Artist-manager relationships form the backbone of successful musical careers in today's entertainment industry. Yet while countless articles focus on artist development, there's a critical blind spot: the career trajectory of the managers themselves.

In observing artist management, managers often focus heavily on how to promote their artists, how to get them to the mainstream scene, and how to connect them to the right people—while their career development is rarely part of the conversation. Since the artist manager liaises and coordinates the artist’s team across the industry, ensuring that the contracts between them are fair is crucial.

Artist managers help the artists they oversee meet their long-term goals, find opportunities, and market their music. They often act as both representatives for and advisors to musicians, helping shape their career direction and activities.

In Nigeria, notable examples include Asa Asika, who manages Davido, Sean Okeke managing Rema, Don Jazzy, who has played both managerial and executive roles in shaping the careers of artists under Mo’Hits and Mavin Records; and Kenny “Keke” Ogungbe and Dayo “D1” Adeneye of Kennis Music, who were instrumental in managing and promoting artists in the 2000s like 2baba, Sound Sultan, Tony Tetuila and many more.

However, when searching for an artist, it is essential to prioritize your personal growth and development, so you don’t become obsolete when you part ways with your current artist.

While all the attention is usually on the star in front of the camera, an artist manager’s growth and sustainability are also important.

The solution isn't choosing between your artist's career and your own—it's recognizing that both journeys should run parallel, each strengthening the other.

One of the ways an artist manager can build themselves is by learning how to create and execute a clear, strategic, and long-term vision that will help their artist. This means not just chasing an ‘as-e-dey-come’ kind of visibility, but developing a blueprint for long-term relevance in the industry. As you're doing this—mapping out career milestones, KPIs, and marketing plans—you’re also gaining experience in high-stakes strategic planning.

This kind of expertise improves your profile in the industry and demonstrates that you can build sustainable careers for artists.

Another piece of advice for artist managers is to nurture relationships with industry stakeholders, promoters, label executives, A&Rs, and brand managers. These relationships become part of your network and are relationships you can leverage in the future for both current artists and future collaborations.

The more consistent you become in delivering good prospects and value to the traditional gatekeepers (record labels) and collaborators, the more you are seen as reliable by the industry.

Speak at industry events, document your work, and grant interviews to discuss industry-wide topics—this will help you grow visibility in the industry. This growth makes you an asset to other artists, labels, and even consulting agencies, and will possibly pivot you into broader roles in the industry.

While managers work mainly behind the scenes, it doesn’t make their career secondary to the superstar’s journey—it is something that runs simultaneously. And by treating every project as part of your resume, and every collective win as a block for brand building, artist managers set themselves up for a meaningful and long-standing career in the industry.

Artist managers help the artists they oversee meet their long-term goals, find opportunities, and market their music.

The Double Journey of an Artist Manager

Artist managers help the artists they oversee meet their long-term goals, find opportunities, and market their music.

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