Brother Musician Podcast
This channel was developed to give musicians guidance and proven solutions to help them navigate in the music arena. Full-time or part-time musicians can benefit from the knowledge given in this channel. Interviews and perspectives from other professionals will also be included.
Brother Musician Podcast
Beyond the Music: Understanding the Artist-Manager Relationship
Are you at that critical crossroads in your music career where managing the business side is pulling you away from your creative work? Rico Anthony tackles this pivotal question head-on in a straightforward, insightful exploration of the artist-manager relationship.
The financial dynamics of music management can be confusing for emerging artists. Rico breaks down the standard compensation structure, explaining how managers typically take 10-20% of net income—meaning you still keep the lion's share of your earnings. He walks through practical examples showing how this percentage works for both established artists with six-figure deals and emerging musicians booking smaller gigs. The key takeaway? When your manager makes money, it means you're making even more.
Beyond the financial aspects, Rico highlights how managers serve as crucial intermediaries between artists and clients, handling communications, negotiations, and business details that would otherwise consume an artist's time and energy. A good manager doesn't just take a percentage—they actively generate income opportunities, protect you from unfavorable deals, and maintain relationships with entertainment attorneys who can review complex contracts. As Rico emphasizes, "If I'm an artist, what I want to be focused on is the music. As a manager, what you want to be focused on is the business, so they work hand in hand."
Whether you're considering your first manager or reassessing your current representation, this episode provides the clarity you need to make informed decisions. If you're ready to focus on your art while someone else handles the business, it might be time to find a manager who knows the industry and has your best interests at heart. Subscribe to the Brother Musician Podcast for more insider knowledge on navigating your music career successfully!
Hi, I'm Rico Anthony. You're watching the Brother Musician Podcast and today we're going to talk about when you've reached that point in your career as a musician, as an artist or whatever it is that you're doing that you feel like you may need a manager. There are a few things that I think that you want to know, would need to know, before you make that decision, and then you can decide of whether or not having a manager is going to be the best thing for you. There are some great benefits of having a manager. I want to share those with you.
Speaker 1:Managers generally take about 10 to 20 percent of your net income, unless you got a terrible deal and they're taken from your gross, but generally they're going to be taken from your net. That means the money that you make minus paying everything that you have to take care of. Now you can negotiate that number. If you're bringing more things to the table, such as your, your contracts are worth a hundred thousand dollars. You're getting a hundred thousand dollar deals, then 10% of $100,000 is $10,000. So the manager will make $10,000. Now, if it's 20%, they're making $20,000. So if I'm a younger artist, I'm probably not going to be bringing in $100,000 deals. My deal may be for me to perform. Let's say I'm a singer and I want to perform that night. They might pay me a thousand dollars. What a manager is going to take probably 20 percent of that and he'll make two hundred dollars off of that deal. So a manager generally is going to act as the middleman. They go between between you and the client. They keep you from having to deal with the client one on one and all of the business is taken care of through the manager and his team. You might have some other people on the team as well, but generally everything is going to be taken care of through your manager. They're going to email the manager, they're going to call the manager, they're going to write the manager, they're looking for the manager to be the person that comes to you and gives you the information and then you can decide. Unless you give me, your manager, permission to take to make that decision, then you decide on whether or not you want to go through with that deal or not.
Speaker 1:The other thing that a manager does is generate income. Does is generate income. So if I get paid, if I'm a manager and now I get paid from this artist, that artist doesn't make money. I don't make money. So my job I want to find as much work as I can for the artist, because every time that artist clocks in and makes money, guess what? As a manager, I will make money. And then, lastly, the manager protects the artist from bad deals.
Speaker 1:You really want to get a manager that knows the music business well, because if that's the case, then he's going to protect you from the things that you don't know about the music business. My manager is already going to have a strong relationship with my entertainment attorney. My manager is also going to know some things, so that I don't have to take everything to an attorney. Things can get really, really sticky out here, and so if I have a manager that has my best interest at heart and that manager knows the business, will they're going to protect me from the things that I don't see.
Speaker 1:If I'm an artist, what I want to be focused on is the music. As a manager, what you want to be focused on is the business, so they work hand in hand. It's not like you're just going to have somebody as an artist that's just trying to take 20% or 10%, 15% from you. This person actually works for you, your teammates, if he makes money, that means you're making money. If he makes a lot of money, then you've made 80% more than he or she has made as your manager.
Speaker 1:There are some great benefits to having a manager. You don't have to walk this journey alone and once it gets to a certain level and you can't handle it, you're going to need a manager. I mean, that's just what it is. You don't want to be handling all of this stuff on your own. You want to be able to focus on what you need to focus on, and that's being the best artist that you can be. Here are some benefits to having a manager. I think it will take a great load off you. If that's something that you're considering, make sure you do your research. Make sure that your manager knows the business well. Make sure they understand their job and they're not trying to take from you. Listen, my name is Rico Anthony. Thank you so much for watching the Brother Musician podcast. If you have not liked, subscribed or shared this content yet, please do that. Let me know that you did it. I appreciate you. Have a great day.