Do you need a manager?

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Does my band need a manager to advance our career within the music business? When asking yourself this question it is also worth putting some thought first into what is a manager and what can they do for your band which you can’t do yourselves?

There are three categories of managers; business, personal and tour. Some managers may have the ability to perform the role of all three, but this is a rarity rather than the norm. For most bands starting out, the first manager they will usually look to appoint is a personal manager so we’ll focus on the role of this management type first.

Personal managers vary enormously in their experience and what they can do for your band. The most common type of personal manager is simply a band member who takes on the role of obtaining gigs, keeping the website up to date, basic marketing, organizing rehearsal rooms/studio time and generally making all other arrangements on behalf of the band. A band member acting as the manager, or a friend who carries a strong passion and sense of commitment for your band, can do an excellent job if the rest of the band accept that they are learning the ropes and will need a bit of time to get the job done well.

For bands who don’t have the necessary self drive and/or organizational skills (many bands, even professional bands are great at song writing and performing but lousy at organizing themselves) or have the luxury of having a friend/family member enthusiastic about taking on the responsibilities of personal management then it is going to be beneficial to appoint a professional manager. But is getting one to represent you easy? Unfortunately the answer to this is no, it is almost as difficult now to find a manager as it is to obtain a recording contract. The reason for this is simple, unless you are gigging regularly and receiving money for your performances and/or you have decent record sales behind you then a manager is not going to earn much money (if any) from taking your band on. Having said this, some managers will still take on bands with little history, but they have to have a large amount of confidence (and often a take large amount of convincing) that your band will earn decent revenue in the future from performance and royalties. If you do find a manger that is happy to take you on, it is unlikely that they will issue a formal contact to you in the early stages as this will be another expense for the manager (likely to be in the region of three hundred pounds) for which they will not see any return for quite some time. If your band has only recently formed it is likely to be anything up to around three years before the manager sees a decent return for their time invested in you, and from a manager’s perspective this is in no way guaranteed. If you do receive a contract offer, like with any other contract offer have it looked over by a music lawyer before signing it. Your manager should insist that you have the contract reviewed by a lawyer as this safeguards their interests as well, potentially there is a legal loophole which can be exploited if the contract has not been reviewed by a lawyer. Contracts used to be set in time (for example a three year management contract) however it is more common place now for a management contract to be based on album cycles as opposed to a set time frame. (Your lawyer will probably advise you this, but make sure the contract is not for more than three album cycles, two album cycles are in your best interest if it can be negotiated, though this will be under protest from the manager as a first album does not usually generate much net profit with the second and third generally fairing much better).

If you are seeking a professional manager be sure to send them a well compiled pr pack, and if they make contact find out who else they are managing. Don’t be put off if they are not representing any major artists because if they did, would they really be interested in your development or have the time to push your band? Playing well down their pecking order is unlikely to do you any favours in the long run, instead having a manager with contacts who wants to take your band to the next level is more likely to be in your interest, because unless your band are earning, neither are they! A professional manager who is committed to your band is one of the greatest investments your band can have, not only will they be able to deal with some of the roles which we mentioned earlier but they will likely have numerous contacts, be able to get your demo listened to by the right people, have experience in managing pr, have media contacts and be able to progress your career at a far faster pace than you could possibly do on your own.

If you do decide to seek management expect to pay in the region of 20% of your net profit on performances, royalties and merchandise. Expenses will also be claimed by your manager, it is advisable to have a set amount agreed on a monthly basis to prevent any nasty surprises. Your manager will incur marketing costs, it is only right that the band should pay these expenses because unlike most other professions, a manager is not actually paid for the work that they conduct for you, but only on a percentage of your earnings.

One final factor about management companies which is worth thinking about, is it the appointed manager or the company which will be representing you? If your appointed manager was to leave the company who would manage you? In theory a management company could take on a trainee and appoint your band to them, if you have a management contract discuss this aspect with your lawyer and have an appointed manager named on the contract.