Being an artist sounds pretty easy at first. Just make music, and things happen, right?
Well… that's not exactly the case. Any successful artist has to have good music, sure, but without a strong team and support system, it's quite possible that world tier artists would have never left the local club circuit.
Having a good team that an artist believes in and trusts is critical to an artist's success in the music industry. To help you wrap your head around this, let's have a look at the various roles in an artist's team, and what exactly each role does.
The artist manager
The artist manager is the most well-known role of them all. So what exactly does an artist manager do? To answer this question, we need to look at what artists are supposed to spend their time on the most - creating and performing music.
This means that an artist's manager has to do everything else. Whether it's arranging video clips, collabs, making deals, or just dealing with incoming requests, an artist manager has to make sure that everything is taken care of on the artist's behalf.
Artist managers also work as a filter, bringing in only the best and most relevant opportunities, and preventing the artist from wasting their time on useless conversations. Ultimately, an artist manager is not just there to be a friendly help but also functions as the primary organizer in an artist's life as well as the gatekeeper.
If you're an artist and considering getting a manager, make sure to check out our guide on whether or not you need one.
The tour manager
When an artist goes on tour, it's not uncommon that a person separate from the artist manager joins them, called a tour manager. While the same person can fill the roles of a tour manager and an artist manager, this can get very complicated and difficult when an artist manager has to run the ship while dealing with the stress of tour life on the artist's behalf.
On the road, a tour manager is responsible for keeping the artist happy, safe, and getting them to and from the show. This means checking into hotel rooms before the artist arrives, going to venues before the show to test the equipment with the artist's music, and taking care of various unpredictable and miscellaneous tasks or situations that appear on the road.
Ultimately, a tour manager's job is to make everything around gigs happen effortlessly, thus allowing the artist to deliver a strong performance. A tour manager always has to be on their feet, always attentive, and ready to rock.
The booking agent
Another significant role in a standard artist's team is the booking agent. The booking agent is responsible for getting the artist the shows they play, arranging their fees, and making sure that they are getting what they are worth.
Booking agents have to work around the clock to make sure promoters are happy, and have to be ready to take care of situations in coordination with the tour and artist managers in case something happens. A booking agent and their agency represent an artist fully, and a lot of trust has to be present between all the relevant parties to make sure that everything gets taken care of properly.
If you're interested in becoming a booking agent, make sure to check out our guide on becoming one!
So, is that it?
These three roles working in unison are the key to having a capable team behind an artist. Naturally, some artists are so big that they need more staff than just these three roles.
Keep in mind that every artist's team functions in its own way, and there are always exceptions. The most important thing for the team being an artist is to have a lot of trust and to be ready to work together in stressful and quick-paced situations. If you're an artist, manager, or booking agent, Stagent is the solution to help you get your team organized and to give you more time to focus on the important stuff, like making and marketing good music, filling up your tour schedule and networking.
