How to be Your Own Manager: 6 Ways to Make it in the Music Industry
Making it in the music industry can mean a lot of different things these days. What success looks like depends on the individual, project, and goals of the artist behind the project. The landscape has changed drastically, but many have an idea that the industry still works in similar ways as it did before streaming. With streaming, artists have seen a lot more independence paired with a lot less money, more expensive venue fees, and a general devaluing of music and live performance. This begs the question of how to break into the scene and what kind of help one might need. Because representation can be hard to find, most artists act as their own manager, distribution service, and promoter all at the same time. With this in mind, let’s look at some ways that musicians can set themselves up for success in this crazy industry.
Independent Distribution
Every musician should know how to upload music to Spotify. Luckily, it’s a lot simpler than one might think. These days, you don’t need the representation of a label or top-notch manager to get a deal to be distributed to stores. These days, artists can use music distribution services to pay a fee and get their music uploaded to streaming platforms. It still costs money, but it takes a fraction of the time to get music heard once it’s ready for release.
Get Organized
When taking on multiple roles as an artist, it’s important to stay organized. Both in time and physical organization.
Make sure you keep track of all of your meetings and that your media and content are cleanly accessible to easily distribute to promoters or other media circuits. Promoting your work takes consistent energy and time, so make a habit of sitting down for a few hours every day to do promotional and administrative work for your project.
Don’t Overbook Yourself
Music and art are funny beasts, and sometimes you’ll go months without much work or visible traction on your project. Then, all of a sudden, you may find yourself inundated with requests for performances, recording sessions, or other opportunities. When it rains, it pours, as they say. It’s important, in these moments, to be honest about what you can take on and what you can’t. Saying ‘no’ can feel like an artistic death sentence, but if you’re being honest about your bandwidth, that will show respect for your health and ensure that the commitments you do have will receive 100% of your focus and energy.
Create An Organization
In reality, venues, blogs, and music publishers are less likely to respond to an artist reaching out independently. In this case, it can be a good idea to create a company for your project to look more official. This is also a beneficial thing to do for tax purposes. Your project, if it’s something you take seriously, is in and of itself a business. This labeling will give you more legitimacy when reaching out to collaborators.
Don’t Worry About Record Deals
The days of the record deal are swiftly coming to an end. Record deals do still exist, but labels are strapped for cash, and for so many artists, it doesn’t make sense to seek out a deal with a label to do something that they can ultimately just do themselves. Artists don’t need labels to distribute their music anymore, so they’ve taken on new roles in the world of marketing and promotion.
While these deals can help major artists fortify their business, they don’t really make sense for small, up-and-coming artists. See what traction you can make on your own before seeking out a partnership with a label. And when you do seek out that partnership, seek out indie and local labels who are more likely to care about the music.
Find Mentors
Although you may be acting as your own manager, you will still need some help along the way. Musicians and artists have a tough road ahead of them, and it’s a good idea to have a mentor or trusted band members that you can bounce ideas off of and work with to better achieve your goals. Being your own manager doesn’t mean going it alone. It means you’re taking on the front-facing job of promoting and selling yourself as an artist. You’ll still need some people around you to help realize your vision.
Conclusion
The more organized musicians can be, the better chance they’ll have of making progress as their own managers. The role of labels and managers is quite different than it was even just ten years ago. These days, there is so much that artists and bands can do on their own. Explore the possibilities and enjoy the ride!
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