What is A&R? What an A&R does, and how they find artists
A&R is the part of a record label or music publisher that decides which artists it signs and what they record. Here is what the job involves, how A&R teams find artists today, and what that means for an independent artist who wants to be noticed.
Want this done for you? See our music promotion service. Related reading: How to get signed · Record deal · EPK for musicians. Or browse all music guides.
Key takeaways
- A&R stands for artists and repertoire: the label or publisher team that scouts artists, signs them and oversees what they record.
- IFPI estimated that record companies spent about US$2.5 billion on A&R in 2013, some 15.6% of their revenues.
- A&R teams still watch live shows, but they also read streaming and social data, and label executives told IFPI in 2014 that they increasingly sign acts that already have momentum.
- Sony Music does not accept unsolicited demos and never charges to hear or sign an artist; it says anyone offering a deal for payment in its name is running a scam.
What is A&R? The short answer
A&R stands for artists and repertoire. It is the team at a record label or music publisher that scouts, finances and oversees the artistic development of artists, and acts as their liaison with the company (Wikipedia). The labels' trade body IFPI estimated that record companies spent about US$2.5 billion on A&R in 2013, some 15.6% of their revenues (IFPI).
Blue Leopard Media is not a label and cannot get you signed. Our music marketing promotes one release with a YouTube campaign and an editorial feature, signed or not.
What does an A&R do?
Based on Wikipedia and Berklee's profile of an A&R executive, the job has four parts:
- Scout. Find new artists and bring them to the label, at clubs and festivals and, IFPI reported in 2014, increasingly online.
- Sign. Berklee says the A&R executive discovers and signs artists. The terms sit in the contract, so read how a record deal works before any meeting.
- Develop. Help shape the artist's creative direction, choose the best songs to record (the repertoire) and coordinate the recording with managers, producers and songwriters.
- Release. Work with marketing, promotion, the artist and their management to choose the singles.
Major labels split the work. Berklee describes an A&R research role that reads streaming data, TikTok velocity and Shazam spikes to discover unsigned talent, and filters out artificial streaming.
How A&Rs find artists
Live shows still count. IFPI's 2014 report says seeing artists perform live is still essential for A&R teams, now supplemented by social media and other new tools. The president of Columbia Records US said four people in his creative A&R team worked on research and analytics, and that the challenge is tempering raw data with editorial judgement.
Many executives told IFPI in 2014 that they increasingly sign artists who already have momentum, such as a self-released record, an online following or a band out touring. Data is not the whole decision: Beggars Group said it uses online platforms to find artists rather than chasing the most views, and Island Records called signing against the market's signals "brave A&R".
Wikipedia adds that A&R staff rely mostly on word of mouth from trusted associates, critics and business contacts, rather than on unsolicited demos.
Can you send your demo to an A&R?
Not cold, at Sony Music. Its FAQ says the company and its staff do not accept or consider unsolicited recordings. A demo must come recommended by an established professional, such as a manager, lawyer, agent, producer, artist, programmer or tastemaker. Other labels set their own rules, so check each one's site first.
Never pay to be heard or signed. Sony says it never offers contracts or accepts demos for a fee, and that anyone offering a deal for payment in its name is running a scam.
How to get on an A&R's radar
- Released music and an audience. That is the momentum IFPI's executives describe.
- Real numbers. Research teams filter out artificial streams, so bought plays only hide the signal you do have.
- Live proof. Scouts still watch how a room reacts to you.
- Someone to vouch for you. A manager, lawyer, producer or another artist is the route Sony names.
- A ready EPK with your music, numbers and press.
For the odds and what a deal asks of you, see how to get signed.
A label A&R, a campaign or a manager
| Label A&R | Blue Leopard Media | Artist manager | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works for | The label or publisher | You, for one release | You, across your career |
| Who pays | The label up front. If you sign, the advance and recording costs are usually recouped from your royalties | You, once per release, from $249 | You, often a share of your income set in a contract |
| What they do | Scout, sign, guide the recording and help choose singles | A YouTube campaign with a guaranteed minimum of Google Ads views and an editorial feature with your own digital cover | Run your career and build your team; a manager is one of the people Sony accepts a recommendation from |
| Best for | Artists with momentum a label wants to fund | Artists who want one release seen and written about, signed or not (views only, not streams or charts) | Artists with enough work to need someone running it |
If you are promoting a release yourself, send us your release date and video link for a plan.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Artists and repertoire
- IFPI: Investing in Music 2014, pages 9 and 18 to 19 (hosted by the RIAA)
- UK Intellectual Property Office: Music creators' earnings in the digital era (Sept 2021), page 65
- Berklee: A&R Executive, record label (career role)
- Berklee: A&R Research (career role)
- Sony Music: FAQ, For Artists and Creators
Frequently asked.
What does A&R stand for?
Artists and repertoire. The artists are the acts a label or publisher signs; the repertoire is the songs they record. An A&R person, often just called an A&R, works in that team.
Do A&Rs listen to demos?
Mostly through people they trust. Sony Music says it does not accept or consider unsolicited recordings, and a demo must come recommended by an industry professional such as a manager, lawyer, agent, producer or another artist. Check each label's own policy before sending music.
Should I pay an A&R to listen to my music?
No. Sony Music says it never offers contracts or accepts demos for a fee, and treats anyone offering a deal for payment in its name as a scam. A paid promotion service is a different thing: it should say plainly what you are buying, and it cannot promise a deal.
Can Blue Leopard Media get my music to an A&R?
No. Blue Leopard Media is not a record label, has no label contacts and cannot get you signed. It sells music promotion for a release: a YouTube campaign with a guaranteed minimum of Google Ads views and an editorial feature with your own digital cover, from $249.
Keep reading.
How to get signed today: what labels look for, and a realistic route in
How to get signed today: labels scout from streaming and social data, so build finished releases and a real audience first. What they look for and the route.
Read the guide MusicRecord deal: how it works, from the advance to your first royalty
A record deal pays an advance, then a royalty of about 20% to 25%, paid only once the label recoups its costs. How it works and what to check before you sign.
Read the guide MusicEPK for musicians: what goes in an electronic press kit, and who reads it
What to put in a musician's EPK: bio lengths, photos, tracks, video and contacts, what each reader looks for first, and how to fill an empty press section.
Read the guideGet the release seen, signed or not.
A YouTube campaign with a guaranteed minimum of Google Ads views plus an editorial feature with your own digital cover, from $249 per release.