Self-Management: Should You or Shouldn't You?

            Finances are always a concern for the indie musician. The restricted resources that many musicians encounter in the beginning can drive them to distraction. Therefore, the indie musician must learn to work around these issues and make great career decisions. High on the list of great decisions any musician needs to make is their management.

            Management is one of the most vital aspects of any musician’s career. The manager is one of the premiere orchestrators in a musician’s career. The manager should have good connections in the music industry and know how to use those connections to get their artists access to career developing opportunities. Understanding this, many indie musicians find themselves wondering if management is something that they are capable of doing alone. Still, many others find themselves forced to self manage because of circumstance.

            Let’s face it…no one knows better than you what you want your career in music to look like. There is also no one who is going to work harder then you to achieve that. However, self-management requires a commitment and work ethic that not every musician is ready for. Many musicians would prefer to just create and keep their attention away from all the business concerns of the music business. However, sometimes it is difficult to avoid. In fact, I suggest that indie musicians get highly involved in the business end of music.

            MusicBizAcademy.com suggests 35 tips for those musicians who self manage. These tips range from planning to promoting. It is important that indie musicians have a clear career direction. Being organized and working from this defined direction will help the self-managed indie seek and see the right opportunities.

            It is also important to understand that self-management comes with many challenges. The Struggles of Self-Managed Artists on Think Like A Label outlines a few of the situations that indie musicians may encounter. Some of these struggles include not being taken seriously by larger venues and having the vast connections outside management might have. However, an aspiring self-manager should not be discouraged. They should just be prepared to work a bit more diligently.

            Overall, self-management requires a great degree of organization and patience. Indie musicians should be willing to pour every ounce of passion, drive and charisma into the endeavor. Further, they should understand that, although they may be saving money, they are not cutting corners. Understanding the music business and staying abreast of industry news and trends will give them an advantage so its important that self-managers do their research. Any indie artists seeking to manage themselves should fully understand what they are undertaking. Remember, it’s your career and no one knows better than you what you want from it.

Additional reading:

Music Manager and Managerial Roles