Posted on May 26, 2009 at sometime around 10:42 am
The blog, “The Music Snob” published one of my writings entitled, “Realistic Expectations of an Indie Manager”. You can read it at their website here or read it as quoted below (for google search reasons):
Today’s guest post is written by Jonathan Sigmon, aka “Sigs”, founder of Signature Entertainment:
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Many artists and bands looking to take their music careers to the next level are looking for an artist manager. Putting together the right team around your band can be the difference between being a very talented local band or being able to actually tour and sustain a living. So what should you, the band, be looking for in an artist management company/representative and what are realistic expectations from them?
The answer to the first question is fairly easy. Simply look to see the results the manager has delivered in the past. Every artist manager is going to drone on and on about their connections to many industry executives (which can be legitimate or not), but the question you should be looking at for every person on your team (band mates included) is, “What can you deliver?” This sounds very business-like, which most artistic people want to run away from, but it is the reality of the situation if you are trying to make a sustainable career.
As for the realistic expectations of the manager, I think that both sides must spell this out during the contract and negotiations stage. For every manager it looks different and each one is going to have areas of strengths and weaknesses. However, there are some key questions about personal attributes and connections that you definitely want to explore, including:
- What is the past experience and reputation of the manager?
- Do they believe in your vision and are they willing to become your advocate?
- Is there a connection to a recording studio that can produce the kind of sound your band is looking for?
- Can the manager find you a booking agent?
- Does the manager have business and contract negotiation experience?
- Are there connections with a merch/graphic/web designer? Is there knowledge of your key music business websites and how to create a solid SEO for the band?
- Does the manager know of a place for the band to practice?
- Can the manager help you define and achieve your goals, as well as help decide where to invest your limited money?
- Does the manager know how to find good writers for press, websites, contracts, etc. (i.e. publicist)?
- Does the manager know how to get your songs published and ensure your royalties will be paid?
- Does the manager have connections with a photographer and videographer?
- Does the manager have relationships with any record labels in which you are interested? Do they at least have good phone conversation skills in order to discuss matters concerning your band?
Obviously, you may not need your artist manager to fulfill all of these duties, as you may already have some of these needs met (such as a practice space or a recording studio where you feel comfortable). As a band, it is important to prioritize the needs of the group and search for those attributes.
In today’s online world, you are looking for a person who has marketing expertise, an understanding of your target demographic, and is enthusiastic about you. As a band, remember that the manager is only getting paid a commission off of the money you are making. If you are a band that is at the level of only playing a couple of local shows, you can not have expectations that the manager will have connections or experience in all of these areas. However, most artist managers will look to get between 15-20% of your gross (with certain deductions). As a band, you have to ask if that type of investment is worthwhile for you. Hiring a manager may seem like you are giving up a lot of control and money, but not doing so is the mistake that many talented bands make across the world. When your music and fan base starts growing, so should your team. The person who assembles that team is your artist manager. This is by no means an exhaustive article for an artist manager, but for independent bands, this could give you a starting point in attributes to look for in your quest for an educated and connected artist manager.
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About the Author:
Jonathan Sigmon (aka “Sigs”) is the founder of Signature Entertainment, an artist management company in Lancaster, PA and a blogger at TaintedCanvas on music business, faith, and marketing.
Posted on May 12, 2009 at sometime around 8:42 pm
Below is a list of artists I have worked with in some sorts, assisting them in their musical endeavors. Some of the bands I have helped form, some I’ve given advice as to where to invest their limited income, some I’ve helped with design work or connecting them to the people they need, while others I have simply provided feedback on how to make their sound better for their album (the sound engineer in me…). These are in no particular order, but thought I should give a much deserved shout-out to my friends and clients out there.
Tirzah Lemmens - Singer-songwriter with one of the most unbelievable voices I’ve ever heard. First artist signed to Signature Entertainment Group.
With Walking Trees - Electro-infused post-hardcore group I helped to assemble and do everything from A-Z with. Love these guys and their ridiculous music.
Chris Wilson - Amazing drummer who has worked with me and Sig. Ent. a lot.
Garrett Brown - former member of Manchester Orchestra and Elevate, I’ve given Garrett some feedback on his music. Really great alternative writer.
Jason Frey - Engineer of the studio I manage, but also a very talented Christian worship writer. Read More »
Posted on April 18, 2009 at sometime around 7:17 pm
The news just dropped yesterday that the leading Bit Torrent site (aka illegal file sharing) The Pirate Bay and its founders are going to be put into jail for a year. The question that all of us who work with music and even sell music are asking is, “Ok…now what?”. Even if a governing body could figure out how to shut down The Pirate Bay (which is literally impossible), a new torrent site would pop up immediately. Heck, I can think of 5 other torrent sites off the top of my head that do a great job of allowing users to share music.
The question still remains though. Stealing music is wrong. I get that. I understand how much work goes into an album, how much it costs, and I believe that artists should be compensated for it. However, the major record companies (Warner, Universal, EMI, and Sony) are trying to charge more. The new Eminem single, as well as tons of other songs from these majors, keep charging more per single in our leading digital distributor, iTunes. iTunes has been great for your average user. You now don’t have to buy a full album and can get stuff for what? Cheaper. And iTunes is still a great thing. But all of us still want more and more music. And we are all broke. Everyone hates the radio and wants to know what their trusted friends are recommending. So how can we give the little we have to the actual artists and not some ridiculous record label executive? Read More »
Posted on April 4, 2009 at sometime around 10:18 pm
Writing a good band bio is a very tricky and often overlooked feature for an independent band. Do you pay the big bucks to get a professional to write it for you? Do you write it for yourself in 3rd person? Do you just write casually?
All of these and every other question you have can be answered in one single question: Who are you marketing to and how are you doing it? The answers to these questions vary greatly depending on who and how you are marketing. For example, if you are a singer/songwriter, it is important to write the bio yourself in a very personal manner. That genre is very personable and intimate, so the bio must match it. If you are a fun punk band, then you should have the lead singer write up something that is informative, but that middle/high school kids will laugh at. Again, you have to match your demographic. If you are a metal band, you should pay to have a professional do it (and make sure you have your “tough guy” picture to go along with it). Actually, if you are making metal music, you should probably just stop.
Here is a list of things to consider when writing the bio:
1. First, start by gathering all the information you can about the band and its members. How long has the band been together? Where are you from? What makes your band worth listening to? Interesting stories to possibly incorporate? Played any shows with a decent list of known artists? How are you different than everyone else?
2. Keep it short. It can be good to actually have two written – one in a longer form and one in a shorter form. Even the longer bio should not be more than 3 paragraphs or you are wasting the reader’s time. Also, it is very important to be able to describe your music in a sentence or two to people. We are a twitter-type generation, so make it quick.
3. Tell of your influences and list your genre, but avoid “sounds like”. Read More »
