A&R
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In the music industry, Artists and Repertoire (A&R) is the division of a record label company that is responsible for scouting and artist development. It 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. In the UK, before the rise of the record producer, the A&R Manager would oversee recording sessions and assume responsibility for making creative decisions relating to the recording.
Part of their duties includes 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 still accept unsolicited demos.
Some A&R people have 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, Lenny Waronker and Fabrizio Giannini. Still more, such as John Cale, are musicians and recording artists in their own right. Two A&R people in a nontraditional job role are Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell, judges on American Idol.
[edit] External links
- Crazed Hits - A&R Insider Site
- The Problem with Music - Article by Steve Albini famously referencing A&R.
- A&R Interviews - Database Of Interviews With Various A&R People
- World Top 20 A&R Chart - Ranking of A&Rs based on sales of new artists
- Kings of A&R - Online A&R Publication