Band Management

The duties a band manager performs varies greatly depending on the level of the band in question. For local, unsigned bands, band management is usually handled by a band member or a friend of the band. At that level the band manager is more an informal title. He handles bookings, deals with club owners, makes sure the band gets paid at the end of the night. He also usually deals with things like t-shirt printing, CD pressings, the band website, Myspace and other aspects of the band online presence.

For bands with larger profiles, like Suffocation, the band that Extreme Management Group represents, management takes on a more specific business role. Bookings are handled by a talent agent. For signed bands, band managers mainly handle negotiating on the band's behalf with the label, publisher, merchandise company and any company interested in using Suffocation's logo or image for licensing deals.

My specific duties with Extreme Management Group deal with merchandising and licensing. I deal with stores such as Hot Topic that want to carry Suffocation merchandise for sale, like t-shirts. Regarding licensing, I deal with manufacturers that make products that want to include the Suffocation logo. So a company that makes watches, or Ipod covers, or mouse pads, might contact me to make a special line of products with the Suffocation logo on it.

An extension of that includes creative products. I am currently dealing with a comic book company to put out a special Suffocation comic. I am also dealing with a game designer to create a special First Person Shooter game using Suffocation's music and imagery.

As I mentioned before, for local bands the manager kinda handles it all, business dealings, bookings, publicity, website, etc. Signed bands are able to have companies handle those other aspects not traditionally handled by a manager. These include:

- A talent agent just to handle bookings.
- A record label that handles the printing and distribution of CDs.
- A publicist to handle press releases, interviews and other media related aspects.
- A tour manager to handle the minute details of the tour, such as the merchandise booth, sound and entertainment rider, and making sure the band makes it to each gig on time!
- A web guy to update the website, Myspace and any other online properties the band has.
- An accountant to handle the complicated income streams from various sources, plus tax codes of every State/country the band performs in.

So as you can see, as a band grows the greater the number of elements involved to keep the band going.

A good manager makes their living off of their band's success. The purpose of the manager is to help the band grow and become more successful, therefore more profitable. As much as the fans don't like to hear it, bands are a business and the band members need to earn a living doing it if they are to make the band their full time career.

A manager usually earns a percentage of the band's income from all revenue streams. So they earn from CD sales, concert performances, merchandise such as t-shirts, ringtones, licensing, publishing, etc. The amount varies but generally ranges from 10-20%, and sometimes can vary for each type of revenue stream, so one percentage from CD sales and other for merchandising.

All management deals should be put into writing in the form of a contract and that contract should ALWAYS be reviewed by a lawyer. You hear stories of bands being swindled out of money by record labels but a bad management contract can cost the band just as much, if not more money.

Management contracts often have an introductory period where the manager earns less of a percentage because he hasn't been involved with the things the band is earning money from. So, for example, a new manager signs with a band in January. From January until March, the manager earns 10%, then gets a bump to 15%. The reasoning is the revenue the band earned from January to March was from work done prior to the manager coming on board.

Another similar element in management contracts is a period after the manager no longer works for the band where the manager continues to earn money from the band for work he has done. So if a manager parts ways with the band again in January, he would continue to earn money from revenue the band generates until the following March.

Contracts should, as a courtesy, include a grace period so if one party wishes to end the relationship, the other has a period of time to look for new opportunity. Although if both parties wish to end the relationship that can be done instantly.

None of these are set in stone. As with any business dealing all terms should be discussed in advance, set in writing, and then reviewed by lawyers for both parties. This prevents misunderstandings and hard times later.

In the beginning, when a band is new, they generally do not need a manager. One band member should be selected to handle the business dealings of the band. Multiple members can handle it, but that sometimes lead to confusion, such as double bookings. It is usually preferable to have one person handle all the business dealings.

Sometimes, a band is lucky to have a friend, fan or significant other who will choose to take on this responsibility. Alternatively, a student from a local music school or just someone looking to get some practical experience in the music industry will want to do it as well. Even if it is an informal arrangement, I still recommend laying out exactly what the duties of the manager are on paper, even if no pay is involved, to prevent problems.

If a band finds itself in the position where record labels are starting to make offers, even indie labels, it might be time to consider getting a manager. If the label is trustworthy they might even recommend a manager to the band. As with any referral, find out who the manager has worked with and even ask for a reference from another artist they have represented.

Another avenue is to find out who manages bands at a similar level or genre as yours. The best way is to speak with bands you perform or tour with. It might not always be beneficial to go with managers with bigger names. While they certainly have juice, if you are the bottom band on the roster you might not get the full attention you deserve. Big, small or medium the key is to find a manager or management company you feel best represents you and will work for you.