What in the World is a&r anyway? The two letters stand for “Artists and Repertoire.” What does that mean? The label representative searches out artists that he believes possess talent and have a potential to be successful under the guidance of a label. When the artist is then signed to a contract, the repertoire duties are satisfied by pairing with the artist a team of individuals who can help craft all of the ingredients it takes to make a hit act. Those team members may include songwriters, producers, a creative recording space, song order for the album, a radio single, a video (with director and concept), and more. The a&r guy oversees the creative process of a band or artists career.

Here is how Joel Mark (Creed, Sigur Ros) from MCA in Los Angeles describes it.

[An a&r guy] “Helps the band make their records. And they understand the music better than anyone else, hopefully they come from a musical background. Sometimes they’re just very intuitive people, but I prefer it if they are musicians themselves. An A&R should be able to explain to a band what their strong points are, and what they are lacking. Then either direct them to people who can help them with their weaknesses, or offer advice on how to overcome them.”

Are there any bands that you are curious about who their a&r guy is?