Mogul City Media & Entertainment Group

The distinction between a music publisher and a record label is often misunderstood. The previous section outlined the responsibilities of music publishers. This section addresses the role of record labels. You will see that these two entities serve very different functions. Record labels are in the business of signing and developing recording artists—not songs. They are also responsible for the promotion and distribution of their artists' works. Employees in various departments of a record label oversee virtually all budgetary and creative decisions involved in the recording and marketing of albums. The Artists and Repertoires Department (almost always referred to as A&R) is responsible for the creative elements of the process. The A&R department's employees' responsibilities include scouting, signing, and developing artists; helping artists to find the ideal producer to best capture their sound; locating hit songs for those acts who do not write their own material...