For many, the image of a music manager looks like a scene from a movie: someone shouting into a phone from the side of a stage, jumping into limos, and just generally living the “rock and roll” life. In reality, a music manager takes on a variety of job titles in a given day, often blending creativity with business smarts to make sure everything comes together. Behind every successful artist, there’s usually a manager solving problems, making deals, and guiding the vision.
Getting Into the Business Behind the Music
If you’re drawn to the world of music but prefer using your talents to help artists shine rather than standing in the spotlight yourself, a career in music business could be the perfect fit. This guide will break down the key steps to launching your career as a music manager.
From scouting your first artist to building the skills that set you apart, you’ll learn what it really takes to succeed. We’ll walk through the main responsibilities, how to make your mark before you have the official title, the educational and experience pathways, and what a long-term management career can look like.
A Music Manager’s Many Hats: Understanding Core Responsibilities
A music manager is never just one thing. The role demands a balance between big-picture thinking and handling the smallest details, often at the same time. Think of yourself as both a strategic team leader and a problem-solving personal assistant.
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How Music Managers Balance Being Both a Leader and an Employee
On one side, you are planning an artist’s career and steering major decisions. On the other hand, you’re often knee-deep in details, sorting out travel plans, organizing rehearsals, or making sure a single social media post goes out on time. The best managers are as comfortable in a boardroom as they are at the back of a club or backstage at a festival.
Breakdown of the Many Jobs a Music Manager Might Take On
Success in music management depends on wearing many hats and getting comfortable with a wide range of tasks. If you want to make an impact, you need to be flexible, organized, and ready to learn on the fly.
The Career Architect
Your job starts with big-picture planning. You help your artist set goals, make smart choices, and map out how to get from where they are to where they want to be. You’ll need to think about their long-term vision and create a business plan that gets them on the right path. Part of your job may involve guiding their decision-making along the way to help them stay on track.
The Negotiator
Contracts are a big part of the business. You’ll read, review, and negotiate deals with record labels, live venues, brands, and even sponsors. Being a good negotiator means understanding your artist’s value and making sure every deal supports their goals.
The Accountant
You handle budgets, manage income and expenses, and make sure your artist’s projects are financially sound. Whether it’s a tour or a music video, your oversight helps avoid costly mistakes and keeps the business side strong.
The Head of Marketing
Promotion is essential. You’ll work on branding, craft marketing strategies, and oversee the artist’s online presence. Depending on the size of the artist’s team, this could include everything from running social feeds to pitching to media outlets. The goal is the same whether you’re managing a new independent artist or a bigger band signed to a label: ensure the artist’s story is clear and compelling to their fans and the industry.
The Operations Manager
From planning tours to scheduling interviews, you organize the moving pieces. Logistics can make or break a project, and you need to make sure everything runs smoothly.
The Brand Ambassador
You are your artist’s main advocate in the industry. Networking, building relationships, and representing your artist’s interests with labels, promoters, and other managers are all key.
Tips for Scouting Artists and Signing Them On
The hardest part for many aspiring managers is simply starting. You might not have the official title or experience yet, but you can still show what you can do.
Scouting New Talent
Every management journey begins with finding artists who inspire you. Go where the music is, which can be almost anywhere in today’s scene: local shows, open mic nights, and online platforms like SoundCloud, Bandcamp, or TikTok are all good places to start. The best artists to work with are not always the most popular ones, but the ones who combine talent with a strong work ethic, a unique sound, and clear potential for growth.
Deciding Whether to Sign
Scouting is more than just picking someone with a great song. Look for artists who are committed, willing to put in the work, and have a vision you can get behind. Once you find someone, your first task is building trust. Music management is a partnership, not just a business deal.
Be open about your skills and your goals. Let the artist know why you believe in them and what you think you can offer. Most importantly, listen to their needs and dreams. Listening will help you build the foundation for a healthy, lasting partnership.
Proving Your Skills As a First-Time Manager
Getting hired as a manager can be a catch-22. You need experience to get the job, but you need the job to get experience. Here’s how to break in.
Finding Your First Gig
You don’t need a formal title to start growing your music business experience. Offer to help a friend’s band or an artist you admire with one project. This could be booking a show, running a local tour, organizing a music video shoot, or setting up a release campaign. Focus on delivering real results, no matter how small the project might seem.
Demonstrate Promoter Skills
Promoting a show or a release is one of the most concrete ways to prove your worth. Try booking a gig for an artist, negotiating their fee, making a flyer, and promoting it online and offline. Work to get a strong turnout. Or, manage the rollout of a single. Coordinate with distributors, plan a release calendar, pitch to playlist curators, and create a social media schedule that builds buzz.
Build a Portfolio
Treat every project as a stepping stone. Document your work: make before-and-after reports, collect testimonials from artists, and note the results. Maybe you grew someone’s Instagram following by 30 percent in a month, or helped sell out a local venue.
Put these wins on a one-sheet or personal website. Your portfolio becomes your proof when pitching yourself to new artists or bigger management companies.
Understanding the Different Types of Music Managers
As you dive deeper into the world of music management, you’ll notice that it’s rarely a one-size-fits-all job. There are several specialized types of managers, each focusing on a unique part of an artist’s career. Knowing the differences can help you find your best fit or build a well-rounded team around an artist.
Personal Managers
A personal manager, often simply called “the manager,” is usually the main advisor and decision-maker in an artist’s career. This person helps shape long-term goals, guides creative and business choices, and serves as the artist’s daily point of contact.
Personal managers coordinate with everyone else on the team, from agents to lawyers to publicists. They are responsible for both big-picture planning and everyday logistics, making them indispensable partners for most artists. If you want to be deeply involved in every aspect of an artist’s journey, this is the most hands-on role.
PR Managers (Publicists)
Public relations managers, also known as publicists, specialize in handling an artist’s image and media presence. Their main job is to secure press coverage, arrange interviews, manage media relations, and help craft the artist’s public narrative. When an artist releases new music, goes on tour, or faces a crisis, the publicist steps in to manage messaging and reputation.
A skilled publicist knows how to get the right stories placed in blogs, magazines, podcasts, and on social media, helping to build and protect the artist’s brand.
Tour Managers
A tour manager takes charge when an artist hits the road. This role involves planning and executing the details of live shows, from travel and accommodations to sound checks and schedules.
Tour managers solve problems in real time, keep the tour on budget, and make sure everything runs smoothly for the artist and crew. They are the glue holding a tour together, handling both logistics and morale. For those who thrive under pressure and love travel, tour management is a rewarding but demanding path.
Business Managers
Business managers focus on the financial health of an artist’s career. Their job is to oversee accounting, budgeting, investments, taxes, and sometimes even payroll for touring staff. They make sure artists get paid on time, help manage spending, and offer advice on long-term financial planning.
While they might not be in the spotlight, business managers play a crucial role in making sure an artist’s success leads to financial security. Their expertise allows artists and personal managers to focus on creative and strategic goals without losing sight of the bottom line.
From First Gig to Full-Fledged Career: The Career Path of an Established Manager
It’s one thing to manage a single artist or project. It’s another to become a full-time manager with a real roster and a stable career.
The Evolution from One Artist to a Roster
Most managers start by helping one artist and then, as their skills and network grow, begin taking on more. Over time, you might find yourself handling multiple clients, each with different needs and career stages. This can be challenging but also rewarding, as it lets you diversify your experience and income.
Joining a Larger Company as an Artist Manager
After a few years in the industry, you’ll have gained enough experience to consider working for a larger company. You’ll need to show a strong portfolio and a track record of results to earn a spot. Once hired, you’ll be part of a musician’s more organized team that includes marketing experts, publicists, and accountants, all focused on helping artists succeed.
The benefits to working for a company are significant. You get operational support, a dedicated marketing and advertising team, and greater financial stability (often a combination of salary and commission). You can focus more on strategy and less on day-to-day gruntwork, as you’ll be part of a collaborative group with shared goals.
Most importantly, this allows you to grow as a leader and leverage powerful tools to help your artists succeed. Going from solo operator to a strategic manager gives you more access to powerful resources to help your artists break into new markets and achieve sustainable, long-term success.
Growing Into a Music Executive Role
As you build your reputation, roster, and industry knowledge, you may find new doors opening beyond artist management. Some managers will go on to music executive roles, taking on positions such as label president, head of A&R (Artists & Repertoire), or even launching their own management or label companies. In these roles, you oversee not just individual careers but also influence the direction of entire companies and shape the future of the music industry.
Music executives develop strategies, discover and sign new talent, and create partnerships that affect many artists at once. If you enjoy big-picture thinking and want to impact the industry on a broader scale, this path offers a natural evolution for experienced managers who want to lead at the highest level.
Building Your Foundation: Education, Experience, and Transferable Skills
Great managers aren’t born overnight. You’ll need to build your skills through a mix of hands-on work, learning, and networking.
Gaining Relevant Experience Through Related Fields
One of the best ways to build real skills is by working in roles that touch different aspects of music. For example, becoming a club promoter or event organizer helps you learn about booking, marketing, and logistics firsthand. These jobs teach you how to draw a crowd, handle budgets, and solve problems under pressure, all skills you’ll need as a music manager.
Using an Internship as a Starting Point
Internships are another classic entry point. Look for internships at management companies, record labels, music publishers, or live music venues. Ideally you’ll find an internship where you’ll be exposed to scheduling, artist communications, and project management.
Most people struggle to find internships without a solid industry connection to start. The best way to gain access to top internships is through a college program, like Musician’s Institute Music Business Program.
Climbing the Ladder from an Assistant Role
Another strong pathway is working as an executive assistant to a manager or industry executive. While this might sound like grunt work, you’ll be handling scheduling, asset management, and even attending important meetings or shoots. It’s a behind-the-scenes role that teaches you how the industry operates from the inside and lets you watch experienced professionals in action. Getting a job as an assistant is still competitive, and might require previous experience as a personal assistant.
How a Degree in Music Business Gives Graduates an Edge
While hands-on work is essential, formal education also offers important benefits. A degree in music business, business management, or a related field gives you a credential that can help you get taken seriously, especially in competitive cities like LA. Classes at Musicians Institute offer structured lessons in music copyright law, contracts, finance, and marketing.
College Resources that can Fast-track Your Career
One of the biggest advantages of formal education is the network you build. Professors, alumni, and fellow students are valuable connections who can offer mentorship, introduce you to internships, or even recommend you for jobs. MI’s Artist and Career Services department helps students find internships and even mentorships that can all give a leg up when it’s time to apply for a job.
Getting Started at Musicians Institute
The Business Program at MI has everything you’ll need to develop the industry knowledge and contacts for a serious career in music. The program is offered as either a certificate or an Associate of Science, giving students the flexibility to decide the length and depth of their music education. The program is available in-person or online, making it easier and more accessible than ever to earn a music education degree.
If you’re ready to kickstart your career in music management, contact our admissions team today or sign up for our upcoming open house tour.