Today’s post is by UK-based music distribution company Fame Factor. If you didnt know what an A&R representative did before reading this post, you won’t have any excuse in a few minutes.
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A&R stands for: Artists and Repertoire.
An A&R Rep “in it’s truest form is somebody that has an ear that can discover talent…then [is] challenged with the task of making you [the artist] achieve their full potential.” (Michael Caplan, Or Music.)
An A&R representative has 3 major responsibilities:
- Finding Talent
- Overseeing the recording process
- Assisting with marketing and promotion
THE LABLE & THE ARTIST
An A&R rep’s responsibility is two-fold – to help you achieve your goal and to help the record label achieve theirs. He she has an obligation to help their artists creatively while also helping the record company financially by signing and developing hit acts. Ultimately the goal is for each party to be happy in the relationship.
A&R reps are often involved in the industry themselves – as artists, producers, or promoters; and because of their experience, they are hired to represent the company and be the ‘face’ of the business.
THE ESTABLISHED ARTIST
A&R reps will often try to work will artists that are already somewhat established in the music scene. By working with artists who have already made a name for themselves, there is less chance of failure and financial loss for the label.
“50% of the job is going out and talent scouting – finding artists for the label, getting to know them and eventually offering them a record contract if [they] want. The other 50% of the job is the repertoire part. It’s helping those artists make records. (Brad O’Donnell Vice President of A&R for the EMI CMG label group.)
We highly suggest watching this video by Brad O’Donnell to get a more concise explanation of A&R
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To conclude: An A&R rep will be person putting in the work to help you succeed. While the label will assign its name to you (essentially vouching for your credibility and opening new doors for you), your A&R rep has the responsibility of making sure that your product (your recorded music) properly represents both you and the label and is “commercially viable”.
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Fame Factor is an online multi-media music platform, allowing artists to increase their reach across the internet while generating revenue through online digital distribution and concert ticket sales.
