Managers for Artists

There a few ways a manager can be involved with an artist. The first, and considered the older method, is partnership. This arrangement is an easily established one and the maintenance of the relationship can also be simple. The manager is a member of the artist group and being so is entitled to equal share in revenue, advances etc.. Problems can occur though along the time-line if there is a point where the manager, for any reason, is ceasing to be a part of the act. If a band member were to leave then that person would only be entitled to what they have contributed and assets such as the band name will remain with the band, no further income could be derived directly from the artist’s profile other then royalties for performance or copyright in works and performance whilst that artist was with the act. When a manager has been responsible for creating value in the act, the manager would want a continuance of some of the income of the artist for a period of time, this is where there can be a large problem. Therefore, these days it is more common for the manager to be an individual contractor on commission or a fee. The individual contractor scenario sees the manager working for the band in many areas, having set responsibilities and receiving a fee but most likely a commission for their service. In many ways this builds a similar relationship as a partnership but there is complete autonomy. The manager is free to develop other artists, derive income from other services and generally be a professional business person that has no right (generally) to the songs, artist name, likeness, materials or assets other then what the manager contract allows. 

There are many factors to consider when shopping for a manager; not least of all is trust. The manager / artist relationship is essentially reliant on trust and even in the eyes of the law a personal management contract can be subject to exit by a party if that trust ceases to exist. Then there are the factors of experience and enthusiasm. It is possible for a manager with enthusiasm to provide a good service to the artist without any more then basic experience, and for bands that haven’t established a profile would be a good choice. Although, this manager, at a later stage, may not be able to handle the tasks at hand. An experience manager will have the contacts in the industry to make ‘things’ happen. They would be able to get the artist into good venues if undertaking booking duties, and generally will be able to expose the artist to the ‘right’ people in the industry in an effective manner. An experienced manager will be able to organise touring, nationally and internationally, negotiate contracts, and look after all the other business affairs of the artist as the artist increases profile and income potential.