Monty's Random Bits of Genius
By Monty Colvin
Chapter 4 - Managers
I've had a few people ask me about managers. What to look for... what to avoid... and do you even need one? The first thing you should do before finding a manager is ask yourself what level you are at and take that into consideration. If your band is about to get signed or on the brink of something big, a good manager may help a lot. However, if you play in a cover band... can book your own gigs... or you are just getting started as a band, you might not need a manager at all.
A good manager
can open some great opportunities for you to make money, but keep in mind that
a manager works for
YOU... not the other way around. There are quite a few
snakes out there so check into their track record before you sign anything.
Find out what bands they have worked with and who they manage now. You
obviously hope they have "connections" but don't just take their word for
it. Big management companies usually have those "connections" to labels,
tours, merchandise deals, etc. However, the catch is big management companies
usually only want to work with bigger acts or bands with label backing. But if
you can hook up with a manager who has some clout, they can do wonders for
your career. My first manager put my then un-signed band on tour opening for King's X. It was a huge
break for us and it helped us get signed. A few years later we had a different
manager get us a small part in a movie. It didn't change our lives, but it was
good exposure we couldn't have gotten on our own.
Now... what to lookout for and what to avoid. Remember... this person will represent you. You want someone who sees your vision as an artist and communicates well with people. If they are hard to get along with or obnoxious, they may cost you in the long run. I would also avoid production deals. That usually means you are signing with a production company... and in my experience those kinds of deals don't usually work out well for the artist. Some of these companies will front the money at first for demos and recording time, but they will also call all the shots... such as who produces your CD, what songs you do, and so forth. Unless you are a "boy band" and you are willing to be molded and don't mind giving up creative control you'll probably want to go a different direction. In a typical management deal the manager will get 20%... as opposed to the 50% you'll give up in a production type deal.
I don't presently have a manager. I might eventually get one but for the moment I'm doing the grunt work myself. It's much easier these days with the internet to connect with people and get the word out about your music. If you have a small budget you might not be able to afford a manager's cut, but if you are willing to make some calls, send emails, and do your own promo, you might want to just manage yourself.
Go to Chapter 5
