So What Do You Do Again?

A Guide to Roles in the Music Industry.

- Angela Mastrogiacomo

Artists

It’s your responsibility as the artist to make great music, but at some point you’re also going to be everything else on this list.

As daunting as that may seem, it’s going to come in really handy when your budget is too tight to bring on new team members, as well as when you do hire a team, because you’ll know what to look for and you’ll have a better understanding of what their jobs entail and what your role in all of that is.

Hiring a team will allow you the advantage of having experts to guide you and tackle the things you don’t know how to do or don’t want to do, but it doesn’t mean you stop working. Your team members are your partners, and how each of you works affects the other.

So if you turn into dead weight, you can’t expect your team to perform miracles. Remember this throughout the article, and whenever you start thinking, “If only I had XYZ, everything would be better.” Having team members is tremendous help, but only if you’re willing to work with them.

Managers

What they do: “Anything and everything that is necessary to develop and further our artists’ career and success.” – Jake Turner (Loophole Management)

Managers are responsible for furthering the artist’s career, and there’s a lot that falls under that. This means that, at least in the beginning, many managers for emerging acts take on most of the roles listed in this article.

What they don’t do: Just about the only things they don’t do are grow your social media numbers or handle the day-to-day operations that connect you with your audience.