Introduction

Considering artist management as a profession

Whatever the name—manager, personal manager, artist manager, brand manager, or representative—managing artists in the music business means that you are becoming a part of every facet of someone else’s life. There is virtually no aspect of the professional and personal corners of an artist’s life that a manager doesn’t encounter on a regular basis. Helping direct the career success of an artist requires it. To the manager new to the profession, they will find it is immensely time consuming, slow to deliver rewards, but energizing with its fast pace and regular challenges.

Artists in the music business are sometimes managed by attorneys. But, there is a reason why professional managers make the best choice by artists to manage their careers. Mike Milom, one of the top entertainment attorneys in the country, told me at lunch one day that attorneys are not necessarily the best choices to provide career management to artists primarily because of their conservative nature as practicing professionals. Lawyers are disposed to advise their clients on ways to conduct business without creating conflict. Today’s artist manager, in order to stand as the strongest advocate possible for an artist in a highly competitive industry, must be able to push their advocacy to the limit—without overstepping the boundary of business ethics. Attorneys have become effective managers but it generally requires that they step away from practicing law.

Be creative, informed and connected

Today’s artist manager must be willing to encourage their artists to take calculated risks and to support their clients when they do. This doesn’t mean they take chances with an artist’s career. Rather they involve the artist in promotional ideas that get the artist outside of their comfort zone and open up opportunities to help them reach their goals.

While you’re managing some else’s career, you must manage your own. That means you must keep current with the entire music business. Certainly technology and changes in the legal environment of the music business will create new directions and challenges for artists, but they also provide opportunities. As a manager you will need to be aware of trends and how they impact artists on your management roster. That means regularly reading publications like Billboard and Pollstar, attending industry conventions, and subscribing to online industry headline services like those provided by Billboard.biz and AllAccess.com.

Veteran artist manager Ken Kragen titled a book he co-wrote, Life Is A Contact Sport, and in it discusses the importance of developing and servicing a personal network of contacts. To the artist manager, being able to get that telephone call returned is among the most important assets they can claim. Without the connections—either direct or indirect—it is difficult to get business done on behalf of the artist. For the aspiring artist manager yesterday wasn’t too soon to begin building that network.

Understand people and business

Developing meaningful interpersonal relationships can be challenging, but it is more important to the artist manager than any other skill or talent. The work of an artist in the music business is a web of negotiated deals that requires the manager to have patience, an understanding of human nature, great communication skills, and a solid reputation of dependability. Each of these traits requires cultivation but they will become the foundation of a successful career in management.

Aside from the music, business is the other constant in the career of an artist manager. As surely the connection music makes with an individual’s passion, it doesn’t become commercial until it’s good for business. The artist manager must develop an understanding of team building, marketing, budgeting, and sales as they apply to the income streams available to the artist.

This book is intended to be the definitive guide to the student of management of artists in the music business, as well for as those seeking to become professional artist managers. Some of the tools developed for this book are found nowhere else, and active artist managers will find them to be helpful planning and organization tools. The companion website for this book, which is www.artistmanagementonline.com, is a continuing resource for both the artist manager and artists, and includes a directory of artist management firms, advice, and links to help the manager be a more effective manager in the music business.

Information from this book has been drawn from the experiences of many who work or have worked as artist managers, as well as from the 35-year career of the author managing people, assets, companies, organizations, projects, performers, and performances.