Artist Management

ARTIST MANAGEMENT

Managers and Their Duties

The personal manager's primary role is to advance the artist's career by creating and maintaining great relationships between the artist and their fans, intermediaries, contract partners, and everyone else.

A personal manager is the artist's chief operating officer. His or her overall function is to do whatever is necessary to move the artist's career forward. In that capacity, he serves as an advisor, decision maker, buffer between the artist and those upon whom the artist's career depends (e.g., agents, concert promoters, record company A&R, publishers, tour managers, etc.), and even occasionally, as a psychologist. As we all know, artists’ schedules can be grueling, and they are often isolated from friends and family for extended periods of time. The manager must therefore exert a calming and supportive influence over the artist, ensure that they are eating, sleeping, etc., and be able to meet their obligations and perform to the best of their abilities.

Managers are not regulated by state or federal laws. There are colleges that offer professional certificate programs for managers and those who have satisfactorily completed a number of credits in applicable courses can earn these credentials. These certificate programs definitely indicate a level of proficiency to the public, but are not required by law.

Classwork may provide the foundation, but being a manager is a job of learning by doing, and those who do it well have some common qualities. First and above all, they have learned the workings of the music business, such that they can draw upon their experience in making decisions and exercising good judgment on behalf of the artist. They are street-wise, assertive if not aggressive, and are savvy about business relationship nuances that can help determine an artist's career success. They have a mind for details, such that they can coordinate these relationships and let nothing slip through the cracks. It probably goes without saying that they should be honest and objective. There must be a mutual level of trust between the artist and the manager, and the manager must sometimes convince the artist that his or her decision is the right one, even when the artist disagrees.

Remember, the most important service a manager provides is taking the business responsibilities off the artist's back, therefore giving the artist the time to do what he or she does best—create and make music.

More specifically, managers do the following:

• Advise the artist in career decisions—For example, which recording or publishing deal to accept, which agent to work with to book shows, how much money to ask for, etc. 


• Help with creative decisions—Select a producer or engineer for the demo, hire and fire band members, select songs for the demo, line up photographers and videographers, etc. 


• Coordinate publicity with the artist—Develop campaigns, work with the media, handle social media, etc. 


• Assemble the artist's team—Select agents, publishers, attorneys, business managers, etc., and oversee their activities. 


• Coordinate the artist's touring—Work with the agent to get the best deals with promoters, work with the business manager to develop the budget, assemble the road crew, and supervise the tour managers. 


• Stay on top of the record company—When an artist is signed with a record company, the manager makes sure that the artist remains a priority in the company's promotional and marketing efforts. 


• Serve as buffer between the artist and the outside world—Fields inquiries for the artist's personal appearances, endorsements, interviews, meet and greets, etc. 
What do managers get for all of this work besides a fair amount of stress? Typically, they get a commission, which is a percentage of the artist's gross income from entertainment-related activities. The standard commission is 15–20 percent. The term “gross” means before deductions—i.e., off the top. We'll talk more about commission in the next topic, but it's a primary factor in an artist's decision to hire a manager. The time to hire a manager is when the business side of the career has overtaken the creative, and the artist can afford to part with that percentage of his or her income. 
Finding a Manager 
Finding a manager can be tricky. An experienced manager will be interested in artists that show good potential for success. This generally means that they have already created a “buzz” on their own—online and/or in the areas where they're doing shows. Managers are always on the lookout for these artists, and will often seek them out and offer their services. The reason is obvious—the artist already has a following and a track record for generating income, all of which the manager can build upon. 


Checklist: What Managers Look for in an Artist

• What has the artist achieved on their own? 


• Does the artist have the drive to work toward achieving set goals? 


• Does the artist seem willing to take direction and accept career advice? 
Checklist: What Artists Look for in a Manager 


• What has the manager done for other artists? 


• Does the manager have time to spend working with and building the artist’s 
success? 


• Does the manager have the requisite enthusiasm for the artist’s music? 
What can an artist do when they want a manager but have not been approached by one? The first step is to network with other artists in their area and at their level of success to find out who (if anyone) is managing them. They should also determine if these artists feel good about the services they're getting from their managers. When the artist hears the same names repeatedly, along with good reports, the next step is to seek introductions to these potential managers. 
The inexperienced manager who's trying to learn the ropes might approach unmanaged bands and ask to work with them on a trial basis. Most of the successful managers started this way—learning by doing. 
Regardless of who makes the initial move, the artist and the prospective manager should have an in-depth discussion (either in person or through a video call) about the artist’s experience, goals, and commitment to advancing their career, and the manager’s connections, vision,

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