Before You Sign: The Music Manager Contract Checklist (And What to Ask First)

Quick answer: Before signing with a music manager, first interview them - ask who else they’ve managed, what they’ll actually do for you, and whether they have a sample contract ready. Then run the contract itself through a checklist: length (one to two years is standard), the cancellation and auto-renewal terms, their exact duties, the fee (typically 15-20%, never paid upfront), expense reimbursement, and the fine print most artists skip - the sunset clause and key-person clause. Get all of it in writing, and get anything you don’t fully understand in front of a lawyer before you sign.

A manager works for you, not the other way around. Landing one who’s genuinely excited about your music is the easy part - the meeting and the contract that follows are your one real chance to find out if they’re actually equipped for the job, before you’re stuck with the answer.

Ask These Questions Before You Even See a Contract

Treat the first meeting like a job interview you’re conducting, not one you’re taking.

• Who else have you managed? Get real names, past and present, then actually look them up. A quick search tells you more about a manager’s genuine track record than anything they say in the room.
• What can you actually do for us? Get specific - what will they do this month to promote your music. A manager genuinely excited about the plan sounds different from one giving a canned pitch they’ve used on everyone before you.
• How would you describe our music? This tells you fast whether they actually understand your sound and audience, or plan to figure that out on your dime.
• Do you have a sample contract? Never sign something on the spot. Ask to take it home and have a lawyer look it over.
• What would you change about our approach right now? Their answer shows how much attention they’ve actually paid to your music versus how much they’re pattern-matching from a pitch deck they use on everyone.

The Core Terms to Negotiate

Once you’re past the interview and looking at an actual contract, a reasonable one states its terms in plain language - the length, the fee, the basics - without burying them in jargon. If it reads like it needs a law degree to parse, that complexity is itself a signal.

Length of the Contract

A one- or two-year initial term is standard for a first agreement - long enough to genuinely evaluate the fit, short enough that a bad match doesn’t cost you years. Some contracts define the term by album cycles instead of a fixed date; worth discussing directly so expectations match. Check the cancellation policy specifically - most include a window (often 30 days to a few months) letting either side exit without penalty - and watch for an automatic-renewal clause that extends the term unless you actively opt out. Red flag: an initial term stretching past three years for a developing artist.

The Management Fee

Expect 10-20% of your earnings (15-20% is most common), covering album sales, label advances, and deals they helped negotiate. Merchandise and songwriting royalties are often excluded, but “often” isn’t automatic - get it in writing exactly which income sources are included. One rule that should be non-negotiable: never pay a manager anything upfront. Their compensation comes from a share of what they help you earn, not a fee from your own pocket before any work has happened.

Job Duties and Scope

Whatever your manager will actually be responsible for - promotion, booking, contract negotiation, intermediary work with a label - needs to be written down explicitly. Vague duties are exactly what makes it impossible to tell later whether they’re holding up their end. If you branch out beyond music - acting, a side project, anything else - check whether your manager still takes a cut; look for language that scopes their commission to “the music industry” specifically, not the broader (and much more expensive) “entertainment industry.”

Expenses and Reimbursement

You’ll typically cover reasonable travel and promotional costs your manager incurs on your behalf. Set a clear process: a threshold requiring your approval for larger expenses, and a requirement for receipts, protects you both from a vague dispute later.

The Fine Print Most Artists Skip

• Sunset clause. Most contracts let a manager keep collecting commission on deals made during the term, sometimes at a reduced rate, for some period after it ends. Watch for anything granting this in perpetuity with no sunset clause - that’s outdated language a manager shouldn’t still be asking for.
• Key-person clause. If you’re signing with a management company rather than an individual, make sure the contract names the specific person you’re actually trusting with your career. Without this, that person can leave the company and you’re stuck working with whoever replaces them.
• Personnel changes. If someone leaves the band during the contract term, does the manager retain any claim over that person’s career? Get this spelled out explicitly rather than discovering the answer mid-breakup.

Get It Reviewed

An hour or two of an entertainment lawyer’s time is inexpensive against what a bad clause could cost you years later. If anything in the contract doesn’t make sense on a first read, that’s exactly what the lawyer is for - don’t rely on a verbal understanding of anything that matters.

If This Makes You Uneasy

If running through all of this makes you hesitant to sign anything right now, that’s useful information too - you may not be quite ready for a manager yet, and that’s a fine place to be. See the real signs you’re ready, and what to do in the meantime if you’re not sure where you stand, or weigh the actual pros and cons of bringing someone on before you get this far.

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.

What’s the most overlooked part of a music manager contract? The cancellation policy. Musicians focus on the fee and forget to check how - and how easily - either side can exit the agreement if it’s not working out.

Should I ever pay a manager money upfront? No. A manager’s compensation should come from a share of what they help you earn, not an upfront fee from you. Any reasonable expenses they incur should be reimbursed with receipts, not paid in advance.

What is a sunset clause in a music manager contract? A sunset clause determines whether your manager keeps earning commission on deals they made after your contract ends - and for how long. A clause granting commission in perpetuity, with no end date, is outdated and worth pushing back on.

What’s a typical music manager’s fee? 15-20% of your earnings is standard, covering album sales, label advances, and deals your manager helped negotiate - though not always merchandise or songwriting royalties. Anything meaningfully higher deserves real scrutiny.

Ready or not on the manager front, your music still needs an audience. Submit Your Music and let’s find yours.