Artist Management Contacts

If you are serious about getting a record deal, touring, and making money as a musician, you have probably considered the idea of artist management. What does an artist manager do? An artist manager does much of the work of promoting a band, working on multiple platforms to get a band gigs, sales, and recognition, though the role of the manager varies widely with the needs and requests of the artist. The artist manager can be a very key element of an artist's success. But it is also very important to get a fair deal with a trustworthy manager. For this reason, you should educate yourself about artist management contracts and work with respected artist management companies. You can find and research such companies through a music contacts database online. An entertainment attorney will be a valuable asset to you at this point of you career—hire one if you can.

No matter what kind of an artist management contract you have, there are a few basics that you should always consider. The contract should cover the essentials of finances, labor, and length of agreement. As far as money goes, you will need to determine how much of a cut of the earnings that your manager will receive. Will the manager only make money from deals that he or she orchestrates, or will your manager take a percentage of profits no matter involvement? Managers typically get 15-20% of a band's earnings. You must also discuss how to reimburse the manager for costs that he or she takes out on your behalf.

Discuss how long you would like the term to be—usually a year for a manager you have not worked with before (you can talk about a new contract when the time is up). You must also discuss the role that the manager will take on in the life of your band. How much and what kind of work do you expect your manager to be doing for you? How much of the work will be promotional and how much will be business or financial? Will the manager take on the small tasks, or will you as an artist? You will need to discuss all these things.

Artist Management Contacts don't have to follow any specific rules—they just have to beneficial to both the artist and the manager. Just make sure you are explicit when you hash out the details, and your artist management contract should foster a healthy relationship between you and your manager. With a manager on board, your band is taking more steps forward to getting a record deal and making it in the music industry.