The Role of the Artist Manager in Negotiating the Recording Contract

 I find the negotiations of contracts in the music industry to be a very fascinating subject. I have always wondered about who really took charge of these negotiations, was it the Artist, the Artist Manager or the hired Entertainment Lawyer? I wondered
also if there was any set timeline to get an agreement to the terms of a contract.

As an aspiring Artist Manager I have decided to do as much research as possible on this subject. In conducting my research I came up on a very informative article on negotiating terms in a record contract.

         I must admit that I was ignorant to more that ninety-percent of the legal clauses stated in the article. My firm belief is that as an Artist Manager, the Artist, my client, is my sole responsibility. I am the one whom he has placed faith in, the one entrusted to guide him and secure the best possible recording deal for him, and by extension, his family. Therefore, I must take the principal role in any negotiation of a contract. The onus is therefore on me to acquire the necessary negotiation techniques in order to do this. Equally important also would be not to aggressively negotiate to the detriment of my artist. In this era of the music industry there are more singers than players of instruments so I would have to be able to ‘sell’ my client as the exception to the rule. My persuasive skills will have to be sharpened, honed to perfection, to carry off this deed. As the Artist Manager, I would have to be able to prepare my client for all eventualities. I would have to organize a team and set up timelines for the negotiation and settlement of contracts because to successfully negotiate any contract in the music industry requires teamwork. I see the necessity of the Artist Manager, the Artist and the Entertainment Lawyer working in tandem to achieve the same results. The Entertainment Lawyer is expected to be acquainted with all the clauses in the afore-mentioned article and should enlighten the Artist Manager as best as he can. The Artist initially knows what he wants but during the negotiations he would be advised as to what he is entitled to or what he can get by either the Artist Manager or the Entertainment Lawyer. Negotiating a contract is not as simple as it sounds and often time can prove scary or disastrous depending on the reputation of the recording company. Many artistes panic when they have to sign a contract, they feel as if they are signing away what is precious to them.

        Once again the Artist Manager is the one who has to be strong and convince his artist that this is the best step for him to take and that any agreement would be in his best interest.

        The role that the Artist Manager plays in the negotiation between his Artist and the recording company is very important and should therefore be highly acknowledged and appreciated.



December 05, 2013, 6:54pm