Summary

This report will outline the importance of Artist Management in the music industry, the key functions it entails and the businesses overall structure alongside how managers link with the Artist to contribute to the success of their career. Industry examples in this report will further highlight the service’s importance.

INTRODUCTION

Within the ever-changing music industry there is countless factors essential to the success of an artist’s career, many of which are under the business side of the trade. Music business is the key for longevity in an Artists occupation but a lot of the time, due to passion or procrastination, musicians can lack business- savvy components, this is where Artist Managers come into play.

FUNCTIONS OF AN ARTIST MANAGER

Artist Managers help with the promotion of an artist or group’s career and helps to organise business matters and time schedules. They help to find and fasten the most efficient jobs for their client – work that will make them the most money and also fit easily into their schedules.

Artist management is a multifaceted occupation that has numerous functions and properties. According to JMC’s lecturer Shannon Brown, the seven most important aspects of a manager’s job are:

(1) Helping with major business decisions –

Decisions including with record company/s to sign with, publishing deals and weighing out the pros and cons, how much money to ask for etc.

(2) Helping with creative process –

Selecting a producer suitable for the artist, helping to choose which songs to record, which songs should be singles, hiring band members, selecting photographs for social medias and launches – all to fit the artists personal brand and following.

(3) Promoting –

Plugging and pitching their client/s to everyone, not just industry people with business opportunities but also family and friends helping to widen the artists following and also helping to coordinating publicity campaigns.

(4) Organising –

Assembling, accumulating and leading the clients team by initiating connections to lawyers, business managers, agents and labels – creating a crew out of these people and overseeing their work and their effect on the musician’s career.

(5) Coordination –

Coordinating events by working with an agent, making sure to bargain the best deals with promoters, organisation of tours eg. routing tours to comply with schedules, working with business managers to develop a budget, assembling a tour crew, providing and supervising tour managers.

(6) Maximise opportunity –

This goes hand in hand with promotion. The artist managers job is to pound record companies, publishers and promoters to maximise work, advertising and marketing campaigns for the artists records, making sure their clientele is prioritised for the most efficient use of the musician’s time and money – making sure this time and money is undeniably contributing to success of records/albums/the artist.

(7) Buffering –

Separating the artist and the outside world, deciding and buffering which work the artist needs to hear about, fielding enquiries for commercial endorsements, television and social appearances, charity work and publicity campaigns.

The job basically entails coordinating the efforts of everyone working for their clients – agents publishers, label ARs, PR people and others alike. And ensuring that any decisions made are business smart while still pleasing the musician, the consumer and any business partners while also constantly aligning with the branding of the artist.

EXAMPLE

BUSINESS STRUCTURE OF ARTIST MANAGEMENT

Generally speaking an artist has three types of representation within Artist Management; the talent manager, the booking agent and the business manager.

An Artist Manager typically accomplishes all of these roles until the artist reaches a level of success in which the artist can afford to separate these fields and the work becomes to much for the one person.

Once this is the case a business manager and booking agent are hired and the talent manager generally focuses on the closer aspects of Artist management.

IMPORTANCE OF AN ARTIST MANAGER

Finding an ideal Artist Manager is a very personal decision and can make or break the career of an artist. It is essential that the manager has to relentlessly believe in the talent and inevitable success of the artist and in return the artist has to trust the managers choices and commitment to the occupation of both themselves and the artist.

Although the connection between artist and manager is immensely important there has to be a personal barrier built as well – the fine line can be easily broken when a family member, parent or close friend is hired as a manager.

CONCLUSION

Through this report it is evident that understanding or hiring someone that understands the business side of this constantly changing industry is essential for an emerging musician. Artist Managers act on behalf of the artist in multiple facets of their career, allowing additional support and relief in the musician’s personal journey to success.