US Music Manager · Malaysia
A US music manager for Malaysian artists. A guide to breaking into America from Malaysia.
In short: a US music manager for Malaysian artists runs the American side of a career for an artist based in Malaysia, next to the artist's home label and home management. Malay is the national language of Malaysia, and English is widely spoken in its cities (Languages of Malaysia), so many artists from Malaysia reach American listeners without a language barrier. The harder part is distance and time: every US trip is a long-haul flight, and the US industry works while Malaysia sleeps. A US manager closes that gap by being on the ground in America every day. Eshy Gazit, the US managing partner for BTS during the group's American breakthrough and manager of Monsta X and Wonho, works that way. His full record is on the international music manager page.
Breaking into America from Malaysia: what a US manager changes
| Starting from Malaysia | What it means in America | What the US manager does |
|---|---|---|
| Artists release in Malay, English, Mandarin or Tamil | An English song reaches US radio and US playlists without a language barrier; other languages need a clear US position | Picks the songs that lead in America and positions the artist for the US audience |
| Malaysia is twelve or thirteen hours ahead of New York | US calls, bookings and decisions happen while the artist sleeps | Takes the calls and makes the decisions day to day, next to the home team |
| A home deal may cover Malaysia or Southeast Asia only | The US rights need their own home | Shops the US side: a major label deal, a label services partner or a distributor |
| Every US trip is a long-haul flight | Each visit has to carry TV, radio, shows and meetings | Builds each trip around the moments that matter in America and keeps the work moving between trips |
What a US music manager does for a Malaysian artist
The US manager is the artist's partner in America: on the ground 24/7, talking to the industry every day and finding new possibilities for the artist every day. The work rests on passion and on US relationships built over years of experience. The full job:
- A&R: the songs, the producers and the American collaborators.
- Marketing and positioning for the US audience.
- US television and US radio.
- Day to day management of the American side of the career.
- Shopping the deals: major label deals, special opportunities, shows and brand deals.
- Working alongside the home label and home management, so the artist has one plan in two markets.
That is the work behind the US breakthrough of BTS: when the group performed at the American Music Awards in November 2017, it came after an extended push into the US market that included national TV and US radio (Forbes).
Manager, agent, label: who does what in America
| Role | What it does in America |
|---|---|
| The manager | Runs the whole career and leads the US team |
| The booking agency | Sells shows and routes the tour |
| The label | Invests in recordings and handles releases, marketing and radio promotion |
| The publicist | Works US press around the release |
In many Asian markets one company does several of these jobs. In America they are separate, and the US industry expects to talk to each one. That is why an artist from Malaysia with a strong home company still needs a US manager: someone has to hold the American side together. The guide on manager, label or label services covers how the US release side is set up.
Eshy Gazit's record
Eshy Gazit is a US-based international music manager. He was the US managing partner for BTS from 2016 to 2018, the years of the group's US breakthrough (Music Week), and US partner for Starship Entertainment since 2018, among others, and has managed Monsta X since 2018 and Wonho since 2020. Billboard named him an International Power Player in 2021 and 2022. He is a partner at Maverick Management and the founder of EG Management, Intertwine Records and the marketing agency LUSIVEX. The step-by-step record is in the K-pop US breakthrough timeline and the page on US management for international artists.
For the marketing side of a US release, LUSIVEX publishes guides on how to release music in the US as an international artist and how US radio promotion works.
Guides for artists from other markets
- US music manager for artists from Southeast Asia
- US music manager for artists from Singapore
- US music manager for artists from Australia
- US music manager for artists from the UK
- US music manager for artists from Canada
- US music manager for artists from Nigeria
- US music manager for artists from South Africa
- US music manager for artists from India
Frequently asked questions
What is a US music manager for Malaysian artists?
A US music manager for Malaysian artists is a manager based in the United States who runs the American side of a career for an artist based in Malaysia. The manager works alongside the artist's home label and home management and does the full US job: A&R, marketing, positioning, TV, radio, day to day management, and shopping the deals, from major label deals to shows, brand deals and special opportunities. The home label stays the home label; the US market is the manager's side.
Do Malaysian artists need a US manager to break into America?
The US industry is built around separate roles: manager, booking agency, label, publicist. Television bookers, radio programmers, promoters, labels and brands expect a US manager to call them and make decisions while the artist is in Malaysia, twelve or thirteen hours ahead of New York. A sustained US career has usually needed a US manager on the ground, working next to the home team.
What does a US music manager do day to day for an artist from Malaysia?
Talks to the US industry every day on the artist's behalf: labels, TV and radio, promoters, brands and the press. A US manager is on the ground in America around the clock, brings new possibilities to the artist every day, and turns US relationships built over years into support for the artist.
Can a Malaysian artist keep a manager in Malaysia and add a US manager?
Yes. A US music manager works next to the home manager and the home label. The home team keeps the home market and the US manager runs the American side, so the artist has one plan in two markets.
Does a Malaysian artist have to release in English for the US?
No. English helps at US radio and on US playlists, and many Malaysian artists already write in English. Songs in Malay, Mandarin or Tamil can still have a US audience. A US manager decides which songs lead in America and how the artist is positioned there.
How do I reach a US music manager from Malaysia?
Eshy Gazit is a US-based international music manager. He was the US managing partner for BTS from 2016 to 2018, and US partner for Starship Entertainment since 2018, among others, and manages Monsta X and Wonho. Inquiries go to EG Management through the contact page.
Last reviewed November 11, 2026
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