A&R stands for “artists and repertoire” and refers to the department of a record label or music publishing company that is responsible for finding and developing talent. The term is also used as a verb to refer to the scouting and development of music artists in general. The A&R division of a record label often oversees the style and recording process, especially for new artists. For artists who do not write their own music, the A&R team at a record label will assist in finding songs, songwriters, and arrangers.