Examining the Roles and Dynamics of Musicians and Artist Managers in the Irish Music Industry

The role of the artist manager is one which can be of extreme importance in the career of a musician. It is a role which requires a lot of work, and one vital aspect of a manager’s job is the maintenance of a healthy artist-manager relationship dynamic. This study was carried out in order to gain a further understanding of the role of the artist manager and how this profession is perceived by musicians, as well as to explore the important factors which affect the artist-manager dynamic. The qualitative research was conducted in the form of structured formal interviews with three managers and three musicians, each of whom were asked a variety of questions regarding their experiences either in the role of management or working alongside a manager, as well as other relevant questions about the Irish music industry. Based on the results of these qualitative interviews, it can be concluded that the management of expectations between musicians and managers is one of the most critical factors in achieving a successful collaboration. It was also established that both parties feel more positive about the artist-manager partnership when they are working in an environment where the artist manager appreciates and believes in the music that the artist is making. One of the main stressors which can cause a strain on the artist-manager relationship is the struggle to maintain financial stability for either party, managers in particular, and this is not aided by the fact that musicians are becoming less likely to seek to work with Irish managers due to the increased focus on being “export-ready”.