Picture a songwriter whose 20-second clip passes 30 million views over a weekend. By Monday, three agents have written to her. One promises theater shows, an introduction to a manager and a label, and help with her booking. It sounds like a gift. None of it is on paper yet.
This bundle is normal now. Trevor Swenson, who runs the live agency Dynamic Talent International, told the Music Business Insider podcast that agents do far more A&R and artist development than they used to. More unsigned artists tour for a living without a label, so someone else has to fill the gap. The hosts added that managers are picking up work labels once did.
When jobs blur, the contract has to say who does what and who gets paid for it. Before you sign with an agent, settle five points in writing: what they do, what earns them commission, how long it lasts, who actually works your account, and how you leave. Musilock generates a management agreement and sends it for e-signature, and those same five points are what you fill in.
Agents and managers overlap, so write down who is paid for what
The old split was simple. The agent booked shows and the manager ran the career. Now your agent may scout you, shop you to labels and introduce you to managers. Your manager may do work a label once did.
That overlap has a cost. If your agent and your manager each take a percentage of the same show fee, you pay two people for one booking. Neither contract may mention the other. Ask each of them to state which income they take a cut from, then add the two percentages yourself before you sign. If the total surprises you, say so now, not after the first payout.
The contract should list exactly which income the agent takes a cut of
Agency deals are often exclusive. That can mean the agent earns on every show in a territory, including ones you land yourself. Some agencies also run brand and sponsorship divisions, so a cut may reach beyond shows. Ask the agent to answer each of these in the text:
- Which countries or regions does exclusivity cover?
- Do private events, festival slots and one-off special events count?
- Does the cut apply to shows you booked yourself?
- Does it reach merch, streaming income or a sponsor you found without them?
Almost any answer is workable if it is written down. The vague answer is the one that causes a fight later.
Name the person who will actually work your account
At a larger agency, one person often signs the artist and another handles the day-to-day. Swenson described this setup as normal, and it works when the servicing agent is good. The risk is that you signed because of the first person and got the second.
Ask for the named agent in the agreement. Add that if this person leaves the agency, you can end the deal too. Without that line, you stay tied to a company where the person you trusted no longer works.
Term, exit and money flow decide how costly a bad fit is
Check three things.
First, the length, and whether it renews itself. An automatic renewal with a long notice window can lock you in by accident. Second, what happens to shows booked before you leave. Agents usually keep commission on those, which is reasonable. Ask for a clear rule, such as commission only on shows contracted before the end date. Third, who holds the money. If the agent collects deposits, the agreement should say how soon you are paid.
Promises about labels and development need to be on paper too
An agent who says they will bring you to labels is offering an introduction. An introduction is not a deal. Ask what they will actually do, then add two protections.
First, nobody signs or agrees to anything for you without your approval. Second, an introduction does not give the agent a cut of a label deal unless you have agreed to that in writing.
Start with a short non-exclusive trial before you commit
Swenson's own advice to artists was to do the research, because signing with a particular agent, manager or label is not always the best move. In practice, that means asking other artists on the roster how it went. It also means proposing a single booking, or a few months on a non-exclusive basis, before any long exclusive term.
Viral attention makes people rush. A clip with 30 million views does not sell tickets on its own. The hosts described A&R people signing viral artists who turned out to have no show behind them. The agent worth keeping is the one who helps you build that show, and who is happy to let you read the terms twice.
Musilock exists because most solo artists sign whatever lands in their inbox. Writing the terms first, in your own words, puts you on equal footing with an agent who has seen many of these deals before.