Student Number: 24102809 Assignment Code: SHR4C007R~001
Working In The Creative Industries: A Case Study on Artist Management
What are the academic and professional qualifications and/ or experience required to become an artist manager?
Some industry professionals would argue that, whilst not formally required to become an artist manager, holding academic qualifications in artist management or the music business is becoming increasingly advantageous to individuals looking to enter the profession. This is due partially to the changing nature and increasing professionalism of the music industry (Thomson, 2013). In 1973, there were five arts management programs in the United States which, when compared with the 82 courses in 2012, shows the increased popularity of formal education within music business (Varela, 2013). In a 2011, a study was conducted at Oslo Metropolitan University, with a focus on an arts management program, which was designed for students with an undergraduate degree in performing arts. 6 years after graduating, many students were shown to have found success working in artist management, as well as general managerial and administrative positions within the music industry (Elstad and Jansson, 2020). The students’ success could be due to the dual competence gained through both music and managerial education. The overall results of the survey show that formal education can have largely positive effects on the industry and also suggests that academic qualifications are preferred by larger music management companies.
Additionally, many artist managers agree that a basic level of managerial knowledge should be taught but, ultimately, the most effective form of education in arts management is practical, real-life experience, including becoming involved in local music scenes and starting to manage artists independently. They argue that formal education can be overly theoretical and, due to the rapid pace at which the industry changes through advancements in technology and communications, material taught is often outdated and courses are directed by professors who don’t have practical experience (Martin and Rich, 1998). Therefore, despite there being no formal requirements needed to enter artist management, having a hybrid background of practical experience and basic managerial education.
What knowledge, skills and personal qualities/ attributes are needed for success within the profession?
Important qualities necessary for success as an artist manager includes having strong organisational skills and proficiency in time management. Artists are reliant on their managers, not only with their artistic vision, but also on an administrative level. A manager must not only focus on organising themselves and their time, but on creating a schedule for their clients which can accommodate moments that could further their career (such as gigs, press events, photo shoots) whilst also taking into consideration the wellbeing and emotional health of the artist. A successful manager must also have good interpersonal skills. This means they must be a confident communicator, as the relationship between artist and manager is incredibly important to the artist’s development, and the artist must feel comfortable to share their creative visions. Being able to communicate effectively is integral to a successful working relationship. The artist needs to be aware of the direction that their career is taking and must feel secure that their manager will share when it’s moving in a positive direction, as well as when it’s not (Brown, 2025). Therefore, a manager must also have traits of trustworthiness, integrity and transparency, as “management doesn’t work if there’s no transparency” (Third, 2016).
There is also further research to suggest that individuals who choose to pursue careers in arts management often have similar personality traits to people who work as musicians and performers (Farstad and Arnulf, 2024). Many individuals working in artist management commonly possess artistic skills and creative qualities. In Elstad and Jansson’s 2011 study at Oslo Metropolitan University, they found a correlation between students who were motivated to lead while enjoyed the responsibility of leadership and students who demonstrated both interest and natural ability in music as performers and artists. Students with both of these qualities were later seen working successfully in management, which could also be due to them having a broad knowledge of the innerworkings of the music industry, alongside having a deep understanding of what it takes to be an artist- mentally, professionally, and emotionally.
These qualities are necessary for an artist manager to succeed within their profession, however they can be developed over time. Motivation to lead is essential in managerial roles, but it can be seen as less of a “trait” and more a “state”, which can be developed through “engaging in activities associated with leadership roles” (Chan, Rounds and Drasgow, 2000). By taking practical, “hands-on” approaches to developing essential skills, allows people entering this career to develop their own unique and personable management style, which allows a connection between manager and artist to develop.
What are the duties and responsibilities of an artist manager- what does a typical day’s work involve?
One of the most essential duties an artist manager must fulfil is to assist and facilitate the artistic vision of the musicians. The manager supports the art, which is also the artist’s livelihood, and therefore they have a responsibility to bring the artist’s creative intentions into reality. Will Frost, House of Us, organises his duties by writing down everything the artists he represents are doing in the upcoming week, then schedules his tasks around those events, so that nothing gets forgotten. As a manager, each day’s duties differ based on whatever’s necessary for the artist’s progression at the time. Frost takes that into account by blocking in certain times he is available to send emails and make calls, instead of making day by day schedules, ensuring he keeps everything on schedule. This is an effective way of managing, as it centres the artists and focuses on actionable steps that they can take throughout the week to develop their careers.
Specific tasks managers must do, which aid the development of an artist’s career, include creating promotional campaigns on social media for new releases; communicating with publications to organise press events, interviews and reviews of the music; arranging travel and accommodation for shoots, shows and tours; and attending meetings with labels, lawyers and accountants. Managers should also be regularly in touch with their artists, to bring their best work out of them and ensure they feel supported enough to fulfil their creative vision. Frost says the amount a manager should check in on their artists is dependent on where the artist is in their creative process, and how they work best. His perspective is that, as their manager, he should know his artists, and their work processes, well enough to know when the time is right to leave them, or to apply pressure as deadlines come closer.
What are the main financial and legal issues that impact on artist management?
A major financial issue that affects artist managers can be low salaries, specifically for managers that work independently, instead of for a larger company. A common percentage managers take from their artists is 20% of their overall profit, which is widely considered to be industry standard. However, after charges have been deducted, this amount is reduced significantly. For example, if an artist plays abroad, and receives a fee of £5000, £4000 could be spent on travel, accommodation and hiring extra staff, leaving £1000. The manager is due 20% of the £1000, leaving them £200, from one event, which is not a stable wage, nor is it liveable. (Thackray, 2025). In theory, this could potentially be sustainable if the manager is working with multiple artists who are regularly touring, playing and having successful releases and outreach. When beginning a career as a manager, however, it is not guaranteed to be working with multiple artists who are all experiencing monetary success. Ultimately, this will directly affect the manager financially.
Alternatively, this financial issue can be potentially resolved by having other agreements with artists. Will Frost works on commission from the net receipts, as previously negotiated with the artists he manages. However, he says negotiating commission with artists is more successful if the manager is “prepared to work for a long time for free”, which means that any eventual financial gain is not guaranteed and most likely won’t be immediate.
What do the marketing and promotional aspects of artist management look like?
Artist managers play a key role in the promotion and marketing of artists and their music, which makes it necessary for them to have a broad knowledge of the trends and patterns in the industry, which can be reflected onto the artist and used to market their art. Over the past decade, the shape of the music industry has been transformed by the “digital revolution”, which has caused over-saturation within the market. Therefore, the field is now constantly changing and requires professionals within the industry to be prepared to be constantly learning and adapting their approaches (Pizzolitto, 2023). The ways in which music is promoted have changed, and now the primary tools for marketing music are social media platforms. Physical forms of music, such as vinyl and cassettes, have been replaced by streaming services, like Spotify and Apple Music, which are both services that heavily rely on the algorithms of external social media platforms- e.g., Instagram and TikTok- to solidify the newest songs to find “virality” (Torres and Beer, 2025). Therefore, with these changes in how audiences discover and consume music, artists can become heavily reliant on algorithms and social media, so the ability to navigate it and understand how marketing and promotional strategies has become essential to the success of an artist, meaning managers need a deep understanding of the innerworkings of algorithms and social media audiences.
As the industry continues to change at rapid rates, a manager has the responsibility to monitor these changes for patterns, analyse them, and adapt them to create new promotional strategies, whilst also making them work with the artist’s pre-existing strengths and skills (Pushmin, 2023). One method that works for one artist may not suit another, which is why a manager should have a cohesive understanding of how to use these features, as methods of marketing have varying levels of success depending on genre, target audience, budget and personality of the artist. For example, if an artist makes music and needs to promote it, but is uncomfortable in front of a camera and doesn’t want to make “personable” content, their manager should be able to come up with other forms of content, which will do well and gain traction on social media but won’t require their client to promote themselves in way that don’t feel genuine. The manager could implement trends, such as using cinematic visualisers, or lyric videos.
What intellectual and personal challenges are presented by artist management and how can they be dealt with?
A personal challenge that is presented by being an artist manager is the concept of experiencing a struggle with personal identity within the creative industries. As an artist manager, it’s easy to struggle in creating a balance between focusing on commercial success and following mainstream trends, whilst also allowing clients to fulfil their creative vision, and be able to put their time and energy into creating their best work, through experimentation. Managers may struggle with art/ commerce tension, particularly if they also have a background as an artist- as many have been shown to have (Beech, Gilmore, Hibbert and Ybema, 2016). This may create an identity struggle for managers, as, to achieve monetary success they may have to put aside their own personal morals and beliefs of how art should be created and received. Pushing artists into finding commercial success may mean discouraging them from following their creative vision. Being forced to put monetary value on someone’s art may make the manager feel as though they are limiting their artist’s creative potential.
Bibliography
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Elstad, B. and Jansson, D. (2020) ‘From Artist to Manager—Working Conditions, Career Satisfaction, and Professional Identity among Graduated Arts Management Students’, The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society, 50(3), pp. 184–198. doi: 10.1080/10632921.2020.1746717.
Thomson, Kristin. (2013). Roles, Revenue, and Responsibilities: The Changing Nature of Being a Working Musician. Work and Occupations. 40. 514-525. 10.1177/0730888413504208.
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Ávila Torres, V., & Beer, D. (2025). Music streaming, cultural consumption and the everyday routines of algorithm management: Exploring how trust and objective setting shape everyday encounters with algorithmic systems. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 28(6), 1778-1798. https://doi.org/10.1177/13675494251329239 (Original work published 2025)
Pushmin, Arsenii. (2023). Music Management: Production System and Promotion in the Music Industry. Socio-Cultural Management Journal. 6. 140-164. 10.31866/2709-846X.1.2023.278666.
Beech, Nic, Gilmore, Charlotte, Hibbert, Paul, Ybema, Sierk. (2016). Identity-in-the-work and Musicians’ Struggles: The Production of Self-Questioning Identity Work. Work, Employment and Society, Sage Journals. 30(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017015620767
Word Count: 1948 without bibliography
