The modern manager is no longer just the person who negotiates deals and keeps the calendar moving.
More and more, the manager is carrying the weight of what used to sit inside a label, marketing strategy, release planning, positioning, content direction, audience growth, and the day to day decision making that actually turns songs into careers. As the workload shifts onto artists, it naturally shifts onto managers too, because the manager is the closest operational partner to the artist and the one expected to make the whole machine run.
In a practical sense, managers today can do almost everything. It is possible to build your own supply chain, distribute music efficiently, coordinate a specialist team, and run campaigns with speed and precision. The issue is not capability, it is resourcing. Funding remains the biggest gap in the manager led model, and it is the clearest reason label deals are still relevant. Even when managers can execute the work at a high level, the ability to bankroll releases, content, touring moments, and sustained marketing pushes is still uneven without access to capital.
This is also where the conversation becomes less about whether labels still matter, and more about what labels should be doing in a world where managers are already doing the lion’s share. Labels can still be valuable, but the value has to be tangible. One of the most important evolutions is control, especially control of marketing budgets. Managers are often better positioned to deploy spend efficiently because they are focused on a smaller roster, they are closer to the artist’s reality, and they have no room for wasted money. When the manager is responsible for the outcome, it makes sense that they have more influence over how budgets are used and what success looks like in practice.
At the same time, there is a growing tension around compensation. The scope of management has expanded dramatically, yet many management agreements still pay managers like it is the old job, a percentage for brokering deals, not a percentage for building and operating the growth engine. Managers are now providing services that resemble label services, but the remuneration structure often has not caught up, and the work is not always valued in a way that matches its impact.
That creates an obvious question for the next phase of the industry. If managers are functionally acting as labels in many areas, should their participation evolve too. There is nothing inherently wrong with traditional commission models in some situations, but relying on historical norms as the only justification is starting to feel outdated. Almost every other part of the business has transformed, yet the manager’s compensation is often treated as fixed, even as their responsibilities have multiplied.
The more modern view is that managers are not just representatives, they are partners building businesses alongside artists. That does not mean managers should hold rights forever, and it does not mean artists should lose control. It means the market needs deal structures that recognise the reality of the work, especially when managers are providing infrastructure, running campaigns, and taking on operational risk. If managers are expected to build the engine, they need agreements that reflect that contribution in a fair, time bound, and clearly defined way.
Managers are becoming the new labels because they sit where the real work now happens. They are the strategy team, the marketing team, the coordinator, and often the accountability layer that keeps everything moving. Labels still matter, especially where funding and scale are concerned, but the centre of gravity has shifted. The next evolution is not just accepting that managers do more, it is updating the economics so that the role is sustainable, properly resourced, and compensated in a way that matches the value being created
Steve Gardiner is the co-owner of Crew Entertainment an artist manager and producer. Wearing many hats, trying to accommodate the new music world order! (Artist Manager - Andrew Cassara, Shiloh, Daniel Richter)
ABOUT CREW ENTERTAINMENT:
Crew Entertainment is a record label built to help emerging artists grow with the kind of structure, strategy, and momentum that turns releases into long term careers. We currently offer distribution alongside hands on marketing expertise, supporting artists with release planning, audience growth, and campaigns designed to drive real results across platforms.
If you are an emerging artist looking for distribution and a marketing partner that can help you scale, Crew Entertainment is actively expanding our roster and services. Contact us through our website to start the conversation.