artist development 14
team & collaborators
The most successful Artists have one thing in common: A great team. No Artist can make it alone. The development of an Artists team is another important step in the Artist Development Plan. This team may include other musicians, singers, songwriters or arrangers. The team may also include managers, agents, lawyers and publicists. No matter how the Artist’s team is structured, a great team makes it much easier for the Artist to succeed. Remember this: friends and family don’t always make a great team. It’s nice that they may have helped the Artist in the past, but do they have the where-with-all, knowledge and connections for continued help for the Artist in the hardest industry in the world?
Meet the Music Business Team
There are many individuals who may comprise an Artist’s team and here are a few of the main ones. Many of these team members also have teams that will also contribute to an Artist’s career such as a record label may have a team of producers who may then have a team of engineers, or a booking agency who may have a team of agents.
1. Musicians
If the Artist is a solo act, perhaps a musical accompanist or backup vocalist will never be needed. However, most Artist’s will find it necessary to involve other musicians to collaborate for either performing or recording, or both. This is where the musicians are identified.
2. Artist Manager
Although many Artists begin their career by managing it themselves, they have to recognize that it is a totally different role than that of an Artist. An Artist wears many “hats” and management is just one of them. With that in mind, an Artist Development Plan should consider if the Artist is the Manger or the Artist has collaborated with a professional to assist with the BIG picture. Of all of the team members, this one could be the most important. The Artist Manager is to the Artist’s business, what the Artist, is to the creative side of the endeavor. The Manager is the Artist’s quarterback. They run the plays. An Artist must have absolute trust in the Manager. The Manager is essentially another member of the band. Artists should look for a manager who understands what the Artist is trying to accomplish and who shares the same goals. It won't help an Artist to sign with a manager who wants the Artist to self-release their album if the Artist is really interested in a major label deal. For most musicians, the manager is the first team member to enter the picture.
3. Booking Agent
Live performances is another major source of income for an Artist. Obtaining gigs is what a booking agent does. An agent is a very good friend to have and a great member of the Artist’s team. Booking a single show isn't really THAT big a deal. Booking a tour, on the other hand, is a lot of work. Without the right contacts, not to mention the time and knowledge, many musicians have a difficult time booking tours. An agent may be able to help. Successful booking agents already have contacts with talent buyers and promoters. They know venues and have a good feel for the kinds of places that the Artist should be playing. They can book the shows, negotiate the deals, and schedule a tour for the Artist. That’s pretty hard to beat.
4. Concert Promoter / Talent Buyer
Many Artists collaborate with talent buyers and promoters for events, shows and concerts. Hopefully, an Artist will collaborate with many concert promoters to help build their career. These are the people the Artist’s Agent convinces to take a chance on the Artist for bookings. The promoter will get the venue lined up and advertise and promote the performance. Hopefully the Artist has a great turn out and is ready for re-bookings. These promoters are a part of the Artist’s team indirectly, not as an owner of the Artist’s company. Tip: When beginning to work with a potential promoter, the Artist should evaluate if the “promoter” is really a saloon-keeper or someone truly interested in Artist Development. There is a difference.
5. Record Label
Artists may collaborate with a record label, or they may produce and release their own recordings. If an Artist is signed to a major or an indie record label, an Artist must add this to their “team.” Artists don't necessarily have to have a label on their team, but quality labels can certainly help an Artist. Many record labels have promotion departments, sales departments, distribution channels as well as connections with other music industry professionals.
6. Publicist
An Artist’s publicist convinces print and web media to write about the Artist. Many times the Publicist also tries to convince radio stations to play the Artist’s music. Having a professional publicist is another key player on the Artist’s team. Like promoters, Artists probably won't have just one PR company. Artists are more likely to have different PR groups for different kinds of media. Artists may even work with different PR companies from release to release. Publicists are so helpful because they have contacts. If an Artist calls a writer at a newspaper or magazine and asks for a review, they may be politely refused. However, when an Artist’s PR company calls, that media outlet is more likely to listen - and the Artists wins.
Building a Positive Team
Teams often become more positive because they have a positive leader. This is why, the Artist should begin by focusing on their own happiness, well-being, and emotional intelligence. This is the first step in creating a great team. Enthusiasm is contagious.
There are many ways to do this.
1. Teams that fully understand the purpose of what they do are usually more engaged than teams without this focus. This is why it's important to create mission and vision statements for the Artist’s team. These statements are inspiring messages that express the deeper purpose of the work and goals stated in the Artist’s Business Plan.
2. Create a team organizational chart to define each person's role, the group's projected outcome, and the Artist’s expectations. Team charts are useful because they provide focus and direction. After all, when an Artist’s team know what they're doing (and why), they can all move forward together, instead of pulling in different directions. For example, an Artist may be able to coordinate with all team members to organize and set logistics for an upcoming release and/or tour.
3. Look at the objectives that have been set for the team. Make sure that the team members' goals align with those of the Artist’s organization by using Management by Objectives techniques. Without this framework in place, the team members might feel unmotivated, simply because they're not sure what they should be doing, or because they don't understand how their role benefits the Artist or the Artist’s goals.
4. Artists should keep in mind that they play an enormous part in how their team feel and respond day-to-day, as well as in their long-term success. Communicate regularly. Keep the team informed about what's happening in the organization, as well as within the team; the more open and transparent the Artist is, the easier it will be to build trust and create good relationships. Schedule regular meetings to discuss important updates or changes to the objectives and goals. This also gives team members a chance to voice any concerns or issues that they're having with their work.
5. Research shows that autonomy plays a significant role in how satisfied people are in their jobs, so it may be important for an Artist to give more power to everyone on their team. This might mean delegating important tasks, or simply stepping back and letting the team show that they're going to complete a project. An added benefit of encouraging autonomy is that people's work often improves when they have the power to choose when and how they complete it.
6. The Artist’s team members can't be positive and focused if they don't have the resources they need to do their jobs. So, support the team. Ask them how they can do their jobs better.
Positivity is a habit, and the only way that an Artist can cultivate long-term positivity with their team is to reinforce it daily. This takes focus and self-discipline, but the benefits can be huge!
Content Types
Songs
Sounds
Spoken Word
Music & Lyrics
Content for Product Development
Audio Recordings
Video Recordings