concerts from 1999-2001. In the early 2001 Erik, who was known for having relationships with regional program and music directors, was hired on by radio executive Steve Hilton who quickly turned his attention to transforming Erik into a record promoter. That same year Erik began promoting a series of country records as an independent promoter. From 2003-2005 Erik worked in rock record promotion for before moving on to his position as National Promotion Director. Since then Erik has held several positions in record promotion from Rock to Urban. In Fall of 2009 Ozz Saturne’ (President of TOZ Entertainment) hired Baker as a senior executive, running day to day operations including overseeing artist development and promotion of it’s boutique roster in Nashville. Erik is currently venturing into the world of Television and Film with TOZ Entertainment, according to his personal website.

Talent search

The A&R division is responsible for discovering new recording artists and bringing them to the record company. They are expected to understand the current tastes of the market and to be able to find artists that will be commercially successful. For this reason, A&R people are often young and may have formerly been either musicians, music journalists or record producers. A&R executives rely mostly on the word of mouth of trusted associates, critics and business contacts. They also tend to favor bands that play in the same city that the record company is located.Contrary to popular belief, their decisions are rarely based on unsolicited demo tapes sent by musicians. (However, major labels outside the United States and various Independent record labels may accept demos.)

Overseeing the recording process

The A&R division oversees the sound recording process. This includes helping the artist to find the right record producer, scheduling time in a recording studio and advising the artist on all aspects of making a high quality recording. They work with the artist to choose the best songs to record. For artists who do not write their own music, they will assist in finding songs and song writers. A&R executives maintain contact with their counterparts at Music publisher to get new songs and material from songwriters and producers. As the record nears completion, the A&R department works closely with the artist to determine if the record is acceptable to the record company. This may include suggesting that new songs need to be written or that some album tracks need to be re-recorded. A key issue is whether the album has a music single: a particular track which can be used to market the record on the radio. The industry cliche, "I don't hear a single " is a reference to this process.

Assisting with marketing and promotion

Once the record is completed, the A&R department with the assistance from marketing, radio promotion and the recording artist chooses a single to help promote the record.