The Journal
Plain answers about the business of music.
How management works, what the contracts mean, and how to release, tour and get paid, written for artists rather than for the industry. No jargon, no paywall, and the same advice we give the artists we manage.
- 4
- guides, each readable in under ten minutes
- 8
- quick answers to the questions artists ask most
- Free
- to read, share and print, whoever manages you
- UK and EU
- written for artists working in Britain and Europe
Start here
The one to read first.
What does an artist manager actually do?
In one line: a manager runs the business of a career, strategy, the team, the deals and the day to day, so the artist can make the work. Not an agent, a label or a publisher.- Strategy
- The team
- Deals
- What a manager is not
- When you are ready
All guides
From the Journal.
4 guides
What does an artist manager actually do?
The job, the difference between a manager, an agent and a label, and the signs you are ready for one.- Strategy
- Deals
- When you are ready
Management commission, explained
What the percentage is taken from, what should never be commissioned, and why the sunset clause matters more than the headline rate.- The rate
- Touring
- Sunset clause
Before you sign a management agreement
Twelve things to check in any management contract, including ours.- The twelve checks
- Independent advice
Planning an independent release, week by week
A twelve week plan for a single, from final masters to the month after release day.- Twelve weeks out
- Release week
- After release
Nothing matches that yet. Try another word, or ask us the question and we may write the answer.
Reading paths
Read them in order.
Two short routes through the Journal, depending on where you are.
About 25 minutes
Thinking about a manager?
Quick answers
The short version.
The questions artists ask us most, answered in a few lines, each with the guide that explains it properly.
Is 20 per cent normal for a music manager?
Yes. In the UK most managers charge between 15 and 20 per cent of the artist’s income, with 20 per cent common for an artist who is still building. What matters as much as the rate is what it is taken from and what is excluded.
From: What does an artist manager actually do?Should a manager own my music?
No. A manager should be paid commission on income, not by taking ownership of your recordings or songs. If a manager also wants to be your label or publisher, that is a separate deal and a conflict of interest worth taking independent advice on.
From: What does an artist manager actually do?Do managers take commission on streaming income?
Usually yes. Streaming income from recordings, and the songwriting royalties that follow from streams, are normally commissionable at the standard rate, net of any distributor or label share the artist never receives.
From: Management commission, explainedWhat is a sunset clause in a management contract?
A clause setting how long a manager keeps earning commission after the agreement ends, and on which work. A fair one is limited to work contracted during the term and tapers down over a few years before stopping.
From: Management commission, explainedHow long should a music management contract last?
Commonly three to five years, sometimes with options to extend. Shorter terms, or a trial period before a longer one, give both sides a way out if it is not working. Ours is three years, then year to year with ninety days’ notice.
From: Before you sign a management agreementDo I need a lawyer to review a management agreement?
Yes. Always have a management agreement reviewed by an independent music lawyer before signing, not the manager’s own lawyer.
From: Before you sign a management agreementHow far in advance should I send a song to my distributor?
At least four weeks before release, and ideally eight to ten. Earlier delivery gives time to fix metadata problems and to pitch to editorial playlists, which needs the release to be in the system first.
From: Planning an independent release, week by weekWhat is the difference between PRS and PPL?
PRS for Music collects royalties for songwriters and publishers when songs are performed, broadcast or streamed. PPL collects for performers and the owners of recordings when recorded music is broadcast or played in public. Most artists who write and record their own music should be members of both.
From: Planning an independent release, week by weekUse it, not just read it
Tools and references.
New guides
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New guides arrive with the newsletter, alongside new music and dates from the roster. A few times a year, never more than once a month.
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