Lesson 14 of 46Music BusinessIntermediate

Should a manager manage more than one artist?

1:24

Judge Jules weighs up whether a manager handling several artists helps or hurts you, and what to watch for.

Part of the courseLegals & Deals: The Basics of The Music Industry46 lessons (1h 6m)

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Judge JulesYour guruJudge Jules

What's in the course

46 lessons (1h 6m) · 1 free
    • 01. Accounting

      Free lesson

      1:16

    • 02. Termination

      1:29

    • 03. Collection societies and letter of direction

      0:26

    • 04. Commission structure

      2:32

    • 05. Cross platform-multimedia aspects

      0:39

    • 06. Expenses

      1:10

    • 07. Key man provisions

      1:01

    • 08. A manager's obligations

      2:33

    • 09. Post term commission

      1:30

    • 10. Should a manager be involved in all aspects of an artist's income?

      1:40

    • 11. Term

      1:46

    • 12. Should a manager manage more than one artist?

      You are here

      1:24

Lesson transcript

Understanding Artist Management and Its Nuances

Earlier on, we touched upon the significant threshold an artist needs to earn before their manager can earn the minimum wage based on a 20% commission. The reality is that managers, especially successful ones, frequently manage a number of artists.

Key Considerations for Managers

The issue really is not whether a manager should or shouldn't be entitled to manage multiple artists. It's about:

  • Who the other artists are: This is a practical consideration.
  • Avoiding overstretching: Managers should not overextend themselves to the detriment of the artist they are serving.

Advice to Managers

My advice to the managers I represent is:

  • Avoid representing too many similar artists:
    • Competition for Work: They might be scrapping for the same bits of work.
    • Inter-Artist Rivalry: Artists themselves might feel a bit competitive with one another. If one is doing better than the others, it could take a turn for the worse.

A typical manager should strive to find artists in different genres. Additionally, if possible, they should consider managing a producer, someone who is creative but operates a bit behind the scenes.

The Ideal Manager-Artist Relationship

It's important to recognize that any good manager will have a stable of artists. What artists want is to ensure they receive enough of their manager's time to never feel neglected and for their objectives to be fulfilled.

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Meet your guru

Judge Jules

Judge Jules

Jules O'Riordan has over 30 years of experience across the entire spectrum of the music industry. This includes nearly a decade as an A&R for the Universal umbrella of labels, 15 years as a presenter on BBC Radio 1, over 150 record releases and remixes in his own capacity as a recording artist, plus a 30-year career as one of Britain's best-known, globally-travelled DJs (Judge Jules), with over 5000 gigs under his belt, plus extensive experience as an event promoter and artist manager at the highest level.

Suffice to say, Jules knows the music industry inside-out, and his clients regard him as a trusted advisor for whom no legal or business affairs challenge or problem is too large or small.

Jules has been a lawyer for 10 years. His practice takes in the entire breadth of the music-focused entertainment industry. His legal and deal expertise includes management, recording, publishing, distribution and label services, music-based apps, games and tech projects, production deals, producers, featured artists, endorsements, merchandising, neighbouring rights, TV/film scores, live performance, events and venue agreements, plus copyright and rights infringement and many other disputes.

Jules's clients include artists, management companies, record labels, songwriters, event promoters, producers, music tech businesses, production companies, live agents, music publishers and DJs. He has spoken on many panels and seminars including ADE, Brighton Music Conference and AIM events, and has been a guest speaker on legal issues across a number of on and off-line media outlets, including BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Introducing, Financial Times, The Sun, The Times and Mixmag.

Jules speaks fluent Spanish.

Who better to demystify the contracts and deals every musician eventually faces? In his course, Jules turns three decades of hard-won industry knowledge into plain-English guidance, so you can understand the business side of music and protect your work long before you sign on the dotted line.

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