What is A&R in Music? Meaning, Role, Career & Evolution

The music industry involves many career choices and jobs, and one of them is an A&R executive. Whether you’re a composer, instrumentalist, or singer, you need to know about what does an A&R do.

You can also find a job as an A&R where you can mentor the most talented people in the business.

If you love music, have a unique ear for talent, and believe that you can make things happen, this might be the perfect career choice for you.

So, what is A&R in music? How can you become one? You will find the answers to these questions and more by reading this article.

What is A&R in Music?

Artists and repertoire or A&R is a career in the music industry where a representative from a record label or music production company searches for talented artists and monitors their progress to get them into deals.

The A&R helps aspiring songwriters, instrumentalists, singers, and composers get their work noticed by record labels and plays a crucial part in releasing an album.

The success of many of the biggest names in the music industry can be attributed to people in the A&R department. They noticed an exceptional talent, and managed to advise and help the artist until they were able to launch their career.

A&R executives have played a significant role through the course of music history, as they managed to notice musicians and performers who offered something different at a specific time.

Even when artists performed a new genre that wasn’t considered commercial at the time, an experienced A&R executive would notice their exceptional talent, believe in them and offer them a chance to be heard.

People like John H. Hammond and Gary Gersh have changed how popular music was evolving, opening up doors to new genres that wouldn’t have been created if they hadn’t decided to take the risk with some new artists.

However, in some cases, performers like Elvis Presley were rejected by A&R people who didn’t see their potential.

It’s safe to say that A&R executives played a crucial role in setting music trends in the 20^th century.

Throughout the years, these executives were no longer just some people with music talents but actually studied business administration to be able to handle the different challenging aspects of the business.

What are Your Responsibilities as an A&R Executive?

If you choose this career path, you will be working up close and personal with artists and performers throughout the whole process of selecting and performing songs.

In most cases, artists deal with their A&R executives as advisors who would have a big say in the music they create. Here are some of the responsibilities of an A&R executive.

Finding Talent

You work for a record label that is interested in finding new artists and signing up deals with them to make money through the music they create.

Back in the day, A&R people used to scout pubs and clubs to listen to underground bands and performers to find the most talented ones. They would pick a hidden talent and educate the artist, sometimes even changing their style to make it more commercially acceptable.

During the ’50s and ’60s, most A&R people were musicians and record producers. They used their musical knowledge to assess the talent of aspiring artists and advise them on changing or developing their style.

Nowadays, executives and managers usually also study business-related topics to handle different aspects of a deal.

Once the executive is convinced with the artist’s talent, they would be offered a contract, usually negotiating the terms with the artist’s lawyer and manager.

Managing the Recording Process

After signing a deal, the A&R staff manages and oversees the recording process from the beginning till the end.

This includes helping the artist choose the best songs that might achieve commercial success, choosing the recording studio, planning recording times, and even finding songwriters if they don’t write their own music.

For these reasons, A&R people usually have a lot of connections with various people in the industry, including other music publishing companies.

They want to stay on top of things when it comes to the latest names in creating and recording to help the new artists they’re pushing towards success.

In some cases, A&R people can have a big say in the art created by the artist. They will decide on the most successful track to use as a single or even suggest rewriting some of the songs.

Helping with Marketing and Promotion

When an album is completed, the A&R executive will help promote it by consulting with the marketing department of the record label. This includes choosing media to play the album, arranging video clip recording, scheduling gigs and concerts to promote the album.

The A&R staff will also help create the artist’s overall image in the media and any personal news they choose to share about themselves. This will include their looks, attitude, and sometimes even the way they act and talk.

What Defines a Good A&R Executive?

In addition to having relevant experience in business and the music industry, there are a few factors that define a good A&R person.

• The most important thing that can help A&R people succeed is the ability to notice what others can’t see. They should be able to recognize and appreciate the talent of artists before they become famous.
• They should understand as much as they can about the industry. The music industry is full of opportunities but is also quite stressful, so they need to take their time to build themselves, so they can have good positions.
• They should be ready for the workload. A&R people should expect to travel, have multiple meetings, have irregular work hours, spend time with artists, and listen to hundreds of demos. The thrill that comes with the job can be entertaining at first, but they need to keep themselves grounded, so they can handle it in the long run.
• They should get ready to multitask. This job involves handling every detail that concerns the production and marketing of an album before and after its release. This is why an A&R person might be focusing on two or more different tasks at the same time as they try to get their work on the market.
• They need to take their time to learn. In addition to a certificate in the music business, they can also take courses that help with their communication and networking skills. They can also study marketing and promotion to increase your chances of closing and maintaining successful deals.
• They need to be working on improving themselves all the time. This is a competitive business, and if someone isn’t working on growing their potential, they’ll be falling behind. They can travel, meet up with artists, learn from other executives, or simply use the internet to increase their knowledge.
• An A&R executive should be a people person because they will deal with people from all walks of life. They need to understand that people are different, and they don’t all act or react in the same way.

How Do You Get a Job in the A&R Department?

A&R executives used to be musicians, music journalists, producers, or critics who worked for record labels.

Today, you can get an entry-level position at a record label’s A&R department if you have a music degree with some business experience. These positions are very competitive, so having any prior experience in the industry will improve your chances.

Typically, you will have a better chance of landing a similar job if you have previously worked in the management, production, or marketing of any musical production.

You will probably start working as an administrator before advancing to talent scouting and other artist-related work. After that, you can become an A&R manager and then a director.

The number and levels of positions depend on the record label’s size and budget. Here are a few things that you can do to get the job of your dreams.

• Take your studies seriously. Understanding more about music, art creation, and business management will help you.
• Your networking ability will also help you advance in this career path. You should be able to connect with artists and other A&R people in the business to learn more about the process and how to close a successful deal.
• You need to do research all the time, even if you can’t move to a place where there are a lot of venues where you can meet artists. You can try to find aspiring artists in your local community or even on the radio and offer them help.
• Make sure that you’re creating the right opportunities. You need to be aware of the needs of the artists you’re collaborating with, so you can offer them what they need so they end up signing your deal.
• Understand that this is a competitive business. You need to work hard and keep on developing your skills all the time.

How Did Technology Change the Work of A&R Executives?

Being discovered by the right A&R executive was the strike of luck that changed the lives of several artists and performers.

But this also means that a lot of people didn’t get the chance they deserved because they were discovered by the wrong people or were never discovered at all.

In recent years, artists were able to reach A&R people through digital recordings. A&R people could surf the internet for covers without having to attend a live performance by the artist.

Social media and apps have opened new doors to all artists from all walks of life, so they can introduce their music and get exposed, and even become famous before being discovered by a record label’s A&R department.

Previously, it was pretty common for artists to walk up to several record labels and offer them their talent, and even beg to be heard.

But things have changed because the internet has made things way easier. Here are some ways technology has affected the work of A&R people:

• Anyone can create and share their music on different online platforms, and if they’re talented enough to build hype and become viral, they will definitely be noticed by A&R people. Artists can have their music exposed to a bigger number of record labels without actually having to travel to multiple locations to show them their talent.
• A&R executives can see for themselves how popular a specific band or musician is, the kind of music that attracts listeners, and the performance of particular tracks, so they can make better business decisions in the future.
• Being able to see the feedback from different people around the world is a better measure of potential success than studying the feedback of a single audience during one performance in a club or pub. People are able to leave comments, and the executive can even see how the musician or band interacts with their fans.

• A&R people can focus on the artists and performers that actually provide value to the record label. They can easily target musicians and singers who create the kind of music that the label wants to produce, so they will have more control over the process.
• Using technology saves time and effort, as A&R people don’t have to travel to meet artists or watch their performances. Digital performances are time and cost-efficient, as the executive can decide on the talents that are actually worth pursuing.
• Digital music is easy to share. For example, an intern can quickly share the work of a talented artist with their manager, so the record label can sign a deal with a singer or a performer before a competitor does.
• A&R people are able to approve songs and make any necessary adjustments while they’re on the go. This makes the process of creating and producing music easier and faster.