Every new artist thinks they need a manager. They think a manager is the key to becoming the next great sensational artist. First of all, no it is not. A manager is not the secret to becoming a star. Nor is a manager always the best idea for a new act still trying to establish themselves. Managers are not a necessity for all artist, and are only beneficial once you have reached the point of actually needing a manager. So, when do you get to that point? When do you know what that point is?
First let’s start with establishing yourself as an artist. As I have spoken about in previous articles (the entire series, “The process of becoming an artist”) you yourself as the artist have to put in the work, the time and effort to establish your career, no one can do that for you. If you are not willing to work at bettering yourself, your craft and establishing your brand, no one can help you, and a manager will not be able to do anything for you. A manager is there to assist you, not be you. If the manager wanted to be you, then the manager would be the artist themselves and not the manager. If the manager is willing to do more and actually working harder than the artist, there is a major problem and both the manager and artist need to step back look at and asses the situation to see if this is the right fit.
With that out of the way, what does establishing yourself as an artist mean? Establishing yourself as an artist (in its most basic sense) means that you have identified who you are as an artist, have figured out what type of sound you are going for (now this sound may not be completely correct or fine tuned yet as you are just staring out, but at least you have an idea of where you are going with the sound and can explain what that sound is) have brand and image as an artist (again, like the sound this aspect may not be completely fine tuned yet, but the idea is there, and there is a cohesion between who you are, what you look like and the brand you are creating) and finally you have cultivated some kind of fan base. Let me break these aspects down a little further so you can have a better understanding.
First, who you are as an artist. You know what your narrative is. If someone were to ask you, “Who are you as an artist?” You would be able to coherently explain without a shadow of a doubt who you are as an artist and what you are trying to portray. What do you want the audience to see when they look at you and hear your music? It is sort of like finding yourself as a person, and having an understanding of who you are. Now, of course I know that that takes years and some people never actually figure this out, but as an artist it is easier and you should be able to explain this to anyone who asks. Think of it this way, if you yourself can’t explain how you want people to see you as an artist and what your narrative/story is, how do you expect anyone else to understand it? Every major artist today you can immediately see and understand what their narrative is. Wiz, Snoop, Roddy Ricch, DaBaby, Migos, Lil Uzi, Lil Yachty, and so on, as soon as you see them or look at their social media pages (as nowadays this is how you brand and market yourself to your audience) you know exactly who they are and what their narrative is. If you were to look at your artist page (assuming you have one, which you should or else you are already behind the eight ball) from the lens of someone other than yourself, are you able to distinguish who you are and what you are about? If the answer is no, then it is time to go back to the drawing board. You want your audience to be able to connect with you, so if you don’t have a solid narrative, how can you expect the audience you are trying to cultivate to connect. The audience wants to feel as though they know you as more than an artist, and you have to give them an avenue to do so. Think of it this way, when you go watch a movie there is a clear narrative to the story line. (regardless if the movie is good or bad there is a clear path from start to end, or at least you hope so) Each character has certain attributes that draw people to that specific character. This is that characters narrative. You as an artist need to have a clear narrative that draws the audience in.
Second, finding your sound. This means you have a clear idea of what you would like your songs to sound like. Being that you are still in the beginning stages of your career, this sound may not be the ultimate final version of your sound, and the sound may not fully be fleshed out just yet, but you should have an idea of what the sound is. Are you trying to be a boom-bap rapper? A straight up 90s R&B singer? A pop singer? A sing-rapper? A trap rapper? A country singer? An ecliptic singer like Weeknd or Travis Scott? Moody artist like Joe Budden or Kid Cudi? Lyrical like Jay-Z and Eminem? All of these sounds are different and trying to be one is hard enough, let alone not fully knowing where you want to land and attempting to be a combination of a few or all of them. Pick a lane and stay in it. Now, I am not saying that as your career progresses you can’t reinvent your sound to fit where you are in your life, but for the time being, (and even after and if you choose to reinvent yourself, which many artists have done in the latter stages of their careers) you have to have a single sound that the audience will know you for. Just like your narrative, the audience wants to connect with your sound. If you release songs that are efx driven like Travis Scott or The Weeknd, then turn around and begin releasing songs that are boom-bap old school 90s rap, you have completely changed who your audience is. Think of Miley Cyrus, when she first came out as a singer she was coming from the background of a Disney star with a squeaky clean image and a fanbase of pre-teen and teenage girls. A few years later, as she grew up, she wanted to (and did) change this image completely. She got tattoos, changed her hair style, started acting different, became more vulgar, and starting branching out into the hip-hop scene. This alienated her initial fanbase who could no longer relate with who she was and the music she was making, and thus she basically had to cultivate an entirely new fanbase. Then once she grew out of that phase, she went back to the clean girl who sang country songs, and had to cultivate a new fanbase again. Now, this is an extreme example, and the star power of Miley Cyrus made these transitions a little easier than most artists, but the point still holds true.
Third, what is your brand and image? Similar to knowing who your are as an artist, your brand and image should be easily explainable and have a clear narrative. (do you see a pattern yet) When someone looks at you and/or looks at your social media pages what do they see, and what are you trying to show them? Are you a smoker hippie like Snoop and Wiz? Socially conscious like Cole and Kendrick? Lavish lifestyle like Rick Ross and Migos? Colorful and artistic like Chris Brown? Family man like Chance and Pakk. All of these are completely different, but each of the tell a story. Any and every time you see a picture of one of these artist or see them in person, they are always looking and acting the same, exactly like you would expect them to based on the brand and image they have cultivated for themselves. Their consistency is why they have such a loyal fanbase. The audience knows exactly what to expect from them, and can relate to who they are not only as an artist, but as a person as well.
Lastly, you have some kind of following and fan base. This doesn’t mean you have 100 people that you know personally, (and kudos to you if you know personally that many people) but rather that you have thousands of people following you on social media and have cultivated some type of loyal local fan base in your city. From doing school talent shows, too showcases, to just simply speaking to people in town on the street, people in the city know who you are, what you do and like what you are doing. If people don’t know who you are, how great you are isn’t going to matter. You could be the best artist in the world, the best writer, the best singer, the best rapper, have the best lyrics, if you don’t take the time to market yourself and your artistry, then no-one will have any idea of your talents. Without a fanbase there is no room to grow. Without a fanbase you are not an artist, you are just a hobbiest.
All of these things combined means that you have at least started to establish yourself as an artist. Once you begin to or have established yourself as an artist, then and only then is it time to begin (emphasis on begin) to think about getting a manager.
You maybe asking yourself, why should I wait until all of this is done to get a manager? Wouldn’t a manger assist me in establishing all of these things? The answer is yes and no. Yes, because the manger you choose can assist you in creating cohesion between all of these aspects, give you better guidance and a better understanding of these aspects. No, because if you don’t have these aspects already figured out as an artist, one the manager may not be able to help you at all because you don’t know who you are or where you are going, and two because there is nothing for the manager to mange. You simply are not an artist if you don’t have these things figured out. Now, don’t tell me because you are recording music in your parents basement and a couple of your friends have told you, “That shit is hot,” (first off they are your friends and maybe aren’t telling you the truth) that you are an artist. No, this just means you like doing music and are doing this as a hobby. If you are not putting in the work to figure out what I have outlined above, you are not an artist, you are a hobbiest. Let’s assume you have figured out what I have stated above, do you think it is time to get a manager? For some of you yes, for some of you no.
First of all, you have to remember that being a manager is a job, that means that most managers are looking for some sort of payment from you as an artist in order to work with you. Of course in some cases, the manager may believe in you to the point they ask for nothing and will help because of that belief. (let me tell you this is rare, and more than likely once they get you to the point of making money or signing a deal, they will come knocking for payment and reimbursement for their time) If you have no money to give them upfront or as a salary, be prepared to give them a percentage of everything you do. (ticket sales, merchandise sales, song sales, etc.)Are you willing to give up a percentage of what you are working on? Do you have the budget or extra money to give this manager a salary? On top of that, how do you know this manager will be assisting you in the right way? Do you trust them? These are all things to consider before getting into talks with any sort of manager for management purposes.
Ok, let’s say that you feel you are at the point where a manger could be beneficial to you and help you further your career. How do you pick the manager that is best for you and your career? More often than not, an artists’ first manager is someone they know. This means it is someone that you have a standing relationship with that you trust in some capacity. Where this is great, you are putting your trust and career in the hands of someone that may have no idea what they are doing. Are you prepared to do that just because you want a manager? Think of it like this, if you say that your friend is your manager, but you as the artist are telling him how to do his job, and/or doing his job for him, is he really the best choice to be your manager? You don’t think so, (based on the fact you are the one actually doing the job of manager and they just hold the title) so you decide to find an actual manager that has some kind of track record, albeit probably only locally. Now, you have little to no budget or extra money to give this manager as payment for their services, this means (if the manger is an actual manger) you will be giving them a certain percent of what you make. (again if this is a real manager this agreement will be in writing, meaning you will contractually obligated to them and this agreed upon percentage for a certain amount of years, regardless of how your career turns out in this timeframe, and how well this manager is doing their job as it pertains to you and your career) This means that essentially even before your career has really began, you are agreeing to give someone who you don’t know a percentage of what you make. (usually 15-20%) Also remember, that because you are not paying this manger, they most likely are not paying for you either, meaning that you are still paying for studio sessions, post production, travel, etc. all while giving this manager a piece of anything you make. Be very careful when it comes to things like this, because if you are seeking out a manager and the manager is not seeking you out, in all likelihood you are not that managers top priority.
Don’t be so quick to sign with a manager. As an artist it is alway better to have the managers seek you out than for you to seek them out. If a manager (just like a label or A&R) is seeking you out to work, this means that they like what you are doing and will actually assist you in furthering your career. If you are seeking out a manger and choose to sign with one, this manager won’t necessarily have your best interests in mind. For them it will be more about money than you as an artist. You will more than likely being working just like before, with little to no help from the manager, however, now any time you get a situation that nets you any amount of money, immediately off the top some of that is going to the manager. As an artist you will know when it is time to get a manager. You will see this point in your career where things are beginning to take off and you can no longer handle everything yourself, and/or you are at the point where you have established yourself and it is time to take the next step in your career that can only be done by having someone with a bigger contact list assist you with. Don’t jump the gun and get into a management situation just because you think it’s necessary, or because you see every other artist with a manager. A lot of artist don’t have the right manager. It is better to wait and find the right manager than start too early and work with any manager.
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