Module 4: The Artist’s Team

Objective: Understand what it takes to be a part of an artist’s team

Artist’s Team: All who are engaged in the process of helping the artist achieve, strengthen,
build, and maintain their place in the music/entertainment industry
 There are many people involved, doing a variety of jobs and functions for the artist
Three Main Players on the artist’s team:
1. Manager
2. Agent
3. Lawyer
All performances/productions have many people involved in making them possible. There are
four kinds of assistance:
1) Back-of-house logistics
a) Truck/bus drivers
b) Roadies
c) Road manager
d) Electricians
e) Instrument technicians
f) Prop handlers/specialists
2) Back-of-house support
a) Personal manager
b) Accountant
c) Caterer/chefs
d) Personal assistants
e) Ticket office
f) Merchandise sellers
g) Security
h) Publicist
i) Wellness coach/trainer
j) Musical arranger
k) Lawyer
l) Agent
m) Medical staff
3) Front-of-house production
a) Sound designers
b) Sound board operators
c) Lighting designers
d) Lighting operators
e) Choreographer
f) Stage manager
 g) Set designer
h) Stagehands
i) Wardrobe designer/assistants
j) Make-up artists
k) Effects technicians (pyro, IT lasers, mega-screen, etc.)
4) Performers
a) The artist
b) Backup musicians
c) Backup singers
d) Dancers
e) Musical director
f) Opening act
Each are specialists in what they do, but each also has a particular field of vision regarding their
positions.
 Logistics people think in terms of “where do we need to get and set up all of this material
today and tomorrow?”
 Production and performers must focus their energy on performances that are happening
NOW
 Support people must have the broadest vision in that their planning and negotiations must
include bigger swaths of time, from weeks or months of touring to years of building and
growing an artist’s entire career
There are many “gears to the artist’s machine” that must work cooperatively
 Little picture vs. big picture
o The big picture team members have the biggest overall influence on an artist’s
career
The Manager
Different types: When speaking of “manager,” we assume personal manager. Managers in the
MEI do not so much manage the artist as they manage the artist’s career
Aspiring managers start by helping and doing, by moving artists forward in their goals. Every
manager’s path to becoming a manager is always different
 Happenstance, opportunism, assertiveness, and chutzpah
 Manager is always working for the artist
Manager skills/personal characteristics: time management, diligent/hard-working,
trustworthy, integrity, objective, willingness to see compromise as an option, persuasive, loyal,
ethical, creative, discreet, tactful, assertive, focused, technologically aware, self-motivated,
proactive, communications (written and verbal)
Manager qualifications: experience (not necessarily in management, but significant life
experiences), contacts (what level in the music industry), interactional abilities
 Personal manager: In practice, especially for lower-level artists, the personal manager
may be all types of managers in one. Could be called the architect of an artist’s career
o Hold the artist’s professional life in their hands
 Road manager: Handles on-site running of tours and makes sure it all runs smooth
 Business manager: Typically deals with accounting and money management activities
for an artist
Managers handle many details of an artist’s life and help artists steer clear of traps of time and
energy-wasting choices that could do harm to their careers
Managers direct roles for an artist: strategist, visionary, motivator, friend, cheerleader,
troubleshooter, advisor, mess-cleaner, organizer, planner, quasi-parent, comforter/soother,
problem-solver, critic
As the artist’s official representative, roles include: networker, spokesperson, negotiator,
contact person, protector, coordinator, hiring/firing other team members, point person for
reviewing all proposals and requests involving the artist, advocate
 The manager must be available to the artist 24/7
How a personal manager develops and helps execute a strategic plan for an artist depends on
where the artist is in their career arc-
Simple arc: An artist starts, builds to whatever peak they’re going to have, then recede in
popularity
Wave pattern: Highs and lows; crests and troughs: an artist might have a tremendous few years,
recede, then come back strong again (Frank Sinatra, Mariah Carey, Cher)
Arc/cliff: Typical half arc where an artist starts to build a successful career, a scandal hits and
their career instantly drops off a class; no gentle career end (R. Kelly, Kevin Spacey)
Manager’s Compensation
Is based on the financial success of their work together, not an hourly rate for services rendered
 Personal managers are paid through commission, a percentage of the artist’s earnings
 The range of commissions is 10-25% of the artist’s gross earnings (before reductions for
taxes, fees to other team members, professional expenses, etc.)
 This is ALWAYS negotiable, as with almost all things in this industry
 Performance bumps are markers for compensation changes and serves as:
o incentive for the recipient to work up to their potential
o earned reward for doing what the manager said they would for an artist’s career
Compensation is usually based on anything of value that the artist receives as an artist. Any
revenue is fair game in manager’s compensation
Length of Manager’s Relationship
Generally, 3-5 years
There needs to be enough contractual duration so that the manager can establish a strategy for the
artist’s development and revenue enhancement, and see the beginnings of the benefits of that
strategy, resulting in revenue to the artist and to the manager
 long enough for the manager to establish and execute a viable and successful plan for the
artist’s career growth, yet short enough for the artist to make a change after a reasonable
amount of time in which the manager can prove their value
Artist/manager deals are memorialized in written contracts
 Not all contracts have to be in writing to be considered valid relationships. Oral
agreements can be binding agreements to form an artist/manager relationship
There are things a personal manager should not be expected to be, or do, for their artist-
Managers do not book performance dates for their artists. Actual bookings are done by agents,
although managers will approve of all bookings done. Managers are not supposed to loan money
to artists either
Manager as a Buffer: Nothing and no one gets to the artist unless it goes through the
manager first
Whenever an artist starts to feel appreciated by an audience, they develop a taste for that
adulation. Building a fan base goes from local popularity to regional notice and reviews,
opportunities to appear as opening acts for more established artists, great reviews, and then
catching the eye of people who can help propel the artist to the “next step”
How does an artist proactively seek out a manager?
Our entertainment environment has access to easy widespread exposure, artist/group success will
draw attention from potential managers
Managers know the value of networking, getting on a manager’s “radar” is an important first step
 Informal contact at an event, invitations to performances, “touching base” occasionally is
helpful in making a positive impression on a potential manager
The Agent
A person whose function is to obtain and negotiate offers for performance/appearance
engagements for the artists they represent. Referred to as talent agent, booking agent, or agent
 Agents book gigs for their clients. They can work by themselves or as a part of a
collection of agents, agency
Without bookings, a performer won’t work. The personal manager is a key visionary in
designing an artist’s career, while the agent is critically important in helping actually execute a
plan, develop a strategy, and do what needs to be done to foster an artist’s career
Variables in booking an artist:
 Where are they in their career?
 What kind of a following do they have at this point?
 Are they an acoustic group or do they require space that can accommodate heavy
amplification?
An artist whose main calling is as a musician will have an agent for music bookings, but, if they
are also actors, they might have a different agent for booking acting possibilities. If they are also
authors, then a different agent would be required
The Agent’s Balancing Act
Popular venues can be very competitive as to artists being invited to perform there. An agent
must then have the local knowledge regarding complex situations and must have the ability to
convince the owner that a particular artist would be a great match to perform at a venue
An artist needs to be a good match for a venue
The agent is employed and eventually paid by the artist, not the venue
The agent needs to balance the needs and wants of both the artist and the venue
The agent owes the highest duty and loyalty to the artists they represent. In some places like LA
and NYC, agents must be licensed to make the point that they must first serve their artists
Agent’s Training: There is not particular training or higher education degree program that
certifies a person to be ready and prepared for a career as an agent. Most of their skills are
learned by doing and on-the-job training
Compensation of the agent: typically paid with compensation, generally 10-15% of the gross
earnings for any of the work that they successfully book for the artist
Duration of the artist/agent relationship: A new agent will want to have a reasonable amount
of time (6 months – 1 year) in which to show that their efforts have enhanced the earnings of the
artist
Long-term agent relationships can create limitations on artists and agents. The duration of any
agent relationship needs to be tied to the practicalities of how successful the agent continues to
be in the booking of the right gigs for an artist.
Finding a suitable agent: There is no single method or established process to securing a good
agent
Locally successful artists/groups with significant and consistent followings will also get attention
from potential agents who are always on the lookout for building their stable of successful artists
 Lawyers
 Attorneys-at-law and staples of the firmament, regardless of the field of business. They
are business chameleons in that they can have varied, strong roles as advisors,
negotiators, litigators, trouble-shooters, buffers, friends, and representatives in a variety
of circumstances.
 Part of the conversation amongst an artist’s closest advisors, not just to perform legal
functions, but being an active member of the team
Requires the most formal education. Lawyers must always be in a learning mode to fully serve
their clients. They all start their careers in the same way, as generalists. After the completion of
an undergraduate degree, a standardized admissions test, and the process of applying for and
gaining admission into a law school, the attorney is then ready to begin the process. After
making it through law school class, the graduate must pass the bar exam to become a full
member of the bar and qualify to appear in court as an advocate for their clients and to fully
represent clients in all legal-related issues.
Four general functions lawyers serve in society as a group
Not all attorneys perform all four of these functions, and some never see the inside of a
courtroom, but as a profession they offer these services
Anyone can do any of these, but because of their training and experience, lawyers are in a better
position to perform these functions
1) Litigate
a) When conflict arises that can’t be resolved through discussion, negotiations, or other
means, the ultimate option is to have the conflict settled in a courtroom, the process is
called litigation
2) Transact
a) Attorneys help propel businesses forward; they do deals
3) Professional guides
a) Help guide people through the bureaucracy of detail and regulations in terms of
procedure and regulatory language
4) Advise
a) Offer objective counsel based on a broad-based perspective; not necessarily answer
driven, but multi-angle analyses and viable options
All lawyers are faced with constant opportunity and need to use these four skills:
1) Interview: All lawyers need to be able to ask a client or others involved the questions that
will being relevant information necessary to best assess the situation under question to light.
Discerning between the relevant and irrelevant in terms of information and data
2) Counsel: Based on interviewing clients, and parsing useful data, facts, and other relevant
items regarding whatever issue has come across their desk, attorneys all are face with “What
do you think, counselor?”
3) Negotiate: All attorneys are faced with discussions with others to motivate the other party to
adjust their position; deals are done through negotiation
4) Drafting: Need to communicate in writing effectively and professionally; the ability to write,
especially in contracts
Lawyer compensation: depends on what kinds of services are needed by the industry client
Retainer: Amounts of money deposited with the attorney that acts as down payments for the
lawyer’s compensation when there is agreement that the lawyer is being retained by the client to
represent them
If the lawyer’s task is not completed by the time the retainer has been depleted, the lawyer often
requires its replenishment. It depends on the deal between lawyer and client
1) Hourly Fee: Rates that apply to any time spent working on the artist’s behalf
a) Pros: the client only pays for work done by the lawyer, accountings are usually clear and
explicit
b) Cons: Fees can escalate quickly, especially if they are billing work time and travel time,
thinking time, etc.
2) Flat Fee: Client and attorney agree on a fixed fee to complete a specific project
a) Pros: Regardless of time, the client knows what it will cost them, making it easier to
budget
b) Cons: The attorney is motivated to get the project done as quickly as possible to make
the most money for the least amount of time spent; leading to the lawyer thinking about
their best interests rather than the client’s best interests
3) Contingency: The attorney gets a percentage of whatever monies might be recovered in a
controversy/conflict between parties; typically found in situations like personal injuries or
where there might be a showing of monetary harm/damages that could result, leading to
potentially significant payouts; not suitable for most artist representation cases unless there
are potential damages like copyright infringement or breach of contract
a) Pros: Client doesn’t have to pay the attorney any fee unless the attorney is successful in
extracting money from a controversy through jury award or settlement
b) Cons: There’s always the risk that an attorney might be tempted to settle a case rather
than fight it completely through to a trial’s conclusion that could result in no money at
all; the temptation for self-interest can cause issues in motivation to settle
4) Percentage of artist’s income/commission: A commission on the artist’s earnings is
sometimes a viable option
a) Pros: The attorney is available 24/7 and the artist doesn’t need to worry about billing for
time spent; artist success breeds revenue, not just legal-related activity that brings
revenue to the attorney
b) Cons: The lawyer always being available risks being inundated with called and questions
that take them away from other revenue-making projects; the artist has to be enough of a
significant revenue generator in order to make this worthwhile for the parties; can sap
financial resources from the artist; hours invested might not match up well with artist
revenue generated, thus limiting commission
 Gatekeepers of the music/entertainment industry
Needs dictate over wants: Gatekeepers for the artist and for the industry
The artist’s team serves to keep the unready, untalented, or unprepared hopefuls out of
the industry.

All involved must be of one mind: to serve the mission and needs of the artist in
growth, development, and sustaining of the best career possible