When Is the Right Time to Get A Music Manager?

Timing is crucial when making wise career choices in the music industry. When should you begin your tour? When should you release your full-length album? When to consider a record deal? Answering these questions correctly is critical to maintaining momentum as you establish your artist identity. You may think you are ready to get a music manager in order to take things to the next level, but how do you know?

You must be over the start-up phase of your profession if you are ready to hire a music manager. Many people believe they are ready for management when, in truth, they are still in the critical, creative period. In this guide, we will take you through what a music manager does and the right time to get a manager.

What A Music Manager Does

The role of a music manager is to find, obtain and handle music business, publicity, promotion, and look for opportunities for their client. As your music career and business evolve, the position of a music manager expands to include recruiting and managing the right people for specific duties, helping you to build your dream team.

A general music manager may take on various duties based on the artist’s demands and where they both are in their separate careers. Here’s an example of what a music manager can do for an artist:

• Manage your music business budget.
• Book tours and/or hire and manage booking agents.
• Manage payment and show logistics.
• Help you find record labels and/or publishers and negotiate your contracts.
• Pitch your song for sync opportunities or find a sync agency.
• Manage recording project logistics.
• Manage music distribution like streaming and performance rights organizations for those that don’t have a record label.
• Oversee all media outlets like social media, public relations, and newsletters (or hire experts to do so).
• Oversee all internal communications.
• Help with career decisions like which music engineer or producer to work with, whom to collaborate with, which songs to cut or add to an album, and so on.

Depending on the scope of work and your relationship with your music manager, they may even help manage your calendar and help you streamline your personal life. There are various types of music managers who specialize in various areas. A tour manager, for example, oversees tour logistics, like coordinating soundcheck times with venues and ensuring the backline is set up, and payment is made.

In addition, they frequently manage travel arrangements such as plane tickets. It is customary for the tour manager to be in charge of several activities like taking concert and road pictures that may be used for event promotions or album art.

When is The Right Time to Get a Music Manager?

There is no definitive answer to this question. However, we believe that the sooner you hire a music manager, the better. Because the sooner you have an expert to help with music management, the sooner you can focus on making music. Today, some artists hire a publicist; first, others a sync agent, and many others start with a record label if they can secure a deal without a music marketing manager.

If they did not hire a manager from the start, an artist would often hire one when they reach a critical point in their career. In this case, they either have too much to manage themselves, or they are simply overwhelmed by all the moving parts. Sometimes, an artist may not know where to begin building a music business and need help immediately. However, many seasoned artists and managers believe it all comes down to intuition—you’ll just know when the time is right.

Consider hiring a music manager sooner rather than later to help you become more organized and set up for success if your objective is to continue to expand your career as an artist and seek out as many options as possible—from record sales to licensing/sync opportunities and touring.

Of course, a good music manager is someone who, in addition to taking care of some of your business-related obligations, has certain contacts in the industry that can help you in your music career – contacts with promoters and agents, at labels, with the press, and so on. This is where determining how significant a music manager is for you becomes difficult.

However, many artists are advised to do as much as possible, at least for a short time. This way, you’ll understand how everything works and better understand what to look for in a music manager. In addition, you’ll be able to form your philosophy on handling things like tours and promotions. You can also build your own relationship and have reliable contacts in the industry, which may be quite beneficial when advancing your music career.

Building a Strong Foundation for a Successful Relationship

Maintaining an honest and healthy connection with your music manager is essential for building a thriving, sustainable music business. Communication must be open and straightforward. Take your time when looking for a music manager. Before signing any contracts, get to know anyone you’re considering working with. If you know the music manager well, consider working together on a modest project to ensure you get along well.

If you don’t know the music manager well, prepare a list of thoughtful questions to ask them when you meet with them, and ask if you can speak with prior clients. Alternatively, contact them anyway. Do your homework, ask around, and trust your instincts. Don’t do anything if it doesn’t feel right.

Conclusion

If you’re new to the music business or looking to take the next step in your music career, then one of your top priorities is to find the right team to guide you. When you hire a music manager early in your career, that professional can help you create a cohesive, strong team of experts with the experience and talent necessary to help you progress and eventually build your career.

At GUIÓN PARTNERS, our goal is to empower our artists to establish a solid reputation in the music industry and provide them with growth and development opportunities. Lindsay Guión has worked with various musicians, from emerging to award-winning artists. We’re here to help you succeed by leveling the playing field. Contact us today to discuss how we can help further your music career.