On this Behind the Agent’s Desk, I will discuss the importance of a manager in an artist’s career. A common misconception in our line of work is that managers, booking agents, and PR agents are all one in the same. In some cases some individuals try to handle all of those roles for the artist. However, traditionally each of those is a role in its own. The traditional manager’s role is to manage the artist while also overlooking the whole team behind the artist and their brand.
Most managers can have a number of duties in supporting the artist. These include but are not limited to:
- Creating tour concepts
- Shopping new releases to labels
- Handling various business affairs
- Managing the interaction between the booking agency and the artist
- Creating PR concepts and strategies with PR agents
- Managing artist meet and greets or special appearances
- Developing strategic long term plans and goals
Overall, a good manager serves as a conductor for the artist ensuring that they stay on the correct path to success while at the same time, working to keep the entire team on the same page. Quality experienced managers are hard to come by these days as they are constantly in high demand. But having the right manager can truly make the difference in an artist’s career.
Troy Gilmore
Vice President
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