What is A Music Managers Job?

As an artist, chances are you have asked yourself these questions before: Do I need a manager? What does a manager do? Do I have to pay for management? Will hiring a talent manager solve all of my problems? Because the specific role of a manager is uncertain, often times relationships go sour because of perception of roles and titles. This is a fact to both the role of an artist in relationship to their management team, and vice versa. It is important for both parties to communicate adequately before a business relationship occurs.


Get a Full Understanding Beforehand

Every situation, and every artist is different. The bottom line in any business relationship is what can be provided by both parties. The manager will have expectations of the artist, and the artist will have expectations of the manager. Before seeking management, ask yourself  "What do I need to be a successful musician?", or "What do I need to make it to the next level?". Please understand that having a manager and being signed to a label are two different things.

The role of a manager varies for different artists. For the most part, your manager should be willing to provide their client with any available resource necessary to push their artist to the next level(s). A manager will use their resources to gain exposure for artists via different events, public relations, and personal contacts. A more established artists generally has multiple individuals handling different aspects of management rather than having a manager that wears multiple hats. For example an artist such as Kevin Gates may have a main manager, tour manager, publicists, and other specialists such as lawyers and accountants handle most of the business aspects of his business. On a flip side, an artist such as Lil Thony may have one or two managers that handle all of the business aspects of his music.

Understand the specific role(s) of your manager and make sure the details are correctly communicated in the contract for accountability purposes. Understand that your experience and current market value ill have an implication on the types of managers and A&R's that you will attract. For instance, an artist that has a large following with placements featuring artists on a major scale will have a less difficult time finding experience music executives than a brand new artist in the marketplace.

Music Management Companies

A management company often goes hand in hand with the independent record label business model. Most management companies sign, and develop new and talent, while helping established artists make it to the next level of their career. Different companies are different in what they specialize in. For instance, a company like Defient Ent specializes in A&R development whereas a company such as Street Execs focuses on marketing and promotion, touring, and merchandising. Many management companies will invest into the artists they represent similar to a record company. Again, before you enter into an agreement make sure you know exactly what they expect from you, and understand what it is that the company is suppose to assist you with. Understand and hold both yourself and the company accountable.

Investor vs Manager

As stated before, sometimes the role of a manager can vary depending on the situation. Many artists do not understand the difference between an investor and a manager. Some artists think that the manager is suppose to do everything, including invest in all aspects of their business. This is most of the time Never The Case. While many managers will make minor investments to make sure you at least have a studio to record music in, most of the time they focus on helping artists build relationships while providing consultation and helping their clients get optimum exposure. An investor on the other hand will mainly focus on budget and ROI as it relates to a major promotional push. As a matter of fact, an investor can be looked at as the power component of the record label alongside the music execs, A&R's, and legal team. In some cases the manager is also the main investor, but for the most part a manager will push you into the eyes of investors such as independent and major record label executives. It is always important to focus on what you can bring to the table as an artist, that way any help would only be extra help.

How to Get Into Music Management

The entertainment business can be very rewarding. From having fun doing shows to getting free merchandise, there are many perks associated with the industry. Because of this there is a lot of competition within the industry. Almost everyone in their lifetime has at least once though about becoming a famous star, or even just wanted to get rich. When you see your favorite athlete win, or witness your favorite musician singing a high note, the energy and intensity those moments bring is priceless. Of course there are many behind the scenes activities that are necessary in order to produce these moments. Many people then begin to ask questions such as "How can I get a career in the entertainment industry?", "How do I become a talent agent? and "How can become a music manager?". This is tough to answer seeing that there are multiple routes to take when perusing a career in the entertainment industry.

Do you have to go to college in order to become a music manager? 

Although there are many courses and programs that focus on music management and marketing, you do not necessarily have to go to a college or university in order to become a music manager. In some cases however, you do have to hold a professional license in order to be a talent agent. For instance, when Jay Z began to pursue a career as a sports agent, he began to have difficulties due to the fact that he did not have a degree. In fact, Jay Z does not even have a high school diploma, however he has been a music executive for over two decades. This does not however mean you do not have to educate yourself on the different elements of the music business.

What are the different ways to land a job as a music manager or executive?

As stated before, there are many routes to becoming a music manager/exec. One way is to land an intern at a record label or management company. The more connects you have and the more mentors you can learn from, the more effective you will be as a music exec. You know the old saying, "it's not what you know, it's not about who you know, it's about who knows you" Hotep. Being an intern will give you a great chance to consistently interact with individuals in high positions. It will also give you great first hand experience. With that being said, internship opportunities at record labels are very competitive. You must find a way to stand out in order to be honored with an internship opportunity, and often times having a degree in some related field could be a great asset. Related fields would be Business Management, Marketing, Accounting, and Entertainment Law.

Another way to become a music manager could be by gaining experience in other areas of the music industry. Just like an internship opportunity, often times other positions offer opportunities for you to be near influential people in your field. There are many music managers and tour managers that started off as a Dj, producer, personal assistant,  MC, and even security guards. Like i stated before, building your network is the biggest key in having success in the music industry along with leveraging your connections. You can take a job relevant to the music industry in order to get your foot in the door while you gain experience and broaden your connections. One example of this is that of Ludacris of College Park, Ga. Ludacris, formerly Chris Lava Lava started off as a radio Dj in Atlanta, ga. He used this opportunity to build his network as well as his brand while he released his first independent album titled "Incognegro". Needless to say, after the success of his independent album, Ludacris was able to form his own label "Disturbing the Peace" where he served as the CEO and Music Executive of his company.

Although I stated before that you do not have to go to college, using your education will put you at an advantage when it comes to finding work in the entertainment industry. At the end of the day, you either work for a label and work as a manager or music executive, or you scout and manage talent independently. As long as you have the knowledge and your potential clients are confident you will exceed their expectations, you will a great chance at getting client and thus become a music manager. Many schools have resources that will allow you to connect with individuals in the entertainment industry. One example is The Hope Experience with Tamike Hope in Atlanta, Ga. She conducts panels connecting artists with professionals in the business. During her panels, she has had different celebrity guests such as Dj Scream, Jason Geter, and Dj Princess Cut visit a local college called SAE Atlanta where they would share their experiences with student and adults who wanted to get in the entertainment industry. HOPE stands for "Hearing Other Peoples Experience". In addition to the different resources available to students and alumni, it is overall less difficult to gain trust as an educated individual for it is always good to have some form of certification to back your brand up.

Although many individuals enter as an intern, or professional from a related industry, there are some cases in which artists or entertainers just choose individuals they trust. For instance, before K Camp was managed by TJ'sDj's, he was managed by his mother. She held different professional jobs and also had a strong network which enabled her to help him get where he is today. In an interview she stated she just googled information on how to be a music manager. She had a passion for supporting her son and did everything she could to help build his brand. Another situation is that of Brandon "BAM" McWilliams and the artist Lil Thony from Atlanta, Ga. They were childhood friends and one day they just began to work together. Bam stated "I had no serious thoughts of being a music manager. I did know i wanted to do something related to marketing, but I didnt know what. I just saw potential. I saw style and heard music and said lets give it a try". Ironically both of these individuals were educated, but they also both new their client decades before they ever thought about conducting business. At the end of the day you have to conduct research, work hard, and network to become a successful manager. If you can do that then you have potential. After all it is a team effort and you will build a team along the way.

A Regular Day For a Music Manager

With every great show or project is the behind the scene activities that helped manifest the success. Every move must be carefully thought out before execution. For a show or tour to run efficiently, the event must be properly promoted as well as coordinated in order to ensure that everything goes according to planned. Also, during the process of developing a project, there is a lot of behind the scenes work that must be put in to make sure the product is promoted effectively within legal boundaries. This is of course where management plays a part. The better your management team is the less difficulties you will face for operational matters.

What is the typical day for a Music Manager?

This is a tough question due to the fact that there are various different tasks that must be completed on a daily or periodical bases to ensure an artists needs are met. Also, depending on how large an artists or bands professional team is, different tasks could be delegated to specific individuals. For instance, an artist with a limited budget may have a manager handle everything professional for the artist. This could include, but not is limited to bookings, accounting, legal consultation, tour management, marketing and public relations. With that being said, this type of manager may sit in front of a computer most of the day, handle budget statistics, conduct market analysis, contacting event venues, handle legal paperwork, produce publicity and marketing campaigns, monitor studio production, and conduct tour management on any given day. Some managers have even been known to shoot music videos and do security for up and coming artists and bands with limited funds to invest in these services. Artist Lil Thony out of Atlanta, Ga stated "When we were coming up, we didnt have the check to spend thousands on publicity campaigns and accountants, my manager Bam pretty much did that. He would literally sit on computer all day and submit press releases. I would literally record a song and a day later he sent it to a million blogs. Plus every time we did a show or made budget decision, he use to write all that sh#%t down in his tablet. Until this day he still does a lot of that, I just have a bigger team now".

While the information above may seem overwhelming, always remember that you are a business competing with other businesses. Every professional artist or band has a professional team assist with promotion, creation, and legal issues. Think like an entrepreneur and analyze what makes your competition successful in that industry. Many of the biggest brands in the entertainment industry spend thousands of dollars on publicists, attorneys, consultation, accountants, and other professional team members. This doesn't include deductions from booking agents, distribution companies such as Tidal, and of course standard management fees. This of course is for big named celebrities such as T.I.P, Usher, Beyonce, and other artists that have brands recognized on a major scale. In this case, the manager is normally delegating tasks and over seeing the results of the professional individuals hired. Many managers spend time on the phone or in meetings, finding the next big opportunity for that artist. Instead of dealing with legal or financial information, you may focus solely on campaign management for the upcoming project. This works out as you are able to focus your attention on fewer tasks, though everyone wants the same result for their client.

In conclusion

All in all, the artist manager must do anything they can to ensure the success of their client. If the customer needs to promote a song or project, the manager should assist with the coordination of the marketing plan. In addition, the manager should never leave the artist without the proper legal assistance to ensure the best for both parties. If you are aspiring to be a music manager, you will spend many hours on the computer, as well as consulting with the client. You may spend many hours in recording studios as well as venues where your artist or band is participating, such as concerts and night clubs. You will of course make countless phone calls. You will not go one day without facing a challenge. Most of the decisions are guided by the manager and or the label as well.