What is an Artist Manager and their duties?

Artist management is inspiring your artist, educating them on what’s out there and creating opportunities for them to walk into and/or walk away from, says Terry McBride of Artist House Music. A common question or misunderstanding is what are their duties and how much should they be paid? The primary duties of the manager/management team are to promote, book and oversee day-to-day business for the talent. Artist Managers should be great leaders and know how to work with others for the best interest of the talent they represent. With a good manager in place the artist or band can focus on their creative talents and not stress about the business side of the industry. Managers are generally paid 10-15% of the talents income and in addition to that percentage should not have to cover any expenses out of their own pockets, says Heather McDonald. Managers usually get paid for the deals they’re able to secure for the talent, for example concerts and commercials but unusually not the talents royalties. The most important thing is to negotiate a contract and sign it before any work begins. The contract will have terms and conditions, which should be revisited as time progresses.