No one said the music industry was going to be kind, and neither did they promise it would be handing out keys to stardom like candy on Halloween. As an act of necessity rather than choice, every music manager has to grapple with three stark realities: sometimes your artist isn’t unique, consistent or authentic. However, it’s critical to understand that these are not immutable deficiencies but opportunities for growth and transformation.
It doesn’t matter how much horsepower an engine produces if it’s encased in a vehicle that looks identical to countless others. Similarly, an artist in the densely populated music industry needs a distinctive sound, look, and style to stand out from the crowd. The world craves novelty and variety, particularly in an industry inundated with talent. As a music manager, helping your artist explore and accentuate their distinctive audibility and style will differentiate them from an ocean of others. By doing so, they become a signal in the noise, a beacon for audience members surfing the gigantic music wave.
Consistency is the pulse that keeps an artist’s journey alive and kicking. It’s the strength of this pulse that matters most, rather than sporadic and erratically timed ‘heartbeats’ of creativity. If your artist isn’t consistently creating and releasing new music, they risk fading into the background. An audience’s interest, once lost, is a battle to regain. Guiding your artist to regularly creating and releasing music ensures a sustained level of interest, conversation and engagement with their audience, thereby keeping their music at the forefront of people’s minds.
No one ever forgets an authentic voice. Music that lacks sincerity always falls flat, unable to strike a chord with the audience. Authenticity connects and resonates with an audience at a deeper, emotional level, creating a bond that isn’t easily broken. An artist who remains true to themselves through their music and interactions with fans forms a basis of trust. This is the superglue that binds fans and artist together—an enduring relationship that weather’s the industry’s storms of change and competition. Facilitating this cultivation of authenticity differentiates temporary popularity from long-lasting success.
Feeling like no one cares about your artist can be disheartening. However, turning this around is entirely within your grasp. As a music manager, understanding these dynamics – the need for uniqueness, authenticity and consistency – is the first step in sparking the transformation your artist needs. By working hard and patiently to mold your artist with these qualities, you help them shine under the spotlight, turning them into the true star they are destined to be.
Understanding the nature of the music industry beast doesn’t mean taming it becomes any easier. Still, with the right tools and perspectives in your management arsenal, you can certainly give it a run for its money.
