Artist Management Guide

Artist Management & Marketing: A Beginner's Guide by Amy Hester Thomson is a well-written guide for future artist managers. If you're looking to become an artist manager, read here for responsibilities of the position you may want to prepare for:

Plan the losses. Accept that some situations could result in making no money or even losing money. Just because the payment doesn’t come in monetary form does not mean there is no benefit to what your artist is doing. An artist’s manager will build their own profile and help their artists get exposure if they perform at Coachella, but the production of the performance might cost the team more than they can afford. Plan the losses and find a way to either accept it or make up for the loss at another show. In my opinion, this is one of the most interesting parts of a manager’s job from this book. Losses are bound to happen at some point in anyone’s career. Some may be unexpected, but it is crucial to have some plan in place for working around losses so the artist’s career doesn’t end the first time they lose money on a show.?

Managers are responsible for sorting out the business manager and making sure payments are going through. This means finding a trustworthy business manager, someone who knows how to handle money the proper way. Especially when it comes to taxes, it is important that your business manager knows which tax structures are legal and won’t send your artist to jail by accident. Act as a liaison between the artist and the business manager, explain the money-related situations they might want to know. Be clear on financial terms before you begin working with the business manager. This seems to be among the most stressful parts of a manager’s job. It is easy to slip-up with money-related situations and can quickly go downhill if not done correctly. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse for breaking the law, so it is key to make sure the business manager is knowledgeable, trustworthy, and meticulous.?

Managers can also create one-sheets for their artists. These can be used to pitch tracks to editors from digital service providers (DSPs) to add to editorial playlists. In this situation, recent or upcoming music releases would be relevant to include. One-sheets for marketing or interview purposes might include key stats, recent achievements, audience size and stats, examples of brand collabs, etc. These should be adjusted frequently so there is always an updated one-sheet on hand.?

Find a booking agency/agent. One of a manager’s responsibilities is to create and maintain relationships, including relationships with agents. They work on finding an agency/agent that works best with their clients. It is important to ensure the agent has a long-term plan for an artist, not just a plan for one show and no further ideas for what the artist’s live career could look like in the future. A manager finding a solid agent for their artist means they also have to deal with firing agents, as needed. It is key to handle these situations gracefully and not burn bridges as certain relationships may be helpful in the future.?

Stay on top of everything and act as a reminder for your artists. As a manager, you need to know what exactly the upcoming interview is that you have for your artist. Is it video or audio only? Who is the interviewer? What kind of questions will they be asking? Do not assume your artist remembers everything. Having a full understanding of the situation and what is expected of the artist is key so you can explain it in the best way possible to them. Part of this is press training. Make sure they don’t put themselves into a sensitive situation or make any situations worse by saying the wrong things in a public interview.?

If I were to manage an artist, I would choose a solo artist. The more people involved, the more potential there is for differing opinions and conflict. While there could still be issues with a solo artist, that may be easier to handle than a group of artists together. I would be most comfortable with a pop artist. Once becoming a manager, I would make sure my artist has a lawyer and business manager, put together a plan for music releases, and start putting together marketing plans to increase exposure.

Want to learn more about artist management? Check out this interview with various artist managers in the music industry today:

Jenna Vitale is a senior at William Paterson University studying Music and Entertainment Industries. As a future music industry professional, she has surrounded herself with as much of the music industry as possible through internships in Marketing, Social Media, Artist & Fan Experiences, Business Development, Fan Engagement, and Radio Promotions.