Co-Management and Modern Music Business
Co-management has become an essential part of my daily routines. It’s a great thing that you can deal with it almost everywhere. In addition, modern artists welcome the co-management into their activities more often. I understand this well – they want to stick to their artistic and economic freedom. Also, the modern artist is aware of their rights and needs. They can also explain their true goals in an understandable way. It is their self-reflection.
This makes them capable of evaluating how much external help it is required – and who will be the one to perform it. We are not locking that state of affairs at too early stage. It is about taking the next sensible step. It is about that particular moment – to map out short-term activities suitable for the long-term agenda. A great thing about the co-management is that it can be canceled at any time. No strings attached. This itself emphasizes the manager’s responsibility for his / her know-how and its added value. Consequently, this leaves the artist a choice. To move on with the current setting as long as it is useful and feels right.
Nevertheless, the liaison is regular. It’s really not different from traditional artist management, except for one thing. The artist already knows their stage. They have their own audience and daily routines. Some of those activities are progressing with their own weight, while others need support and perspective. This is the place where the co-management comes up. Hence, the co-management is a great option for such artists whose career is already established. The artist whose career is just at the beginning, the traditional management may be better suited. They are probably in need for the manager’s resources, such as know-how and other experience. So many things affect this.
If the artist has information on how to proceed and the necessary resources, of course the co-management can be a functional solution for a career at the beginning. The artist then reserves a right to evaluate the meaningfulness of the collaboration. If it turns out that the cooperation isn’t working, the artist may end it without any limitations. If everything begins to work naturally, the artist may then choose a traditional management instead. It is up to the goals you have. If the artist is willing to ’have it all’, they probably need more additional help – on a day-to-day basis. In this scenario, it would be advantageous to have a dedicated manager solely for them. If the artist likes to proceed organically, as a natural continuum, perhaps the co-management is better suited for them.
For me co-management is a bespoke task – especially nowadays. The support that I offer is customized to meet each artist’s genuine requirements. Multiple tasks can be handled simultaneously without any detriment to one another. I can easily continue writing and lecturing and still capable of doing what I love, the artist management. The artists I work with, doesn’t need more – that’s also one thing to check. If they would need more extensive support, I wouldn’t necessarily be the right person for the post.
Here we are with Jennifer Porter and her label’s executive Dana Packard. This is an example of how some things just happen. Originally, we didn’t even intend to go any further. Just to meet. However, the story of Jennifer was so immersive – we continued our sessions. As a result – we found a better ways to make her career present. It is this passive promotion that is so important to each and every artist. When the things begin to proceed naturally, with their own weight – it is always the best.