Indie Artists’ Guide to Start Building Your Team.

Mostly every artist starting out in the music industry believes they MUST have an Artist Manager and having one is important, which is true, but eventually. An Artist Manager is great for connecting you with labels, booking agents, publicists and other big industry players. The rst question you should ask yourself is whether you actually need one right now? An important thing to remember is that you are your own business and as any good business executive you should be fully knowledgeable about the product you are selling and how to sell, and in this case your music. It’s very important for every artist to educate themselves on how to navigate through the music industry and the ins and outs rather than relying on others for information. Having rst hand experience is the best way to do it. There are a few great Artist Management books out there that would be extremely benecial for any artist to read and could act as a guideline when making decisions.

Once an artist has progressed further into their career, gained a large following and are starting to generate a steady income, is when they should start considering adding members to their team. One of the most important people an artist should consider is a bookkeeper/ accountant. Once you are dealing with multiple sources of income, you need to start tracking everything accordingly otherwise you might nd yourself in trouble at the end of the tax season. Bookkeepers and accountants will keep track of all your expenses, your income and make sure your taxes are being properly reported.

When you have gotten to the point of touring frequently, your fanbase has grown and you are struggling to create music AND manage your business at the same time, is when you should start looking for an Artist Manager. Just like any associate of any company, an Artist Manager needs to be paid for their services and most importantly, there needs to be a requirement for their services in the rst place. An Artist Manager should be someone you trust, very knowledgeable, is well connected and someone who shares the same vision. 

Once your career is ready to be taken to the next level is when an Artist Manager can help you make important decisions and network on your behalf. An Artist Manager is your spokesperson and will negotiate deals with your best interests in mind. They can help you choose the most suitable booking agent, tour manager, obtain a publicist, hire an entertainment lawyer and even land a record deal. A good Artist Manager should already have these types of professionals in their network or at the very least, know how to connect with them. An Artist Manager is there to help carry most of the workload, even help keep you organized by managing your schedule.

So to sum it up, an artist requires a manager when they can no longer do everything by themselves. An artist’s focus should be on their craft and if at any point that is being compromised, then it’s time to start expanding your team.