Artist Managers in a New Music Industry

George Howard in his article titled ArtistManagers Must Understand Their Role Is Now Business Development states that an artist manager’s role has shifted from a focus of finding a label to sign their artists to “developing and unlocking value for their bands; i.e. business development” (2011). 

What does he mean by this? Most would counter that the concept of developing an artist has always been about business and following those principles. Howard does mention several artist managers that do take this approach, but many do not and rely on labels to function as the business managers for the industry. Counter that thought with today and the state of the music industry where if you are not a profitable producer for a major label, your only course is to develop your brand through “indie” or DIY methods.  This means for the majority of artist that the importance of having an artist manager that is capable of running a business is a must.

Core competencies must exist within the manager that lends to the development of the business that is your band. But this person also must be able to work with the vision of the band to find how to capitalize and refine their product to generate further fans and increase revenue to meet the financial goals of the group. In the book The Product Manager’s Field Guide by Full Sail University describes the competency set “Ability to Deliver Results Through People” (2003), this set that is focused on the capability of a manager to work effectively in managing products through people. Building consensus, communication, building report and adapting to both internal demands of the band but external professional contacts and understanding the needs of the fan base are all examples of this competency.

Again the goals of the band need to be examined to understand at what level in the industry they are striving for. If the desire is to find a living with in the industry then the art of business development must be a part of the plan. Building a team with a good manager at the helm is a recipe for success, which in place the artist can focus on writing that hit.

Reference:

Full Sail University. (2003). Product Manager's Field Guide. Full Sail University. McGraw-Hill Create. ISBN-13: 9781121176843