A friend of mine that manages bands had a few things to say about my post “Do I really need a manager???” Since the band he manages is one of the biggest bands in history and he has done some impressive deals with their catalog - I figured there might be some credence in his words. So, here is what he had to say:

“A band in todays music business needs to do a lot on their own - this is important! After the basics (strong fan base, selling records, filling local venues, etc.) are in place - a manager then becomes necessary. Bands can accomplish a lot self-managing, and they should. But, a band probably isn’t going to be profitable without a manager. Here’s how I see it - I don’t know how to write amazing songs, but I know how to license music. A great band knows how to write amazing songs, but doesn’t know how to license them! A talented, hard-working band and a smart manager can work together, utilizing all the awesome tools available today, and do it all themselves.”

And I couldn’t agree more…