Artist management is one of the most exciting, creative, lucrative, loosely-defined and perhaps even confusing roles in the music industry.
Every musician needs a Manager, even if they operate as their own, though the vast majority of successful acts prefer to have someone else take on that task, as it requires an incredible amount of time, work, and specialized skills.
This article covers the basics of this role, including what they do, how they get paid, and what makes a truly great Artist Manager.
We’ll also hear from experienced Artist Managers:
Defining exactly what an Artist Manager does is…not easy to do. In fact, there are countless ways to write it down, and it’s likely that if you asked 10 different Artist Managers what they do, they would have just as many answers.
At its most basic, an Artist Manager represents the interests of their client: a Singer or band. They may work with one act or several. They may operate solo out of their bedroom, or they could be signed to a major management company, of which there are several.
Artist Managers are responsible for representing their clients and doing everything they can to further their careers…but what exactly does that mean? A lot, it turns out, and it can change not just from one day to the next, but from one hour to the next.
An Artist Manager helps their clients with:
An Artist Manager needs to wear many hats, all at the same time, and they are the ones who touch every facet of the music industry for the singers and groups they work with.
Basically, Yonas said, a manager is supposed to take some things off the artist’s plate.
“There’s usually a point in the growth phase of an artist where it just becomes too much to be creating music AND handling all of the business,” he said.
“At its core, the role of the Manager is to guide strategy, yet Managers also serve as a buffer to the outside world. Whether it be dealing with the Agent, dealing with Attorneys, dealing with requests … dealing with the plethora of things that hopefully are happening if you have some buzz.”
Jenkins said that usually “artists look for a Manager when things get too overwhelming for them to handle themselves.”
“But,” she continued, “other artists have someone from the beginning to help get their career off the ground. Either way, an artist needs a Manager who is fearless in helping them achieve their goals!”
Yonas said your first manager could be “your cousin or your best buddy,” as long as they love your music and are excited to work with you.
“The key for me is authenticity,” he said. “We all know that the artist needs to be true to themselves, but so do Managers. I can’t sell something I am not really behind.”
While the musicians themselves are referred to as the creatives in the music industry, great Artist Managers are creative in their own way. The Artist Manager of a top-tier act will always be thinking about their client’s next chapter, what sounds they should explore, where tastes are headed and about collaborators. Artist Managers can work in tandem with executives and A&R teams at record labels to help partner their stars with Songwriters, Producers, other artists, and various other creatives.
Artist Managers may be the ones to come up with a future collaboration, to acquire tracks from a songwriting camp (or maybe even put one together), ensure their clients get in the studio with a hot Producer, get them on the remix of a rising viral hit, and so on. Some Artist Managers take the lead on this part of the gig, while others listen to the musicians they work with, making it all happen via emails, phone calls, meetings, and a lot of strategy.
Artist development may also come into play after a musician has become famous. Have you ever noticed that when a new name in pop blows up, they often change their look and sound for the next era of their career? This is usually thanks to their manager, who should know that each chapter of a pop star’s time in the spotlight (or a rock band or a DJ…) should be noticeably different from the last. Managers sometimes will come up with the general direction someone might head in–darker, more electronic, all about a certain color, a storyline–while in other instances, they hire stylists, creative directors, and more to assist with this job.
Most musicians these days are still looking for a record deal, and it’s an Artist Manager’s job to not only go out and get those contracts, but to negotiate them as well. First, an Artist Manager must find a way to entice a label into listening to a new act, coming to see them live, meeting with them, and then, if all goes well, signing them to their roster. That’s a very big job in and of itself, but it’s still only the first half of the process.
Once there’s interest from a record label, the contract must be drawn up, with both parties looking to get the best deal. Labels want to earn the lion’s share of royalties from streaming and sales, and they may even want to eat into merchandise and touring revenues, depending on the act.
An Artist Manager must counter their offers, asking for more money for their clients, more promises of promotion, larger budgets for things like music videos and advertising and so on. This requires the Artist Manager to understand negotiating, contracts and even legal terminology, to a certain extent.
Artist Managers must ensure their clients get a good cut of publishing deals and that everything is in order in what can be a very complex process. Without diving too deep into this field (which we could discuss all day), Artist Managers need to properly submit copyright papers for songs their clients written, and if they worked with other artists or Songwriters, what percentage of future royalties each person will receive needs to be figured out as well.
These days, every musician wants to hear their songs in TV shows, movies, video games and even in advertisements, as that’s where some real money can come in. An Artist Manager needs to not only negotiate those deals, ensuring their client likes the project and is paid well, but they should be active in seeking out those opportunities.
Sometimes the biggest names in the business don’t need to work too hard in this realm, but even their representation is typically thinking about something bigger, better and more lucrative in the licensing department.
Throughout the past decade or so, touring has become the biggest revenue source for most musicians, including chart-toppers. While most Artist Managers don’t actually plan concerts themselves (unless they are a jack-of-all-trades for artists who aren’t large enough yet to partner with several companies), they are heavily involved in every aspect of a tour.
An Artist Manager will work in partnership with Booking Agents and perhaps a record label to decide timing, which cities to play, opening acts, setlists, promotion, merchandise, ticketing, pricing, and so on. They will also work hard to ensure that everything is going smoothly once the shows begin, and depending on the relationship they have with their clients, they may actually trek from place to place with them.
Streaming royalties are notoriously low, and most musicians don’t sell much music these days, even though that sector of the music industry has enjoyed something of a rebound lately. It is more important than ever for musicians to find new revenue streams, and both merchandise and partnerships with brands can be incredibly valuable parts of how artists make a living.
Managers can help their clients when it comes to merchandise in a number of ways. They should be the ones who work with artists to generate logos and ideas for T-shirts, sweatshirts, posters, posters, and much more that bands and singers can sell. They may want to bring their clients several options that are in-line with the general creative direction of the next chapter of the musician’s career. Managers will have to look ahead and make sure that they are tackling this task in time to launch merchandise at the appropriate hour. Managers also need to ensure that they locate and partner with a manufacturer who can ensure that quality goods are delivered on time.
Also, managers should help their clients understand how much merchandise to have created as well as what the best price points for each item might be. They will want to stay on top of new trends and developing technologies in this space that could help the artists they work with earn more money and be smarter about how they approach merchandise.
Brand partnerships are also not only incredibly important these days, but they are commonplace. Companies have recognized that working with musicians can be a fantastic way to help solidify and build their brand and reach customers who otherwise might not think of them. Managers should be the ones who seek out these opportunities either by contacting brands that are actively looking for artists or by creating programs and needs from the start. These same managers will have to also negotiate the terms of a contract–such as how many songs a musician might play at an event or how much promotion is required via their social channels–as well as the all-important financial terms.
One of a manager’s biggest roles is taking things off of the plate of the musician they work with, thus freeing up their time so they can write and record new music and just generally be creative. A manager is usually acting on behalf of their client, so the relationships that they have with other people in the music industry can essentially be thought of as the relationship the artist has with that person as well. This means that a manager should spend a lot of time connecting with others via calls, social media, email, and meetings. These can be focused on a single task or project, or perhaps just a catch-up with another person who might be helpful later on.
Artists should build relationships with tastemakers and decision makers as well, but often they become involved after their manager. Sometimes a musician will take a meeting with an executive in the industry following a similar meeting with the manager. Basically, since a musician doesn’t have enough time to socialize and create those special and valuable bonds, their manager must.
Media remains incredibly important to musicians, as it is still one of the best ways for anyone to promote any project to the world. If a manager is working with an artist who is just starting out and has very little money to spend, they might not be able to hire a publicist or a PR firm. If that’s the case, it’s usually the manager’s job to reach out to journalists and seek out press opportunities for their clients whenever they have a new song, video, tour, or album.
Usually though, managers work with a hired press person or team instead of doing their job for them. The manager ensures that all the materials going out to the press are factually correct and in-line with what the musician wants. They help choose which photos will be shared with the media, they advise when it comes to press strategy for a project, and they assist with scheduling when it’s time for their client to do a photo shoot or an interview. It isn’t uncommon for a manager to pitch their own interview or story if they happen to have a relationship with a certain journalist, but usually that job is left to people who specialize in media relations.
Radio is still a great way for artists to share their music with the masses and find new fans, but that is not an easy process. Just as is the case with press, sometimes a manager will actually do the work of sending songs and materials to radio stations and following up with programmers and DJs to see if they can get their client’s music on the airwaves. This is not uncommon with managers at smaller firms or who are just starting out, especially if they manage musicians who are also just beginning their rise.
When it comes to managers who work with artists who are more established, usually they will spend the money to hire a radio promotion team, in which case it is the manager’s job to act as a go-between and handle all the details that the artist will need to know. Managers should ask for reports that detail which radio stations have been serviced and keep track of the follow-up to ensure getting the most bang for their buck from this radio campaign.
This topic can blend with press because sometimes radio stations will want to interview a musician or even have them stop by for a chat or a performance. If that’s the case, the manager has to find a time and practice with their client and then perhaps even ensure that they get to the station on time and are ready for the opportunity.
It’s not often spoken about, but one of the toughest parts about being a music manager is the logistical side of things. Logistics are everywhere in music, and a manager must be detail oriented, otherwise things can get lost in the shuffle and huge problems can arise.
Managers need to think about the logistics behind everything from touring to press to radio to social media to merchandise, ensuring their clients have hotel rooms when needed, as well as transportation and security, that their travel documents are in order, that special guests are set up properly to visit a record label or a show, that studio time is booked, that the music recorded is passed on to mixers and engineers… The list can go on and on, and most if not all of these logistical items fall on the manager to handle.
A lot of different jobs have been mentioned so far, and in some cases a manager must handle all of them. Hopefully, the artist and their manager get to a point where they can afford to hire outside help to take over things like press and touring and radio. If that’s the case, which it often is, the manager not only speaks with those people much more often than the artist themselves, but they also have to assist in finding them.
When it comes time to locate a publicist or a radio promotion team, the manager must do the research to find the right people and companies that have a good track record and are within the budget and interview them. The manager should come to their musician client only when they have options that they are happy with and believe in, which might require them to reach out to others in the industry to see who they have worked within the past.
If the company or person hired isn’t a good fit and doesn’t do a good job, often the manager is blamed, as they were the one who brought them into the fray in the first place.
These days, Artist Managers do so much more than even what is mentioned above, though those are the biggest focuses. Today’s Artist Managers need to be thinking about fan relationships, social media, email newsletters, updating the website and so on. Basically, anything related to a musician’s career–other than performing, writing, and recording the art itself–should be on the to-do list of the manager.
If it sounds like a lot has been discussed above, these paragraphs still don’t touch on everything.
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The vast majority of Artist Managers make a certain percentage of their client’s incomes. The terms of payment are usually very straightforward and strict.
What an Artist Manager makes depends on their clients, their experience, and whether they work on their own or with an agency. Almost all deals see Artist Managers making somewhere between 15 and 20% of their client’s total income1.
Some Artist Managers prefer to sign their clients to deals that last one year, others prefer two or three years, with the latter option being seemingly more commonplace in the music industry.
Yonas said artists shouldn’t sign a deal that’s long than a year, at least not until you trust the manager.
“One year is enough to feel each other out,” he said.
“Managers are typically the one to bring contracts to the table. If you don’t want a contract, then don’t ask for one. However, I would suggest you send an email that clarifies the terms: “we will pay you 15% of this income, but you don’t take 15% of that income.” You should have a clear understanding of what is expected from both sides.”
Asking how Artist Managers find the musicians they decide to work with is like asking a record label how they discover acts they want to sign in that there are many different answers, and there is no defined way this happens all the time…though there are a few options that seem to be the most popular.
Perhaps the most common method for Artist Managers to find new acts they may want to sign is the oldest: word of mouth. When a musician, fellow Artist Manager, Record Label Executive, Booking Person, or even just a friend turns them on to a new Singer or band and they like what they hear and see, it may be time to take on a new client.
They are also more likely to listen to their suggestions than to a cold email. Word of mouth is still incredibly important in almost every aspect of human interaction, even to this day.
Yonas and Jenkins both said artists and managers find each other through bands they like. If you’re an artist, look up who manages your favorite artists.
Many record labels and Artist Managers focus on talent first, but there is an argument to be made for working with a name who already has built a following. Signing a social media celebrity looking to expand into music is not a sure thing, but it’s usually a safer bet than a completely unknown act that doesn’t have hit-making potential just yet.
Also, watching a track go viral on Twitter, Instagram, or especially TikTok can be a great way for an Artist Manager to find their next client.
Many Artist Managers and record labels carefully watch streaming platforms and have their own programs to track which tunes are picking up steam anywhere in the world. This is a tried-and-true method for executives and Artist Managers to latch onto rising acts before they become stars and connect themselves to singles that are already done, but which just need some help becoming proper chart successes.
The impact that streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music have made on scouting new acts cannot be overstated.
So many things make a great Artist Manager, and while not everyone can claim to have every quality, some make up for what they may lack in one field in other ways. Artist Managers need to be hardworking, first and foremost. They must be willing to put in the hours and grind as hard as the musicians they’ve signed. There has never been a successful artist manager who is afraid of working. If any band is looking to hire a manager and they get the sense the person they’re looking into hasn’t prepared for a meeting or done their research, that’s usually a good sign it’s not right.
All of the following traits make for a good Artist Manager:
Perhaps most importantly, Artist Managers have to believe in their acts and their vision. If they don’t, it’s hard to stand behind the work in the way they must.
It has become easier than ever to create, record, and release music to the world. Technology has made it possible for thousands of talented people to launch music careers, and while most of them won’t make a living from their work, that still means there are more artists than ever before. A consequence of this change is that there is a need for more professionals in the music industry as well, including managers. With the internet, email, social media, and various other tools aimed specifically at those working in the music business, there has never been a better time to become a music manager.
But how does one get that job? There isn’t one perfect answer, and people have taken many different routes, but let’s explore two of the most common.
The more traditional route to becoming a music manager is through other managers and management companies. Securing a job at a well-known music management company is not easy, but there’s always a need for ambitious new people to enter the field, so it is certainly possible.
For those who are in high school or college, an internship is probably the best way to start down this path. Work will be difficult and usually not terribly fulfilling at first, but that is the case with most jobs. A number of management companies are regularly looking for interns, and these opportunities allow young people to get their start in this exciting business and understand exactly what goes into the job of music management.
Whether anyone has completed an internship in this field or not, it is still possible to go to work for a music management company, which often provides a bit more stability (and certainly benefits) that working alone usually doesn’t. Again, it’s not easy to get the attention of someone at one of these firms and definitely not to land a gig, but there are always openings for lower level associates, so all it takes is persistence and perhaps an in at one of these companies.
Many music managers either didn’t get their start at a management company or have never worked for one. Managing an artist is a job naturally suited for those with an entrepreneurial spirit, and thus it makes sense that quite a few well-known ones–or at least those who make a living in this career–do so entirely on their own.
A manager can start simply as someone who loves music and has a passion for developing the career of an artist they stand behind. A lot of learning will need to be done, but it’s the drive that can be most important when beginning down this road. Many of the qualities that make for a great manager cannot be taught, so if someone possesses them, they can usually go out and learn the intricacies of the music industry and whatever else is required of them.
Some people start by working with one musician or band and build them up, while others found their own independent management firm and sign a handful of clients, sometimes with another manager on board as well. Those who are eager to get started in this business don’t need to wait for gatekeepers or the powers that be to grant them a chance, and all they need is one artist to sign with them to begin.
Lisa Jenkins is an Artist Manager with Vector Management in Nashville, TN. Lisa represents Grammy Award-winning musicians Rodney Crowell, Don Felder (formerly of The Eagles), and Peter Frampton in all aspects of their day-to-day career activities. Lisa supervises performances, budgets (touring and recording), merchandise designs, promotional materials, public appearances, fan experiences, branding opportunities, and social media strategies.
Prior to joining Vector, Lisa was Mr. Frampton’s Personal Manager and advisor on publishing, touring, and ventures including Framptone. Her scope ranged from hiring tour personnel to arranging a successful 2007 Grammy campaign for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. She led the team responsible for Peter Frampton’s new memoir, Do You Feel Like I Do?, debuting on The New York Times Best Seller List.
Earlier in her career, Lisa worked with artists including Cyndi Lauper, The Mavericks, Lucinda Williams, Junior Brown and Jack Ingram, David Foster, The Smithereens, Take 6, John Sebastian, Billy Joe Shaver, Ronnie Milsap, and Bela Fleck & The Flecktones.
Lisa is a 2009 graduate of Nashville’s prestigious Leadership Music program. She is a 20 year plus member of the President’s Council/Advisory Board of Musicians On Call and has volunteered with the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights program to help build schools and teach math and reading in rural villages.
Ben Yonas is a Grammy-nominated Music Producer/Engineer and Artist Manager. His production/engineering credits include Mos Def, Estelle, TV On The Radio, Ledisi, Mickey Hart, Sammy Hagar, and Rubén Blades. He currently manages a roster of artists that include Grammy winner Lady Rizo, Grammy-nominated violinist Jeremy Kittel, Grammy-nominated hip hop duo Los Rakas, and the Latin Grammy-nominated band Making Movies.
Past management clients include Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart and Oakland Hip Hop duo Zion I. He earned his MBA from the University of Memphis where he was an Assistant Professor of Music Business, directed the music business program for six years, and led Memphis’ High Water Records and Music River Publishing Company. Ben currently lives in Atlanta with his family and is an Adjunct Professor of Music Business at Emory University.
