A&R is where it all starts - it’s where the music is generated from, where we decide what bands we’re going to sign and what records we’re going to release. A&R stands for "Artists & Repertoire" – a term that dates from the days before the Beatles, when singers sang and writers wrote, but rarely did the two combine in one person. Record companies in those days looked for singers and musicians, and then looked for songs for those singers. While many successful artists still rely on songwriters for their music today, the vast majority of artists prefer to write their own material.

The role of an A&R department is to seek out, sign and develop new acts. A&R plays a pivotal function in the success of artists and labels. An A&R department generally consists of an A&R Manager, who is responsible for the day to day running of a record company's local roster, and an A&R Project Manager who develops and manages the recording budgets, co-ordinates recording sessions, manages demo submissions and handles the general administration of the A&R department.

The roles of an A&R department are broad, however essentially involve signing new acts (which A&R negotiate with the Business Affairs department) producer selection, studio selection, deciding which tracks will be singles and which tracks will be on an album, commissioning remixes, as well as maintaining strong relationships with the artists and their managers.

It is vital for an A&R Manager to have strong contacts and relationships within the music industry with people such as booking agents, artist managers, recording studios, venues, promoters, music publishers and many more. After all, it's these relationships that could lead you to discovering the next big thing.