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.
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