Sonicbids Summer Reading 8: Artist Management for the Music Business

Written by Michael Lauf | Aug 9, 2011 01:36 PM

“Artist management is one of those professions that can be as much art as it is science and business.” Paul Allen says this in Artist Management For The Music Business. After reading it, I get what he means. Whether you know it or not, managing a band is something every artist does – at least early in their career – but it certainly isn’t something everyone does well. While the last few books in our Summer Reading list have been mostly quick reads, I’ll be fair and say this one reads more like a textbook. But similar to our first suggestion (Passman’s All You Need to Know About the Music Business: Seventh Edition), it’s an absolute must for not only Artist Managers but also artists and bands who manage themselves.

Allen’s credibility far exceeds that of most other authors on the topic. He’s worked with the likes of Garth Brooks, The Dixie Chicks, Toby Keith, Faith Hill, Keith Urban, and so many more. Currently, he teaches in the Department of Recording Industry at Middle Tennessee State University (among lecturing elsewhere) and brings additional experience working in radio and television promotion, PR, and music industry consulting.

Currently in its second edition, Artist Management stands out from other management guides because almost the entire book draws from real-world applications and personal experiences. While the book opens up with a general understanding of what artist management is and its core functions, the rest of the book gives actual examples from well-known managers. Some of the artists managed by these profiled manager-experiences include Elvis, Celine Dion, Hendrix, Zeppelin, Ashlee and Jessica Simpson, Bruce Springsteen, Garth Brooks, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, P Diddy, the Backstreet Boys, and ‘N Sync.

The appendix alone spans almost 100 pages with actual examples of an artist management contract (including Ke$ha’s actual contract), a partnership form for band members, and a recording contract.What I enjoyed most about this is that although the book is written for the artist manager or music industry student, Allen also speaks directly to the artist and provides information artists should know when hiring a manager. In fact, he dedicates an entire chapter to it. An artist manager is the closest person to the band and often times the direct link between the artist and the outside world, involved in every decision in the artist’s career. After reading Allen’s book, artists can learn how to be in tune with the decisions their manager is making, or in many cases, is become better capable of managing themselves.

To give you a sneak peak, the book comes with an affiliate website outlining each chapter, as well as provides a directory to a number of management companies and other recommended books and links.

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