Does Your Band Need a Manager?
New bands looking to book gigs and establish contacts often
start looking for a manager to handle the business aspects of
their music. This is especially the case in cities with big
music scenes, like New York, Los Angeles and Austin.
Before diving into such a relationship, however, musicians
should consider the pros and cons. Bands may determine that they
don’t need a manager. On the other hand, few bands can exist
without any management. Realistically, the choice often lies
between hiring an outside manager and taking on certain
important responsibilities yourself.
The main advantage of hiring a manager is that it allows
musicians to focus on the creative aspects of the music, without
being distracted or burdened by business details. Sometimes,
when creative people take on business responsibilities, their
outlook on the creative process may change as a result.
For example, if the guitar player takes on promotional
responsibilities, he may start infusing his newfound marketing
drive into the song-writing process, and try to manufacturer a
“big hit” to win the favor of industry executives. Depending on
the band’s goals, this may or may not be a positive development.
The main disadvantage of hiring an outside manager is that it
will cost money. Typically, manager will charge somewhere in the
neighborhood of 15% of revenues. Musicians should make sure that
a manager only charges fees on revenue he or she has personally
generated. If musicians can handle most managerial aspects
themselves – booking shows, keeping track of money, ordering
merchandise – they may decide against hiring a manager.
Alternatively, you may choose to take on some of these
responsibilities, while hiring a manager to handle other
responsibilities. In this case, you may try to negotiate a lower
management fee. Generally speaking, musicians should pay for a
manager if they are “profiting” from the relationship.
Musicians who handle their own affairs get a great sense of
satisfaction from booking their own gigs. In addition, it is
important to gain a ground-level understanding of how the music
industry works. In many cases, musicians handle their own
affairs until they reach a certain level of success, and then
look for a professional manager. However, in deciding whether or
not to hire a manager, musicians should think realistically
about how self-motivated and responsible they are.
