BLOG: WHAT IS ARTIST MANAGEMENT?

It’d probably be easier to list the things that aren’t considered Band or Artist Management than the things that are. Management is generally an all-encompassing role, where someone takes responsibility for the growth of an act and generally does whatever it takes to get them to the next level. Yes, I know you know this, but you want the details, right? Okay, let’s go.

DEFINITION OF AN ARTIST MANAGER

An Artist Manager oversees every aspect of their clients’ career. They aim to educate, develop, innovate and guide their clients in the right direction towards success. It is a manager’s responsibility to take charge of professional decisions, garner opportunities and advocate for the artist in every situation. This can be administrative as well as creative. It can be short term and long term. It can be proactive and it can be reactive, depending on your management style and the kind of client you represent.

A Manager is arguably one of the most integral people that form part of a bands’ team. They protect, navigate, communicate and negotiate. A manager is the person tirelessly working on behalf of the act, advocating at every level behind the scenes and making what’s visible at the front end happen. Managers need to have a very clear knowledge of the creatives’ vision, and a plan to execute it. 

WHAT KINDS OF THINGS DOES AN ARTIST MANAGER DO?

• Plans and orchestrates releases
• Negotiates deals
• Looks for live opportunities or sources a booking agent for the band (a booking agent is responsible for securing live shows, tours and festivals).
• Organise photoshoots and videoshoots
• Builds an artist’s ‘brand’
• Helps build a team
• Contributes to marketing and PR strategies for the band
• Controls the finances and budgeting for a band
• Protects their client from poor decisions (bad deals, poor offers, working with unreliable people, etc) 

ROUTES INTO ARTIST MANAGEMENT

Organically through a mutual connection

There are various routes one can take into artist management. A lot of the time people just fall into the role of Artist Manager when an opportunity presents itself. A lot of managers are either a close friend or confidante of the band in question, as the relationship between band and manager really is one built on trust. It can also be through recommendation or introduction from someone the band trusts or respects. Over time the band and manager grows together and a very strong bond is formed through navigating the highs and lows of the journey together.

Fun fact - This route is actually how I ended up in management. I had a friend’s band needing some help and initially I started out doing some photos, making press packs and looking for live opportunities. I worked with the band for a couple of years until they decided to part ways but it was a solid start and enabled me to establish what would eventually become my niche (managing progressive metal bands). 

Through other Industry Roles

There are many instances of people with the wider music industry organically navigating into the role of manager from other roles such as publicists, agents, label managers and more. These people already have an established network within the industry built from the experience and knowledge they’ve built in an alternative role, and as such can easily have skills that are transferable in the role of an artist manager. In this instance they’ve already built a basis of trust by working with the band in another capacity, and as such can naturally gravitate into a more managerial role having already laid a foundation in another area where they know the band is succeeding.

Another fun fact - This route is how I came to manage another one of my long term clients, Voyager. The band were referred to me by my ex-boss Adam Sagir, with whom I did a PR internship with for close to a year. Adam didn’t work so much with  progressive metal (or djent as it was called at the time) and also probably didn’t have the capacity to work an up and coming band - so he sent them my way, knowing that I loved this type of metal! I’m so glad he did, because we ended up doing a great PR campaign together for their 5th album V. I saw huge potential in the band, and since they were looking for new management at the time we organically shifted and started working together in that capacity, and we’re still working together today. 

Artist Management Companies

Someone may also wish to directly begin their pathway into Artist Management through a reputable Artist Management agency and work their way through the ranks. They might choose to do this through means of an internship or entry level role, soon moving into day to day management and eventually overseeing a full roster of artists or even running a company. Generally bigger agencies work with more established artists and need more staff to cover all of the responsibilities a manager needs to do. This is also where the distinction between big picture manager and day to day manager comes in. The day to day manager may handle more administrative tasks and a big picture manager may focus on long term strategy and deal making. It’s not exclusive, but since there’s so much work to be done when an artist reaches a certain level, it makes sense to divvy up the responsibilities between staff. 

RESOURCES

My personal go-to for all things Music Industry is Ann Harrison’s book ‘Music: The Business’.

If you’re keen to become a beacon of music industry knowledge then this book has everything you need to know (in theory, anyway; it’s up to you to put the info into practice and build your experience in real life scenarios).

Ann Harrison’s ‘Music, The Business’ is an in-depth read from a lawyer’s perspective that gives a very objective overview of the industry, the deals, and entertainment law. I would be doing a disservice if I didn’t recommend Ann’s work. Ann Harrison also publishes revised and updated editions of her book to align with major developments within the business, to ensure that all information is up to date and relevant to current day practice. A must read for any budding manager, lawyer or artist looking to pursue a career.

If you’re serious about a career in management then I would also advise joining the MMF (Music Managers Forum), who are a body of active music managers that hold meet-ups, networking events, and training and mentoring sessions for artist managers. These events give you the opportunity to constantly learn and evolve as a manager and stay up to date with developments within the industry. I am a member of the MMF and frequently benefit from many of their activities and networking events. 

The MMF Accelerator Programme is also a hugely beneficial pursuit for any Music Manager looking to further their career, skills and network. There's the ability to obtain funding to assist in the professionalisation of your efforts in Artist Management and in turn to enhance what your value is to your clients. I was a part of the inaugural MMF Accelerator Programme in 2019 and it has been integral to my progression in my management career, allowing me to take my efforts to the next level.