Thanks to a little promotional savvy and a fair bit of luck, your band is at a crossroads. Gigs are piling up, merchandising income is healthy, and your indie-level releases are garnering attention. With this much on your plate, maybe it's time to enlist someone to help plot long-term strategy, and run interference with the outside world--in short, a manager. Think hard about the choice, however--great managers are worth everything to an act, while a bad one can cripple a career.
Instructions
Finding the Right Manager
1. Be realistic--if you only play once or twice a month, you can probably still handle your own bookings. Without a rabid fanbase packing every club you play, getting a manager interested is a tall order. The same rule holds true for the so-called "reclusive genius" angle, unless those self-produced albums recorded in the bedroom are generating strong reactions from the people you're hoping to reach.
2. Consider the people closest to you first, whether it's the club booker who hires you every month, or the local writer with a hefty contacts list. Relationships are the glue of the music business; without them, your prospective manager is unlikely to take your band to the next level. However, keep an open mind--many a great manager has overcome inexperience with a willingness to learn, and capitalize on any situation.
3. Get references from your prospects, and talk to other musicians who have worked with them. Evidence of dishonesty gets around fast, although that's not the only issue to worry about. Watch for the smell of burning bridges, too--a person who's seen as abrasive will not inspire any confidence, and may hinder a career before it even starts.
4. Interview your prospects about how they see your band, and where they want to take your career--if they've got anything on the ball, they should be able to explain without hesitation. This is the time to find out if both sides are truly on the same wavelength. If your prospective manager is keen on using your female lead singer's physical attributes to sell your music, find someone else who shares your vision. You don't need the grief.
Get the Right Manager to Commit
5. Formalize your manager's responsibilities through a contract outlining the duration of your relationship, and how much they will earn in commissions (generally from five to 20 percent of total income). Higher-echelon managers may also want your band to sign merchandising and publishing agreements, as well, which they can use to leverage advances from a record label, until the bigger payoffs arrive.
6. Think hard about mixing friendship and business--if cohorts or family members can't deliver the basics, your relationships with them may be fatally damaged. Before taking on somebody from the inner circle, have an honest chat about what you hope to achieve--after all, a manager must often convey bad news or advice that their clients don't want to hear, so make sure that you're big enough to take it.
7. Meet regularly to evaluate your progress--if you've recruited a higher-profile manager, they should be able to document what's happening. Also, beware of managers carrying numerous acts on their plate. Your band doesn't necessarily have to be somebody's exclusive occupation, but you may get shortchanged if you occupy the bottom rung of a crowded roster.
8. Understand that performance is a two-way street. If your manager isn't delivering the goods, you have a right to be upset; conversely, however, if you commit yourself to specific obligations, such as tour schedules, you'll be expected to follow through on them. Not living up to your commitments, on the other hand, effectively leaves no income to manage.
