Recording Artists Development, Inc. “RAD” is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization. RAD’s mission is to provide seasoned and up-and-coming singer-songwriters with high quality, low cost recordings of their work, along with career and artistic development and support. RAD is devoted to developing talented artists, especially from marginalized communities, who otherwise would not have access to a professional producer and recording facilities. RAD is especially shining a light on our LGBQ and Trans/Non-binary Artists. By giving access and opportunity, RAD is helping individual artists to create their music, contributing to the development of American popular music and promoting the recording arts.
With the explosion of computer aided music technology, it seems that today anyone can make their own demos and albums. But when we looked around and saw how most people were going about it, we saw that there was a real need for an organization like RAD not only to help with the actual recording, but everything else that goes along with it.
In the old days, record companies had an A&R department (artists and repertoire) whose sole job was to develop artists. A&R departments helped with artistic and musical decisions, providing support and ideas, so artists could blossom over the long- term, and hopefully sell lots of records. Without this behind-the-scenes support, we believe most of the great recordings of popular music would never have been made. Somewhere down the line, record companies stopped providing true A&R to their artists. This kind of support is not available to most recording artists, signed or not, in today’s musical landscape. RAD provides this kind of traditional support in a non- profit setting. We provide Recording Workshops, Listening Sessions, access to Grammy award winning recording professionals, studio time, and production of fully mixed and mastered recordings. Through these activities, we provide an environment of possibility for our artistic community.
RAD is a place where artists don’t have to worry about what will sell and what won’t. The focus is on creativity. When you focus on creativity, you get the best product possible, the best song possible, and that will sell itself.
We are creating a community of instrumentalists, vocalists, producers, engineers, managers, agents, graphic artists, and music journalists. We strive to create an environment of real A&R for the 21st Century where artists can come for support and consultation as well as find kindred souls and collaborators. Old-fashioned A&R was essential to the development of individual artists and American popular music itself. It is even more needed in today’s world.
“RAD is a place where artists don’t have to worry about what will sell and what won’t. The focus is on creativity. When you focus on creativity, you get the best product possible, the best song possible, and that will sell itself. We are creating a community of instrumentalists, vocalists, producers, engineers, managers, agents, graphic artists, and music journalists. We strive to create an environment of real A&R for the 21st Century where artists can come for support and consultation as well as find kindred souls and collaborators. Old-fashioned A&R was essential to the development of individual artists and American popular music itself. It is even more needed in today’s world.”
