How to Become a Music Agent
Music agents work in a field that seems quite glamorous to most people, but the glitzy surface can mask the reality of long work hours, tiring travel and dealing with temperamental clients and performance venue staff. Few jobs in the music management field are advertised. Diverse experience and plentiful personal contacts, along with ambition and an encyclopedic memory of everyone you have ever met, are keys to success in the field.
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Things You'll Need
- College degree
- Membership in professional music organizations
- Membership on social networking sites
- Internship
- Listening skills in various musical genres
Instructions
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How to Become a Music Agent
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Earn a college degree in a pertinent field such as business, accounting or contract law. While taking classes, maintain a high grade point average and keep in mind that high academic achievement will be required for future job applications.
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Pursue all possible personal connections, and join professional organizations that support networking in the business community. Follow up on first meetings with colleagues by sending handwritten notes, making telephone calls or sending emails as appropriate. Establish a presence on Facebook, MySpace and other networking websites.
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Seek an internship at a musical talent agency. Ask for a work tour that includes experience in every aspect of the firm's business, including contracts, legal, booking, marketing, ticket sales, on-site concert production, lighting, sound and stagecraft. Find mentors in management who are willing to share what they know and to act as advisers. Develop a network of personal connections to gain inside knowledge of job openings, since many hires in the music management field are made without advertisement on the basis of familiarity alone. Keep an orderly file of business cards, email addresses and music sampler CDs.
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Develop personal tastes in music to determine a future career course. Strive for exposure to all types of music. There are great differences between the various segments of the musical talent management industry--for instance, between rock, classical, country and hip-hop. Classical music has a very formal approach to talent management and relations with presenters and artistic administrators, while many segments of the popular music industry support a more relaxed approach. By observation and asking questions of mentors in the field, learn the conventions, unwritten rules and standard procedures of your chosen area of management. The learning curve will be steep, but dedication and a strong work ethic can compensate at this stage.
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Look often for local talent who can be developed and signed to a management contract. Establish relationships with musicians even if they are under contract with other managers or agencies. Do not hesitate to give unpaid advice as deemed appropriate. Personal contacts with musicians are the most meaningful points of access when later management opportunities arise. Read appropriate industry publications to keep up-to-date on the movements of both artistic and business personalities.
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Tips & Warnings
Learn the opposite end of the business by studying the work of concert presenters and artistic administration personnel. There is considerable traffic between the two sides, as artist managers are sometimes hired by presenters and vice versa. Develop a business plan in case the opportunity should arise to break off and develop a self-owned management firm. This is the time to renew personal contacts with musicians who may be looking for new representation.
One generally makes a good or a bad impression on colleagues very early in the game, and a bad one can be difficult to overcome. Kindness and generosity (even in the context of strong ambition) are always well remembered, but so are selfishness and bad temper. Become known immediately for having a positive attitude and a strong work ethic.
