Recruitment and Contracting
Build a world-class audio and music tech team
The Audio Programmer connects companies with specialist talent across engineering, digital signal processing, product, design, leadership, commercial roles, and emerging technologies.
Our recruitment work is powered by a trusted industry network built through years of contribution to the audio software community.
Why TAP?
Specialist recruitment powered by the audio software network
TAP combines industry access with a deep understanding of the technical, creative, and commercial roles that shape audio and music technology companies.
A trusted specialist network
Our relationships extend across developers, DSP engineers, product leaders, designers, executives, creators, researchers, and emerging talent throughout the audio software industry.
Real industry understanding
We understand the technologies, workflows, products, and team structures behind audio and music technology businesses.
That helps us assess more than a job title or list of keywords.
Carefully matched talent
We focus on fit, capability, motivation, and long-term potential.
Every search is shaped around the specific needs of the company, the role, and the team the person will join.
Flexible support for building specialist teams
Permanent Hires
Find experienced specialists for permanent positions across engineering, product, leadership, design, operations, sales, marketing, and music technology.
We support companies from role definition and market insight through candidate identification, assessment, interviews, and offer acceptance.
Contracting
Bring experienced specialists into your existing team for a defined period, project, or stage of growth.
TAP can help you find contractors across software engineering, digital signal processing, product, design, QA, technical leadership, and related disciplines.
The contractor works within your existing team and management structure.
Talent Partnerships
Work with TAP over the longer term to build teams, plan future hiring, and maintain access to specialist talent.
Talent Partnerships are suited to companies with ongoing or repeated hiring needs that benefit from deeper market knowledge and a consistent recruitment partner.
How We Work
Understand
We begin by understanding the company, team, role, technical requirements, working environment, and the type of person most likely to succeed.
Where useful, we help refine the brief and provide insight into the available market.
Connect
We identify and approach relevant people across our specialist network and the wider market.
Candidates are assessed for experience, motivation, communication, practical fit, and alignment with the opportunity.
Support
Our work doesn't stop at the offer. We support both the company and the candidate through onboarding and the early months. To us, success means a hire that lasts.
Trusted to solve specialist hiring challenges
Companies work with TAP when the role is difficult to define, the talent is difficult to reach, or conventional recruitment channels are not producing the right results.
“The Audio Programmer have been crucial in us finding some super specialized people. They're diligent and quick to understand who you're after. It makes the whole process really straightforward.”
Phil Quigley
Head of Tech Delivery
A Multi-Year Talent Partnership
Since 2021, we’ve helped Klay – a music AI startup powered by licensed music – build their initial technical team from scratch across research, engineering leadership and software development.
Klay Vision
Early Engineering & Research Talent Partner
Specialist talent across audio and music technology
Software engineering
Find specialists who understand the technical demands of modern audio products.
Hardware and embedded
Find specialists who design and build the physical and embedded side of audio products.
AI, research, and emerging technology
Build teams working at the intersection of audio, intelligent systems, and research.
Product, design, and delivery
Connect with the people who shape the product experience and move complex work forward.
Leadership and commercial roles
Find experienced leaders and commercial specialists who understand audio and music technology.
Don't see the exact role you need?
We regularly support specialist searches beyond the examples listed here.
FAQs
What types of companies do you work with?
We work with startups, established audio brands, software companies, hardware manufacturers, creator-led businesses, and wider music technology organizations.
The common factor is a need for specialist talent with relevant industry understanding.
Do you only recruit developers?
No.
We recruit across engineering, digital signal processing, product, design, technical leadership, executive roles, sales, marketing, partnerships, operations, and other specialist functions.
Do you support both permanent and contract hiring?
Yes.
We support permanent recruitment, contracting, and longer-term Talent Partnerships.
We can help determine the most suitable model based on the role, timing, internal resources, and business need.
Can you help us define the role?
Yes.
Many specialist searches begin with a broad need rather than a finished job description.
We can help clarify responsibilities, seniority, technical requirements, market availability, and realistic expectations before the search begins.
Do you recruit internationally?
Yes.
TAP has a global network and supports remote, hybrid, and location-specific searches across multiple regions.
The practical options will depend on employment, contracting, time-zone, and legal requirements.
How quickly can you begin?
This depends on the role, engagement model, and current availability.
After an initial discussion, we can confirm the most appropriate process and likely next steps.
How do your fees work?
Fees depend on whether the requirement involves permanent recruitment, contracting, or an ongoing Talent Partnership.
Commercial terms are agreed clearly before the search begins.
Let’s build your team
Whether you need one difficult-to-find specialist, experienced contractors, or a long-term recruitment partner, TAP can help you reach the people shaping audio and music technology.
Tell us about the role, the team, and the challenge you are trying to solve.