The second Job Roles Describtion (AO1)

Job Title	Artists and Repertoire
Salary:	The average salary of an A&R executive is around £31,032, 09 although it admits that this can vary depending on the number of artists an A&R has on their books and whether or not they are successful. The best will earn more than £52, 749,13 a year. Artist and repertoire representatives may work for a record label or on an independent basis, but the responsibilities are the same. However, it depends on which recording label an A&R works for. Meaning, working in one of the top major companies like EMI, UNIVERSAL or SONY an A&R could be earning more than £22K. Whereas, in an independent recording label salaries £15k.    If you become successful with big signings at an independent you could rise to £100k, while at a major the sky's the limit. It all really depends on who you sign and how well they do. If you get a big signing, such as Coldplay, it will take you to the top very quickly, in both position and earnings. Whereas, at independents, things are much steadier, and the focus is slightly more on the music than on sales. It is a nice way to work but you don't get paid as much.
Job description:	Most importantly, an A&R’s responsibilities are to find, choose and hire local talents and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. They may also work as a manager to any new artist making sure that they manage to record an album.  You need to spend a great part of your day reading trade papers, music magazines like NME and websites. "Blogs are one of the most useful things as they're the rawest source of information.  You have to download a lot of music and, along with the music you will also get sent music which you will have to listen repeatedly throughout the day before heading off to gigs in the evening. You can become an A&R, when you can start signing bands yourself and become more involved in their development and every aspect of the recording process. Your role will be largely managerial at this stage, so you'll be managing the A&R team, a large budget and the biggest acts signed to the label you work for. A&R may find these artists in a variety of ways, including holding auditions to locate the very best talent. This can be a stressful job because many people believe that they have the talent necessary to make it as a recording artist, but it is up to the A&R to tell them the truth and to determine if they will have a career in this field or not. The reps are responsible for ensuring that the right music is selected for the recording artist to continue to be successful. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the various record labels.  Their work is to ensure that the correct music is chosen for their artists and are essentially responsible for whether the artist produces a hit album or not. The main function of a record label A&R is to help their artists creatively while helping the record company financially by signing hit acts and developing them. They are usually music industry professionals that are hired to oversee the entire recording process which includes finding the right songs for their artist, working with the right music producers, finding the right recording studio, etc. A major A&R must stay on top of current music industry trends in order to create acts that will do well for the record label that employs them. Even if a record company A&R really likes a band they still may not be able to sign them. Usually it is the head A&R that makes the final decisions. The more talent that an artist and repertoire representative can sign and the more hit albums that are produced as a result of these efforts, the more professionally successful that A&R will be.
Reporting to:	This is mainly dealing with an A&Rs interrelationship with their other co-workers above or below them. An A&R should report to a Vice President, Legal Department and a Chief Executive Officer in an organization. Whereas, below A&Rs are sales, distributor and the producers. On the same level with the A&Rs are the managers. A&R scouts that report to the A&R Director that reports to the MD, CEO or VP.
In charge of:	A&Rs’ at a record label are in charge of finding and developing new talent. They’ll pick out the latest musicians and do their best to get them a hit record. Additionally, their role is in charge of discovering new talent and does everything from assisting with song selection to choosing the people that will produce the album to deciding where the album will be recorded.
Type of position:	Full time contract for those working for an A&R record label can be expected to benefit from various ways which is that they are in a permanent contract, they get paid a lot, including health insurance and paid vacation, although many executives work on a contract basis meaning they will be responsible for their own insurance. The disadvantages of being an artists & repertoire are that you’ll be in a position of one of the most hectic jobs in the music business. The reason why being an A&R can be extremely stressful is because with every act that you sign your job is on the line. Since there is a high rate of failure in the music industry, A&R people try to sign artists that are already somewhat established. If an A&R does not prove to the record label that they can generate hit acts they will be let go from the company.
Key responsibilities:	Responsibilities To manage the artist’s publicity, promotions and advertising. Evaluate talent and match with potential audience tastes. Sign talent to label with executives approval. Search for new songs for existing talent on the label. Coordinate label relationships for an artist, once they are signed to the label. Provide creative input and direction on artist’s material. Find suitable producers and recording studios. Plan the recording budget with the business affairs department.
Skills needed:	Skills/experience/training As there's no specific qualification music companies are looking for, there's no reason why you can't make your mark in A&R without formal qualifications. However, university does offer that unique blend of interacting with all kinds of different groups, learning to work independently, and a wealth of clubs and societies to join. None of these should be underestimated in terms of developing the right skills for the job. University will help you 100% in terms of social skills and the ability to develop interests. Next, you need to learn what sells; it's up to the A&R person to know what works for a label and what doesn't. Again, the independent labels will focus on different types of artists to the majors, so study who is signed to different labels, how their music has developed, how often they release new material and what gigs they play. This will give you a good understanding of how the record company operates within the industry.
Knowledge needed:	There are many areas of knowledge. It would help to be involved in business, communications, music scene, music history, music production, psychology, and first aid training. And a good education in Street Knowledge goes a long way. Seek talent by: Auditioning demo tapes (solicited, as well as unsolicited, depending on record label policy.) If interested, ask to see artist perform live. Attending live shows at clubs, showcases, concerts, and other venues. Also visiting artist/band website and social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook. Following leads from any ‘buzz’ created by artists. Checking industry insiders (managers, agents, attorneys, concert promoters, label promo reps, retail contacts, trade and consumer press tips, regional ‘scenes’, or other sources.) Watching for talent on other labels, who’s contracts are expiring.  The Training/Educational Requirements is Bachelor’s degree preferred
Attributes needed:	Personality/who would it suit You need to be confident chatting to strangers every night, so it suits the kind of person who's a go-getter and comfortable in new environments. If you're a thoughtful, musician type, don't rule it out though - having passion and understanding of music is just as important, and you can practice how to be confident in other areas of your life. Work Conditions The working environment of an A&R executive differs from day-to-day. Some of their days might be spent in the office, while others may be spent visiting record labels and artists. This means that a lot of time is spent traveling around the country listening to potential new artists sing and perform. Other days might be spent in the recording studio. The role can be quite stressful with deadlines often having to be met with decisions having to be made quickly. So a motivating, determined and active personality is required. Prospects  Given that A&R executives work within the music industry the role attracts a lot of candidates and as a result is very competitive. Far more people look for work in the music industry than there are jobs. The health of the economy also plays a role in the number of executives needed. In times of economic downturn the number of executives will rise slowly, or even decrease. Having said this there are always jobs for good and experienced A&R executives.