Some of the biggest independent artists wouldn’t have made it big without the help of music managers. That tells you that you need a good music manager to help you bring your music to the limelight as an aspiring independent music artist.
This article contains tips and guides to help you find a good music manager as an independent music artist.
Who is a Music Manager?
To become one of the biggest independent artists, you will need a music manager to handle the business side of your music career by serving as your representative.
A good music manager advises you on the best step to take, build your brand as an artist, promote your work, negotiate deals on your behalf, and more. Therefore, leaving you with enough time and fewer worries to help you focus on producing quality music that can take the music industry by storm.
You may feel that hiring a music manager will put more burden on your finances; yes, you may have to part with 15 – 25% of your income as commission, but in the end, it is always worth it. Like some of the biggest indie artists out there, you need a Music Manager at the beginning phase of your music career. Therefore, it doesn’t matter how good you’re; your music may never make a hit without the help and backing of a good music manager.
What Does a Music Manager Really Do?
Music Managers help you to find opportunities
A music Manager helps you to find good recording deals, live shows, and tours. The manager does all the running and secures good deals on your behalf. Hence, a good manager will help you land the right show at the right time. Notable Music Managers that have helped independent music artists become some of the biggest indie artists include Murry Wilson, Allen Klein, known for his work with ‘The Beatles,’ and Sharon Osborne, known for helping Ozzy become successful as a Solo music artist.
Music Manager Help To Build Networks And Relationships In The Music Industry
Without the right connections, you may not be able to navigate the murky waters of the music industry successfully. Hence, it is the responsibility of a music manager to promotes a good relationship between you and the music industry and connects you to music agents, publishers, promoters, distributors, songwriters, producers, etc.
Music Manager Broker Deals On Your Behalf
Aside from helping to find opportunities, a Good Music Manager brokers all deals on your behalf. Hence, your Music Manager should have an in-depth understanding of the music industry, be skillful at negotiating deals, have an eye for details, and be able to unravel hidden clauses and legal jargon that can spoil your deal, help you secure down-payment, juicy royalties, and good distribution deals.
Music Manager Plans And Takes Charge Of Your Marketing And Promotional Strategies.
Your success as an independent music artist depends on how well your Music Manager manages your music brand, plans and organizes promotional strategies, and sells your music. Therefore, you need a good music manager to build and grow your fanbase, get popular in the music space, and achieve your goals.
Music Manager Nurtures Your Music Career
Shania Twain, Jackson Browne, Eddy Arnold, and Hank Snow are some of the Biggest Independent Artists whose music careers got big boosts as a result of hiring the right music managers. Therefore, securing a good music manager can help you develop your music career by connecting you to the right vocal coach, sound engineers, producers, and other important aspects of music.
Music Manager Handles Your Business Affairs
A good music manager takes charge of the business aspect of music, thus giving you the time you need as an independent music artist to focus on developing your music career without having to worry about balancing the book, logistics, and other business aspects.
Now that you understand how important a music manager will be to you success as an independent artist, let’s talk about getting in touch with the perfect one for you. Your success as an independent music artist lies primarily in getting a good music manager; hence, the following tips will help you to find a good music manager.
1. Connect With People In The Music Industry
One way to break out in the music industry is to network yourself with the right people in the music industry and form a relationship with them. Network with other independent music artists like yourself, and let them introduce you to their music manager, producers, big indie artists, and other important people in the industry.
2. Attend Local Music Shows
Attending and performing at local music shows is one way of showcasing your talent for the right Music Manager to find you. It is also an opportunity to meet with other independent music artists, budding music bands, and other people who can help your music career.
Attend music conventions
Music conventions like SXSW, Winter Music Conference, MUSEXPO, ASCAP, 320 Festival, Music Biz, Canadian Music Week, and much more are fertile grounds where you can meet music managers hunting for new talents. You will also meet with some of the biggest Independent artists, promoters, agents, directors, publishers, and other people that matter in the music industry, thus giving you an opportunity to market yourself to them.
Do Online Search
We live in an internet era where information is available at your fingertips; hence you can find and connect with music managers worldwide right from your smartphone. Typing ‘music manager’ into any search engine will produce tons of results you can scroll through to fish out music managers you can contact via email addresses or social media handles.
You should also use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook to search for music managers. Don’t forget; there are multiple websites and blogs where you can find a Music Manager as long as you can produce good music content that can ‘steal the show.’
5. Build A Large Audience
Having a large fan base can attract a good music manager, knowing that you have a higher chance of making a career out of music.
The following tips will help you to grow your fanbase.
- Build a strong brand identity as an independent music artist
- Build a strong social media presence
- Organize live shows and performance
- Check out music sites, blogs, and podcasts where you can feature in music interviews, promote your music, and get discovered.
- Get your music featured on popular music streaming platforms like iTunes, Spotify, Hulu, Pandora, Django, etc.
- Build a band with other independent music artists
6. Make Yourself Worth Marketing
Practice and improve yourself in your chosen music genre, and produce music good enough to attract prospective fans and good managers. You should also strive to be better at what you do and practice more, learn more, and strive to outshine some of the Biggest Indie artists in the music industry.
Final Thoughts
Asides from ensuring that you become a famous musician, music managers are people you can confide in. They offer you constructive criticism and stand on your behalf as a lawyer, accountant, negotiator, PRO, and more, and they are your biggest fan because a good music manager needs you as much as you need them since their success largely depends on yours, vice versa.
Getting a good music manager is quite daunting, but you’re sure to find yourself a good one by following the tips recommended in this article.
