Artist Manager Training

Lesson 1 • The Music Industry Ecosystem

Maps the key stakeholders—labels, publishers, agents, promoters, and DSPs—and their interdependencies. Provides the industry context managers must navigate daily.

Lesson 2 • Types of Artist Management Structures

Compares solo managers, management companies, and co-management arrangements. Helps students identify which structure suits different career stages.

Lesson 3 • Ethics and Professional Standards

Covers fiduciary duty, conflict of interest, and industry codes of conduct. Grounds students in the ethical obligations that define credible management practice.

Lesson 1 • Identifying the Artist's Core Identity

Guides students through assessing an artist's strengths, values, and authentic voice. This identity audit forms the foundation of all branding decisions.

Lesson 2 • Crafting a Compelling Artist Narrative

Teaches storytelling techniques that connect an artist's biography to audience emotion. A strong narrative differentiates the artist in a crowded market.

Lesson 3 • Visual Identity and Aesthetic Direction

Covers logo, colour palette, photography style, and stage aesthetic as brand signals. Students learn to brief creative teams and maintain visual consistency.

Lesson 1 • Live Performance and Touring Contracts

Reviews booking agreements, rider requirements, and venue deal structures. Students identify key protections for the artist in live performance contexts.

Lesson 2 • Management Agreement Fundamentals

Breaks down commission rates, term length, sunset clauses, and scope of authority. Students learn what to negotiate before signing any management deal.

Lesson 3 • Negotiation Strategies for Managers

Applies principled negotiation tactics to music industry deal-making scenarios. Students practise identifying leverage, making counteroffers, and closing agreements.

Lesson 4 • Recording and Distribution Deals

Examines traditional label deals, licensing agreements, and distribution-only contracts. Students assess royalty rates, advances, and rights ownership implications.

Lesson 1 • Publishing and Songwriting Income

Covers mechanical, performance, and sync royalties generated by compositions. Students learn to maximise publishing income through proper registration.

Lesson 2 • Recorded Music Revenue

Explains streaming, download, and physical sales royalties and how they are calculated. Students trace money from a stream to the artist's account.

Lesson 3 • Live Performance and Touring Revenue

Breaks down box office splits, merchandise income, and sponsorship revenue from touring. Students build a basic tour profit-and-loss model.

Lesson 4 • Brand, Licensing, and Ancillary Income

Identifies endorsements, brand deals, NFTs, and fan subscription platforms as income sources. Students evaluate which ancillary streams fit an artist's brand.

Lesson 1 • Building Label and Publisher Relationships

Covers how to pitch artists to labels and publishers and maintain productive ongoing relationships. Strong label relationships accelerate release campaigns and funding.

Lesson 2 • Core Team Roles and Hiring Criteria

Defines the roles of attorney, accountant, booking agent, publicist, and A&R. Students learn when each role becomes necessary and what to look for when hiring.

Lesson 3 • Managing the Artist's Inner Circle

Addresses family, friends, and personal staff who influence artist decisions. Students learn to set boundaries and align the inner circle with career goals.

Lesson 1 • Playlist Pitching and DSP Promotion

Explains editorial playlist submission, algorithmic playlist triggers, and DSP marketing tools. Students draft a playlist pitch and identify the right submission windows.

Lesson 2 • Release Campaign Planning

Structures a release timeline from recording completion to post-release promotion. Students learn to coordinate all team members around a single campaign calendar.

Lesson 3 • Data-Driven Marketing Decisions

Teaches managers to use streaming analytics, social insights, and ticket sales data to guide strategy. Data literacy turns campaign results into actionable next steps.

Lesson 4 • Social Media and Content Strategy

Covers platform selection, content calendars, and engagement tactics for artist growth. Students match content formats to platform algorithms and audience behaviour.

Lesson 1 • Production and Technical Requirements

Explains stage plots, technical riders, and production advance processes. Students learn to communicate technical needs to venues and production crews.

Lesson 2 • Artist Welfare During Touring

Addresses physical health, mental wellness, and performance sustainability on long tours. Managers who prioritise artist welfare protect both the artist and the tour investment.

Lesson 3 • Tour Planning and Routing

Covers market selection, routing logic, and advance scheduling for efficient touring. Smart routing reduces costs and maximises audience reach.

Lesson 4 • On-the-Road Team Management

Covers tour manager duties, crew hierarchy, and daily operational protocols. Effective on-road management keeps the artist focused and the tour running smoothly.

Lesson 1 • Career Lifecycle and Stage Planning

Maps the emerging, developing, established, and legacy stages of an artist career. Students match management strategies to each stage's unique challenges and opportunities.

Lesson 2 • Long-Term Goal Setting and OKRs

Applies objectives and key results frameworks to artist career planning. Students set three-year goals and break them into quarterly milestones with accountability systems.

Lesson 3 • Exit Strategies and Transition Planning

Addresses contract termination, management transitions, and protecting both parties during separation. Students draft a transition protocol that preserves the artist's career momentum.

Lesson 4 • Pivots, Reinvention, and Crisis Management

Prepares managers to guide artists through genre shifts, public controversies, and career setbacks. Proactive planning reduces the damage of unexpected career disruptions.