Different agencies offer differing degrees of service to the artists they represent. So when an artist joins an agency, whether it’s for the first time or from another agency, it’s really important they understand what services an agency offers and what artists and management need to organise themselves.
This is a big reason why it’s so important to issue Terms of Business – in our Terms of Business, it explains clearly what we do.
Here at Midnight Mango, we think it’s more important to offer core booking services and do those really well, rather than to spread ourselves to thinly. Central to this approach is the notion that agents can only become experts through specialisation.
This doesn’t mean that agents work in isolation, clearly agents need to understand the different roles needed to make for a good show. A good agent will be able to advise on many things. However, for many roles, the agent should not be the one doing the work.
This is what agents at Midnight Mango do:
- Plan the live strategy with the artist and their management
- Develop their relationships promoters and venues
- Represent the agency at conferences and events
- Pitch artists and negotiate show deals with the purchaser
- Draw contracts between the artist & the purchaser
- Ensure artists and management are aware of any tax and visa obligations
- Liaise between the purchaser and other parties before the show
- Follow up on the payment schedule
- Verify the settlement after the show
- Seek and pay the artist’s live fee
Of course, within each of the points above, there is a lot to cover. The more time an agent spends on these points, the better they’ll become at their job and the better shows they will book. In fact, many agents will have an assistant to focus on the last 5 points allowing more time to develop their skills for booking shows.
Another thing the agent must do is source new artists. However once an agent has a decent roster, most of their time will be focused on the artists they already represent.
Here are a few things at Midnight Mango we don’t do: We can advise who to ask about them but we don’t actually do them ourselves…
- Advance Shows – Someone in the touring party will do a better job. Either one of the artists or a tour manager. If someone does it remotely and in advance, you can be sure things will change in between doing it and show day. Mistakes will happen.
- Artwork design – usually this would be done by the promoter using the graphics and logos the artist supplies – Agents will make sure the promoter gets these.
- Advertising – This is typically the role of the promoter and / or the venue. Often a separate advertising agency is employed by the promoter. These days the artist and their management play an increasingly important role across the artist’s own channels
- PR – The artist will usually be promoting recorded music to go with their tours. In this case the artist will employ PR to promote their music to national media.
- Accounting – Agents check show settlements are correct, but they don’t account for everything. It’s not the agent’s job to pay third parties
- Permissions – Agents will advise on any visa requirements, but these are ultimately the individual’s responsibility
So in short, good agents work on strategy and book shows, they’re happy to help and advise on many other aspects of live touring, but they don’t do all the jobs associated with touring.
If you want to learn how to be an agent, check out the FREE course we wrote HERE:
