Jon Webster, CEO of Music Managers Forum gives his thoughts on the role of managers in the 21st century music industry.



"Digitisation and the internet have led to an explosion of musical artists but there are currently not enough managers for all those artists. Whilst organisations like the MMF are educating and training new managers, the truth is that many artists have to do an awful lot of groundwork themselves these days.



The two questions I get asked most during my working day are:



Where do I find a manager? You don’t. They find you.



How do I get a record deal? You don’t. There aren’t any.



Seriously, the number of acts signed to the four major labels these days is very few, and the band (and their manager) have to build the fan base and success levels (records sales, gigs sold out) before most labels will even look at you. Similarly, the number of indie labels who will give an artist a meaningful advance to make an album and keep them alive for a year is very small.



From the above you might assume the outlook is bleak when it comes to finding a manager. If you think about it, a professional manager has to make a living and 20% of your income if you are not earning anything will not keep the wolf from the door. The answer is, unfortunately, that artists have to do an awful lot themselves before a manager will get involved. It’s called DIY (Do It Yourself) or perhaps more correctly DIT (Do It Together) for there are many, many people out there willing to help artists.



Initially of course it is up to the artists themselves to build a following, but that can soon become a chore and gets in the way of all that creativity – writing songs and rehearsing for instance. Shared amongst a band the responsibility can be spread around but is still burdensome. That’s where fans come in.



You need to cultivate a fanbase both online and at gigs and then you can ask them to do tasks for you. Whether it’s updating the website, having a van to get to a gig, designing a CD sleeve, taking promo photos or whatever, there are people out there who will help you. Ask for help and reward people for helping. One of them might want to be more involved, start organising things, motivating the band and hey presto! You have a manager. They might not be experienced but all the ins and outs can be taught to them (and you) by organisations such as mine.



The future is all about D2C – Direct to Consumer. You need to start this process as soon as a band forms and becomes creative. Social networking can be used in fantastic ways to find fans and cultivate them, and then you can monetise that relationship and build a career. A record label will find you if you are good enough and have a following.



If you are good, and getting better, a manager will find you. Before that, use whatever help you can find."



For more information and advice on making it in the music industry and the role of managers, visit BBC Introducing.