Sat Bisla has given his verdict on the current state of A&R in the UK as he looks ahead to the 25th global edition of his music business conference MUSEXPO.
MUSEXPO will hail from the Castaway in Burbank, California from March 16-19, 2025, with confirmed speakers including Mom+Pop Music’s Michael Goldstone, CAA’s Emma Banks, Concord Music Publishing’s Kim Frankiewicz, songwriter Savan Kotecha and Wasserman Music’s Tom Windish. Music Week is also signed up as an event partner.
“At the end of the day, for any event to have 25 global editions, you’ve got to have some form of relevance, impact and consistency," said Bisla."With MUSEXPO, it’s not just an event, it’s an experience. We’re in the trenches of the global music industry 24/7, 365 days a year, because our day jobs have us working across A&R, media, sync, publishing, management, marketing, technology, streaming.
"So we have a really good understanding from a grassroots level, but also from a 30,000ft level of what’s happening across the globe at every single key vertical of the music business.”
Wolverhampton-raised A&R Worldwide president and founder Bisla, who emigrated to the US as a teenager, still keeps an eye on proceedings back home and described the UK as a "unique market".
I look at what made England such a powerful exporter and it’s because the A&R community took chances on people they believed in that had real talent
Sat Bisla
"Having been born in England, I look at what made England such a powerful exporter and it’s because the A&R community took chances on people they believed in that had real talent," said Bisla, speaking in the December issue of Music Week. "These days, I think the focus – not just in the UK – is very moment-driven, thanks in part to social media and streaming. I guess you could call it ‘fast food’ A&R. It’s like, ‘Let’s find what’s most popular.’ Well, McDonald’s is popular, it doesn’t mean it’s good for your health.
"I’ve always been a big believer in supporting and developing artists and songwriters that have more of an organic, authentic, movement-driven mentality, which might take longer, but you get better results."
He added: "When you look at the bulk of the major labels’ and major publishers’ revenue these days, it’s catalogue. And most of these catalogue-driven artists took a long time to develop, were authentic, impactful, and have stood the test of time, whereas a lot of the fast-food A&R comes and goes very quickly. It’s disposable, and I hate to use that word for music, but I don’t call it music, I call it content, because there’s a difference between an act and an artist.”
Bisla launched the Seymour Stein Global A&R Award this year as part of the International Music Industry Awards gala dinner held at the end of the conference.
The award, introduced in honour of Bisla's close friend, the late Sire Records co-founder Seymour Stein, was first presented to Republic Records president and chief creative officer Wendy Goldstein. Mom+Pop Music’s Michael Goldstone, who signed the likes of Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine, Regina Spektor and Tegan & Sara, will become the second recipient next year.
“We wanted to make sure it was someone that espoused the true essence of A&R but also maintained Seymour’s vision and beliefs," said Bisla. "Michael also worked with Seymour at Sire Records for six years, so that was another personal attachment.
"We picked Michael for his consistency, his belief, his passion, but also his ability, on a consistent basis, to take artists from their infancy to global success. Michael’s done an incredible job of developing so many amazing artists that have had a long lasting cultural impact.”
The problem is that over the last 10 years, there hasn’t been a lot of investment in teaching people how to do A&R
Sat Bisla
Bisla shared his concern that the business has "got it backwards" by placing an over-reliance on data in modern A&R.
"It’s the human emotion that creates a reaction that then causes the data to be born," he continued. "So we wanted to ensure that the importance of music at a grassroots level, and A&R at its honest level, are not forgotten.
“The problem is that over the last 10 years, there hasn’t been a lot of investment in teaching people how to do A&R. They’ve just been data scientists, mining for stats. A re-educational programme needs to be done on how to put the right ingredients together: the right songwriters, the right producers, mixers, engineers and develop the right, authentic brand for the artists before they go to market."
The executive celebrates 40 years in the music industry in 2025, having worked as a DJ, manager, booker, journalist and broadcaster, among other roles. In closing, he reflected on how he had been able to build a lasting career over the past four decades.
“I started off very young as an intern at a radio station when I first moved to America in my mid-teens," he said. "I’ve always been a music fan, and I think that’s been part of the reason why I’m still doing what I’m doing: because I still believe in music. I still get excited about new artists. And so I consider myself very fortunate every morning I wake up to be able to do what I do.”
Subscribers can read the full interview with Bisla here.
