A&R stands for Artists and Repertoire, so an A&R administrator supports the A&R team by managing the logistical and administrative tasks associated with artist development, music production, and project management.

What Does an A&R Administrator Do?

Joey Beran, Head of A&R Administration at mau5trap (the independent electronic label founded by deadmau5) said his typical duties include:

• Working with the legal team to negotiate terms/agreements for an album
• Tracking expenses of the album
• Coordinating the mastering of an album
• Ensuring the artist team and the label team are happy with the final masters
• Making sure the album artwork is completed
• Working with the marketing team to prepare materials
• Creating metadata for the songs/album (obtain ISRCs, barcodes, catalog numbers)
• Delivering the album to digital service providers (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.)

He did say his role is a little different than the typical A&R admin role because he works at a smaller label.

“My role bleeds into other departments that an A&R administrator usually wouldn’t [have a role in], which is a lot of fun,” he said.

A&R Administrator vs. A&R Coordinator

An A&R administrator focuses more on the operational needs of an artist and their team, making sure all paperwork and finances are in order.

Key responsibilities:

• Budgets and expense tracking
• Negotiates and draws up contracts and agreements
• Registers copyrights and royalty information
• Data and metadata organization

An A&R coordinator is much more hands-on as an assistant to the creative A&R team. They help bridge the logistical and creative needs between the label and the artist team.

Key responsibilities:

• Coordinates schedules among artists, producers, and songwriters
• Helps arrange studio time, hires session musicians, and organizes demo recordings
• Can be involved in the creation of the music
• Event coordination, like setting up showcases and listening parties

The average annual salary for A&R administrators is about $56,956¹.

The salary range for A&R administrators runs from $53,000 to $85,000 annually.

If you land a position at one of the major labels, your salary could reach into six figures.

How Do A&R Administrators Make Money?

A&R administrators are salaried employees of the record label or publishing company that employs them.

Depending on the size of the label, they may receive paid time off and benefits.

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As long as labels need someone to handle the financial, legal, and informational responsibilities for artists, A&R administrators will be in demand.

Keep in mind, like many music industry careers, A&R administrators often find themselves working outside of their prescribed work hours.

Beran said he works outside of work.

“We have 9-6 office hours, but I come in early because that’s the only time I have peace and quiet,” he said. “Then I usually go home and work because, in everything I do, I have to really concentrate and do everything impeccably.”

He said, for him, he tends to be more productive working at home.

“You just don’t get that in an office setting because it’s too crazy,” he said. “So I’m always working from home, just trying to pick up the pieces throughout the day and keep everything together, then sweep everything up when I get home and organize it. There are definitely weekend hours and lots of overtime.”

As an aspiring A&R administrator, you should first gain some experience in the world of music publishing.

Many people start off with an entry-level publishing role like an A&R intern, A&R assistant, music licensing assistant, or even as an office administrator at a label.

Beran advises you to get involved in the music business in some way so you can start building a network and skills.

“I moved to LA…and I wasn’t working in music for like two years because I just couldn’t get a job,” he said.

“It’s so true: it really is who you know. I had someone who got me an interview at a publishing company and that’s what started it all.”

From there you would move into an A&R admin role, which could then lead to an A&R coordinator position.

If you want to keep rising through the ranks of a record label, you could aspire to become the Vice President of A&R Administration, Director of A&R Administration, or the Head of A&R Administration.

“Basically you really need to understand music publishing,” Beran says of the work experience and skills essential for an A&R Administrator. “You really need to understand the recording process and how a song becomes a song, or how a track becomes a track. It doesn’t hurt to know the ins and outs of a recording studio.”

“We also have to deal with mastering studios. Do anything you can do to pick up skills along the way, because you can go to school for it, you can read it in a book, but that’s not the best way to do it. Just really understand publishing, really understand how a label works, and really understanding the recording process.”

The type of person who would thrive in an A&R Administration role is, Beran says, “definitely a detail-oriented, numbers person. There are lots of details that are really important and if you mess up one of these tiny little details you could mess up the whole release when you’re delivering it somewhere because something’s wrong. You could throw off the accounting and everything. So, not a social person, but a real by-the-book, numbers person.”

The best training for aspiring A&R Administrators is simply working in the music industry in any related available role. A music business college program can also be helpful, even if it’s more academic than hands-on.

“One reason I’m glad I went to McNally Smith is because it looks good on paper,” Beran says. “If you can get a Music Business degree you’ll pick up little things along the way. You might not know how to apply them to real life but you’ll pick up little things. You kind of have to dig in and do it.”

“I find most companies that have internships, they’re just making coffee or running errands and they’re just using them as free labor. I would suggest finding an Assistant role if you can get lucky enough to find one somewhere.”

“Work at a Publisher, because you’re going to have to know a lot of the publishing aspects as an A&R Administrator. Also, work on the label side. Get in there at the bottom of the totem pole, anywhere you can, at a publishing company or label. I think that’s your best bet to get some real hands-on experience.”

A2IM.org [American Association of Independent Music] lists a lot of industry jobs that aren’t posted anywhere else and they’ve got lots of conferences listed on there,” Beran recommends. For educational resources, he suggests finding a class run by someone actively working in the business today where you’ll learn concrete information.