Here is a breakdown of the different roles you may encounter at the beginning stages of your career and when and why they are important. If you feel like you may need to find some team members after reading this article, don’t hesitate to send your music to current music industry professionals on Groover! There are hundreds of curators & pros on the platform that will help you promote your music and aid you in the development of your career… who knows, maybe you could find some lifelong partners.

1. Manager

One of the most common roles in the music business and very often the first position to be filled is that of the Artist Manager. Traditionally, an artist manager is a representative of the artist that helps build, promote, and direct the artist’s business affairs. The responsibilities of a manager are quite flexible because they essentially adapt to the artist’s needs. They can negotiate contracts and fees, book performance and studio opportunities, help the artist develop their branding, create business plans, provide feedback on music, manage an artist’s social media, promote music and events, and more! The manager is essentially the artist’s go-to person; whatever the artist needs, the manager will figure out how to provide. This usually means that managers are working 24/7 and cultivate one of the strongest bonds with the artist along their journey.

J. Cole with his college friend and manager Ibrahim Hamad

The question is, do YOU need a manger? And if you do, how do you choose the right one? It is completely logical to think that you may not need a manager given how well you’ve been doing on your own. There are a lot of self-managed artists out there, however artist managers allow for artists to focus on their music. By having them cover the business side of things, they allow the artist to have all of the creative freedom and space to create; at the end of the day, who needs a manager if you don’t have music? So, if you’re feeling slightly overwhelmed by the administrative duties you’ve accumulated as your career has progressed, maybe you should consider partnering up with a manager to focus on your craft.

If someone is offering to be your manager, ask them who they know, who they’d introduce you to, and why they want to work together. A manager, just like all other roles within your team, needs to help accelerate your career and not just take a cut of your total earnings. They should believe in you 100% – that is the most important factor. Though it helps to already be well established in the industry, it is not a must to be an effective manager.

The flexibility of a manager’s job is what makes them the ideal first person to get on your team, especially at the beginning stages of your career when they can cover multiple roles at once without too much hassle. A person who loves your music, is willing to fully commit to the growth of your career, and has a good network of contacts (or is willing to go find them) will likely be a great manager to help accelerate your career and be a great asset to your team.

Are you looking for a Manager ? ⬇️

2. Agent

An essential part of being an emerging artist is playing live shows, and an agent is the person who negotiates and confirms performance opportunities. Along with this, they will oversee touring by planning tour dates and routes, taking care of all aspects of the tour’s contracts (fees, rider, sponsorships, etc) and will find supporting acts for your headlining tour (if necessary).

Contrary to popular belief, there is no right time to find an agent. Agents should actually come looking for you! A vital part of being a successful agent is loving the artist you work for and wanting as many people to hear their music as possible. Therefore, wait until an agent knocks on your door and offers to represent you or your group. This is an easy way to guarantee that the agent is passionate about your career and making sure your music is heard.

On average, agents take a roughly 10-15% cut from the gross revenue made on live shows. Though it may seem like a daunting figure to you now, agents can provide huge profits in return and be well worth that percentage. However, it is very important that they are well connected and have active relationships with venues, festivals, promoters, other agents, and management teams. Therefore, don’t be afraid to ask around about an agent (or any other role for that matter) before officially signing them on. Reputation is everything in the music industry, so make sure all of your team members have positive existing reputations.

3. Marketing and Promotion

Nowadays, an active social presence is a very important aspect of an artist’s career. Typically when starting out, artists are in charge of their own socials and music marketing. However, as things begin to grow, you may have to delegate this responsibility to other people. Within the marketing and promotional world of an artist you may have a publicist, promoter, and/or a social media manager.

A music promoter will broadcast and promote an artist’s live performances or appearances. Their main goal is to bring as many people to your shows as possible. Typically, promoters will negotiate directly with an agent or venue. Therefore, in my opinion, a promoter is not an essential team member, especially for an emerging artist. However, they are a big and common intermediary in the life of any artist so it is important to know what they do and why they are helpful.

A publicist represents the artist in media and finds new media opportunities for the artist. Anything that could be covered by the media, a publicist will be in charge of setting up and carrying through. It is therefore essential for a good publicist to have great media connections. Publicists are usually not full-time team members and will have a fixed-term contract surrounding the publicity of a specific release (album, single, tour dates, etc). As an emerging artist it may not be necessary to have a publicist on your team, but it is necessary to build those relationships with the media. Cultivate personal relationships with writers, bloggers, radios, other media curators and pros. Groover is a great tool to do so. When starting your campaign to pitch your music to professionals, filter and select all types of promotional curators – start building these relationships now.

Last but not least, there is the social media manager. A social media manager will aid the artist in creating a social media strategy and give guidance on content creation, often managing the accounts themselves. They focus on when and where to post content, finding and implementing a voice and tone throughout channels, analyzing metrics and changing strategies accordingly, etc.

Keep in mind that it is also quite common to hire a social media expert in more of a consultant role depending on how developed an artist’s social media presence is. Don’t be afraid to test the waters and create your own presence before reaching out to an expert. There’s nothing an audience loves more than someone being their authentic selves. My personal advice would be to hold out on finding a social media manager or consultant until you have enough of a following for their job to not only be necessary but, will further elevate and accelerate your career.

Check out: How to use Groover to promote your music

4. Lawyer

I think it goes without saying that everyone can benefit from having a lawyer in their corner. As an artist, having an entertainment lawyer can be particularly helpful. Entertainment lawyers will create and review contracts with any and all parties, navigate and negotiate contracts as necessary, help protect your intellectual property, and ensure you collect all of your earnings owed to you which, as an artist, is a key factor. Moreover, if you ever have a weird feeling about anything or anyone, having a lawyer can be quite beneficial. They can take action as necessary or ease any situation.

It is impossible to talk about lawyers without mentioning the grave expense that comes with having one. I suggest reading up on your music rights yourself in addition to having a legal contact that you can rely on whenever you have doubts. There are also many lawyers who will work pro bono or offer special rates if you ever do need their services. Do your research and investigate your options because as an artist that is just starting out, not only is it important to know your legal implications, but you most likely don’t need a lawyer just yet.

Check out: Music rights and how they work

5. Publisher

First and foremost, if you are a songwriter, you need a publisher or some sort of relationship with a publishing company in order to get your music out there and get paid. The question at hand is not whether you need a publisher but rather whether you need a publishing deal, and when the right time is to affiliate yourself with a publishing house. When you feel ready, our guide on how to get your songs published explains how to find publishers and what to say in your message.

Music publishing allows for your music to get licensed so the rights belong to you, and therefore the earnings do too. A good music publisher is one with a huge network that may allow for your music to grant licensing to movies, TV shows, ads, video games, etc. … they can even set you up with other artists, producers and songwriters to develop your songs for other artists. One of the biggest roles they take on is that of royalty administration (mechanical, sync and master licenses). Therefore, when signing a publishing deal you are granting the right for your publisher to administer your songs as if they were their own which, can bring many benefits but, as you can imagine, can also be problematic with the wrong partnership. Publishers often take a hefty cut of your royalties if you’ve signed with one.

6. Do you need a label?

Many argue that the acclaim associated with being signed to a label has dissipated since the quick evolution of the music industry in the last decade or so. Nowadays, you don’t need a label to ‘make it’, let alone a major label; many artists opt-out of signing with major labels and choose to associate themselves with independent labels (Adele, Radiohead, Kaytranada, etc) and still reach pinnacles of fame. One of the biggest reasons as to why this is the case is due to the advancement of technology, social media, and the widespread availability of resources.

One of the biggest turnoffs from signing to a major label is the massive cut they take from your paycheck; today, record labels take an average of 85% of the total revenue made by an artist! However, in exchange for the music and brand, major record companies will provide an artist with marketing, distribution, production, salaries, and access to connections that would otherwise be incredibly difficult to get. Thus, the reason why labels still carry a lot of clout: they can move mountains, so being signed to a label as an artist is an asset not only to your career but to your reputation as a whole.

So, do you need a label? No! Especially not as an emerging artist. You can do everything that a label can do from the comfort of your own home without selling your soul to them (record, release and distribute music digitally, market yourself through social media, sell your own merchandising, play live gigs, etc). However, labels can provide funding and access. If you’re at the stage in your career where you need both of those things, then I would recommend you start looking into getting signed by a label, whether major or independent.

| Check out: How to get signed by a label as an independent artist

7. A jack of all trades

As mentioned earlier, you have little to no team when you are just starting out as an artist. However, having people around you is a great asset to your career because you can focus more on your artistry and less on the business side of things (this does not mean that you shouldn’t be well versed in both!) Therefore, it is very common to have a friend or colleague cover the responsibilities of many of the roles mentioned above when you’re starting out. In my opinion, this is the best team member to have because you may not have the funds to employ a number of people just yet, and it’s a great way to guarantee that the person working for you is truly passionate about your career and your music. This is an essential quality in a multifaceted role like this one. So, if you have a trusted friend or acquaintance that is willing to go on the journey with you and grow together, let them!

8. DIY – Be your own team

Though after reading this article it may seem overwhelming to do it all yourself, it is important to start out independently. By familiarizing yourself with the duties of each team member through personal experience, you’ll be able to identify the best person for the job when the time comes and know whether they are doing good work. Moreover, you want to build your own network and fanbase in the early stages of your career by connecting with them on your own to establish an individual relationship, so do the grunt work in the beginning… it will pay off!

Conclusion

Though we recommend starting on your own, that does mean you’re working alone in your efforts to further your career; there are hundreds of tools you can use for advice and assistance! This blog highlights some outside sources that you can use in addition to the hundreds of articles we’ve written that you can always fall back on if you ever have a question.

—

Begin to contact some of our curators and pros on Groover now!

L’article Which Music Artist Team Members Do You Need To Accelerate Your Music Career? est apparu en premier sur Groover Blog.

But, there has been a lot of talk about how the social platform can become a revolutionary way to interact and connect with people. More specifically, about how it can be used by artists and professionals in the music market. In this article we have detailed some important information about Clubhouse, its main purpose, and its use focused on music.

Like Clubhouse, Groover (click here to subscribe and send your music) connects your musical project with influencers and professionals in the music market.

A. What is the purpose of Clubhouse and how does it work?

Basically, Clubhouse serves to connect people with professionals, celebrities and experts from different sectors. Everything from business, music and even love and relationships but also, it is used to create themed chat rooms with your friends. When you choose to join a room, you will see that there is a person who speaks and a moderator. People are invited to speak, ask questions if they wish and or just listen to the conversation.

In this way, people like us, who seek knowledge about the music industry, the creative process, and new tools for music promotion, can join different conversations and listen to professionals talk about different topics. Topics such as how to plan a release, how to get more audience engagement, or how people have been creating and producing music during this global pandemic. The interesting thing about this is that you can observe or take part in these discussions in a more relaxed and informal atmosphere, as if it were a conference in your own home.

| Check out: How to choose a budget for your release?

B. How to use the Clubhouse as an artist or music professional?

Not much is said about how Clubhouse can become revolutionary in the music industry. Being in close contact with big names in the industry in such a simple way is truly a privilege. Often, to be close to great professionals, you have to pay copious amounts of money to attend a conference whether it be online or in person. This social network aims to break through this bubble and change the rules of the game.

But what is the best way for you as an artist or artist representative to be aware of what is going on in the music industry? Listen to music? Exchange tips? Talk about creative processes? Keep up with the news? How can the app be really useful for artists?

1. Seek an invitation to be part of Clubhouse

As mentioned above, you need to be invited by an existing user in order to be part of the platform; however, there are a few ways to get an invitation. You can go after friends who have invitations and ask them, or even unknown users. You can also sign up for the waiting list, which may take a while but your turn to be accepted will come. There are also some youtubers and influencers on Instagram who talk about Clubhouse and often just ask for a like or follow and they will then send you the link. Stay tuned and that way, you can get access to the platform as soon as possible. 

But don’t worry if you can’t, the platform has already announced that the goal is to open up its services to Android users and that it will be completely open without the need for an invitation. Upon joining the platform, users usually get two invitations. And the more you participate and interact in the rooms, the more you will earn invitations. Don’t forget to invite that friend who is starting his or her career and is looking for professional knowledge about the music business.

Invite for Clubhouse

2. Complete your bio

Your Clubhouse bio doesn’t have to be full of details. But there are some key points that cannot be missing in order for you to gain more recognition when participating in conversations.
Put in evidence:

• where you are from (country, city)
• what you do (musician, producer, music journalist, booker)
• what you are looking for (new technologies for music, creative process, gigs)
• your interests (make it clear what your main interests are)
• insert the link to your social networks (this way, as soon as people see you in the conversation, they will be able to follow you on your different social accounts without having to leave the platform)

There are several tools you can use to create your bio and see how it will look, such as the Clubhouse Bio Creator (click here), which can help you out a lot before you start your activity on the app. Another advantage that can be taken from Clubhouse is its recognition among professionals. The more you participate in the rooms, the more your profile will be valued and the more people will know who you are and what you do.

| Check out: How to write a good bio to promote your music?

3. Narrow down your interests

Like any social network, it is very likely that you will fall into many groups that are useless to you or that discuss topics outside your universe. Without filtering, the app will show you the most popular rooms of the moment and that may be of the most diverse topics. Therefore, complete your bio as specified in the first point and try to accurately filter according to what you are looking for. When you create your profile, the social network already provides the option to select your interests. You may like animals, travel, and music. But if you are just looking for information about music, don’t select animals and travel. You might get lost in thousands of groups and ultimately not absorb the knowledge you are looking for.

4. Increase your contacts network

The more you use the app specifically geared towards music, the more you will get closer to rooms and people who are part of the music market. You can, for example, be in rooms with Anitta, Preta Gil, Di Ferrero and even Drake. In addition, you can be in rooms with the record labels, producers and festival curators of your interest.

Making connections and finding interesting tables will increase your reputation on Clubhouse and if people like your work, you will gain visibility on both your socials and your work. To interact, ask direct questions to experts and great artists. Often they will also mention important current references, such as names of important people and emerging artists. When you raise your hand in conversation, and you are accepted to speak, remember to introduce yourself concisely before anything else. This will let the people in the room know who you are and why you are in the room.

| Check out: The Ultimate Guide to boost your Spotify streams in 2021

Find people to increase your network of contacts (reproduction / Clubhouse)

5. Follow people you find interesting

Look for artists with more established careers. Music professionals who are talking about the changing industry, for example. You can access the person’s social networks while still listening to the conversation.

You will also meet important people discussing copyrights, music distribution, music festivals, and new ways to promote your music. Follow these people to continue understanding and following how these professionals have analyzed the current situation of the music market. There are many people discussing the emergence of the new generation of artists who are more and more connected to new technologies. Perhaps with such an approach, you will be able to contact them more easily, ask questions, exchange knowledge or even send them a demo.

Drake is on Clubhouse

6. Present your music live 

It is not unusual that there are rooms on Clubhouse where you can present a demo or play your hit. However, you can create a room yourself to play a song for your friends before presenting it to professionals. Very often rooms with radio curators, music labels, and festivals open up space for small performances. Don’t worry, the level on Clubhouse is not high. So make this contact an opportunity to stand out. There are many tips from Youtube channels on how to use IRig2  to have good sound quality when playing at the Clubhouse, this will make all the difference.

7. Monetize your music by creating content on Clubhouse

The social network has just implemented a no-fee payment system for content creators on the platform, Clubhouse Payments (more details here). However, not all creators can receive payments. The tool is still new and it is important that you gain followers and participate intensively on the platform until you build your community. This way, the social network will allow your listeners to send you as much money as they want. In other words, if you really integrate and are interested in participating actively in the rooms, you can get a financial return from your activity on Clubhouse.

| Check out: 10 tips to optimize your Bandcamp and make it the tool of your success

Conclusion

The first impression most people have about Clubhouse is that it is a limited platform. However, it has been successful and people have used the audio format creatively to connect and exchange knowledge and experience.

Clubhouse is a tool to build and develop your music career step by step. Each social platform has its own specifications for music promotion and this one is very interesting because it’s new! It’s a good way to learn and promote your music, and there will probably still be many new features to come. We will closely watch its evolution!

The competition for this format of interaction is very strong, other social networks are already providing similar tools: Telegram (audio chat rooms), Twitter Spaces (in testing phase), Discord (Stage Channels), Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, LinkedIn and Slack have already announced they are developing similar tools, so keep an eye out!

– Translated by Betty Gonzalez Gray – 

Groover connects your music with industry professionals! Try out the platform now and click here!

L’article 7 tips to use Clubhouse as an artist est apparu en premier sur Groover Blog.

The platform brings the artist closer to professionals that they normally would not have easy access to. I love it and recommend it!

– Gabriella Lima –

Gabriella Lima, can you present your musical project to us?

Hello Groover people, I am Gabriella Lima, I was born and raised in São Paulo, but have been living in Paris for the last 7 years. I am an independent artist and in March of this year I released my first album called “Bálsamo”. The album closes the cycle which started with my single “De nós dois” and other singles released during the pandemic. There are 4 unreleased tracks that make a poetic invitation to enter my intimate universe: the search for absolute love, reconstruction, and liberation of oneself.

How was your career born?

My career began unpretentiously in 2012. When I realized that I would feel more complete and happier singing in a bar than working in an office behind a computer as I had done until that point. That year, I left all the certainty and solidity that a high-responsibility position in a multinational company brings and followed my heart by choosing a more volatile path, but much more pleasurable and which corresponded more accurately to my truth: music.

Since then I have sung in bars, restaurants, hotels, created a repertoire and learned to play an instrument that allowed me to explore my creative side and allowed me to  compose my own songs. I moved to France’s capital in 2014, and there I sang as a resident artist in a traditional cabaret in the historic Quartier Latin neighborhood. This experience opened borders for me and I enhanced my craft. After 5 years in this cabaret, already with a certain number of songs written in the early mornings between one performance break and another, I decided to pursue an authorial career. I started to plan, produce and release my first original works, which eventually led to the creation and release of “Bálsamo”.

What are your inspirations and what do you love most about being an artist?

My inspirations are literature specifically, poetry. I always loved Clarice Lispector and reading her books opened my mind a lot. In terms of musical artists, I am very influenced by Brazilian music: Jorge Ben Jor, Gal Costa, Caetano Veloso, Rita Lee, Gilberto Gil, Marina Lima and Elis Regina; they have always been my biggest influences. What I love most about being an artist is that art is one of the few universes where being authentic is a true triumph. And each path is unique, there is no recipe, no fixed protocols, and even less, a false character that will last for a long time. The more you can be you, the more accurate and true your art is. Music brings me this freedom.

| Check out Gabriella Lima on Instagram            | Check out Gabriella Lima on Facebook

Gabriella Lima

How would you describe a day with Gabriella Lima?

It’s boring for those who are not into routines hahaha I love it! I am crazy about the “To do list” and love to check things off when I finish a task. I like to create a healthy, productive routine and stick to it. Precisely because I am an independent artist with a small audience, I work without pressure and demands from labels, teams or fans. Not having discipline in this scenario is very dangerous and inviting to procrastinate and get lost when you are your own boss. So for me, a routine works. It is a way to make things happen!

After this long introduction, let’s go to my day: I have an introspective morning with meditation, I write a few pages on whatever comes to my mind without any pretension, drink warm water with lemon and read. This is religious, I do it every morning. Then I follow my feelings: I like to study and practice my singing very often, I keep an eye on Instagram, on artists and their releases, and on new ways of communicating with the public to get a little inspiration and to stay up to date with what’s going on. I love series and movies so I always end my day watching something before going to bed. I listen to music and podcasts all day long. I am always connected and I don’t like that, but I accept it and try to live in peace with it.

Gabriella Lima, what are your plans for next year?

To continue composing, release new songs and make partnerships, something I haven’t had the opportunity to do yet and I am dying to create new ones. This record of mine was a very lonely production and I realized how important it is to collaborate with others on the same project. If everything goes right, I will start a concert tour as soon as possible because my happiest moments are on stage.

What advice would you give to young developing artists?

Treat your music, from the beginning, with a lot of respect, dedication, and responsibility. Try to disengage a little from the artistic side once the music is ready, wear the shirt of the boss of your product and work hard and with a lot of love for it. Discipline and lightness always. Allying yourself with the right people is always more interesting than working alone, but also knowing how to work alone is important; because in the beginning of our careers, we don’t always have the chance to have people who believe in us. If you have support, great! If not, know how to move forward alone without getting discouraged and without playing the victim. Every time I saw myself as a victim I got into a not so good vibe. Every time I took ownership of my own life, things happened for me. 

| Check out: Low Island gains visibility thanks to Groover

Gabriella Lima

And finally, what did you think of Groover? What did you get out of the platform with your campaign?

Groover was a big surprise for me. I found out about it through a podcast here in France (“Just in tuned”) and I found the interview with the creator of the platform very interesting. The interest came from my need as an independent artist, without press or an agent in France, to find a way to present my first record. I didn’t know anyone here in the field. I thought “I’ll try it,the worst case scenario is they won’t accept my work and I’ll get feedback from those contacts. Also, feedback is always good.” But, I was surprised by the number of people interested and accepting of my music. Mind you, I think the success of my campaign came from the time I spent in filtering the right contacts. The platform had already done a super filter according to the type of music and needs that I previously presented.

Still, since I had a limited budget, I could not afford to send it to all the options. I spent a lot of time going through each contact’s profile to see if my music was in line with their philosophy in order to not “waste” a submission in vain. Based on this very careful selection, I believe I made the right choices and had great results.

I had so many responses! I wish I would have received more feedback from the french market, but I had more positive results in Brazil which, I believe, is because of the language and the type of music, or maybe I did not make a good selection of contacts from France. The platform brings the artist closer to professionals that they normally wouldn’t have easy access to. I love it and recommend it!

– Interviewed by Thiago Cyrino and Translated in English by Betty Gonzalez Gray –

Send your music to influencers and gain more visibility with Groover!

L’article Gabriella Lima reaches new music influencers thanks to Groover est apparu en premier sur Groover Blog.