THE ROLE OF ARTIST & REPERTOIRE (A&R) IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

A&Rs are one of the primary stakeholders in talent development. The creative development of an artiste is essential and this process is one that the A&R is responsible for. Beyond the music, the A&R is also responsible for how the music is communicated to the Artiste audience. 

 

A&R’s are responsible for  FINDING AND SIGNING TALENT, as well as finding songs, matching producers and artiste and generally overseeing projects. Asides working with record labels and Independent Artiste, the services of an A&R is also needed in the publishing industry to sign and work with musicians and writers.

 

OVERSEEING THE RECORDING PROCESS is one role of an A&R. This process entails making sure the music is recorded properly, deciding producers to work on the artiste project, determining target audience and perfecting the sound that resonates with them.

 

DRAWING UP MARKETING STRATEGIES; is another important role of an A&R as it is essential that the song when created is matched with the right audience. They take cognizance of listener demographics, psychographics and the music discovery channels suitable for the song created. An audience mismatch can negatively impact a song and this is why the role of an A&R cannot be overemphasized.

 

A&Rs work with budgets, book studio sessions, nurture the sound and image of the artiste, select songs that will make an album and pick songs that should be recorded, scout talents that match a musical genre or sound and listen to demos as well as attend shows and live events. 

 

The advent and use of technology has made discovery of new talent quite seamless. Hence, as a creative do not hesitate to put yourself out there as these professionals who are responsible for the success of some well-known artistes are constantly on the lookout for new talents and you just might be the next big star.