I'm a musician and host of The Unstarving Musician podcast. Subscribe for conversations with working musicians, creative pros and industry professionals on the craft and business of sustainable creative careers.
Unstarving Musician | The only opinion that matters in music (according to a 2x Grammy A&R)
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Happy Friday! After 35 years of evaluating artists at the highest levels of the major-label system, what does an A&R executive actually believe matters? Pete Ganbarg served as President of A&R at Atlantic Records from 2018 to 2024, capping nearly 16 years at the label. He now runs Pure Tone Music, sits on the Songwriters Hall of Fame board, and teaches at Berklee, NYU, Wesleyan, and the University of New Haven. He's seen what works, what doesn't, and what artists keep getting wrong. Insights from our conversationThe audience is the only judge The bar is quality Relationships are 50% (and so is showing up) 🎧 Where to listen (plus show notes and related links) Want the implementation-depth resources?Liner Notes Insider goes deeper than a podcast episode can. Recent editions have covered things like royalty recovery tool kits, release planning templates, and revenue comparison calculators — the implementation layer beneath the episodes. If you’re not yet a Liner Notes subscriber, the free edition covers highlights from this and 300+ conversations. Liner Notes Insider gets you the complete frameworks.
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The Unstarving Musician
I'm a musician and host of The Unstarving Musician podcast. Subscribe for conversations with working musicians, creative pros and industry professionals on the craft and business of sustainable creative careers.
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