O'Reilly logo

Stay ahead with the world's most comprehensive technology and business learning platform.

With Safari, you learn the way you learn best. Get unlimited access to videos, live online training, learning paths, books, tutorials, and more.

Start Free Trial

No credit card required

Artist Management for the Music Business

Artist Management for the Music Business

by Paul Allen
Publisher: Focal Press
Release Date: November 2012
ISBN: 9780240809243
View table of contents
Start reading

Book Description

Allen prepares you for the realities of successfully directing the careers of talented performers in the high-risk, high-reward music business.

You will learn to prepare yourself for a career in artist management - and then learn the tools to coach, lead, organize time, manage finances, market an artist, and carve out a successful career path for both yourself and your clients.

The book features profiles of artist managers, an exclusive and detailed template for an artist career plan, and samples of major contract sections for artist management and record deals. Updated information including a directory of artist management companies is available at the book's companion website.

A peer reviewer for Artist Management for the Music Business proclaimed ".this is going to be an excellent text. It contains many unique insights and lots of valuable information.” This is essential reading for managers, students, and artists in the music business.

Table of Contents

  1. Cover
  2. Halftitle
  3. Title
  4. Copyright
  5. Contents
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. Introduction
    1. Considering artist management as a profession
    2. Be creative, informed and connected
    3. Understand people and business
  8. 1. Principles of Management for the Artist Manager
    1. Functions of management
      1. Planning
      2. Organizing
      3. Leading and directing
      4. Controlling
    2. Artist management skills and personal traits
      1. Understanding human nature
      2. Leadership
      3. Coaching
      4. Networking
      5. Social
      6. Communication
      7. Other skills
    3. Building a career in artist management
    4. References
  9. 2. Preparing to Manage
    1. Management is part of a big business
    2. Acquiring the knowledge
    3. Understanding the nature of artist management
      1. Making decisions
      2. Managing pressure
      3. Managers are inconspicuous
    4. An understanding of power in the music business
      1. The power of money
      2. The power of access
      3. The power of your latest success
      4. The power of your body of work
      5. The responsibility to give back
    5. The manager as an entrepreneur
    6. References
  10. 3. The Artist: Preparing to Be Managed
    1. Being commercial is not selling out
    2. Know who you are artistically
    3. Get experience
    4. Build a network
    5. Be professional
    6. Be prepared for management
    7. References
  11. 4. Lessons in Artist Management: Colonel Parker to Sharon Osbourne
    1. Tom Parker
    2. Rene Angelil: Targeting
    3. Michael Jeffreys: Conflicts of interest
    4. Peter Grant: A shared belief between the artist and the manager
    5. Herbert Breslin: Promoting your artist
    6. Joe Simpson: Manage by the Boy Scout motto
    7. Jon Landau: Keeping a business focus
    8. Bob Doyle: Using your network
    9. Andrew Loog Oldham: Exploit your artist’s talents
    10. Johnny Wright: A matter of timing
    11. Lou Pearlman: A matter of trust
    12. Sharon Osbourne
    13. References
  12. 5. The Artist Management Contract
    1. Negotiating the contract
    2. The length of the contract
    3. The manager’s services to the artist
    4. Exclusivity
    5. Power of attorney
    6. The manager’s payment for services
    7. Earnings following the contract period
    8. The manager’s expenses
    9. Other sections
    10. Contracting with a minor
    11. A contract
    12. References
  13. 6. Planning: A Primer for the Artist Manager
    1. Setting and achieving goals
    2. Planning a personal budget for the artist
    3. Planning and budgeting an event
      1. An event plan
      2. A sample budget
    4. Planning tools
    5. References
  14. 7. The Artist as a Business
    1. Understanding target markets
      1. Defining an artist’s target market
      2. Ways to view market segments
    2. Branding and image
    3. The artist’s support team
      1. Booking agent
      2. Attorney
      3. Publicist
      4. Business advisors
    4. Alternative forms of business for the artist
      1. Proprietorship
      2. Partnership
      3. Corporation
      4. Limited Liability Company or partnership (LLC)
    5. The Internet: A primer for the artist manager
      1. A brief history
      2. What is the World Wide Web?
      3. The importance of a domain name
      4. A URL
      5. Web hosting services
      6. Content
      7. Mining the Internet for information
    6. References
  15. 8. Income From Live Performance
    1. Booking the performance
    2. Business management of live performances
    3. Tour management
    4. Promoting the performance
      1. The promoter
    5. The performance contract
    6. Merchandise
    7. International touring
    8. College tours
    9. References
  16. 9. Income From Songwriting
    1. Song publishing
    2. Income from songwriting
    3. Income from song performance
    4. Publishing as a negotiating asset
    5. References
  17. 10. Income From Recording
    1. Recording for large labels
    2. Income and expenses for the artist from a recording contract
      1. Creating and paying for the recording
      2. Artist’s income
      3. The role of the producer
      4. Other expenses charged to the artist
    3. Things for which the label customarily pays
    4. Current trends in contracts for recording artists
    5. A changing model for major labels?
    6. Artists who record for independent labels
    7. It’s business
    8. The role of radio in the recording artist’s income
      1. The business of radio
      2. The charts
      3. College radio
    9. Sponsorships, endorsements, television, motion pictures
    10. References
  18. 11. Conducting Business for the Artist
    1. Presenting the artist for a recording contract: An exercise in time management
      1. Going for the record deal
      2. Know the purpose of the meeting and do the homework
      3. Prepping for the meeting
      4. Planning for results
      5. Budget the time
      6. Practice the meeting
      7. The meeting
      8. Should the artist attend the meeting?
      9. Ending the meeting
    2. Ethics and payola
      1. Ethics
      2. Payola
    3. References
  19. 12. The Artist Career Plan
    1. An introduction to the plan
    2. About the artist
      1. Musical genre
      2. Biography
      3. Talents
      4. Experience
      5. Uniqueness of the artist
    3. Evaluation of the artist
      1. Strengths and weaknesses of the artist
      2. Opportunities and threats
      3. Action points based on this evaluation
    4. Evaluation of the manager
      1. Strengths and weaknesses of the manager
      2. Opportunities and threats
      3. Conflicts of interest
    5. Establishment of goals and timelines
      1. Major goals for the artist and sample strategies and tactics to achieve them
      2. Goals supporting major goals (subordinate to major goals) and sample strategies and tactics to achieve them
      3. Setting timelines
    6. Development of a marketing plan
      1. The state of the industry
      2. The target market for the artist
      3. Detailed plans to reach the target
    7. Business framework
      1. Form of the business
      2. Personnel requirements
      3. Insurance
      4. Other
    8. The financial plan
      1. A personal budget for the artist
      2. Budget for career plan
    9. Exit strategy
      1. The artist in a mature career
      2. Planning by the manager to end the relationship
    10. The plan outline
    11. References
  20. 13. Coaching, Leadership and Final Advice
    1. Coaching
    2. Leadership
    3. Final advice
    4. References
  21. A. Take 6 Marketing Brief April 2006
  22. B. Artist Management Contract Form
  23. C. Partnership Agreement for Members of a Band
  24. D. Recording Contract
  25. Glossary
  26. Bibliography
  27. Index