what is a and r in the music industry

In the music industry, A&R stands for "Artists and Repertoire". It is a division of a record label or music publishing company that is responsible for scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists and songwriters. A&R representatives spend most of their time listening to music, scouring clubs, reading blogs, watching social media, and tracking industry buzz on the hunt for promising new musical artists. They are responsible for finding new recording artists and bringing those artists to the record company. A&R representatives rely on a finely tuned and constantly evolving understanding of current music tastes and trends to identify acts with talent, drive, buzz, and more. They work with the artist to choose the best songs to record, and for artists who do not write their own music, the A&R person will assist in finding songs, songwriters, and arrangers. A&R professionals also have a lot of power and influence in the music industry, and they can really make a difference in an artist’s career.