We have become big fans of Andrew Jones’ work in recent months, and every week or so we like to share some of his unique industry insight on our blog in order to provide a different perspective on this crazy place we call the entertainment business. Today’s post is a little sillier than the others, but it still has a good message to share.
This blog exists to promote the future of the music industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your music-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
“So, what do you exactly do all day?”
As an artist manager people ask me this all the time, and it’s always a little complicated to answer. There are a variety of answers to this question, and honestly every manager is different. Even one manager may handle slightly different tasks for different clients or handle something for one season but hire a third party for another.
However to me being a manager ultimately means doing whatever it takes to break your artist. Whatever.
To that effect here are a few of the things I have done as an artist manager:
1. Network
2. Encourage artists
3. Route tours
4. Try to get bands on large tours
5. Invite other bands onto tours
6. Help pick singles
7. Give notes on demos
8. Give notes on mixes
9. Help determine track order
10. Record video
11. Edit video
12. Design websites
13. Consult on social media strategy
14. Apply for grants
15. Deign posters
16. Design merch
17. Book dates (don’t do this if you live in California or New York…)
18. Find sponsors
19. Speak into band conflict
20. Talk to publishers
21. Take songs to music supervisors
22. Find publicists
23. Work with publicists
24. Track songs to radio
25. Stall for time
26. Negotiate into a record deal
27. Negotiate out of a record deal
28. Buy digital advertising
29. Chase down money from promoters
30. Design webpages
31. Find local bands to join bills
32. Work with promoters on advertising
33. Line up radio station visits
34. Line up newspaper interviews
35. Blog
36. Maintain email lists
37. Write email blasts
38. Pitch to agencies
39. Write bios
40. Create presskits
41. Create riders
42. Go to conferences
43. Submit music to podcasts
44. Stay on top of digital trends
45. Edit press releases
46. Write press releases
47. Solicit album reviews
48. Set-up photo sessions
49. Approve photos
50. Approve album artwork
51. Upload music to all platforms
52. Find sponsors
53. Track stats
54. Fill and update calendars
55. Set-up interviews
56. Promote local shows
57. Fill showcases
58. Take the blame
59. Text a lot
60. Increase Hype
61. Build a street team
62. Write letters
63. Work with charities
64. Create pre-order packages
…And most importantly….
65. WHATEVER IT TAKES
This post was written by Andrew Jones, editor of Checkered Owl. It originally ran on his blog, but we loved it so much we felt it deserved to shared once more on ours. If you like his work and want to read more of his writing, or if you want to be super cool and offer him full time industry employment, reach out and connect with him on Twitter.
