Your Music Manager Works for You – Not the Other Way Around

Is your music manager your boss? Does he or she call all the shots? If you answered yes to either question, then you need to evaluate your current situation.

Your music manager works for you – not the other way around. While they will offer you advice and recommendations, their job is to help you succeed. They are there to help point you in the right direction.

Whether you are still in search of a band manager or if you feel that your current manager is overstepping their boundaries, then take a moment to review the following info. You don’t want to be left on your own playing to an empty street forever.

Learn more about the what a manager can and cannot do for you. Make sure you understand what their job is before you sign a contract with a manager.

A Music Manager Can Book Gigs and Promote Your Music

One of the main tasks of a music manager is to book gigs, promote your music, and make arrangements for appearances related to both of those tasks. They may also be in charge of scheduling studio sessions, making arrangements for hotels, and ensuring everyone involved is accounted for.

What a music manager shouldn’t do is force you to promote your music in a way that you don’t agree with. They also cannot force you to play a specific gig. Again, they work for you. You are hiring them to take care of these tasks, but they are following your direction.

Music promotion is a major part of building recognition for a band or artist. A music manager should make an active effort to grow your fan base. This may involve advertising or the production of a demo. These steps cost money and this does not come out of your manager’s pocket. This will need to come out of the band’s funds.

A Music Manager May Negotiate Contracts for You

When signing a contract, your manager can handle negotiations on your behalf. This could include contracts with record labels, concert promoters, or even local radio stations. They should be looking out for your best interests during these negotiations.

A Music Manager Can Give You Career Advice

You may also receive sound career advice from your manager. Obviously, it is up to you whether you listen to his or her input. But, if your manager has experience in the music industry, they likely know more than you.

You should take their advice into consideration, but never let this steer you away from your own goals and dreams. You should not sacrifice your desire to fit the interests of your manager.

Hopefully, you are getting the point. All of these tasks are directly involved in furthering your career. These are tasks that you could do on your own, but you are hiring someone else to handle. Remember, you should not hire a manager until you already know how to manage your own career.

What Should You Look for in a Music Manager?

When you start building a name for yourself, music managers may come to you. There are certain signs that someone is not a good match.

You want to avoid people that are only looking out for their own interests. You should avoid managers that seem overeager to please. If they are constantly talking about what they can do for you, they are simply trying to hype themselves.

Also, avoid anyone that is bad with finances. You should research a potential manager before signing a contract. You can perform searches online to learn more about a person’s background. Not only should you look at past musical acts and musicians that a manager has worked with, you should research their financial background.

Look for any business entities that the person has been involved with. Again, a quick online search should uncover any court filings or legal proceedings that include the name of the person you are researching.

The bottom line is that you need to be careful with who you choose to help manage your career. You should not necessarily choose the first person that approaches you. You do not need to sign a contract the second you meet a potential manager. Take your time, learn more about them, and make sure that you are on the same page.

Watch the video below to learn more about what a music manager should be doing for you. This in-depth video from ReverbNation outlines the primary duties of artist management:

Learn How to Get a Music Manager

Now that you have a better idea of what a music manager can actually do for you, you may be wondering how to get a music manager. We have just the guide. With 22 expert tips from a music industry insider, you can learn how to manage your own career and attract the right music manager.

Click Here to Learn More About Your Guide to Getting a Music Manager!

Source: ArtistPR Music Manager