So I've been a musician for a long time, gigging on various scenes in the UK. I've played for a living both on my own and in bands and I still make a fair whack of my income out of live music. I'm also a producer with a home studio and I've recorded, mixed and mastered 5 albums and 9 EPs. I'm 31 and my dreams of becoming the next big thing have long since gone.
To have a successful and sustainable career in music, getting the help and expertise of a music manager can be just the right antidote to what can otherwise be a stressful and never-ending venture.
Marketing your music takes time and energy, but you can get lost in the day-to-day of managing your presence, instead of focusing on the important parts of creating and writing music.
Finding places to gig, organising those gigs, and working with venues can be exhaustive and time-consuming for an artist. Sending out electronic press kits for your music is something that takes time and effort.
They have industry contacts who can work with their clients helping them grow as artists, but can also offer input on the creative side of a musician's work whilst collaborating with other composers, musicians, and producers within the music industry.
Before sourcing outside management to look after your music social media presence, record deal contracts and other music business stuff, you actually need to have something worth managing.
Once you get to a plateau and realize that other people may be able to help you break through that, that is a great time to get a music manager to alleviate some of that pressure and push you even further.
Maybe you don't have the right connections. You don't have experience in booking shows. You have absolutely no idea how to run an effective music rehearsal. You don't know how to promote your live shows. Social media just confuses the hell out of you.
You may find that you are better off just getting someone to help you a couple of days a week with putting together your music content for social media. Or maybe you just need someone to manage your Spotify presence.
This one should be self-explanatory but an artist manager won't want to take notice of you or help you grow your fan base if you aren't doing the basics of writing and releasing quality music.
Grow your fan base by releasing music that people can connect with around the world. People who matter take notice of these things and you may find that management approaches you if you are making waves.
You can theorize that the 'best' managers would find you instead, and whilst there is in part some truth to that, you can (and should) reach out if you find someone who you think would be a good fit for your career.
We detail the different types of managers and what they do below, but in a nutshell, they run your business (or an aspect of your business) so you can continue to experiment, create, and build other relationships.
If none of those is an option for you, look up some of the artists who are a bit further in their career and research who their early managers were (or ask them directly). People are typically willing to share that type of information.
A common way of finding a manager for new artists is to hire a friend or someone they know. This person may not have a ton of experience in music management, but ideally they exhibit the skills needed to get the job done. Arguably, just as important is someone who shows excitement about your music and growing your career.
Contracts can be defined by years or by album releases, as they would with a record label. A typical contract with a manager is about three years. However, it may be worth including a clause that allows you to evaluate progress and how the relationship is going after six months or a year, giving both parties the option to cut ties without legal consequences.
I deployed it on the music computer my company at the time was using, and it was received pretty well. After a couple of weeks in production, I realized some bugs in it, and went to work on version 2.
Overall, this person is your right hand in almost all things, and thus will likely become a regular part of your personal life, too. He or she should be a networking pro and know how to work relationships to benefit you, your brand, and your music.
Another important point to consider is that even if a manager is on the personal or business side (or you have one of each), as you grow in success, the team around you will need to grow as well. Your manager is going to be the person that helps you build that team. So choose them carefully.
At the MMF, we impress upon all our members that they should be up-to-speed on music-industry knowledge. Even in areas where they might not be so skilled, they should try to improve all the time. Read our full Code of Practice to see the full range of abilities good managers tend to possess.
Thanks @FredBezies for update on YT Music, was able to transfer of 2000+ songs from google play music manager.
really liked the way YT Music handled the media library transfer.
and my 1st observation while transfer was it uploaded files which are my favorites and songs which i listened to more often first.
The role of a manager varies widely within the music industry. From pitching music to labels to handling your music publishing, the goal of a music manager is to support you and your career, and go to bat for you whenever possible.
Kenny Hamilton and Malita the Mogul, two music managers that joined Songtrust for a discussion about music manager roles, had a lot of recommendations on where to get started. One first-step suggestion was that a manager should form a business entity for each of their clients to assist with financial organization and taxes. The next general steps that every music manager should ensure their clients are on top of include:
A typical deal can be between 15-20% of income going to the manager. This encompasses any income generated by the artist through their music, including brand sponsorships related to music, publishing income, and touring revenue.
A music agent will also work with promoters to ensure that the event goes smoothly. This includes ensuring that you have everything that you need for the event. This includes the sound check and the payment for your appearance.
The main task of a music agent is to book shows. Their goal is to book bigger and bigger venues. If you want a detailed look at the role of a music agent, then watch the following video. It provides plenty of details:
So, how is this different from a music manager? It depends on several factors. A music manager helps you manage your career. This can include some of the responsibilities of a music agent. It really depends on your needs.
A music manager is a broad term. It covers a lot of ground. A music manager can act as a booking agent, a promoter, and an intermediary between you and the music industry. Here is an overview of some of their main tasks:
A music agent will not contact a record label and help you land a recording contract. They will not negotiate with music publishers to license your music. These are tasks that are generally handled by a manager.
You can take on the role of a music agent for your own musical act. As with a music manager, you may not need an agent. They are responsible for tasks that you could take care of on your own. Though, you will eventually reach the limitations of what you can do on your own.
The main point is that music managers, agents, and other professionals are not necessary for the average indie artist. You can book your own gigs (taking on the role of a music agent) or promote your own music (taking on the role of a music promoter). Really, an indie artist needs to learn more about these tasks and roles and job titles.
Like most careers, how to become a music manager takes time. It is pretty much nonexistent that someone finds success as a band manager overnight. There are multiple steps you can take to make sure you are ready for the road ahead.
There are two ways one can enter the music industry as an artist manager however by no means is one more correct than the other. The first way we will discuss is the DIY method meaning you do not have any professional training such as educational certifications or degrees.
Like any career in a creative field, you need to have a passion for what you are doing. Being passionate will exponentially increase your chances of becoming successful in anything you do. Without it, you will often ask yourself, why am I doing this and your music management career will be over before it even starts.
By showing passions for what you are doing and trusting the process you build confidence in yourself and show off that confidence to others. Creative individuals are more likely to work with someone who has a love for what they are doing over a potential manager who is just trying to profit from their potential success.
Even if you are not working in a music-specific role right away you will have the platform available to make the contacts you will eventually need. If you are interested in a specific genre, find out what venues promote that music and be there as often as possible. By doing this, acts will soon know who you are and understand what you are trying to do. Most entry-level or even volunteer gigs can be the entry to a career as an artist manager.
The next method for entering the entertainment industry as an artist manager revolves around education and formal training. This is also a great route to take. You will learn the business skills you will need in order to properly handle financial situations and objections that come along the way.
Compared to the previous method, this is sometimes considered to be a safe and more structured path to starting your music career, however, it may take a longer amount of time to move through the ranks of a music management company to that artist manager position you seek.
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