Do I need a music manager?

You need one when there are more real decisions and opportunities than you can handle while still making music, and when there is income or a deal on the table that a manager can grow. Before that, you mostly need more songs, more shows and more listeners.

Can I manage myself as a musician?

Yes, and most artists do at the start. Self-management teaches you how your own business works, which makes you a better client when a manager does come in. The point to hire is when running the business starts taking time away from the music.

Do you need a music manager yet? The signals that say you are ready

Every artist I meet wants a manager. Fewer of them need one yet. That is not a criticism. It is just that a manager is useful when there is something to manage, and at the very start of a career the most important work is the work only the artist can do.

So here are the signals I look for, from the manager's side.

Signals that you are ready

Opportunities are arriving that you do not know how to judge. A label wants a meeting. A brand wants a post. A promoter offers a support slot on a tour. A publisher sends a contract. When the offers start coming and you cannot tell the good ones from the bad, that is the clearest sign. A manager's first value is saying no to the wrong thing.

The business is eating the music. You spend more hours answering emails, chasing payments and booking travel than writing or rehearsing. That is a sign you need help. It might be a manager. It might be an assistant first. Know the difference.

Something is growing on its own. Streams, followers, tickets, saves, all rising without you paying for it. That growth is what a manager builds the plan on. It also means the manager can earn a living from the commission, which is how they get paid.

You have a body of work. Not one song. A few releases out, and a clear idea of the next ones. A manager plans in release cycles, and one song is not a cycle.

You are already treating it like a job. Releasing on a schedule, playing live, making content, showing up on time. A manager multiplies work rate. They cannot create it.

There is a market you cannot reach on your own. This is the one I see most. An artist is doing well at home and wants the US. Getting into American TV, pop radio and a US label conversation from abroad is hard without someone on the ground who knows the people. That is the work I have done, starting as BTS's US managing partner from 2016 to 2018 alongside Big Hit Entertainment, and as Monsta X's manager since 2018.

Signals that it is too early

You have one or two songs out and no plan for the next.
Most of your audience came from paid promotion.
You want a manager to tell you what kind of artist to be.
You want a manager so that you feel like a real artist.
There is no income for a commission to come from, and none in sight.

None of those mean you will not get there. They mean the next step is more work on the music and the audience, not a manager.

What to do in the meantime

Manage yourself, on purpose. Most good managers started by watching artists who did this well.

Keep a simple release calendar and stick to it.
Track your own numbers every week. Streams, followers, email list, ticket sales. Know them by heart.
Get a music lawyer for anything you sign. A lawyer is the first professional most artists need, before a manager.
Learn who does what. A manager is not a booking agent, and [the two jobs get mixed up all the time](/blog/music-manager-vs-booking-agency/). A label is not a publisher. Knowing the roles makes you harder to take advantage of.
Build the team around you slowly. A producer you trust. A friend who is good with content. A local promoter who books you again.

The money question

Artists sometimes ask how a manager can afford to take them on early. The usual answer is that they cannot, at least not with full attention. A manager is paid a commission, 15 to 20 percent in general practice, on what the artist earns. If the artist earns very little, the manager is working for free. Some managers will do that for a short time when they believe in where it is going. Most cannot do it for long.

This is why momentum matters so much. It is not about vanity numbers. It is evidence that the commission will be worth something in a year, and that the manager's hours will turn into income for both of you.

It is also why you should be careful with anyone who wants to be paid before the career pays. A monthly fee called management is a service, not management. Know which one you are buying.

The first hire is often not a manager

For a lot of artists, the first professional on the team should be a music lawyer, then maybe a publicist for a release or a booking agent for local shows. Each of those solves one problem. A manager is the person who ties them together, and that job only makes sense once there are a few pieces to tie.

What a manager adds when the time comes

When it is time, a good manager gives you four things: a plan, deals, a campaign and a team. I wrote that out in detail in [what a music manager actually does](/blog/what-a-music-manager-does/).

The best way to find out if you are ready is to look at how much of your week is going to things other than music, and how much is coming in. When both are going up, start looking.

If you are an international artist thinking about the US specifically, [this is what US management for international artists involves](/us-management-for-international-artists/).

Eshy Gazit is a US music manager for international artists. US managing partner for BTS 2016 to 2018, manager of Monsta X since 2018, partner at Maverick Management, founder of EG Management, Intertwine Records and LUSIVEX. Billboard International Power Player 2021 and 2022. Contact.