Introduction

The music business is just that; it is a business. In order to succeed a musician or songwriter must pursue his or her artistic aspirations within a competitive business environment. Occasionally, an artist will manage his or her own business affairs (or in the case of a band one or two members may assume this responsibility). This sometimes works well if he or she is businesslike although the artist will usually need to rely heavily upon professional help from solicitors and accountants. However, many artists are not particularly businesslike. Moreover, the logistics of organising a successful recording career are complex so that the artist does not have time to deal with the business side of things on his or her own. Also, an important part of the management function involves “selling” the artist and it is difficult for an artist to “sell” himself or herself. For most artists, therefore, perhaps the single most important decision of their careers is the choice of a manager.

In Part I of this chapter we consider how the nature of management is being affected by the seismic changes over recent years within the record industry and we look at how to find the right manager. In Part II we review the legal framework and in Part III we consider in some detail the component parts of a typical management contract.