There is a right time to find people to help your career as a music artist. Jeff Rabhan, Music Industry Essentials contributor, recalls the number of times an artist has entered his office — “They talk to me about management. . . They’ve got their lawyer, manager, agent, publicist, digital marketing, and all of these things. And what I’ll say is, ‘That’s great. Now, where’s the music?’
Nevertheless, the team you surround yourself with as an artist is incredibly important to understand, especially your music manager. Jeff talks about what a great music manager looks like, when you should get one, and their responsibilities towards an artist.
Watch the full video to learn about:
- the artist orbit
- the role of a music manager
- how to find the right manager
When Do You Get A Music Manager?
The most important member of that team is ultimately the artist’s manager. A simple pulse-check to know when to get a manager: when you realize that you no longer have time to manage your career. If you can do it yourself, then you should do it yourself. If you can’t do it yourself, it’s time to get a manager.
This also means you are generating income, are getting booked shows, and have opportunities. When payment is coming in, then you have something to manage. Many artists make the mistake of getting a manager when there’s nothing really to manage.
How do you know who the right manager is for you?
The right manager is the most experienced person and the one who’s the most excited about you and your music. In a nutshell, when you have something going on, managers will come to you. When you have nothing going on and nothing to manage, you’ll have a very difficult time getting a manager.
What should I look for in a manager?
Ultimately, the most important person in your deal is your manager. This is because they are the go-between for you and the label. It needs to be a manager who understands the music business. The manager is the person who wants to turn the artist’s career into ten times more than what they have seen. The manager is the one who’s going to be the go-between. This liaison makes everything run smoothly between the artist and the label, the artist and Spotify, the artist and title, or just the artist and everybody.
What should my music manager be doing for my career?
The artist should be truly focused on making great music. The manager should never want to do that. The manager should just be thinking that they wish this artist to be the biggest thing going on in the world and that they’re going to do whatever they can to make that happen. If, as the artist, you don’t believe that someone will be that person for you, then that means it’s time to find a new manager. So it ultimately comes down to that the manager needs to believe in the artist. If they don’t, then they’re just somebody looking for money, and as the artist, you’re going to get screwed.
