Artist and Repertoire Workers

The Department of Labor predicts faster than average employment growth for agents and business managers of artists through 2032. The A&R worker will always be important to record companies, and positions within an A&R department will always be difficult to get because of keen competition in the field. The work itself will be affected greatly by the Internet and technological developments in the years to come. Already, A&R workers are surfing the Web, social media, and streaming services for artists marketing themselves with their own platforms. Technological advances have allowed for quick and easy downloading of music and other forms of media from the Internet, and many artists are now using the Web and social media to bypass record companies entirely. So, in addition to competing with other record companies for talent, A&R workers may be competing with the artists themselves for the opportunity to distribute their music.