6 Questions to Ask a Potential Music Manager Before You Sign

Quick answer: Before signing with a music manager, ask who else they’ve managed (and actually check), what specifically they’ll do for you, how they’d describe your music and audience, what percentage they want and from which income streams, and whether they have a contract you can take to a lawyer. Treat the meeting like a job interview you’re conducting, not one you’re taking - because you are the one hiring.

One of the biggest mistakes an indie artist makes is treating a music manager like the finish line instead of a hire. Your manager works for you, not the other way around, and the first meeting is your one real chance to find out if they’re actually equipped for the job before you’re contractually stuck with the answer.

Who Else Have You Managed?

Ask for real names, past and present, then actually look them up. Do they have a genuine following? Do they still tour and release music? A quick search will tell you more about a manager’s real track record than anything they say in the room - and if their roster is unverifiable or suspiciously thin, that’s your answer.

What Can You Actually Do for Us?

Get specific. What steps will they take, this month, to promote your music? Watch their energy when they answer - a manager who’s genuinely excited about the plan is a different animal from one giving you a vague, canned pitch they’ve clearly used on everyone before you.

How Would You Describe Our Music?

This tells you fast whether they actually understand your sound and your audience, or whether they’re planning to figure that out on your dime. A manager who can’t describe your music in a way that sounds like they’ve actually listened to it isn’t ready to sell it to anyone else either.

Do You Have a Sample Contract?

Never sign something on the spot. Ask to see a real contract, take it home, and have a lawyer look it over - an hour or two of an entertainment lawyer’s time is a small price against the cost of a bad clause you didn’t catch. Watch for the newer red flags too: an initial term over three years for a developing artist, no “key person” clause (meaning your deal is with the company, not the specific manager you actually trust), or a sunset clause that lets them keep collecting commission on old deals indefinitely.

What Percentage Do You Want?

The standard range is 15-20% of your gross earnings, sometimes 10-15% for a newer manager working with a developing artist. Ask exactly what that percentage applies to - some managers exclude merchandise or songwriting royalties, others don’t - and get it in writing, not a verbal understanding you’ll be relying on from memory in two years.

What Advice Do You Have for Us Right Now?

Ask what they’d actually change about your approach today. Their answer tells you how much attention they’ve genuinely paid to your music versus how much they’re pattern-matching from a pitch deck.

Bring a written list of these questions to the meeting - see the basics of a manager’s contract for what to check once you’re past the interview stage, and the signs you’re actually ready for this conversation if you’re not sure you’re there yet.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the most important question to ask a potential music manager? Who else have you managed, and can I talk to them? A manager’s actual track record - not their pitch - is the fastest way to tell whether they can deliver on what they’re promising you.

How much should a music manager charge? The standard range is 15-20% of your gross earnings, sometimes 10-15% for a newer manager working with a developing artist. Anyone asking for a large amount upfront, rather than working on commission, is a red flag.

Should I have a lawyer review a manager’s contract? Yes, before you sign anything. A one- or two-hour consultation with an entertainment lawyer is inexpensive compared to what a bad contract term can cost you years later.

Is it normal for a manager not to have a formal contract ready? No. A manager who can’t produce a sample contract, or who pushes you to sign something on the spot without time to review it, is not someone treating this as a real business relationship.

Building the kind of traction that attracts a manager worth interviewing starts here. Submit Your Music and let’s get you in front of the right ears.