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The music industry is full of specialist roles. Marketers focus on audience growth. Publicists focus on media coverage. Promoters focus on live events. Labels focus on recordings. Publishers focus on songwriting and rights.
Artist managers are different. As the jack-of-all-trades of the music industry, artist managers are involved in everything from career planning and marketing to touring, branding, contracts, royalties, content creation and fan engagement. Put simply, it’s their job to connect the dots between creative ambitions and commercial opportunities for artists.
To find out more about this career path, we caught up with LCCM’s Head of Music Business, Steve McCarthy, who shared his insights into what artist managers do, the skills needed to succeed and how aspiring managers can get started.
What Does an Artist Manager Do?
An artist manager acts as a trusted advisor, strategist and project manager, guiding artists through every stage of their career to achieve their goals.
While responsibilities vary depending on the artist and their level of success, managers are often involved in:
- Career planning and goal setting
- Branding and artist development
- Marketing and audience growth
- Release planning and campaign management
- Live performance opportunities
- Negotiating business deals
- Managing professional relationships
- Coordinating teams and external partners
- Reviewing contracts and agreements
- Monitoring career progress and performance
The best artist managers understand both the creative and commercial sides of the music industry, helping artists make informed decisions while staying focused on long-term objectives.
Why Artist Management Is a Unique Career
Unlike most music industry roles, artist management does not belong to a single department or specialism.
A manager may spend the morning reviewing streaming data, the afternoon discussing marketing plans and the evening attending a live performance. On another day they might negotiate a contract, coordinate a release schedule, meet with a booking agent or help an artist prepare for an important opportunity.
Managers are not expected to be experts in every area, but they must understand enough about each aspect of the industry to connect people, identify opportunities and ensure everything is moving in the right direction.
In many ways, an artist manager functions as the CEO of an artist’s career, bringing together multiple specialists while maintaining a clear vision for long-term success.
Skills You Need to Become an Artist Manager
Successful artist managers typically combine business skills with strong interpersonal abilities.
Some of the most important skills include:
| Skill | Why it matters for Artist Managers |
| Communication | For building relationships with artists and industry professionals |
| Organisation | For managing projects, schedules and deadlines |
| Strategic Planning | For helping artists achieve long-term career goals |
| Negotiation | For securing opportunities and favourable agreements |
| Marketing Knowledge | For growing audiences and increasing fanbase engagement |
| Financial Awareness | For understanding budgets, costs and revenue streams |
| Problem Solving | For responding quickly to challenges and setbacks |
| Leadership | For supporting and guiding artists through key decision |
| Networking | For creating opportunities through industry relationships |
| Data Analysis | For interpreting streaming data and using audience insights to inform strategy |
Many successful managers build their careers by developing strong relationships, remaining adaptable and continuously learning.
How to Become an Artist Manager: Step-by-Step
1. Learn How the Music Industry Works
Before managing artists, it is important to understand the wider music business ecosystem.
Artist managers need to understand areas including:
- Record labels
- Music publishing
- Copyright and intellectual property
- Royalties and revenue streams
- Live events and touring
- Digital distribution
- Marketing and promotion
- Social media and content strategy
The more you understand how different sectors of the industry connect, the more effectively you can support your artists.
2. Gain Practical Experience
Many artist managers start by working with emerging artists, local musicians or student projects.
Common routes into artist management include:
- Managing independent artists
- Promoting events
- Interning at music companies
- Assisting established managers
- Working in marketing or A&R roles
- Volunteering at festivals and industry events
Practical experience helps develop the problem-solving, communication and organisational skills required to manage artists effectively.
3. Build Your Network
The music industry remains a relationship-driven business.
Managers regularly work with:
- Record labels
- Publishers
- Booking agents
- Promoters
- Publicists
- Producers
- Content creators
- Venue operators
Building a strong professional network can create opportunities for both managers and the artists they represent.
Relationships built early in an artist manager’s career often become valuable long-term partnerships, so attending industry events, conferences, showcases and local gigs whenever possible is essential.
4. Understand the Power of Fan Data
One of the biggest changes in artist management over the last decade has been the rise of audience data.
Today’s artists have access to detailed information through streaming platforms, social media channels, ticketing systems, email marketing software and digital advertising platforms.
Modern artist managers increasingly use fan data to understand:
- Who the artist’s audience is
- Where fans are located
- Which songs perform best
- What content drives engagement
- How listeners discover music
- Which markets are ready for touring
- How fans move through the artist’s ecosystem
Understanding audience behaviour allows managers to make smarter decisions, allocate resources more effectively and build sustainable growth strategies.
5. Get comfortable with data
One of the most valuable roles a manager can play is helping artists maintain momentum. This involves being able to create systems that allow progress to be measured and reviewed over time through data.
Artist growth tracking systems include things like:
- Streaming performance
- Social media growth
- Fan engagement metrics
- Content output
- Live performance activity
- Audience demographics
- Revenue streams
By monitoring progress regularly, artists can identify trends, celebrate achievements, address weaknesses and make informed decisions about future priorities.
6. Understand Contracts and Business
Artist managers regularly encounter contracts and business agreements. While legal specialists should always be consulted where necessary, managers should understand the fundamentals of:
- Management agreements
- Recording contracts
- Publishing agreements
- Live performance contracts
- Sponsorship agreements
- Brand partnerships
A solid understanding of business and legal principles helps managers protect artists while maximising opportunities.
How Do Artist Managers Get Paid?
Artist management has traditionally been a commission-based profession, but there is no single payment model used across the industry.
Commission-Based Management
Most artist managers earn a percentage of the income generated by the artists they represent. This commission often ranges between 15% and 20%, although the exact figure varies depending on the agreement and the artist’s stage of development.
Retainers and Project Fees
Some managers charge a fixed monthly fee for their services, particularly when working with developing or independent artists. Others may be hired for specific projects, such as release campaigns, tour planning or audience growth strategies, and charge a one-off project fee.
Consultancy and Coaching
Experienced industry professionals sometimes work as consultants, advisors or mentors rather than traditional managers. This allows artists to access expert guidance on areas such as career planning, audience development and business strategy without entering into a long-term management agreement.
Strategic Partnerships
In some cases, managers become long-term business partners, sharing both the risks and rewards of building an artist’s career. These arrangements often involve a deeper level of involvement and can include profit-sharing or other collaborative business structures.
Ultimately, the right payment model depends on the artist’s needs, the manager’s level of involvement and the goals of the relationship.
Career Progression for Artist Managers
There is no single route into artist management, but career progression might look something like this:
Artist Assistant à Emerging Artist Manager à Independent Artist Manager à Senior Artist Manager à Management Company Founder, Consultant or Venture Partner
Some managers specialise in a particular genre, while others develop broader portfolios across multiple artists and projects.
Is Artist Management a Good Career?
Artist management offers a unique combination of creativity, business strategy and relationship building.
No two days are the same. One day might involve analysing audience data and planning a release campaign, while another could be spent negotiating opportunities, attending live events or helping an artist navigate an important career decision.
If you enjoy problem-solving, networking, leadership and helping creative talent succeed, artist management can be one of the most dynamic and rewarding careers in the music industry.
Study Music Business at LCCM
Artist management requires a broad understanding of how the music industry works, from marketing and audience growth to live events, rights management and artist development.
At LCCM, our BA in Music Business explores these areas through industry-focused learning, real-world projects and collaboration with artists, performers and producers. As part of our creative community, you’ll learn from lecturers like Steve who are actively working in the industry while developing the practical knowledge, professional network and commercial understanding needed for a career in music.
Whether you’re interested in artist management, A&R, marketing, events, entrepreneurship or another area of the music business, studying music can help you build the skills and confidence to take your first steps into the industry.
