Manager vs. Agent

Entertainment managers versus agents; there’s a big difference.  In a nutshell, legal licensing separates the two services.  Talent agents specifically seek out gigs and employment for their clients.  Simple as that.  Agents job hunt.  You could consider them the Indeed.com of the unemployment world.

An entertainment manager’s mission is a lot more inclusive.  Managers keep the client happy and the client’s career on the straight and narrow.  Entertainment managers work very closely with agents to plan tours and appearances.  Take a national tour, for example.  The talent agent hunts out appearance opportunities and gigs that span from coast to coast.  For this same national tour, an entertainment manager will make certain that the tour is executed with ease and efficiency. 

It is not unusual for an entertainment manager to package a client.   In his post, Manager vs. Agent, Kamak Moo, Esq. explains the art of packaging to mean dual representation for projects.  MAD Management Group is a Christian entertainment management firm.  We manage events and the careers of Christian athletes and entertainers.  MAD Management Group represents one of the most sought after runway models to grace the stages of New York City.  Her name is Tanira “Catwalk Diva” Lindsay.  One of our products is the WIP the Runway Christian Fashion Show Experience.  The Catwalk Diva walks in every single one of WIP the Runway shows.  In this case, MAD Management Group packages this talent; (1) as management representation of the talent, and (2) matching the talent with the gig.

Entertainment managers approach their clients’ careers as if they are their own.  Over and above their professional roles and duties, managers serve as advisers, friends, and wildly trusted confidants.  The truth is that anyone can get an agent.  Agents come a dome a dozen.  Agents spend less time with their clients and more time with the agency.  There isn’t much time or attention invested in the client.  Managers—without question—invest more time into their clients.  Because of this vested interest, a manager’s roster is almost always smaller than an agents or agency’s roster.

In order to excel in either of these roles, you’ve got to have a love for the entertainment industry first.  The skills, knowledge, and strategic approach to entertainment management can be taught.   Understanding the entertainment industry and honing the passion for the love of brand management is an essential characteristic of a talent agent or entertainment manager.