Where Have All The Managers Gone?

So many artists over the years have asked (even begged) me to manage them. It tears me up to say no, but it’s a tough, tough job and often thankless and even fruitless, especially when the artist is new. Most managers today won’t go near anyone who isn’t already making an income. Here’s why.

As the old way of doing business in the music industry falls by the wayside, the people involved have hit the floor and dropped like flies. It’s called upon everyone to reinvent themselves and evolve.

As an artist, you may be thinking “I KNOW I have to evolve Cari, you tell us that all the time about the ‘new’ music industry.” But it goes so far beyond artists – EVERYONE involved in the industry has to change. Perhaps most notably, the role of the “manager” has been one of the hardest hit in the past several years.

At the New Music Seminar I attended in NYC this past June, the most heated conversation on any panel (BY FAR) was the manager panel. Music industry uber-manager Doc McGhee – whose client list has included Bon Jovi, KISS, Guns N’ Roses, Hootie & the Blowfish and Motley Crue just to name a few – broke it all down for us. He declared the death of an era in which the “fat cat” behavior of music managers that raked in serious bucks, was over. He said it was back to “rolling up sleeves” and getting their hands dirty just to survive.

With the advent of the digital realm with record and tour sales dropping so drastically, and less profit, managers have fled the business, and some have sadly even thrown in the towel. Those who are struggling to persevere are “in the trenches” drumming up alternative ways to help their artists monetize their brands and keep going. Many managers simply can’t afford to continue along doing what they’ve done in the past. Everyone in the industry whether a manager, lawyer, A & R, producers are mostly all now involved in other avenues of income streams like music licensing or going solo, looking elsewhere to make a buck. Management is one of the hardest jobs out there – a ton of work for a small return unless one of your artists hits big and no one can afford to gamble in this economy, especially when we don’t know where this is going.

There was a lot of disagreement at the New Music Seminar panel I attended about what should be done next – it seemed everyone had a completely different idea of the direction to go in. But the bottom line for you as an artist is that you probably don’t need and won’t snag a manager until your career reaches a certain income level (above $50K).

When an industry changes as much as ours has in such a short period of time, it’s critical to think new thoughts and take different actions – to evolve with the changes and even take advantage of the new terrain. This is where my programs– like Step Up to the Spotlight Artist Development Program and the Fast Forward to Fame Program & Blueprint– can help. You and I can “co-collaborate” in a way – to build your brand and your career as you navigate that middle ground between being an “independent artist” and actually being at a stage where you are ready for a manager and they will want to take you on because there is a viable income.

My programs go much more in-depth on this subject, but I wanted to give you at least a taste here.

So here’s my 5-step “framework” to follow as you swap roles as artist and manager:

1. Create a strategy for where you’re going – this includes knowing where you are and what steps you need to take between here and reaching your goals. If you want to go to LA from Austin, you get a map.
2. Have high quality material and broadcast quality productions so your music can “go the distance.” This is non-negotiable – you CAN NOT win with crappy and/or thrown together production.
3. Brand yourself across all platforms – make sure your fans see a “standard look” everywhere they look you up: your own website, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube and more. You want your fans to feel “at home” each time they see you at a new place on the web. The platform will vary, but your branding should be the same.
4. Be selective about where your music belongs. If you want to license your music to be in TV, films, etc., just be sure you keep a close eye on which ones. Not all promotional vehicles are created equal, so make sure you don’t associate yourself with low-rent or questionable productions.
5. Strategize and “Live the Calendar.” Create action steps and log them in a calendar. This may sound like SUCH a no-brainer. But you’d be surprised how many of your peers (maybe even yourself, if you take a closer look) fly by the seat of their pants without even realizing it.

What are your experiences or frustrations with having a manager and/or managing yourself as an artist? What’s worked and what hasn’t? Your comments below will post to Facebook so we can broaden the conversation! Would love to hear from you!

©2012 Cari Cole, Vocal Mag, Inc. All Rights Reserved.