1. Music Industry
Talent Scout /A & R
www.musicstudentinfo.com
Chris Baker
9th October 2012 www.musicstudentinfo.com
2. Music Industry Job Roles
A&R aka Talent Scout
A & R = Artists & Repertoire
3. A&R Primary Function
• Artists and repertoire / Songs and Performers.
• Responsible for talent scouting.
• Overseeing the artistic development of recording artists.
• Acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.
4. A&R Responsibilities
• Responsible for discovering new recording artists.
• Expected to understand current tastes.
• Be able to find artists that will be commercially successful.
• A&R people are often young.
5. A&R Responsibilities Cont.
• Contract negotiations will typically be carried out by rival
entertainment lawyers.
• Increasingly look to social-media web sites myspace, &
youtube.
• A&R executives rely mostly on the word of mouth, critics and
business contacts.
• Their decisions are rarely based on unsolicited demo tapes.
6. A&R The Recording Process
• The A&R oversees the recording process.
• Helping the artist find the right record producer.
• Scheduling time in a recording studio & advising on
making a recording.
• Choose the best songs to record.
• Assist in finding songs and songwriters (if artist does not
write)
• Maintain contact with their counterparts at music
publishing companies to get new songs.
• May assist in suggesting ‘the single’ track which can be
used to market the record on radio.
7. A&R Additional Duties
Assisting with marketing and promotion
• Once the record is completed, the A&R department (with
assistance from marketing, promotion and the artist)
chooses a single to help promote the record.
8. A&R Signing Artists
Getting offered a record contract is a small step towards a
career in the music industry but it is not a guarantee (1:9)
Artists should consider
• If they have empathy with the company.
• How many people at that company like the artist (key
man clause)
• The record companies ability to ‘break’ new acts.
• How much control is being offered.
9. A&R Signing Considerations Cont.
• The ‘reach’ of the company. Are they strong only in the UK or
other countries?
• The reputation of the company.
• What artists on the label are saying about it.
• The press perception of the label.
10. Types of Record Contract
• Singles deals.
• Leasing deals.
• Production deals.
• Combined publishing and recording contracts.
• Some contracts offered can be exploitative and not
signing.
• Full funded recording contracts.
• Check any written contract before signing with an
industry lawyer.
11. A&R Recent Changes
• Digital distribution has changed the relationship between
consumers and the music they choose.
• Some commentators argue that the wide selection of music
on digital services has allowed music consumers to bypass the
traditional role of A&R.
• Declining record sales, a large number of A&R have been
terminated.
12. A&R Classroom Exercise
• Name some famous Talent Scouts.
• Name the artists they discovered.
• What music ‘crazes’ were generated by A&R / Talent Scouts?
