Industry news & advice blog

If you're looking to work with an artist manager, you may be wondering what qualities they're searching for when they consider taking on a new artist or band. Luckily, we've spoken to someone with insider knowledge...

James Merritt from AuthorityMGMT pulls back the curtain to reveal the sort of things he takes into consideration when he has the opportunity to work with a new act. 


A distinctive vocal tone
Do you have a raspy tone to your voice, a powerful tone, a higher pitch, a lower pitch, an accent that cuts through? Attributes like this make your voice unique and interesting.


A songwriter
Do you write, or are you interested in writing your own songs? Are you clever with words? Can you avoid cliches and well-trodden themes? Can you give a subject a unique spin that makes it cut through?


A great work ethic
There are very few overnight successes in the music industry… can you throw yourself into it, and keep going? It was 7 years between Ed Sheeran’s first home-grown release, and his first commercially successful single. This is typical.


Social media savvy
Do you have Instagram, TikTok and YouTube accounts? Are you active on them? It’s a reality that making music is only really half the job. The other half is promo and marketing. Even the biggest artists have to leverage their social media to promote themselves… can you do that too?


Chemistry
If we’re going to work together – talking every day, discussing, debating and manoeuvring our way through the music industry together, does it seem like we’d get on?



These 5 things you’ve either got, or you’ve not… but the rest can be worked on! 

Learn more about AuthorityMGMT and the unique new consultancy service they've created, The Artist Health Check. 

The team will sit down, listen, look and evaluate everything, giving you an honest appraisal on what you’re doing well, together with pointers for improvement. 

They can plot out a strategy for you, to achieve your goals – whether that’s looking for a manager, an agent, lawyer or record deal. Perhaps you need help with distribution, growing your socials, advice on production… or anything else related to your music career. The personalised advice you are given would be exactly the same as if they were your full-time manager.