What Does a Manager Do for an Artist: Key Insights

Denis Calakovic

Feb 27, 2024

In the ever-evolving landscape of the music industry, the role of an artist manager is pivotal to the success of musicians and bands. Understanding what a manager does for an artist is crucial for anyone looking to thrive in this dynamic field. This article will explore the multifaceted responsibilities of an artist manager and highlight how leveraging specialized tools, such as Viberate's music analytics service, can significantly enhance their effectiveness.

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The Multidimensional Role of an Artist Manager

A professional artist manager, often simply referred to as a "manager" in the entertainment industry, is a crucial figure in an artist's career. Acting as a brand adviser, business advocate, and a 24/7 ally, the manager's influence spans across every aspect of an artist's professional journey. From deciding on long-term goals to handling daily schedules, their role is comprehensive and all-encompassing.

Managers are required to be egoless, thick-skinned, and tenacious, embodying a relentless spirit to advocate for their clients. They shape their clients' careers in both day-to-day operations and long-term strategies. This involves booking gigs, planning album projects, orchestrating record releases and tours, and devising marketing and merchandising strategies. Beyond these, a manager also plays a critical role in negotiating contracts, resolving conflicts, and ensuring the artist's mental and physical well-being. 

Leveraging Analytics for Effective Management: Viberate's Role

In recent years, data analytics has revolutionized various industries, and the music industry is no exception. Viberate's analytics platform stands at the forefront of this revolution, offering comprehensive tools for efficient artist management. 

Monitor and Find New Opportunities

Viberate's platform is a goldmine for artist managers, providing neatly organized and visualized cross-channel analytics. This feature transforms the way managers oversee and benchmark artists, offering a detailed overview of their social media and music performance. The 'Career Performance' metric, for instance, allows managers to track the artist's career trajectory and yearly highlights. 

Identify Opportunities

The platform enables managers to monitor follower growth across channels, providing valuable insights into the marketing potential of the fanbase. The 'Audience Map' feature is particularly useful for identifying potential markets for new releases, live gigs, or tours. This real-time market information is indispensable for navigating the music business landscape. 

Compare and Improve

Viberate also allows for detailed comparison with similar artists, aiding in uncovering new market opportunities and refining social media strategies. Managers can analyze streaming and social stats side-by-side, compare audience distributions, and even identify playlist placements for strategic advantage. 

Plan Collaborations

For expanding an artist’s fanbase through collaborations, Viberate offers insights from sections like 'Fans on Spotify Also Like' and 'Appearing Together on Popular Playlists'. These insights are crucial for identifying potential collaborative partners who match the artist’s genre or mood.

Find the Right Playlists

With access to a database of over 12 million Spotify and Apple Music playlists, managers can strategically pitch an artist’s tracks. The platform also provides a performance overview over time, simplifying the decision-making process.

Plan Tours or Find New Gigs

Viberate's comprehensive list of venues and festivals worldwide is a valuable resource for planning tours and gigs. Managers can use the artist's audience breakdown to target the most potential markets and filter festivals and venues by various criteria for optimum planning.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the role of an artist manager is integral to the success of artists in the music industry. It requires a blend of strategic planning, relentless advocacy, and a deep understanding of the industry's dynamics. Tools like Viberate's music analytics service are invaluable in this context, providing managers with the data and insights needed to make informed decisions and capitalize on opportunities. As the industry continues to evolve, the fusion of expert management and advanced analytics will undoubtedly be a key driver of success.