Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
CHAPTER 1
Professional Artist Management and its Principles
Considering Artist Management as a Profession
Be Creative, Informed, and Connected
Understand People and Business
Functions of Management
Planning
Organizing
Leading and Directing
Controlling
Artist Management Skills and Personal Traits
Understanding Human Nature
Leadership
Coaching
Networking
Social
Communication
Other Skills
Building a Career in Artist Management
CHAPTER 2
Preparing to Manage
Management is Part of a Big Business
Acquiring the Knowledge
Understanding the Nature of Artist Management
Making Decisions
Managing Pressure
Reality One
Reality Two
Reality Three
Reality Four
Reality Five
Reality Six
Reality Seven
Reality Eight
Managers are Inconspicuous
An Understanding of Power in the Music Business
The Power of Money
The Power of Access
The Power of Your Latest Success
The Power of Your Body of Work
Power Carries a Responsibility to Give Back
CHAPTER 3
Entrepreneurship and Basic Money Management
The Tools for the Artist Management Entrepreneur
Education
Experience
Vision
Business plan
The Skills and Characteristics of the Entrepreneur Manager
Money Management: Yours and Theirs
Basic Money Management
Tracking your Company’s Money
Funding your Company at Startup
Final Thoughts
CHAPTER 4
The Artist
Being Commercial is Not Selling Out
Know Who You are Artistically
Get Experience
Social Media and Networking
Be Professional
Be Prepared for Management
Plan to be Patient
CHAPTER 5
Lessons in Artist Management
Tom Parker
Lessons Learned
Rene Angelil: Targeting
Michael Jeffreys: Conflicts of Interest
Peter Grant: A Shared Belief between the Artist and the Manager
Herbert Breslin: Promoting your Artist
Joe Simpson: Manage by the Boy Scout Motto
Jon Landau: Keeping a Business Focus
Bob Doyle: Using your Network
Andrew Loog Oldham: Exploit your Artist’s Talents
Johnny Wright: A Matter of Timing
Lou Pearlman: A Matter of Trust
Sharon Osbourne: A Family Experience
Lukasz Gottwald (Dr. Luke): Having it in Writing
Jonnetta Patton: Managing an Artist’s Image
Scott Siman: Reinvention
Tohme Tohme: “I am not in the Music Business”
CHAPTER 6
The Artist Management Contract
Negotiating the Contract
The Length of the Contract
The Manager’s Services to the Artist
Exclusivity
Power of Attorney
The Manager’s Payment for Services
Earnings Following the Contract Period
The Manager’s Expenses
Other Sections
Contracting with a Minor
A Contract Example
Review Michael Jackson’s Final Artist Management Contract
CHAPTER 7
A Primer for the Artist Manager
Setting and Achieving Goals
Planning a Personal Budget for the Artist
Planning and Budgeting an Event
An Event Plan
When and Where
Invitations
Food and Beverage
The Performance
Promotion
A Sample Budget
Planning Tools
CHAPTER 8
The Artist as a Business
Understanding Target Markets
Defining an Artist’s Target Market
Ways to View Market Segments
Branding and Image
The Artist’s Support Team
Booking Agent
Attorney
Publicist
Manager of Digital Media
Manager of Radio Promotion
Business Advisors
Alternative Forms of Business for the Artist
Proprietorship
Partnership
Corporation
Limited Liability Company or Partnership (LLC)
The Internet and Worldwide Web: A Primer for the Artist Manager and the Self-Managed Artist
The Importance of a Domain Name
A URL
Web Hosting Services
Content
Mining Digital Media for Information
CHAPTER 9
Income from Live Performance
Booking the Performance
Business Management of Live Performances
Tour Management
Promoting the Performance
The Promoter
The Performance Contract
Merchandise
International Touring
College Tours
CHAPTER 10
Income from Songwriting
Copyright
Song Publishing
Income from Song Performance
Publishing as a Negotiating Asset
CHAPTER 11
Income from Recording
Recording for Large Labels
Income and Expenses for the Artist from a Recording Contract
Creating and Paying for the Recording
Artist’s Income
The Role of the Producer
Other Expenses Charged to the Artist
Things for which the Label Customarily Pays
Current Trends in Contracts for Recording Artists
Labels and Artist Management
Artists who Own or Record for Independent Labels
It’s Business
The Role of Radio in the Recording Artist’s Income
The Business of Terrestrial Radio
The Business of Satellite and Online Radio
The Charts
College Radio
Sponsorships, Endorsements, Television, and Motion Pictures
CHAPTER 12
Conducting Business for the Artist
Presenting the Artist for a Recording Contract: An Exercise in Time Management
Going for the Record Deal
Know the Purpose of the Meeting and do the Homework
Prepping for the Meeting
Planning for Results
Budget the Time
Practice the Meeting
The Meeting
Should the Artist Attend the Meeting?
Ending the Meeting
Ethics and Payola
Ethics
Payola
CHAPTER 13
The Artist Career Plan
An Introduction to the Plan
Recording Artist Business Plan
About the Artist
Musical Genre
Biography
Talents
Uniqueness of the Artist
Evaluation of the Artist
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Artist
Opportunities and Threats
Action Points Based on this Evaluation
Evaluation of the Manager
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Manager
Conflicts of Interest
Establishment of Goals and Timelines
Major Goals for the Artist and Sample Strategies and Tactics to Achieve Them
Goals Supporting Major Goals (Subordinate to Major Goals) and Sample Strategies and Tactics to Achieve Them
Setting Timelines
Development of a Marketing Plan
The state of the Industry
The Target Market for the Artist
Detailed Plans to Reach the Target
Business Framework
Form of the Business
Personnel Requirements
Insurance
Other
The Financial Plan
A Personal Budget for the Artist
Budget for Career Plan
Exit Strategy
The Artist in a Mature Career
Planning by the Manager to End the Relationship
The Plan Outline
CHAPTER 14
Coaching, Leadership, and Final Advice
Final Advice
APPENDIX A
Artist Management Contract Form
APPENDIX B
Partnership Agreement for Members of a Band
APPENDIX C
Recording Contract
APPENDIX D
Kesha’s Artist Management Contract
APPENDIX E
Code of Conduct: Music Manager’s Forum in Australia
INDEX
