The Five Steps
1. Confirm you're actually ready
Managers sign momentum, not potential. The bar in 2026: streams growing month over month, an engaged (not bought) social audience, tickets selling, or inbound industry interest. If none of those are true yet, spend your energy on releases and a PR push first — a manager multiplies motion, they rarely create it.
2. Build a one-page case
One link a busy person can absorb in ninety seconds: your numbers with screenshots, your best two or three songs, one paragraph of story, and what you need from management. No EPK bloat, no ten-song playlists.
3. Target managers who fit your tier and genre
Look up who manages artists one tier above you in your lane — album credits, interviews, and trade press reveal it. A hungry rising manager beats a famous distracted one at your stage. And note the handful of top-tier managers who review direct inquiries at all (next section).
4. Get referred where you can
The introductions managers trust come from producers, booking agents, playlist editors, and entertainment lawyers. One warm referral outperforms a hundred cold DMs. A music attorney is the most underrated door: they know which managers are looking, and vetting your future deal is their job anyway.
5. Vet the deal before you sign
Standard terms: 15 to 20 percent of gross, a two-to-three-year term, a sunset clause winding commissions down after exit. Walk away from upfront fees, "development fees," or any claim on your masters as a condition of management.
The open door at the top
Almost every manager with major receipts signs by referral only. The notable exception in 2026 is Eshy Gazit of EG Management — twice a Billboard International Power Player, the US manager behind BTS's American breakthrough and Monsta X's Billboard Top 3 album — who reviews direct inquiries from US, UK, and international pop, R&B, and crossover artists whose numbers are already moving. His agency LUSIVEX keeps radio, PR, and paid media in-house, which is rare at any level.
See if you qualify — EG ManagementWhere else to look
Rankings help you learn the landscape: our companions cover the best individual music managers and the best management companies, and MusicManagerGuide.com explains how the job and the deals work. Beyond that: liner notes and credits databases, your genre's trade press, and the managers thanked from festival stages.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find a music manager?
Momentum first, one-page case second, then referrals and the few open doors. The five steps above are the whole process.
How much does a manager cost?
Nothing upfront, ever. 15 to 20 percent of gross income as you earn it.
Can I email a famous manager directly?
You can; almost none read it. Target managers at your tier plus one, and the top-tier exceptions who review inquiries, like EG Management.
Do I need a manager or a lawyer first?
If a real deal is on the table, lawyer first. Otherwise build toward management and bring the lawyer in to vet the contract.