After going through a list of a music tour manager’s duties (everything from planning the actual tour, to booking transportation, and promoting the tour), its no wonder why they are such an important part in a musician’s life.
Without a tour manager, there is no tour, and without a tour, there’s no additional revenue or exposure. When it comes to trying to decide if a certain musician should go with or without a tour manager, or when to start seeking one in the first place, there are a few facets that need to be examined.
Beginners
When a musician is trying to break into the music industry and go from playing in their bedroom to actual venues, a music tours manager can be profoundly important- perhaps more important than at any other point in a musician’s career.
This is because a tour manager can be the key to a variety of other opportunities and people that one would not have access to otherwise This is why trying to land one should be a top priority for most musicians- but only if they’re ready.
When it comes to playing for friends and family, a musician may be fantastic, but that doesn’t mean they are ready for stardom (or to even start seeking management). The real test is when a musician starts playing in public- they should try to be booked everywhere and anywhere they could.
When someone is first starting out, these venues may be only limited to music competitions, coffee houses and open mics, or even on the street. By doing this, musicians start to build up an audience, extra confidence, and add to their talent- all before revealing it to the ears of a music tours manager.
Finally, after weeks, months or even years of ‘sowing their oats’ in smaller venues, a musician may feel ready to finally start to branch out and reach for the big time (this may include holding or attending an industry showcase, sending out ‘demos’, reaching out to industry leaders via Facebook or Twitter, or simply networking at events and through friends and family).
It is extremely important to only do this when ready- many tour managers (or managers and agents in general) are jaded when it comes to hearing new music. That coupled with the fact that once an opportunity with a person has vanished, there’s no getting it back should force a musician to brush up on their skills as much as possible.
Established Artists
Once a musician finally gets signed and becomes established, a music tours manager is invaluable. An artist is too busy with performing, writing and recording their own music, doing press, making appearances to worry about all of the extra time-consuming duties and small details that come with making a road tour possible.
So who exactly needs a music tour manager? The short answer is, every musician- as long as they’re able and ready to take one on.
Effectively Putting Music Tours Management to Work
Once an artist (just beginning or established) lands a music tours manager, it can be the start of a beautiful relationship that completely relies on give and take; both sides need to be constantly delivering.
We’ve all heard those nightmare stories about artists that skip out on concert dates, show up late, do little promotion, and generally come up short and leave fans disappointed. However, a music tours manager has the ability to disappoint as well- it’s only not as public and therefore winds up reflecting on the artist.
Before an artist delves into a working agreement with a music tours manager, they should check up on their background to see what their past history is like.
- Is this their first time working with an artist as a music tours manager?
- Do they have a reliable reputation?
- Are they easy to get along with?
- Are they hard and dedicated workers to their craft, or are they only in it for the money?
- These are all key questions any artist should ask.
Once a relationship is in full swing, it is important to keep constant tabs on what kind of work a music tours manager is doing for the artists career.
- Are they constantly striving for the best for the artist, or settling for mediocrity?
- Have they been singing their client’s praises, or barely putting in any effort in promotion?
- Are people actually coming to see the tour and is there a lot of revenue coming in, or has it been money-losing proposition?
A bad music tours manager can bring even the greatest artist of all time down. Similarly, an amazing tours manager can elevate a marginally talented artist.
Even before a tour kicks off, it should be easy for an artist to see if his relationship with a music tours manager is not going to work out. If this is the case, before a tour even gets off the ground they should either:
- A) discuss their differences and continue their relationship, or
- B) cease working together and go their separate ways.
Another key facet to discuss (which is perhaps the most important and notable) is the tour’s budget. When a musician is on the road, there can be a variety of expenses to pay for, including transportation (which could get exponentially pricey, depending on various choices made), salaries for all of the tour workers, any advance a club or venue demands, and the exact cut of profit that the tours manager and musician gets.
That last decision should be written out and agreed with beforehand, or else an artist could find themselves in trouble down the road- whether it be they suing for unjust pay, or a music tours manger is suing for unjust pay. Many tours dissolve (and bands break up) because of financial difficulties, so in order to avoid messy litigation it is best to figure this out beforehand.