Your Guy Is Not Your Manager (Yet)

For most of us, the first manager is a friend. The one who carried the speakers to your first show and chased the promoter for your balance. That loyalty is real, but with no contract and no agreed pay, the first big opportunity can turn it into a fight over who decides and who gets paid what.

Put the role, the pay and who decides in writing, exactly as you would with a stranger. Keep every account, from your distributor to your Instagram, registered in your own name, and share access, never ownership. And do not rush: managers manage momentum; they rarely create it, which is why many great artists manage themselves first.

With a manager or without one, you still need to know who owns your masters, what your splits are and the terms of every deal you sign. Music Industry 101 shows you what a fair management deal looks like and how to tell when you are truly ready for one. Take the course on Crux Global Academy: cruxmusic.global/academycrux.