This site is a blog for musicians and music industry people. It is a free educational resource and it is also the way I advertise my music consulting services. I am an entertainment professional with deep roots in the music industry. Throughout my music career I have been a major label A&R representative, a music supervisor, an artist manager, a reality show producer, a bass player and the head of a digital record label.
In part six I went over the ups, downs, pros and cons of parents who manage their kids. This is lucky part seven, the last in a far too long and rambling series of articles about music management. In this last installment I will go over the manager / investor archetype.
“With Money Comes Compromise.”
I don’t know where I first heard that or if I am lifting a fairly famous quote without attribution (by all means call me on it in the comments section if I am) but this statement has never been more true than in the case of a manager who gets his or her gig with the band because of the ability to invest.
It is a funny thing about the music business – I have watched this same scenario play out time and time again where people who are successful in other industries take a look at the business, make a judgment on the people in the business and decide that they can do it better. What people either don’t know or seem willing to forget is that the music industry seems to function more like Roulette than anything taught in a Wharton MBA class and many of the rules that govern most other industries seem not to apply. The most obvious difference is that people are willing to invest millions and millions of dollars every year into products (read: music and artists) without knowing if there is any demand for these products. Thank God music still makes people feel something and makes them forget the bottom line though or we’d all be in trouble. Keeping that in mind there are some pros and cons about having a manager who becomes a music manager not based on their experience but because of their ability to fund a career.
Not to state the obvious but having some money to invest in your career is always a good thing and it is the Achilles heel of most artists (unless of course you are cynical in which case it is talent). If you are fortunate enough to find someone to invest in your career the first thing you need to do is to have a complete understanding of what this will cost you in terms of your back end. No one who is making an investment in art (if you have found someone who is just handing you cash then I have a sick father who needs an operation and a bridge I want to sell them) will do so without making a land grab for your future rights- it’s just the way the world works. This much is the same in any industry. It can be really difficult if you are eating cup of soup for dinner and dodging your landlord at the beginning of the month to turn down an investment of any kind regardless of the back end cost but I urge you to think of your career not in terms of one day, one week, one year but a lifetime. Is $50,000 worth giving away all of your publishing on anything you ever write for life? I hope not- but you never know. That said – just understand what you are relinquishing in exchange for investment today and if need be – spend some money on a good music lawyer.
As I have mentioned earlier – part of the problem with an investor in music is the distinct possibility that they won’t fully understand the business regardless of their successes in other industries. At times this kind of manager needs to be managed by the artist because the minute they begin spending any cash on someone’s career a whole host of people with questionable services will arrive like sharks who smell blood. While the cash is flowing it can be a fun ride but I assure you that investors will always look down the ledger on a project at some point and there had better be some signs of a return for the party to continue.
I’m sure many of you are scratching your heads and wondering if this is a common phenomenon. I didn’t think so either until recently trying to negotiate a client of mine on to a tour only to find out that there were dozens of offers from unsigned artists willing to pay for the privilege of opening up for a name brand artist. These people do exist and it does happen more often than I had once thought.
If you are lucky to have someone like this in your orbit just make sure you know what this investment will cost you in your possible future earnings and that you and this person have an understanding and share a common vision for your career otherwise you could wind up being a death metal group opening up for a Bee-Gees Tribute band if you aren’t careful.
That about does it on music management. I will be back to doing more interview content shortly. Have a great 4th of July, 10
Rick
In Part four, I discussed some best practices for turning friends into managers on a trial basis. This option may not work for everyone though. Perhaps as much as you love your friends they can’t seem to get out of their way long enough to manage their own lives, let alone your career. It may be time to find your way into the office of a professional music manager. This, however, is often easier said than done.
Approaching a music manager should be thought of like approaching an investor with a start up company that you are looking to get funded. When trying to get someone to invest in a start up it is always easier to get people to contribute when a business has momentum and is well beyond the blueprint phases meaning it is either on it’s way towards being profitable or already profitable. It is essential that you have this in your consciousness when you approach someone to invest his or her time in your project. It is also essential that you have in mind exactly what your business selling points are above and beyond what your music sounds like – it’s very rarely enough that your music sounds great.
A great deal of being successful in your approach has to do with understanding the perspective of people on the industry side of the fence. It is about appreciating how overwhelming it can be to sit behind a desk where dreams go to die and how inundated successful music managers are with people who want something from them. Keeping this in mind here are some best practices in making an approach
1) Don’t go in cold:
If at all possible find someone who knows a music manager with a decent roster or another type of music executive who would be willing to make an introduction for you. Not at all a revolutionary idea but surprisingly one that is often overlooked. Begin to ask friends and acquaintances directly if they know people who work with music. It really doesn’t matter if it is your friend’s cousin’s roommate – something about being vouched for – even if it is 2-3 degrees of separation can really help create initial contact.
2) Present well:
This is a snippet of a real email I got recently from someone looking for help:
“i luv 2 sing , it is my world &ill never giv up. im already doin dis thing myself&i hav a guy dats a friend dat sing 2. im thinkn abt goin 2 college n persue my career @ da same time.wat shood i do 2 b well-kNown??”
Needless to say if your point of first contact is through email – use spell check. You aren’t texting a friend of yours drunk at some bar – you are trying to make valuable connections that will serve you in your music career for a long time to come. Whether first contact is spoken or written however – take baby steps. Your goal is to meet someone first – not to sign a management contract in perpetuity within the first 30 seconds. There are just too many aspiring musicians to respond to all of them when you are a manager or an executive with successful clients – they have to pick and choose who they pay attention to. My experience is that most people respond, even to cold calls or emails, if you present yourself well.
3) Be Specific and mention business accomplishments:
Write thoughtful and individually tailored emails to potential targets (Generic form letters often fall flat and also tend to reek of desperation). Why are you targeting this executive specifically? What did they do with their career or their client’s careers or who suggested you reach out? Give them business reasons to reach out to you – it’s not about “I’m the best singer in the world” it’s about – “I’ve got a mailing list of 1500 people or “my shows are selling out” or “I just did demos with a guy who worked with other artists you have heard of…”
4) Take it Slow & Provide Value
You could say - “I want you to manage me…” but every manager has different ways of working – the person you are approaching could be the complete wrong fit in spite of their successes with other clients. Saying this to a stranger is about as reasonable as proposing on a blind date prior to shaking someone’s hand.
You may be better served by saying “I’d love to buy you a cup of coffee and get your advice” or “I love what you did with the marketing plan on your client X and was curious if I could ask you a few questions…” or if you are really crafty come up with another compelling business reason that this executive could benefit from knowing you. Perhaps – “I would gladly do demos at my studio for some of your artists in exchange for some advice” or “I am connected to a bunch of artists and producers that you should probably know about or “I can help you promote shows locally”. These are all business reasons that I have watched artists use to further their relationships with executives. It may not be necessary to do so- but it is a good option and can help build relationships.
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Where does that leave you? Well – hopefully it leaves you-
I’ll be back soon for the next installment of the music manager series where I go over the investor / manager and momager and dadager phenomenon. If you missed it check out my interview with Music / Tour Manager Dave Lory from the New Music Seminar
This is the third article in the getting a music manager series. If you missed part one and part two you can check them out or you can be bold, hit hyperspace (if you weren’t a child of the 80’s it’s a reference to a video game called Defender) and dive right in to part three below.
Defender: This image has nothing to do with this article- I just find it amusing.
Some rehash of the past articles in this series:
Before approaching a would be manager make sure:
A side note – never forget that you are never “done”. In reference to some of the marketing materials above – It’s amazing to me how people will complete a recording or make a live video and act as if it is the only moment of their careers that mean anything. Media of this type is only a single still frame in the movie of your life. Every time you capture your art it is just a means to moving yourself further along and getting better at what you do as well as generating products that (hopefully) someone will want to purchase or at least take the time to appreciate.
But I digress, as I am wont to do.
Most music managers I’ve met have fallen into a few basic categories:
1) Friends and acquaintances that artists know and trust– preferably ones that are responsible, personable, business minded and willing to part with their time because they believe in you. You know that guy who is just always around you at shows and in the studio that everyone knows and likes? That guy.
2) Professional music executives – people who do music management full time or do music business related work for a living and have connections, experience and leverage that make them able to help aspiring artists.
3) Momagers and Dadagers
4) Wealthy individuals who love music and want to be in the music business for any number of reasons. Maybe no one CC’d them on the memo that it isn’t as sexy as it seems. Let’s just call them investors / managers.
I’m a big fan of archetypes 1 & 2 and I will get into that in the next installment. I promise – I’ll stop with all of the set up and get to the point… It’s not really my fault though – my research says you all want shorter articles (shrug).
While waiting for the next article please enjoy the picture below of a smoking Monkey. If that doesn’t do it for you read this great article by one of my favorite metal managers.
If you want to see what I mean about bands and their need to pose in front of brick walls check out this cruel but hysterical site
