A&R

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In the music industry, artist and repertoire (A&R) refers to the division of a record label that is responsible for scouting and developing talent. The A&R department is the link between the recording artist/act and the record label, generally to help with the artistic and commercial development of the label's artists. An A&R person is often required to handle contractual negotiations, find songwriters and record producers for the act, and schedule recording sessions.

Part of their duties include keeping contact with their counterparts in music publishing companies to get new songs and material from established songwriters. Contrary to common belief it is not one of the A&R department's main jobs to sort through the plethora of demo tapes sent by hopeful musicians to the label. A&R departments at major labels in the USA typically only accept solicited demos, or ones from business contacts with which they are familiar. However, major labels outside the USA and many independent labels do still accept unsolicited demos.

Examples of A&R people include:

Some A&R people have literally changed the face of modern music. John H. Hammond, for example, had a long and rich career discovering some of the biggest names in music. Artists he discovered, signed and even occasionally produced included Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin and many others. Other A&R people with similar track records include Clive Davis and Lenny Waronker.