The Changing Role of The Artist Manager.

Almost all artists need an experienced manager to oversee and guide them from discovery through to the creation of a long-term career. The artist's manager should bring a business and strategic perspective to the relationship. How is the function and role of these managers changing and what should artists focus on when choosing a one. 

The role of the artist manager has changed significantly in recent years as a result of the changing music industry landscape. Technology has been a big driver in many of these changes requiring a whole new skill set. The artist management function is now more likely to be performed by a team of specialists rather than an individual. 

The Traditional Role of the Artist Manager. 
Since the 1960’s the artist manager was a vital role to ensure success and was usually done by a single individual. Their skill set was focussed on networking and negotiating deals with record labels and TV’/Radio stations. They would arrange tours and concerts, and it was not unusual form them to also control all financial aspects relating the artist’s revenue, not always in a beneficial way for the artist. The manager was motivated by their own financial objectives and often took a hefty fee for their services sometimes leaving little for the artist. This role remained unchanged for decades, but the emergence of digital technology and online streaming services has transformed the role of the manager. 

Digital Formats and Streaming. 
Digital formats became dominant in the 1990s and contributed to democratising the music industry making it easier to distribute material to audiences. This was complimented by the growth of social media and online streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and SoundCloud. Over the last two decades this has required a new approach to getting artist’s material into the public domain. The importance of the record labels and TV/Radio stations was significantly reduced as artists discovered they could reach markets without them. These changes in the industry have impacted on the role of the manager who now must have expertise in how to use online streaming services and social media platforms to promote their client’s material. 

Marketing and Data. 
The role of digital marketing and understanding data is now a key requirement of the artist manager. Online advertising campaigns can now be used to reach selective audiences to promote an artist and their material. Artists now have a presence on all social media platforms which generates followers and allows direct to fan communications about new material, tours and concerts. Live streaming concerts become popular during the coronavirus pandemic and continue to be an important part of the artist's overall online strategy. The artist’s online presence can now be managed by their manager who can control and schedule content for maximum impact. They will also ensure that the artist's brand is maintained and that all content leads to sales opportunities. Managing content and performing advertising campaigns is only part of the role required by managers, they also need to have expertise in understanding data and analytics. All the online platforms generate data, and careful analysis can help them understand what does and doesn't work, ultimately driving future campaigns and activity. 

Additional Manager Functions. 
With direct access to large online audiences the use of the artist's branding and associated merchandise is important as potential revenue streams, and the manager can help to facilitate this. In addition, the manager should also seek out any licensing opportunities where the artist's material can be used in film and TV for example. In recent times the artist manager has taken on a more holistic approach in their client relationship by taking steps to safeguard them against any mental health issues. 

As the key functions of the artist manager have changed it is now more likely than ever that the role is performed by a team rather than an individual. Whether it’s a large corporate style management company or an independent one the artist management role requires multiple people with specialist knowledge of specific aspects required for managing an artist. 

For small festival organisers planning their next events using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics, including a dedicated artist management module. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

Image by John Hope via Pexels

<< Back to articles