Promoly

Tag: Managers

  • Tips to Finding a Music Manager Who’ll Promote You the Smart Way

    Tips to Finding a Music Manager Who’ll Promote You the Smart Way

    It can be hard to stand out in today’s music industry. Technological advancements and the internet have made it easier for artists to record and release professional quality music. But it’s also made it much harder to stand out from the crowd of aspiring musicians. 

    There are over 3 million artists on Spotify alone, with 22,000 new songs being uploaded each day. Even if you have the talent, how do you find your audience among all the noise? 

    Finding a music manager is an incredibly important step in a band or artist’s career. A skilled manager can levy their connections and their know-how. They can help get your music in the spotlight. 

    Are you or your band ready to take the next step? Read on, and we’ll walk you through how to find a music manager. 

    Are You Ready For A Manager? 

    Most music artists are success-hungry. And who can blame them? You got into this racket to make music that’s heard by people, and those rent checks aren’t going away anytime soon, either. 

    Still, swinging for a manager too early can be a big mistake. 

    Take a look at your musical career. Developing as an artist can take plenty of time and you may still be developing your sound, style, and brand. Before reaching out to managers, you should have a distinct product you want them to promote and guide. 

    Reaching out before you’ve fully perfected your sound can result in you getting laughed off the block. And that’s a reputation no one wants to carry with them. 

    What to Present to a Manager

    You’re still reading, so let’s assume you read the previous paragraph and decided: yes, we’re primed and ready for management. Okay, that’s great.

    But how do you convince potential managers of that fact? You’ll need to gather a number of materials. 

    Music to Their Ears 

    First and foremost, you’ll need quality recordings of your music. These tracks need to completely stand on their own. No respectable music manager will agree to use their imagination and see what the track “could be.” You need to show them what it is. 

    This might mean throwing down a pretty penny at a professional recording studio before approaching managers. That’s just the cost of doing business. You’ll need these quality recordings to start building a true audience regardless. 

    Make sure you have these recordings in a way that’s easy for a potential manager to access. It’s 2019, which means handing them a CD-ROM is probably no longer the way to go. A flash drive, or even more handy, a streaming link, can do the trick.

    Other Materials

    In addition, you’ll need to put together a small portfolio highlighting your band. In it, include some professional-looking photos of your band. Make sure your appearance in these photos matches the impression you want to give to an audience. 

    If you’re a heavy metal band, look heavy metal. If you’re an aspiring pop star, make sure you look like one. Giving the right visual impression has always been a big part of this audio-focused industry. 

    Include a well-written biography which includes any and all accomplishments you or your band are proud of. This is the place to slyly name drop or mention any accolades. If you don’t have any, that’s fine: just make yourself sound good (but don’t lie!). 

    Include links to your website and social media accounts. A healthy following on such accounts can do nothing but increase your chances of success. 

    And finally, include your best live concert footage. That night you were on fire, where the crowd was really receptive and into it. Again, try to make sure it’s high-quality, as a crappy phone recording will do little to convince anyone of your star power. 

    With the above materials together, you’ll not only be on track to find a manager, but you’ll be presenting yourself better to a general audience overall. 

    Finding The Right Person 

    You don’t want just any manager for your band – you want one who is genuinely enthusiastic and committed. Having a non-committed manager, in some ways, is worse than having no manager at all. 

    So, how do you find such a person? 

    Start by looking close to you. Consider what you want out of a manager.

    Is it just a committed person to do the work of promoting the band? Consider asking a close friend who’s organized and up to the task.

    Stories of managers who started out as close friends of the bands are too many to count, and it’s worked out for many. 

    What if you don’t have anyone who fits the bill? Or maybe you want someone with a little more industry experience on your side. Strike up a conversation with other bands you know, music venue owners, producers, and everyone in your orbit. 

    The music industry can be a surprisingly small world, and someone you know may be able to recommend you to someone who could be a great fit. The connection you have with others in the industry is one of your greatest assets. You shouldn’t be afraid to rely on it when looking for help. 

    If none of these methods turn up results, you can always cold call managers or agencies in hopes of attracting interest for yourself. This doesn’t always work, but if you present a professional enough image of yourself, it might attract some interest. 

    And if it doesn’t – don’t worry. Most bands and artists get managers when they’re ready to have a manager. If no managers are poking around or interested yet, it might just mean you need to hone in and work on your craft. 

    Talent and product speak volumes. When you’ve created the right track and image, you can bet managers will come sniffing around your door. 

    How to Find a Music Manager

    Breaking out as a musician can be a great challenge. One of the greatest assets you could have on your side is a committed manager. Know that you know how to find a music manager, you’re one step closer to hitting it big time. 

    Need more help navigating the promotional aspects of the biz? Check out our blog for more advice.

     
  • Qualities To Look For When Hiring A Music Manager

    Qualities To Look For When Hiring A Music Manager

    If you are an independent artist looking for a professional who can help you make music and take it to the crowd, you will want to make sure they will be able to do what you need them to. Hiring a music manager to compose, produce, and advertise your work can be tough. Here are some things you will want to look for when hiring a music manager:

    Hire a Music Manager With Experience

    Before you hire a music manager, you should first find out how much experience they have in the industry as well as look into the type of musicians they typically work with. You might want to refer to their past clients to verify their authenticity.

    Before you work with any manager, you should know what to expect and whether or not they will be able to help you really achieve your goals. They should know how the industry works and how to successfully grow in the industry.

    They should also understand all the financial aspects of being in the music industry. Just make sure that they are experienced and well-versed in what they do. Otherwise, you’ll have an amateur whose passion may be commendable but whose results are rather lacklustre.

    Someone With Connections

    You will want to hire a music manager who knows people. In order to get you into events, score you the good deals, and ensure that your music is exposed to the public eye, they need to have a foot in the door to get you in. TV, magazine, and radio interviews are also good things to have as a musician.

    You will want to find a manager that really knows connections to help set off your music career. A good manager will know other people who can help you get bigger in the media. Having connections is a huge help when you’re a smaller musician, so make sure that they know someone. If they don’t, make sure they are at least social enough to get to know someone that might know someone.

    That being said, it’s best to not settle with someone that has no reputable connections. Trust your gut. If you feel like they might be stretching the truth about knowing the big names, do a background check and ask to see proof. Ask to meet the person or just ask many questions. If they are boasting large names, you will definitely want to ask for proof.

    Someone You Can Trust

    Your music manager will be handling essentially your entire career. You really want to make sure that it is someone you can trust. You will most likely be spending a lot of time with them, so make sure that they are worth your time and money.

    They will need to be able to negotiate your contracts as well as other paperwork and business that needs to be handled. Trust your gut, but also do a background check on the person before agreeing to anything. Let them handle the commercial aspects of your career, but handle your own finances.

    If you don’t want to do it yourself, hire an accountant. If you want to hire a separate accountant, you will want to make sure that they are also trustworthy and will keep your money safe. Therefore, have your accountant and manager work closely together in order to make your projects come to life!

    Promoly is a music promotion platform for musicians. If you’re looking for a music PR service to deliver music to your mailing list, get in touch to see how we can help today!

     
  • What to Know Before You Become a Band Manager

    What to Know Before You Become a Band Manager

    The idea of managing a famous band may sound like a lot of fun. However, being a band manager is in no way an easy job. Band managers have to be able to multitask constantly, seeing as there are always a lot of different things to do within a certain period of time. It should be noted, though, that some band managers definitely do more than others, especially when it comes to modern bands that are not as well-known to the public.

    These band managers are most likely independent, and they have to wear multiple hats. Many not only manage the band but also act as their creative director. If the manager is working for a company, they may even have to manage more than one band at the time. Regardless of how these managers operate, there are definitely some skills that they need to possess. If you want to be a band manager, you should read on.

    Interpersonal Skills

    It goes without saying that band managers need to have some people skills in order to build networks for their bands. More importantly, they have to be persistent. They can’t just give up when a promoter hangs up on them. If you find yourself shying away from confronting people, then this job may not be for you.


    Take Charge of Things

    Everyone knows how wild it can get when a band and a bunch of people are all together in one place. As a band manager, your job is to always make sure that the work gets done even when they are having their fun. You have to be able to keep your members on track. For example, you need to manage their schedule and make sure that they are at where they’re supposed to be, whether it’s at an interview, a concert, a small gig, or a costume fitting. In short, you need to be able to step in and be the killjoy in order to keep things in order.

    Know the Business

    Any band manager should have sufficient knowledge about the music industry so that they are able to pursue any available opportunities for their bands. Also, they need to keep up with the current music trends to truly understand the needs and wants that their band can meet.


    Able to Multi-task

    As mentioned, a band that is in the earlier stages of their careers will most likely not have a management team. This means that, as their band manager, you are the only person handling everything in order to successfully launch their careers. There will be so many things to keep tabs on, and you can’t let a single thing slip your mind. Sure, your team will grow, land more record deals, and start becoming well-known to an extent. However, you will have to suffer through the hardships before you can get to that point, and if you don’t think you can handle the tough times, then the job may not be right for you.


    Remain Neutral

    It’s normal for band members to have disagreements or even get into fights. The band manager is not allowed to take sides or even get caught in the middle. Even though you may agree with one more than the other, you need to be a neutral party. This is because once you start taking sides, you’re showing that you play favourites, and some members will start to doubt that they can trust you. The bottom line is that you have to be the voice of reason among the disputes.

    Promoly is a music promotion platform for musicians. If you’re looking for a music PR service to deliver music to your mailing list, get in touch to see how we can help today!

     
  • How to Be a Music Manager That Actually Gets Results With Musicians

    How to Be a Music Manager That Actually Gets Results With Musicians

    From Brian Epstein to Albert Grossman, there’s no shortage of myths surrounding great band managers and what they did for their artists. It’s easy to imagine their lives being half stern, no-nonsense deliberators and half witnesses to great art in its conception.

    It takes a special person to manage The Beatles or Bob Dylan, and those managers may have just been in the right place at the right time. Becoming a band manager is a difficult thing to do, and it takes a while to work with great bands.

    If you’re trying to learn how to be a music manager, though, there are some surefire things you can do to get results. We’ll cover a little bit about how to become a manager and what to do in order to get results for your clients.

    How to Be a Music Manager

    There are a couple of ways to enter the field of band management. The first, and most romantic, is to befriend a group of people who happen to be in a band. Maybe you’re the closest person to the music and you can understand each member enough to gel with them.

    You could also do your own research on the logistics of managing a band, gravitate toward musical people, and try to get in with them. There’s a better option, though.

    Here’s the process that gives you the best chance of getting a good job as a band manager:

    Earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Management

    Students of music management take a lot of coursework pertaining to the industry as well as the music itself. The programs are usually four-year and will require that you take general education courses as well.

    On top of the business-end coursework, you’ll get a deep appreciation for music and music theory. It takes a great ear to seek out top-tier musicians, so it’s important that you understand their craft.

    You’ll gain specific knowledge about how the music industry works. This is an insight that those who just decide to befriend a band will not have. You’ll understand what is required to establish positive relationships with industry people and make your band known.

    Business administration is also a big element of music management school. You are essentially running a business when you manage a band. Finances, scheduling, and human resources are all integral to the process.

    Additionally, there’s a lot to do with copyright law, business law, music marketing, and publishing rights. You are the main liaison between your band and the world, and it’s unlikely that the musicians will want much to do with the business logistics that is required to spread their music.

    Get Practical Experiences

    You’re likely to get an internship while you’re in undergrad. That is going to be the best way for you to get a foot into the industry. Many people refrain from getting internships while they’re in school.

    This could be for many reasons– maybe they don’t have enough time, don’t think it matters, or are intimidated by real-life industry experiences. It will pay to overcome those fears and look for an internship while you’re in school.

    It’s hard to find paid internships when you’re out there in the real world and a lot of companies won’t look at you unless you have legitimate experience. Colleges have connections to high-quality internship positions that the average person wouldn’t be able to access.

    Utilize the college’s connections and squeeze everything you can out of your undergraduate experiences. The more real-life work experience you can get, the better.

    Doing the above will give you an excellent foundation to start working in the music industry. Beyond that, though, there are some things you can do on your own time.

    Become a Music Buff

    Learn everything you can about music’s history, present, and future. Keep up to date on the current happenings of the music industry, but do your due diligence and nerd out on some history.

    Look deeply into the great managers like Epstein and Grossman, as well as the bad ones like Brian Wilson’s manager, Eugene Landy. Also, research the greatest bands of history, generate a deep knowledge of various genres and artists.

    Learn their personalities, understand what certain people did for music, and remember it. Having this knowledge will give you a good baseline to relate with other people in the industry and inform you of what you could do in your own career.

    It helps to know where you fit in the grand scheme of the industry.

    Develop Your People Skills To Be A Better Music Manager

    The industry is all about networking and making connections with everyone you meet. You are the face of the band, and they’re not going to understand why they’re paying you if you aren’t working to connect them with the best people in the industry.

    You have to be relatively confident (or appear to be), assertive, and deliberate with your social decisions. Those who can network tend to succeed. Beyond this, there’s one really important thing.

    If you are still wondering how to be a music manager, it’s worth bearing in mind you will need to keep a professional and casual attitude. It’s not only important that people know what you’re about, but it’s crucial that they like you on some level. In other words, make sure you’re tolerable to the people you’re working with.

    The bands should feel comfortable disclosing information to you and trust you enough to build solid relationships. Don’t treat some people more important than others, don’t overstep your bounds, and do your best not to cause problems within the group.

    Interested in Learning More?

    Whether you want to know how to get your music out there effectively or are trying to learn more about how to be a music manager, you should digest all the information you can.

    There’s a lot to learn about the industry in the new age, and you’ll be better off if you’re in the know. If you want to learn more about how to make it in the music industry, visit our site to get the information you need.