Building Your Team: Managers, Agents, and Lawyers

No artist builds a career entirely alone. At some point, you will need a team around you — but hiring too early is just as dangerous as hiring too late. Understanding who does what, when you need them, and how to find good ones is critical knowledge for any emerging artist. The core team typically includes a manager, a booking agent, a lawyer, and eventually a publicist and a publisher.

A manager is your strategic partner. They help guide your career direction, coordinate between all the other members of your team, and handle the business side so you can focus on creating. You need a manager when you have too many opportunities to manage yourself, when you need someone to negotiate on your behalf, or when your career is at a decision point where experienced guidance would make a real difference. Standard management commission is 15 to 20 percent of your gross income.

A booking agent secures live performance opportunities — gigs, festivals, tours, and support slots. Agents typically take 10 to 15 percent of the fee for bookings they secure. You do not usually need a booking agent until you are regularly gigging and there is genuine demand for your live show. An agent should be bringing you better and more frequent opportunities than you can find yourself. If they are not, the commission is not justified.