DJ Links is a boutique artist management and talent agency with a roster that includes Hed Kandi, Roger Shah, Scot Project, and YOJI. Jason, who’s responsible for artist development and media relations, offers some insight into what it means to be a manager, how to keep your artists happy, and how to garner success in the industry.
The entertainment industry, more specifically, the dance music industry always has its up and downs. From Dodgy promoters, to narcissistic artists, the world of music can often be a difficult place to work, and a lonely world to live in. However, all depending on your reasons for being in this industry, the passion for what we do, and the desire to see our artist’s succession, will supersede any cancelled flight, bad press, or sketchy business transaction.
A manager’s role is to support the artist in every possible way, and to be in the forefront of the industry, yet to stay in the background and be the voice of the artist, while giving the artist the creative freedom to say and do what they were born to do.
The overall perception of the artist in the fans eyes, as well as the promoters, will ultimately shape the direction of the artist. Therefore, the right PR plays a very important role in developing an artist’s career, along with picking the right events where an artist should play, and the overall event lineup and music format.
The wrong event or promoter can ruin a particular territory. Do that too many times and in too many countries, you can destroy the reputation of the artist. We are also in most cases, the first point of contact to an artist, so your professionalism and manner can also determine the value, or depreciation of your artist.
I think that in a lot of cases, a number of artists under estimate the importance of a good manager, while others believe that as soon as they get a manager, they will achieve success overnight. This is why we should always explain the reality of our industry to any perspective artist, while at the same time; not to tell them that they are destined to be the next best thing.
The dance music market continues to grow and the competition gets fiercer all the time. There are new artists and DJ’s popping, which dilutes the value of a seasoned or valuable artist, along with the insurgence of “cheap artists” which also affects the overall pricing structure of the dance music industry negatively.
The most important thing about being a manger is to keep the artist happy, and focused on the task at hand, which is making music, and performing, all other details should be put into the hands of the manager. The happier the artist is, the more creative they will be, so an artist mental state should always be a priority. A happy artist is a sellable artist, just like a happy employee will work harder for a company when they believe that their employer cares about them. This is always a 2 way street, and once an equal balance has been created, and there is synchronization between the artist and the manager, good things will start to happen.
For more information about DJ Links, visit their website.
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