The Evolving Role of A&R

The digital age has been disruptive for traditional record labels. Damages inflicted by peer-to-peer networks have effected conventional distribution. Artists and Repertoire, or A&R, has also been impacted by the digital age. Major labels have continued to reduce the number of A&R new hires for the past several years, according to Digital Music News.

Simply put, things have changed for A&R. As an example, A&R has previously served as a gatekeeper, but in the digital age, A&R has become more of filter, according to an article in the Guardian. Additionally, talent development is more on the shoulders of the artists. At one time, labels would spend years developing artists such as Coldplay. According to Music Think Tank record labels are not interested in acts that lack a strong, interactive fan base.

The digital age has removed the need for artists to be signed to a record label to distribute digital content. Services such as Tune Core can get anyone’s music distributed through iTunes, Amazon’s mp3 Store and nearly all other digital stores around the globe. The problem is that artists are competing with millions of other songs in order to be heard. Independent artists do not have the capability of effectively promoting their music for commercial airplay, according to The DIY Musician. Maybe the principal argument in favor of signing with a major label for almost all artists is promotion support. Major labels are promotion machines that have tremendous resources and expertise.  Therefore, although an artist can get distribution on their own, they may still need a record label to help them find an audience.

In addition to distribution, the Internet can help independent artists attract the attention of major labels’ A&R teams. The Flobots found success with a self-released song that received several hundred thousand plays on MySpace in 2005. The band’s success attracted the attention of Universal Republic’s A&R, which signed the Flobots to a record deal. Their follow-up songs did not match the success of their Internet hit, and the label and band parted company.

Even with an exceptional track record, a band is only as strong as their last song. The previous example of the Flobots illustrates the importance of the discrimination that comes with the role of A&R. The numerous plays on MySpace were taken as an indicator of the band’s potential.  Rather than being discovered by A&R, the Flobots were discovered by the number of spins on MySpace.  This was not enough to ensure the band’s success going forward.  A&R’s role must evolve as technology evolves. However, technology is only a piece of a larger puzzle. The Internet is a valuable tool for the function of A&R in searching for, and identifying, talent. But the technology is only a resource that enhances A&R functions.  Technology cannot successfully replace the discernment that is developed over years of a career in A&R.