What Makes a Good Manager in the Music Industry – do not publish

When it comes to music, following the artist is an important area. We follow the song to begin with. We follow the money of the song. And now we’re going to follow the artist. And what is there to follow, you may ask?

I can’t tell you the number of times an artist comes into my office, comes to talk to me about management or comes in looking for an opportunity and they’re talking about their team. They’ve got their lawyer, their manager, their agent, their publicist, their digital marketing, all of these things. And what I’ll say is, “That’s great. Now, where’s the music?”

We’re going to talk about the right time to find those people to help you out in your career. And we’re also going to talk about what those people do and how they surround the artist. I like to call the artist the orbit because if you think about the globe, and you think about the artists in the middle of that globe, all of the people that are satellites around that globe are the people in the artist’s orbit and the people who are responsible for different areas of the artist’s career. Hopefully, you add those people at the time when you actually need them, as opposed to collecting people’s work for you when there really isn’t anything to do.

First and foremost, the most important member of that team is ultimately the artist’s manager. Now a lot of you are probably wondering how you can know when you’re supposed to get a manager. The answer is you get a manager when you realize that you no longer have time to manage all of the things that are happening in your career. That’s the time to get a manager and not before. If you can do it yourself, then you should do it yourself. If you can’t do it yourself, it’s time to get a manager.

That means when you’re generating income, when you have shows, you have opportunities, when income is coming in and you actually have something to manage. Many artists make the mistake of putting the cart before the horse and getting a manager when there’s nothing really to manage. Once you know you need a manager, the next question is how do you know who the right manager is for you?

In my estimation, the right manager is the most experienced person, and the one who’s the most excited about what you can do and get. In a nutshell, when you have something going on, managers will come to you. When you have nothing going on and there’s nothing to manage, you’ll have a very difficult time getting a manager.

Ultimately, the most important person in your deal is your manager. This is because he or she is the go-between for you and the label. It needs to be a manager who really understands the music business. The manager is the person who wants to turn the artist’s career into ten times more than what they actually have seen. The manager is the one who’s going to be the go-between, the liaison who makes everything run smoothly between the artist and the label, or the artist and Spotify, or the artist and title, or just the artist and everybody.

The artist should be truly focused on making great music. The manager should never want to do that. The manager should just be thinking that they want this artist to be the biggest thing going on in the world and that they’re going to do whatever they can to make that happen. If, as the artist, you don’t believe that someone is going to be that person for you, then that means it’s time to find a new manager. What it ultimately comes down to is that the manager needs to believe in the artist. If they don’t, then they’re just somebody looking for money, and as the artist, you’re going to get screwed.

Online music education is a wonderful way to learn more about what makes a good manager, how to find one, and many more great lessons on finding success in the music industry. And what could be better than a quality music education from the comfort of your own home?

What Is a Tech Rider?

The music industry uses a lot of terms that might sound particularly foreign if you’re not familiar with the business. For live performers, one important term is “tech rider,” which includes a stage plot and input list. The stage plot is a picture of all the instruments on stage, the monitor placements, and the names of the people in the band that are taking part in the performance.

That stage plot also includes an input list, which specifies all the different inputs the front-of-house engineer needs to put into the system. These inputs would be anything creating audio from the stage that you want the audience to hear, such as drums, bass, guitar, vocals, keyboard, drum machines, synthesizers, or anything else that makes a sound. Each instrument on the input list should be numbered; this lets everyone talk about each one by its number.

A tech rider includes all of the proper amplification needed for a show to take place. Many people have subwoofers on their tech rider, but they might also use a certain amplitude of speakers and monitors; all of it is meant to help them make sure that they have a professional environment for their show to take place in.

Secrets of the Tech Rider

When a performer is on stage, there are speakers that point back at them. Those speakers play a mix of all the instrumentation that they are most comfortable with while performing. This monitor mix is actually a really cool thing that most people don’t know about unless they’ve pursued a music education; it lets the performer hear their instrument or vocals at their preferred volume level. It makes the performer comfortable knowing they can choose whatever they want their mix to be.

For example, some music performers don’t like to hear their own vocals, but others want their in-ear vocals to be loud. The monitors allow the performer to have the mix that they want separately from what the rest of the venue hears.

In addition to those monitors, there are also in-ear monitors that perfomers can wear like headphones. They’re controlled with a fader system by a mix engineer that’s off to the side of the stage.

What About Backlines?

Another word that you might encounter in your online music education is “backline.” A backline is a list of instruments and gear that the venue offers you when you arrive. This can include mic stands, keyboard stands, amplification devices, guitar stands, microphones, and many other things that the performer may need.

Most venues have a backline section on their website that indicates the things they have available for use by the performers. It’s best to double-check that section before visiting a venue. It’s also a good idea to email the venue before arriving to make sure everything is still on track for the show. It’s always good to have a backup plan in case something goes wrong, as you never know what is going to happen.

Using Music Education and Passion to Build a Successful Tour

Many bands don’t even bring a crew on tour; it’s just them. They do everything themselves. As you start to get bigger, though, you might need someone to sell merch for you. You might need someone to run the sound at the front of the house, or someone to run the monitor mix. As you continue growing bigger, you might need a wardrobe person. You might need a production assistant, a production manager, a tour manager. All of these people are very expensive to hire.

So, these are really some things to think about as you start to gain momentum in the music industry. For the most part, your manager is going to help you with this. As for needing a manager, you don’t need one until you need one. If you find that you can’t handle everything by yourself, that’s when you need a manager. At the beginning though, I recommend that you try to do it on your own.

Obviously, selling tickets for your show can benefit you financially. In some cases, though, you’ll really only be making money from alcohol sales at the bar, or from a guarantee that the venue has already given you. This is typically a certain amount of money that you’re guaranteed to receive after the show, no matter what. For instance, a venue may give you a $500 guarantee to play a show, and if they do, it won’t matter how many people are in attendance—you’ll receive the $500 regardless.

Another way that some venues might do it is to give you a guaranteed amount, plus a percentage of ticket sales after a certain amount of money is made. So, for example, after you’ve already made $1,000, you would receive $500, plus ten percent of ticket sales. You might get offered a deal like this as a way to incentivize you to promote the show and bring along as many people as possible.

Ultimately, creating a successful performance or tour is about the following things: finding your true, authentic self, creating your intention, telling your story, finding your audience, and creating a visual element that will evoke a certain energy from the crowd. So, in that vein, there are a few things you really need to focus on deciding, and they are who you are, who you need to bring with you on your music journey, and what kind of story you want to tell. In many cases, exploring online music education can help you get started on the right path.

Understanding Yourself Is Crucial in the Music Industry

One of the essential things about authenticity while making music is knowing yourself. That self-awareness can come from all kinds of self-help books but also exercises where we can look at ourselves in the mirror and project exactly what we want to see. Looking in the mirror is one of the most critical elements about learning how to perform well and perform authentically.

Each day, you must go to the mirror, and the first thing you must do is confront yourself. It means you’re looking in the mirror, and the moment that you’re about to say, “Oh, my eye, oh, my hair, oh, my face, oh, I need to…,” you must confront all those things. Even when you’re standing there, and you’re thinking, “This is silly. I don’t know why I’m doing this;” you must observe. It would be best to observe all those things. Understanding your inner self should be taught as part of music education also in online music education.

The idea is to see who you are, and you begin to observe them and pay attention. Then, you’re comfortable within yourself. At that point, when you step on the stage, you’re able to make that connection. Do you know what happens? You connect with the audience, and the audience feels your authenticity. It’s essential that they feel your authenticity.

As an artist, you are working through who you are and what you want the audience to feel when you are on stage. That connection that you’re trying to make with the audience, you must do some work where you understand who you are, why you are, how you are, and the purpose of you being that artist. The only way that that can happen is if you have and learn to have that intimate connection with yourself.

One of my favorite authors, Brené Brown, talks about authenticity a lot. I find it to be helpful to look at one of her examples. She often uses the phrase, “Don’t puff up. Don’t shrink down.” Sometimes when we’re in a tense situation, we try to make ourselves more confident than average. Or we try to make ourselves smaller because we feel like we’re acting. We’re taking up too much space.

The truth is that if someone dislikes you for doing either of those things, you’re going to feel worse about yourself. If they dislike you for being who you are, you’re still going to feel good about exactly who you are. The critical idea is to walk out of that situation and know that you didn’t try too hard to mold yourself into what you think someone would want you to be. We want to sit with ourselves in precisely the space that we are.

I speak about not the space of when you think you’re putting on. That’s the mask you wear so that people know you as this when you step out. We’re talking about when you’re alone and you’re standing in front of that mirror. You’re looking at yourself, and you’re taking in all the voices that are inside your head.

Understanding the Importance of Staging and Costumes in the Music Industry

Staging and costumes are all about the way things look. As part of your online music education, let’s go back to Art History 101 to learn about composition. What is most pleasing to our eyes? What colors work best when you want to create an intimate atmosphere? Do you want warm colors like red, or cool colors like blue? This is all a trial-and-error process, but it’s best for us to see how the characters from earlier in the story fit in with these color-blocking ideas and the composition of the canvas as our stage.

Staging Philosophies
In the same way that we think of instrumentation with a song, color-blocking is a good way to impose splashes of color onto a stage that look good next to one another. Sometimes the juxtaposition of these colors can create a really interesting tone in itself. Using lights, we can really make them take on a whole different shape. So, for example, if you have a red light onstage and a blue backdrop, it’s going to change color as it’s turned on and off. The ability to see color and the way that it plays a role within the stage setup is important to know as you continue your music education.

Creating a conceptual identity for your product is something a lot of people are doing nowadays. Some people decide that they want to be a monster in another world. When you walk into this venue, you want to feel like you are a monster in another world, and you’ve never met someone else that is a monster from another world.

So how do we make that happen? What does the set design look like? How do we implement these ideas in the performance of our work? Do we speak to the audience? Do we start on the floor? Do we perform from the audience, with the audience themselves on stage? Original interpretations of what everything means and flipping the script on yourself is a really incredible way to understand yourself better as an artist.

My art teacher in high school used to say, “Do you belong to the school of squint?” And this helps me all the time when I’m thinking of visual elements for my live performance. What she meant by that was, if you squint and you see just the outside of everything and the composition of the larger pieces in color-blocking, you’re going to be able to see what it looks like from far away. This is what’s important for us as performers because it should look just as good in the front row as it does in the back row.

About Costumes
We want to create costumes that have really great profiles. We want apparel that makes us look the way we want to look, and that creates a color that pops out from the set itself and gives the audience something to be excited by. We can create so many different stories with costumes. They can be abstract shapes. We can reimagine our bodies as other-selves in this moment. But when it comes down to it for us, the entire conceptual performance is really focused on how to bring the costume, the set, the songs, and the choreography all together in wondrous harmony.

A costume doesn’t have to be some crazy Halloween thing at all. It’s just about what you put on that day that is your work outfit. And for some people, that’s going to be jeans, a T-shirt, and some Converse. And for other people, it’s going to be an evening gown, some makeup, and an up-do. But the truth is that you should always be wearing something that’s really comfortable to you that screams, “This is my authentic self.”

What we put on our bodies and how we present ourselves can shape the way we feel about our performance to a great extent. We want to be comfortable. We want to feel safe. This is all the puff-up, shrink-down thing again. If we act like something we are not, we are not going to be comfortable. We are not going to relate to our audience the best way that we can.

Another use of the costume is that it’s a personal prop. Being able to use something that you wear on your body as a through-line of a story that you tell on the stage is really important. We see this with James Brown with his cape. There are so many ways in which that cape means something more than just a piece of clothing. And his performance with this cape is something that I return to over and over again with my students in order to explain how to use props and how to use your body onstage in order to tell a deeper story.

How The Knife Uses Staging and Costumes
One of my favorite bands is called The Knife. They’re a Swedish electronic band. And every performance they do is wildly different from the one before. Creating this new world for them to live in is something that the audience loves. This is why people keep coming back; because they know that what they’re walking into is going to be a whole new world than the last time they saw the band.

Their last performance included choreographed dances with around 12 bandmates on stage. The lead singer wasn’t always even the one singing during performances. They had costumes and instruments they built themselves, plus new technologies around percussion instruments and wind instruments. Everything about the night was an experiment in pop music performance and what an audience is.

The opening band was an aerobics instructor. They got the crowd up and moving. It was a great way to create an amazing story throughout the night. It was new and different, and the audience is shocked to experience it. These are the kinds of performances we remember. They also make an impact on us in the world of music.

Understanding Management and Contracts in the Music Business

One common question music professionals get is “how does a manager in the music industry get paid?” Historically, a manager typically gets between 10% and 20% of the gross. However, that number changes depending on what the situation is. For example, a female solo artist or a male solo artist may be paying 20%, but if you’re a rock band of five or six guys, for a manager to make 20%, they’d make more than any individual member of the band. Generally, any manager who’s smart and wants to have a good relationship with their artists is going to take less than that.

Some managers make less than touring based on a touring history, but 15% to 20% is a general rule. Any manager who’s worth their weight and has a great history and good experience is going to want 15% to 20% of the gross of everything that you make. It’s not an unreasonable amount of money because there are many times when a manager is working hard on your behalf. They aren’t making any money during the times that you’re dormant, recording, etc.

It’s hard to talk about the music industry without talking about some of the pitfalls of the business. Because there weren’t music education programs 20, 25 years ago, all of us who grew up in the music industry made mistakes and learned by either making those mistakes, getting ripped off, getting screwed over, or getting somehow cheated, unfortunately.

Thankfully, things are different today. However, the pitfalls still remain the same. That is, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t fall for the hype. Don’t go for the quick buck. Instead, go for the long term. So, why do I say that? Many people think that fame equals a career, but that’s not the case. The list of one-hit-wonders, flashes in the pan, people who had their short moment in the sun, is significantly longer than the list of those who have had a real career.

Always be open-minded. Always be thinking about where you want to be in five or 10 years. Don’t be thinking about how to get as many ‘likes’ as you can today. Think about how to get as many followers as you can long-term. If you think about even the arc of Facebook and how it was used, in the last five years it went from the number of followers being the most important thing to followers no longer amounting to excitement, interest, or passion.

So, if I were a manager, I wouldn’t really care how many followers you have. Instead, I want to know how many people are talking about you. It’s a very different dynamic. It’s a very different algorithm. But ultimately, having real fans is what it’s all about. Don’t go for quick fame, and don’t confuse fame with a career, because they’re two completely different things.

Another important thing is, don’t make the mistake of signing contracts without having them looked over. Standard music industry contracts are not usually in the artist’s favor. And honestly, it may never be completely in your favor; however, it should always be within the confines, norms, and boundaries of what’s acceptable among artists.

When you hear those horror stories about old artists being ripped off or selling their music, or when you wonder how Michael Jackson owns part of the Beatles catalog, that’s because artists were signing bad deals at the time. Fortunately, that’s easily avoidable now with good advice. Remember, just because somebody asked you to the dance, it doesn’t mean that’s the only person who wants to dance with you.

If you’ve got ‘the goods’ and you’ve got things going on, you don’t have to take the first deal that comes your way. Be patient and wait for the right deal to be presented to you. If what you’re doing makes a lot of sense and people really like it, there will be more than one company, one person, one bit of interest in what you’re doing. There will be a lot of it.

If you’re interested in learning much more about concepts like these surrounding the world of professional music, you should seriously consider exploring online music education.

The Significance of Visual Performance in Music Education

The visual pillar of performance is probably the most fun. Sometimes, as musicians, we forget about this part of our artistry. That it really comes from a deep feeling.

We want to paint. We want to touch. Sometimes, with music, we don’t get that sense. We don’t get that motion. When we’re creating electronic music.

Get students to feel comfortable getting dirty. You want them to feel like the energy they’ve put into creating a set or creating costumes is going to give back to their audience. Like it is going to make them feel more connected with the work that they’re doing.

What is the story you want to tell? You must make sure that you are wearing the costume of that story, of that main character. What is the character of the set? Is that a sun setting? Or is it people in a protest?

If you never bring up the idea of people in a protest, but you’ve got images behind you of people in a protest, it evokes a feeling from the audience. It’s these subliminal messages that we’re giving to the audience that make them feel connected to what we’re doing.

There are many ways to do this for a performance with a track. For example, to feel more alive, one of those is through movement and choreography. Another one of those is creating or combining a live element with your track. Sometimes, people add live drums, and they’re not even miked.

The idea of moving their body along with the rhythm of the music is something that the audience can really connect to. They feel, oh, they’re moving. I want to move too.

That’s what we must look at. Like there’s really a mirror right there. What you are doing is what the audience feels OK to be doing back to you. If you’re dancing, they’re dancing. If you’re introspective and looking at the ground, they might be too. Decide what you want your audience to do, and they’ll mirror you.

The Set List Can Make Performing Your Music More Dramatic

Before you arrive at the venue, it’s great to have your set list already planned out with your band. This is a key part of your music education. You can always make changes later, but it’s good to think about the sequence of songs before you show up to the venue to make sure that you really add dynamic to the show. Perhaps you decide to juxtapose a slow song with a fast song for the most drama.

We ask Mick Jagger, “When choosing a setlist for the Rolling Stones, there really aren’t too many bad ideas, are there?”

The Rolling Stones front man, who has nearly 60 years of music industry experience, replies, “I’m sure there are. Let’s just say that some ideas are better than others. Like for instance, I believe that the opening number is kind of important. We did try ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ in some cases. And a lot of those shows in Europe were in the daylight, so I didn’t like doing that number in the daylight opening. It didn’t work, so I dumped it.

“I think it works as an opener in the dark when you’ve got full lighting,” Jagger continues. He goes on to explain that in the dark, that song really reads and works to create a mood. “So we’ve got all these kinds of factors to take into account when we’re doing set lists,” he concludes.

A set list is a list of songs that you’re going to perform that night. Everyone has a different amount of songs depending on how much time they have allotted to them on stage. This is one of many aspects of your career to consider as you continue your online music education.

The Role of the Record Producer in Today’s Music Industry

The role of a record producer in the music industry is multifaceted and crucial in shaping the sound and success of an artist. While the debate between documenting a performance and shaping its sound continues, it’s the producer’s relationship with the artist that often defines the outcome of a musical project. Let’s explore the different approaches producers take in working with artists and the impact of their choices on the music that reaches our ears.

 

The Facilitator vs. The Imprint

At one end of the spectrum, some record producers act as facilitators, focusing solely on bringing the artist’s vision to life. Their primary aim is to create an environment where the artist feels supported to express their creativity and produce their best work. On the opposite end, there are producers who leave a distinct mark on the music they touch, imprinting their unique sound and style onto the artist’s work. This approach can lead to a collaboration where the producer’s influence is as significant as the artist’s talent

 

Jerry Wechsler and Aretha Franklin

A prime example of a facilitative producer is Jerry Wechsler. When he signed Aretha Franklin, Wechsler recognized her potential and worked to cultivate a sound that resonated with her soulful roots. His approach was not about changing Franklin’s style but enhancing and elevating it to showcase her best qualities. This collaboration led to some of the most iconic songs in the history of soul music, demonstrating the power of a producer who prioritizes the artist’s authentic expression.

 

Phil Spector and the Wall of Sound

Contrastingly, Phil Spector became known for his “Wall of Sound” technique, a method that significantly shaped the music of the artists he worked with. Spector’s approach was to create a dense, layered sound that was unmistakable, regardless of the artist performing. This method led to groundbreaking music but also sparked debates about the balance between a producer’s influence and an artist’s originality.

 

The Role of Electronic Music Producers

In the realm of electronic music, producers like Pharrell Williams have managed to carve out a niche where their sound becomes a signature. When you hear a Pharrell-produced track, there’s an immediate recognition of his influence. This highlights a modern trend where producers are as celebrated as the artists themselves, blurring the lines between production and performance.

 

The Importance of Music Education

Understanding these dynamics is essential for anyone looking to make their mark in the music industry. Whether you’re an aspiring producer, artist, or music executive, recognizing the different roles a producer can play opens up a broader perspective on music production. It emphasizes the need for a solid foundation in music education to navigate the complexities of this relationship.

The relationship between a record producer and an artist is a delicate dance of creativity, vision, and influence. As we’ve seen through examples like Jerry Wechsler and Phil Spector, the producer’s approach can significantly affect the direction and success of an artist’s music. For those intrigued by the intricacies of music production and looking to deepen their understanding, pursuing further education in this field is invaluable.

 

Discover Your Potential With Yellowbrick

Interested in exploring the music industry more deeply? Enroll in the Music Industry Essentials course by Yellowbrick. This comprehensive course offers insights into production, management, and the business of music, providing you with the tools to navigate the music industry successfully. Whether you’re just starting or looking to expand your knowledge, this course is designed to improve your understanding of the music world.

Take the first step towards mastering the art of music production and shaping the sound of the future. Enroll now and discover your potential in the music industry!

The Normality of Performance Anxiety in the Music Industry

I want to talk a little bit about performance anxiety. The truth is, it’s normal. We all have fight or flight so that means that everybody gets nervous, and everybody should get nervous if they’re getting up on a big stage in front of a lot of people or even a little stage in front of some people. Sometimes that is actually scarier.

The truth is, we should have an increased heart rate, some difficulty breathing, and perhaps some sweaty palms, but what we shouldn’t do is let that affect our performance. Practice is a really good way for us to move through this. We have to imagine that setup, that situation we’re going to be in, and be able to get through it. One thing that I really suggest is changing your thinking about the outcome of the situation. Camila Cabello says, “I remember the first show. I was so intimidated, like I was so scared. And there was a switch, I think, in the second or third show where I was like, wait a second, these people aren’t judging me.”

There’s three different ways that you can think. The first, is a positive outcome. This can be great, but it can also be detrimental. An example of that positive-outcome thinking would be, “I’m going to be amazing. I am the best singer ever.” Again, this confidence is awesome, but in reality, sometimes if we mess up, it can work to our disadvantage. The second is negative-outcome thinking, “I’m going to suck. I’m going to ruin everything. Everyone’s going to hate me.” Obviously, this is a terrible way to think. Sure, it’s low expectation so if we do well, we’ll feel really great, but it’s a terrible way to set yourself up for failure. Lastly, the third kind of thinking is just practical thinking. “I’m going to do this. This is my job. I’m going to perform.” This is really the best thinking for performance anxiety because we don’t say it’s going to be good or bad. We just say it’s going to be. This is the best way that we can be our authentic self and get through this difficult moment of nerves.

Coping Mechanisms to Overcome Performance Anxiety

One way to deal with performance anxiety is being able to mentally go through the entire performance in real time. Music education teaches, a lot of people use this technique when they can’t get together with their band. It just exemplifies a way that we can build confidence on our own in our own mind. It’s kind of like meditation. I’ll think about all the parts I need to play, all the vocalizations I need to do, and all of my choreography. After we do it once in real time, I like to do it a second time in double time. That means that I can go through everything quickly and know where I’m going to move to next. Before we finish up, we go one more time in real time. This helps us to end this process with what we are expecting to do on stage exactly. Going through this over and over again is just going to help us feel comfortable when we actually get on stage in front of the crowd.

The best way to recover from a mess-up during a performance is really the same way that you would mess up from a life experience. There’s a couple of ways that you can regain control after you mess up in a performance. According to online music education, one of those is seeing it in the scope of the entire show. Most people won’t recognize that you made an error. The only person that’s going to know that you made an error is yourself and maybe your band. Don’t acknowledge it and push through it. Take a breath and step back. This does not define your entire performance. It will not define your career. It will not define your entire life. It is only a moment to move past and it is gone now.

Everyone makes mistakes during a show. I definitely make more than one in every show. The truth is, we shouldn’t let that take over our anxiety around performing the rest of the show with confidence. One person that has made a mistake that we’re all aware of was Adele. When she performed at the Grammys and she couldn’t find her place, she actually stopped and acknowledged her mistake. I think this was really important for her to do because it created a vulnerability with her and the audience of millions of people all over the world. Showing that she was human actually made her more lovable. I thought it was a really brilliant way for her to deal with making that mistake. Other people on stage will just keep going and not care. Other people will stop the song and acknowledge it until the audience laughs. Really, there’s so many ways of doing this, but I think the most important thing is just to allow yourself to be vulnerable and authentic to your true self when you make a mistake on stage.