This is still true today, despite the major shifts in the record industry caused by the internet, which also led to a slight decline in the influence of A&R departments. Historically, members of A&R departments have wielded great power as the industry's tastemakers and gatekeepers as a result, the A&R representative is one of the most coveted and competitive jobs in the record industry. It's their job to concretely understand what to others is mysterious: the confluence of qualities and circumstances that makes an artist a contender for commercial success.

In addition to their great ears, 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. Like many in the music business, A&R representatives work unpredictable schedules, including seeing a lot of live music, listening to mountains of demos, spending time with artists, and attending to business in the office. At most major labels, however, these duties are handled by A&R managers-the next step up the ladder. in the past half- century, including Elvis Presley at Sun Records, Stevie Wonder at Motown, the Beastie Boys at Def Jam, and Nirvana at Sub Pop Records. At smaller organizations, A&R reps act as an artist's link to the company and are responsible for signing the artist, guiding the artist's subsequent career, and representing the artist's interests within the larger organization. A&R representative s spend the majority 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.

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