D.I.Y.

The Case Against Artist Management

This post is by Robin Davey of The Hoax and The Bastard Fairies.  Interview.

image from 1.bp.blogspot.com Managers don't know more than you about the music business. They may know more people in the business, but it doesn't mean they know more about it. It's a bold statement I know, but the reality is the music business they now deal with is changing so rapidly, that everybody is learning and it's a level playing field now.

The old school ideology is over.

The previous management model was based on a system that paid for radio, did favors for favors, and played the game. The only thing it had in common with what was happening on the street, was its similarity to the world of pimps and ho's.

Name of the Game

A manager was only as strong as their contacts. If they had a hot act then they could pimp that out to every limo that pulled up to the street corner, and then they would sell to the highest bidder. Of course, the more the acts were prepared to compromise themselves, the more money the manager could make.

Exploitation was the name of the game, and if you were not prepared to partake then there were plenty of other younger, better looking and more willing participants waiting to fill your metaphorical, clear-soled high heels. There were exceptions of course, but the more the business lost its footing, the more desperate those involved became. When only 10% of acts on major labels made any sort of profit, the manager's job became that of getting the band signed, inking the deal, and getting 20% of advances.

This is where creating the illusion of early success became the managements main skill. The concept of the showcase doesn't do the concubine analogy any favors either. Setting up a cozy atmosphere for the A&R kids to see the band perform live, it's more like a strip club mentality than actual reality. When only 10% made money, you have to say, that's an awful lot of managers not doing a very good job.

Take a Role

The new music industry is about small business, not big business. Cottage Industries are where the success stories of the future will be born. The bands who take the reins for themselves, divvying the responsibilities to each member, becoming an efficient well-oiled machine both on stage and off, these are the ones who will nurture a long career for themselves. You are only onstage for a very small portion of the day, and early in your career gigs don't happen every night. This is when you need to learn the ropes of management.

If you are a band, it is important that each of you take a role. Sure, the singer might be a moody poet and his dark side might not make him the best booking agent material, but he can still design the poster and stick them up all over town.

Drummers are notoriously good at making friends, get them to handle press; it's amazing how far a little charm will go. Bass players do make good booking agents; they tend to be personable but a little less bombastic than drummers, which make them good negotiators. Guitar players spend their life learning scales, this is just math by another name – let them keep the books in order. I am totally generalizing of course, but you will find that you each fit a role that you can be effective at.

Your Fifth Beatle

When the time comes that things start to get out of hand then you can look at enhancing your team. It may be time to bring in an accountant, or a booking agent, and most definitely a lawyer when deals of any sort get put on the table. Putting in the hours and learning what a manager actually does, will give you the experience to make the right decisions in your career. It may even be that do you do find that rare thing – a great manager whose can impact you career favorably.

However, it will be the work you have done previously that will enable you to tell if he is a Paul McGuiness, or just simply a pimp.

Being represented by someone, whose goal is to get you the deal, basically means you are being misrepresented. Any self respecting manager these days should be running your label, building your brand and embracing your self-sufficiency, not trying to sign you to a failing system.

If your manager is trying to get you signed, number one, they obviously don't understand where this business is headed. Number two, they are not going to have much managing available for them to do.

When all hell breaks loose find your fifth Beatle, but until then… remember, if you deal with pimps the only person you wind up fucking is yourself.

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58 Comments

  1. Nice post Robin. Most bands and artists are very naive about the whole management situation-especially in the industry HERE and NOW. This is not 10 years ago and we all need to start clearly seeing that.
    -jillian.

  2. Not so much a case against artist management as a case against one kind of artist manager.
    I favour the MMF approach to artist management and there have been many who made a difference. Ironically, Brian Epstein (who you refer to) knew little about the business, or media and only got the Beatles signed through EMI’s publisher when taking his Decca tapes round London. When EMI publishing (Ardmore & Beechwood) failed to place the first single higher than 17 he switched to new guy Dick James who had TV contacts. The rest of course is history. But he was a legendary gifted amateur who got paid in cash to avoid banking and tax.
    I think the managers you’re talking about here were always arse and the “new business model” doesn’t change that.

  3. Interesting perspective – However, there are many managers that do get it.
    As much as we like to think that artists know all about the industry, it simply isn’t true: Take a look how many great acts just are not marketing themselves!
    Rather then looking to bring in an accountant, booking agent or lawyer, many artists should be looking at bringing in a marketer or a manager that knows marketing and can build as well as execute a sound strategy for them!
    I hate to see great talent wasted and see so many artists that should be emerging just fading into the woodwork.
    http://www.8waystosunday.com

  4. If the fifth Beatle metaphor throws his post off, it's my fault, as it's my edit. In the last few years, that phrasing has become divorced from it's origin and commonly used to refer to the business, savvy friend person that helps out your band. I see your point, but we didn't mean to truly evoke Epstein. Thank you very much for the the thoughtful comment though.

  5. Wow,this is one of the least informative posts I’ve seen on HypeBot. The only thing it succeeds in doing is perpetuating stereotypes and making all the people in the realm of the original poster seem one dimensional.
    There are great artist-management models all over the indie scene. Check out Corey Smith and The Civil Wars’ careers. Amongst others. At some point, a good management/digital media person you trust is gonna be vital to your career.
    You just need to educate yourself as to what to look for and when.

  6. There are some good points in the final paragraphs of this article. It would have benefited artists and decent managers, who DO understand the new music business landscape; more if it had led with them.
    Rather than the old story of all managers are crooks…there is the odd good one

  7. @8ways I did cover that in the post “Any self respecting manager these days should be running your label, building your brand and embracing your self-sufficiency, not trying to sign you to a failing system.”
    Building a brand would of course encompass a good knowledge of marketing.
    @Charles I believe the above section also covers your concern with the post, as well as “it will be the work you have done previously that will enable you to tell if he is a Paul McGuiness, or just simply a pimp.” in regards to your comment about educating yourself.
    Thanks for reading
    Robin.

  8. Sorry, but this is a terrible article. The playing field is not level. Try cutting through the clutter with a no name band without some support from an experienced and well connected manager.

  9. You certainly have a point Robin and I wouldn’t disagree much with it. It is always right to be cautious about management. Today the business is so complex and works so many different ways your manager needs to fit your specific needs AND be an expert in all the nooks and crannies that implies. The whole area I am most concerned about is development deal management. Let’s face it, getting signed to a management deal is easy if you have some traction online… but 95% (plus) of those deals won’t do you any good. If I had a quid for every forum argument I’ve had with middlemen who claim there is a successful formula I would have about £473.

  10. Not sure what the point is here, besides arguing against the predatory artist management model of yore.
    The most important question, and one that doesn’t seem fully addressed here, is identifying the threshold at which a band/artist needs to employ management. I.e. when is it necessary and justifiable to offer someone equity in the project?
    I would argue that all bands with serious intentions need a third-party perspective, at all times, for all issues spanning organizational to interpersonal. As far as delegating responsibilities to various members of the band, that can prove tricky- more often then not, there are varying levels of commitment in a given band (e.g., the lead singer/primary songwriter is much more invested then the sidemen).
    I’d like to hear more about the specific qualities a manager is bringing to the table. The post shuns the record deal, but there many artistically responsible, dev-focused indies that aren’t trying to churn out GaGas. A good manager could be hunting these sorts of opportunities, could be assembling a business plan to attract investors, could be shopping for licensing opportunities, etc.
    Also, I would never entrust a drummer to handle pres. they are usually the least charasmatic of the group

  11. Reader I think you are missing the crux of the post. A good band will make connections because they are good, getting good takes time, in that time you learn the ropes of the business. This gives you the tools to make the most of those new connections and to make the right decisions in your career.

  12. You cant bash managers. The majority of band managers are in the biz for 2 reasons:
    1- They want to help and support the arts.
    2- They are passionate about the arts.
    Also in your opening statement:
    “Managers don’t know more than you about the music business. They may know more people in the business, but it doesn’t mean they know more about it.”
    They very well might know more about the business than you do. Good managers have taken collenege cources on the music industry, attended workshops and read many educational books regarding the music business. It appears to me that you had a bad experience with a manager, so you wrote this piece. Every band I have managed has helped them to get to another level or reach the goals they set out. There are band managers and sleazy managers, but most of the people I have worked with have been good at what they do. Way to help the image of the music biz.

  13. I enjoy getting the newsletter but if Hypebot wants to succeed and be taken seriously they need to vet their content, as well as those who produce it, more thoroughly.
    It’s been said already but this is a poorly written post lacking any intelligent or well-thought-out point of view.
    I hope Hypebot starts choosing quality over quantity.

  14. I’m sorry but this article is very ridiculous. If a band knows more about the music industry than their manager, they shouldn’t have hired him in the first place. The majority of unsigned and indie band managers make ZERO, as I have made for the last several years managing. Although we could easily take a 10-15% , we choose to invest the little money these artists make back into the recording, marketing, gas, van repair, etc. For many of us, it’s a seven day a week job, while other friends can relax after work, we have to worry about booking, updating content, making calls, emails, etc. to make sure our artist is making progress. Management is not all about contacts, it’s also about organization, presentation, delegation, consulting, and so on. These are tasks that make a lot more sense for a business person who has studied the music business rather than a musician. Your article is very ignorant and snooty, it’s not fair to all the great managers who are busting their ass for nearly nothing out there.

  15. in terms of a manager’s *knowing* where the music business is headed, it may be true that he or she knows no more than the artists themselves (although it could be argued that their guess at it would be informed by a knowledge, experience, and from a perspective that the artist doesn’t have, but that’s another issue). at this point, it’s anyone’s guess. tapping into an artist’s natural creativity can be an asset in putting together a plan that will help establish, or adapt to, a new paradigm, and many artists are doing some novel things to lead the way.
    however, when it comes to the music business (emphasis on “business”), the manager likely knows quite a bit more than the artist. much of this knowledge is based in experience, and based in experience doing the kind of things that many artists simply don’t want to do. the vast majority of artists i’ve encountered want to make art – not negotiate the fine points of a contract, dig through and sort out royalty statements and write checks, build a contact database, write press releases, follow up promos, handle licensing inquiries, fill orders, coordinate with venues and manufacturers, and a thousand other things.
    whatever the new model is, it will involve a much smaller chain than it ever has in the past, where there were labels and publishers and business and personal managers and booking agents, and print media publicists and radio promoters, etc. – artists releasing music directly with their managers, or using a super-simplified business chain, is some part of the next iteration of the business.

  16. Hey Patrick, thank you for the feedback. We're experimenting with content and authors all the time. Robin has written some great posts for us and not everyone is going to love everything he says.  Plus, we're not paying Robin either. Sometimes, we accept extra posts. All writers need room to grow and readers like you to give them feedback on their ideas. As a new writer here, Robin will learn from these criticisms and apply them to the next thing he writes.  I don't believe it's fair to bash Robin and myself (Editor) over one post. Thank you for your comment. – kb

  17. Thanks for not titling this “Music Management is Dead.”
    The point of a manager is not knowledge but TIME, work, synergy. That hasn’t changed at all and it won’t anytime soon. Two heads remain better than one.

  18. It’s an ignorant post, bashing the very people that do the most for artists. His facts are simply false, and it shouldn’t be something posted on a legitimate music business site.
    So in this case it’s perfectly fair for him (and I) to bash back.

  19. yeah, i think it’s absolutely fair to say that this article is well below Hypebot standards. i see pieces like this constantly, but until today, Hypebot has been a respite from this kind of thing.

  20. Alex I welcome all replies and love to hear the different perspectives.
    My perspective comes from being involved with Major and Independent labels for 15 years, I currently run 2 labels, as well as partnering a media production company and gasp, a management company too. Yes I am also a musician, but it’s my experience in the other areas of the business that has meant I have been able to sustain being a musician in the current times.
    If you think my facts are false please feel free to emphasize those points and involve yourself in the debate.
    The great thing about a blog like this is it does give space to debate and hear everyone’s perspective without being censored. I for one really appreciate that, and we have to give Kyle credit for his openness and honesty in that respect.

  21. If I was an artist looking for a manager then he/she would have to be seriously clued up with the new musical environment and the technologies involved. Their contacts in the tech and finance world would also be as important as who they know in music. If someone said I could get you a 3 album deal with EMI, I’d run a mile!

  22. Silly article. Really…
    (a) Bands need to worry about making music, not the business side of things
    (b) Bands with talent need someone representing them 24/7. It’s the only way they can be heard above the rest of the noise.
    (c) Bands need someone who can step away & look at the big picture. There’s too many emotions involved for bands to manage themselves efficiently
    There’s tons more reasons, but it takes more than talent to get anywhere these days. You need a devoted, sturdy team around you that believes in you — that’s where management comes in.

  23. I’m a manager and I agree that most bands don’t need managers. I also know that most bands that try to self manage do an extremely poor job at getting tasks done, making decisions and getting beyond the promising local band stage. Most managers aren’t great either but many of the ones that are at the top of their game add great value to an artist’s career. If, as an artist, you can do it all and don’t need or want someone to guide your career or be your spokesperson or actually get work done on a day to day basis, then you should by all means manage yourself. The concept of manager as strictly record deal shopper is outdated, which is why this editorial is pointless.

  24. Huh… I quite surprised at the comments left fir this post. I think some people (managers themselves) are taking this article the wrong way. I actually thought this article was very well put because it is dealing with the reality of the situation. There are too many struggling artists who honestly just don’t have the money to pay a manager and since they are new to the scene, don’t really have enough of a fan base to to convince someone to manage them. I think this article was informative to those who are in this position. We live in a time where there are more opportunities for independent artists to market themselves, but less monetary opportunities to make money from. With less revenue coming in (which is the case with most new bands) it is left up to them to take on the responsibilities of a manager’s duties. I think this article reinforces the idea that now, more than ever, artists need to be business savvy to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible.
    I think that those who are upset by this article are so because of the reference of managers of yesteryear who had the options to rake advantage of the artists they were representing. These types of managers don’t really exist anymore (at least for new artists of this generation) because, as I’ve stated before, there just aren’t as many opportunities for them to make money from as there once was.
    Free album download at http://www.facebook.com/chancius

  25. Sounds like a certain blogger/author/musician picked a crappy manager in his past. Perhaps not surprising, given that he feels a manager is “only as strong as their contacts”. Next time, you might do well to widen your criteria a bit, possibly including qualities such as morality, honesty, work ethic, and passion for your art…

  26. Robin is correct on this. In todays industry, its a red flag if the managers 1st idea for you is to shop you to labels. Seems to me Robins point is, your goal should be to find someone that will be a true resource for you to build your brand and career. The funny thing about this is… it seems there are alot of music managers reading hypebot to help them navigate through the changes in the new music industry paradigm and are getting offended by this post. If youre not one of those “managers”, he’s not talking about you. He’s talking about a culture of outdated music “business professionals” whos place has been lost in the ongoing collapse of the traditional music industry. If you think the managers to which he is referring to don’t or didnt exist, then you havent been exposed to the reality of the past music industry. That doesnt mean all managers are of that nature. Its just much harder to find a manager with the expertise and willingness to truely help an artist obtain THEIR goals, with or without a label… especially in todays changing industy.

  27. Robin, I think you did a fine job. There are a lot of charlatans out there, and a lot of well-meaning managers who don’t actually cut the mustard.
    In my experience, many artists don’t bother with the business side of things – and this ignorance is to their own detriment. As you mention, while they are “up-and-coming”, artists should learn about the business and marketing aspects so they are better skilled to choose an appropriate manager and identify if they’ve chosen well or poorly.
    In several of the bands I’ve been involved with, members of the band often think they’re going to be the next big thing and suddenly shoot to stardom rather than prepare for the hard yards ahead. Unfortunately most of the leg-work was left to the drummer [which was me], and yes – I do make friends easy!
    A good post Robin.

  28. I am a manager and I am not offended. But you are dead wrong.
    I would advise that making sweeping generalities is often a mistake. There are bad bands and bad managers, in fact there are people who suck at just about everything. Avoid them and move on.
    I bring in many many times more money into my projects than I ever take out, I deal with getting gigs in China, negotiating with licensing folks and endorsements and a million other details that would derail a project or a career if done badly and I guarantee you that unless you do this all day long, you will have no clue where to begin, and make no mistake a lawyer is not the same thing as a business affairs guy. That is the old model, not the new one. Lawyers had the power and the inside connections for a while, and bands had imbecile managers doing nothing. Times have changed.
    This post is confirmation of the old adage, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. This kind of advice is shortsighted and I am being very kind.
    There is one band that has managed to do most of their own business for years The Stones. But even in the background there is a solid team of pros. If managers sucked so much the biggest acts would fire them all, few do, why? because by then they DO have the experience and their ego is contained enough to understand that their super star status was a team effort and continues to be.

  29. I disagree. I’m a promoter and I have come across many bands claiming they just wanted to focus on making music and living their passions and they didn’t want to waste time on learning math or marketing but play live and enjoy energy. Then they were wanting somebody else, a professional to take care for their management, shows booking, album promotion, street teams, online store, contacting press, radio etc. etc. etc. They willed to pay for this too.
    A musician can’t be everybody since there are people with different skills and higher marketing skills who had already learnt what to do +10 years ago and stayed on the track with updates while the musician is new in the business and it’d take him/her another 3-5 years until he/she gets the right skills to be professional and successful without a failure and money lost.
    If the musician delivers shitty quality music or services then it discourages more people that he/she can imagine, considering whether they care for high quality at all.
    Of course if the musician chooses a shady promoter than it his/her your fault and that may rise a question why to manage his/her band alone.
    It’s cool to control everything yourself but there’s not enough of time during a day or month to stay on a track with everything what’s going on from making music, mastering, production, promotion, booking shows, designing artworks/posters, setting up social network profiles, adding friends, commenting them, spreading banners & info, sending mailing lists, building fan base, booking shows, doing accountancy, writing and signing deals (are you a good lawyer too?), renting a tour bus, booking flight tickets and hotel rooms, getting insurance, etc etc. Should I continue?
    One may not fully realize how much work and time it really takes when it comes to become noticed in the crowd of other bands trying to grab an interest of the same people in similar or the same way. There you call your promoter and pay him for doing that job so you are behind all that mess and have more time releasing the goal – making music.

  30. well ya, no one wants a crappy manager. but unless you’re ready to quit your day job and manage yourself, with all the awkward baggage that goes with it, then you probably want and need some help.

  31. that is the absolute truth. the clock is ticking on the major labels monopoly. robin, keep speaking that truth.

  32. I didn’t care for the “pimp” comparison. A pimp is someone who buys and sells people like they are currency; in other words, a slave owner. Read up on the practice of human trafficking and maybe words like “pimp” won’t be used so casually.

  33. OK so many posts and a lot to process. I would like to reiterate the point that I made earlier, I partner in a multi media and management company and personally head the managerial side of the company. I am speaking to both artists and managers in the post as someone who has spent 15 years gaining experience in both fields.
    I have always found that the acts that are the most successful are the ones who are clued in to the dynamics of all aspects of the business.
    I do in fact address most of the concerns you all have in the final part of the article:
    I say “When the time comes that things start to get out of hand then you can look at enhancing your team”
    and also
    “It may even be that do you do find that rare thing – a great manager whose can impact you career favorably…it will be the work you have done previously that will enable you to tell if he is a Paul McGuiness, or just simply a pimp”
    plus
    “Any self respecting manager these days should be running your label, building your brand and embracing your self-sufficiency”

  34. Wait I thought Paul was a pimp!
    (Sorry Paul)
    I get your point that eventually a band gets important enough to need a great team and until that time they do not warrant one or they are on only on their way to being viable and thus cannot afford one. I have protected artists for years before they made me a single dime. It is part of the job.
    Often bands I get at the point you describe have so screwed themselves that it is hard to fix and worse, some folks simply never make it there at all and it is not the lack of musical talent but of business that will kill them or in many cases lower the ceiling enormously.

  35. While this might work for some bands – bands should be musicians and spend their time practicing, writing, performing – not managing deals, and not managing business. Most artists are horrible at business.
    Bands now are expected to record their own music, make their own videos, book their own shows, release their own records, blog, tweet, blog, market, make merch … where’s the time for the music?
    Not only that but managers are helpful at being an outside perspective and resolve internal band issues. I’m not a manager, but I’ve worked with labels, managers, and bands for 15 years and most bands I’ve worked with NEED managers because they otherwise make lots of bad choices since they don’t know that much about marketing, accounting, or general business matters.

  36. What garbage. Your broad stroke condemnation statements are less about managers and more about the old way of doing things. I knew this was a bullshit article from the photo that went with it. There are good managers out there. Statements like drummers are good with people. I can give you a list of drummers who are not. This article is a joke.

  37. But Tim, it sounded like you just said a musician cannot be a good business person, and cannot have studied the music business.
    To me, that sounds ignorant and snooty.
    But I’m just a musician, what do I know?

  38. yeah bands do need someone to manage who has the contacts. I’ve got mine from nothing to fairly well known in the sousthwest but i feel now that i’ve got my band as far as i can and feel that i can’t get them any further so need someone experienced who doesn’t require any money to get them to the next stage

  39. What a joke of an article. Yeah, let’s put the band to work on designing posters, booking shows, balancing the books and PR.
    Have you ever tried getting a band to show up on time for sound check?
    Oh wait….who’s job is making music?

  40. I agree wholeheartedly Tim. This article sounds quite bitter in nature. It only seems logical that the higher in status the band becomes, the more you find yourselves around sleazier people as this is when the big money comes in. People always hear horror stories of terrible managers but it would be terribly stupid(for lack of a better word) to believe that most/all managers are 1)actually more incompetent than the actual band themselves and 2)are sleazy.
    Furthermore, you can’t in one statement, say that the major label model has failed and the industry has chance and the music isn’t good anymore and blame the majors for the downfall AND THEN in the other hand say that since only %10 of artists did well, then it was some how the manager’s fault. You obviously are just throwing blame around now.
    The music industry itself doesn’t know where the future lies so how does this guy? Incredible.

  41. If you do a quick search on this guy, his managerial resume is about as long as credits he has listed above. It all starts and ends with himself. He isn’t qualified to even write this article. Next time, get Paul Rosenberg or someone who actually has some sort of achievements. Anymore articles from this guy and I am done with this site.

  42. That’s not what I said. Read my post: “These are tasks that make a lot more sense for a business person who has studied the music business rather than a musician.”
    There are many musicians who are great at business, but even if they are- it’s not very efficient for band members to constantly be focusing on all the business aspects of the band when they have so much more to juggle.
    Please tell me where I said a musician cannot be a good business person or have studied the music business? That doesn’t even make sense. Epic Fail.

  43. I like how he keeps listing that he owns a label and has worked in the industry for 15 years.
    Okay great…. well you just gave us shitty advice. Congrats!

  44. Just because I have an Ameritrade account doesn’t mean I’m a stock broker or have the skills to go work on wall street. Can I buy and sell stocks and do a few things? Yes. Does that mean I have the same skill set, research habits, contacts in that world? um… no. Your a musician so you should manage your own career or a member of your band should do it? To a point yes… and then if you are serious about getting to the next level of your career you need somebody who is willing to work tirelessly for you day in and day out so you can focus on making music, touring, and being a musician. Call this person a “CEO”, “Manager”, President of your new record label, your DAD– whatever you want, but at some point when you feel like making your career more than just a hobby, somebody has got to work for you.

  45. “Reader I think you are missing the crux of the post. A good band will make connections because they are good, getting good takes time, in that time you learn the ropes of the business.”
    – Robin Davey
    Are you suggesting there aren’t any unsuccessful and good bands out there? I’m sorry but that is wildly inaccurate. Not only that, but both myths go hand in hand here. Managers can be crooks, but artists can also be control freaks who think they can somehow compose, and record a great album while practicing and performing a great live show while constantly marketing themselves (and otherwise) with current 24/hr marketing tech etc.
    If a band tries to handle both, then one will suffer.And I think many do for that reason.

  46. Well said – I especially enjoyed the ideas for what each player could do. So what would the keyboardist do? I’m sure there’s a good musician joke in there somewhere.

  47. the problem with the arguement is this..
    most musicians go into to music cos a. they love music and b.MOST IMPORTANTLY DONT WANT TO DO A REAL JOB.
    With that in mind delegating duties is a utopia that NEVER works.
    There is always someone who doesn’t do “his” task and then let the arguing begin = goodbye band members.
    Now you have to re-structure(more time not doing music)= people gettting p#ssed off cos its not fun = “I quit”
    Artist need someone to help do the day to day cos otherwise it doesnt get done.
    P.S. Just wait until you get a deal.
    I have experienced this having an 8 album deal with Island records and watched as all of a sudden the least interested people in the group want hold of the reins cos they know best = goodbye band
    Everyone do themselves a favour,
    find someone you trust and step back from day to day management and focus on writing hits!

  48. I manage bands and have done so for about 15 years not as a full time career but because I love music specifically the band’s that I work with’s music.
    I think music managers come in all shapes and guises some to make money some because they love music the day of the manager advising acceptance of big advances and 3 year contracts is over because musicians are more aware of the business side of the industry. They know about labels like Mute and their philosophies.
    To me if I think the music is good and should be heard and being aware of the hard work involved I’ll use every means possible to insure it happens and I am most definitely not unique there are managers and management companies out there that are led by the quality of the music and the people producing it.
    It’s shouldn’t be a debate on whether managers are required it’s a case of can management enhance your career and lead you in the right direction allowing you to concentrate on your wares. I think I can safely say that no musician would like the responsibilities of a good manager in preference to writing music and playing live.
    There is nothing wrong with DIY if you are prepared to do everything that a good manager does and you are confident that you can negotiate around recoupable advances etc and get yourself the best deal.
    So the debate should be do you or do you not need a manager. Managers will always be around and in most cases work harder than the bands they manage for their percentage when it eventually arrives or not.
    Always being a manager I’ll leave you to go over to our page and give us a ‘like’ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vote-The-Statler-Project-for-Friends-of-Mine-Festival-2011/193420004021270

  49. of all the comments i read, you guys missed the main point.. The manager fights for you and gives people heat when shit goes wrong, so the band members or artist doesnt have to manage those relationships.. the manager is the buffer between you and the bullshit.. if you are really that good, how can you maintain all that? you can call that person a intern or assistant, but at the end of the day its your “manager”, but a good manager brings the contacts and the strategy..not just the logistical support..

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