Becoming A Good Artist Manager & The Management Challenges In The Nigerian Music Industry
A lot of artiste out there are looking for good managers but can't afford to pay for the services & most of the time they end up falling in the wrong hands. Most people claim to be managers but are only there to mis-manage the artiste & care for their selfish needs instead of focusing on the artiste career they party with the artiste everyday & spend promotional money on drinks and many other un-necessary things but then lets look at who a manager/talent manager is.
A manager is the person who handles all business aspects of the act's career. The manager is the person who consults with the act on decisions and deals with the other members of the team on behalf of the act. The manager is in charge of the day to day running of the business for the act, including promotional strategy, accounting and making key career decisions for the act.
The general purpose of the manager is to handle all aspects of an act's business so the act is free to concentrate solely on performing & making good delivery . This topic centers on both becoming a good manager & also the challenges faced altogether . Many people have the talent, some have more than others do, but being successful in the music industry is based on more than just talent.
From the Wikipedia definition it says ” A talent manager, also known as an artist manager or band manager, is an individual or company who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry.”
Patience | Communication | Building Relationship | Publicity
Be prepared for setbacks and brace yourself for recovery . People will disappoint you, especially those you depended on . Give yourself a good self-assessment by looking at the strengths you have and how you will use those to the best advantage of yourself and your artiste & remember under every circumstance, act and be professional. Always see your artiste as the key to your success ,believe so much in him/her for things to work out well ,stay humble & honest .
Managing an artist's career requires patience and understanding of that person's behavior and attitude. The music business is one where egos thrive, with many trying to be “somebody” or trying to assert that they already are somebody . it is necessary to manage around the ego of another “The Artiste”. The biggest problem in Managing an artist is when the manager him/herself is arrogant and ego-driven but thank God that's not a problem in the Nigerian music industry .
Managing an artiste requires a good communication skill, that is interacting with people of all personality as you are bound to come across different people with pleasant & some unpleasant behaviors' In most circumstances . Remember Leadership is an important skill of a Manager at the beginning of an Artist's career or at the beginning of the Artist-manager relationship.
Build and maintain a network of contacts, that means calling on your contacts for assistance when you need it but it also means offering help when they don't expect it. Building a very good relationship with Promoters & the fans is a key factor to success . The influence of an Artist Manager on the early planning and development of an artist's career is what helps the artist develop a focus and an organized purpose. It is important for the manager to keep good relationship with Booking Agencies/Promoters and key Media people. If your phone calls are not returned or your emails not acknowledged, it is not personal, it just means you haven't developed the perception that you offer something that will improve the other person's business
Publicity is another important professional tool in assuring an act's success. You the manager need be the publicist but it's advisable you hire a Publicist or PR (public relations). A PR person is responsible for getting every tidbit of publicity about your act to the media whether it be Online Promotion ,TV, radio, magazine or newspaper. He will work closely with you the manager to obtain exposure for your act through Publications, interviews, press releases, and personal appearances for promotional considerations. Every time an act's name is seen or heard it plants a seed in the mind of the reader, listener or viewer.
Networking
Take charge advantage of the social network & see that your artiste is doing well most especially it's very wrong of your artiste who's face is yet unknown to be dropping songs without his 'her face on the art . Even 2Face uses his face till date for his promotion & also does promo cd's & promotion except if your artiste is dead Ugly please use photoshop or you can then use write up's as cover design.
Knowing the Hit Song & Brand Visibility
Don't just jump into the conclusion by saying a song is a hit song just because you like alone . Don't be selfish but watch & observe the expression of the listeners & ask for the sincere opinion of people you know most especially & those you don't know also. A wack song can sometimes become a hit song as people make fun of it . A hit single that is on high rotation online, on radio and tv attracts the attention of promoters, meaning the manager no longer makes calls for bookings, they automatically come due to the artist's popularity and relevance.
A hit song must not be a danceable song like Iyanya's kukere,let take for example Banky W's “Strong Thing” , Wizkid's Holla at your Boy , Patoranking's Giriie O . Now take for instance Sauce Kid (Sinzu )“ You Don dey Madt” & then you will agree with me that it was a very unserious song that made a hit. You as a manger should not just drop a song for your upcoming artiste same day you know a star act is dropping his/hers ! Know when to drop the song.
If your artiste stage appearance is weak, hire a choreographer to help him/her but not advisable for a start up artiste with little or no financial support .
There are so many other required skill which can be self discovered & challenges also such as funding .