Things You Should Know Before You Sign With A Manager

Before you sign any contract with anybody you need to fully understand what it is you are signing and the terms of the contract.  Not all contracts are created equal.  As an artist, you should be looking for a contract that will benefit you in the long run.  However, the manager is also looking at what will benefit them in the long run.  You have read so much dealing with what to look for; you have talked to so many people about what to look for in a contract.  You are starting to wonder if you should enter in an agreement with a manager. You should sit down and have a heart-to-heart conversation with the potential manager to see what they have to offer.  You must also understand the manager is having this discussion with you to see if you are worth managing.

 When looking at these agreements you should be looking for important issues that will affect you as an artist.  What plans do the manager see for you in the future?  Will he/she continue with the marketing direction you previously had? Will he/she have drastic changes to make in what music is being performed?  You should not just be looking to get signed with a record label.  You should be looking at the overall package of what the manger has in store for you.  Will the manager have live performances, merchandising and building your fan base?

You also have to understand that you may not find the manager that has all the perfect contacts but you might have to sign with a manager that has a vision and plan to see you succeed.  They will have passion for what you are creating and are willing to stick with you until you achieve this goal. 

According to Lee Rudnicki, a music attorney, “A management contract is a complex legal document that will lay the foundation for a very important long-term business relationship. This relationship has huge implications for your music career-or lack thereof. So, this is not the time to sign something you have not fully read and understood, nor is it the time to try to cut corners by negotiating legal provisions without an attorney. Get a copy of the contract in your hands and read it-your career is on the line.”

The beauty of music is the creation of where it comes from, so be unique and different!

Sing, write, compose and produce from your heart!

Artist Managers in The 21st Century

         In my blog from January I wrote about the music industry then and now.  It is evident that the music industry is changing at a rapid pace.  Getting into the music industry as an artist manager has to be able to change with it.  I have had the opportunity to read several articles on how to be an effective manager in the 21^st century.  It’s no secret that social media is a big presences in how we market our artist.  We are also having to come up to speed on digital distribution since the traditional methods of selling music is now part of the past.

           

So what do we as 21^st century artist manager have to do in order to make sure we are marketing our artist the write way.  The first thing should have been to build a loyal fan base.  Once we have established a fan base then we have to create social presences.  There are so many different types of social media to choose from.  But the key is whatever social media presence you choose you will have to have a dedicated team keeping this information up to date.  Right now I see Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Pinterest, Google, Reverb nation and Soundcloud.  These are just a few that I see that are very popular today.

           

According to an article by Jill Haverkamp “Connecting with fans is imperative in today’s music industry. It’s that connection that can give them a reason to buy and support your music. Utilizing social media and having a strong online presence makes connecting with fans much more achievable.” 

As well as capitalizing on the social media you need to focus on product management of your artist.   The artist creativity plays a crucial roll in creating a career plan and building online presence marketing.  You will need to use brand-positioning statements to have a clear overview of how you are marketing your artist as a brand. 

The beauty of music is the creation of where it comes from, so be unique and different!

Sing, write, compose and produce from your heart!