Behind every great artist,
there is a great manager. Everyone knows that in the entertainment industry,
talent is simply not enough. To make it big in saturated markets, such as the
music industry, artists need to portray a unique image, have access to the
right contacts, and have a great support system. It’s the artist manager who
provides those elements that complement the artist’s craft, and enable him/her
to reach stardom.
After signing with an
artist manager, the artist becomes a company, and the manager, its CEO. It’s the artist
manager who oversees all aspects of the artist’s career and makes sure that the
artist’s vision is articulated properly across all channels. Of course, like in
all businesses, CEOs can’t do it all by themselves. While he is truly the
personal representative of the artist, the artist manager has to assemble and
manage a team of professionals that will help him achieve the artist’s career
goals. It’s common knowledge that the artist needs a good lawyer, to protect
his career against restrictive contracts or dangerous lawsuits, and an
experienced accountant to manage the financial aspects. Traditionally, the
manager will also bring a publicist and a booking agent on board. Yet, it has
come to my attention that there’s an emerging trend, especially in the Puerto
Rican market, where managers also act as the client’s publicists and booking
agents.
This “jack-of-all-trades”
management approach has certainly surprised me, due to the time consuming
nature of Public Relations. It’s difficult for me to conceive that a manager can
put in the necessary time and dedication to develop and execute an effective PR
campaign, while dealing with all the other duties that artist management involves.
