You will definitely need a manager once you’ve obtained a record deal. Your music manager will help your record label in their efforts to distribute and promote you.
Are you ready to have a music manager?
You’ve been doing tons of shows & you’ve sold a few thousand CD’s. Lately it seems like you are handling more & more business. Sooner or later you are going to want to hire a music manager to take care of things so that you can concentrate on your music & recording.
Don’t under estimate how much business & administrative work there is to do in the music industry. If you get picked up by an inexperienced music manager that has no idea how to manage a successful artist your record label will replace him / her. Most successful record labels will require you to have a successful manager.
A successful music manager can also help you acquire a record deal with a well known record company. You will need to make sure that your manager is qualified & can lead you in the right direction. This section will help you identify what you are looking for in a manager.
These days a lot of artists choose their friends to be their manager. This is not the best idea unless of coarse your best friend is Phil Robinson. It is very important that you choose your music manager wisely & get everything in writing in order to protect yourself from getting screwed. Picking the right music manager may take some time so you will need to be patient.
Managers can do many things for you as well as provide creative direction and manage your finances. Your music manager should have extensive knowledge in the music industry. He/she should have experience in your genre. A great music manager will always have a fair and un-constricting contract. It is very important that you don’t go with a manager that has too many other acts. If you are not a priority you will not get the attention that you will need & it will be much harder to succeed in the music industry financially.
What percentage does a music manager get?
Make sure that your manager is a legit music manager & not just some tired dreamer without a work ethic. The music industry is a tough nut to crack & everyone is not capable of dealing with the trials & tribulations. There is a set rate of 15-20% that managers should receive in exchange for their services. This percentage is deducted from your gross income. Management contracts are usually no longer than two years with an option to extend that time if the manager gets you a record deal & is exceptional at taking care of business. There should be an agreement that at any time either party can terminate their relationship.
Music managers can and will sometimes act as an investor if he/she really believes in you. If your package is not up to par they will do the things necessary to bring your package to a certain level of professionalism. This includes photography, recording, mastering, story/ biography.
It is your business Managers job to handle anything administrative and financial including publishing deals, royalties, recording, public relations, publicity and promotion. Remember it is your business Managers obligation to get you work.
This is NOWHERE near a perfect world, so you need to acquire enough information about the music industry so that you do not put all of your trust in your manager. You should definitely research and discuss things together. The contract that you have with your manager should also state if they are your manager for other areas of the entertainment industry as well. It is not unlikely for musicians to become actors and vice a versa.
It will also be your Managers job to keep accurate accounting records to ensure that no one is being ripped off. A music Managers role is some what sophisticated these days so it would not be a bad idea to make sure that they have taken a course in Music Management.
Music managers have a lot of responsibility including development, getting a booking agent for tours, developing a great promotional package, creating the artists image including wardrobe & stage presence, getting the artist a web site, songs, producers, studio time, publishing, publicity, etc.
Record labels like when a successful music manager RECOMMENDS an artist to them. This saves the A&R a lot of research when looking for new talent to sign. There are several things that the right music manager will be able to do, one of them is get you a record deal if your music can generate fan support with a strong fan base.
