Interview with Brian Hetherman 1


Brian Hetherman is Manager and President of Cerberus Management and Consulting. He is also the current Co-Chair of the IMMF (International Music Managers Forum, co-chairing with Volker May from Germany). You can find more info about him at http://www.cerberusartists.com

As manager you want your artists to become successful, and your own success is often measured on the fame of your artists. What does success mean to you? How do you measure the success of your artists?
That is absolutely true, but not always fair…. If hard work measured the success of an act and manager, there would be a lot more wealthy manager and artists.
Success to me truly means that I get to work everyday in a business I have grown up in, and one I still love (most days 🙂 ) I am successful because I wake up everyday and get to do what I love and its truly a bonus that I think for the most part I am respected by my peers in Canada and Internationally.
Success of my Artists is very similar, even if they aren’t playing stadiums if they can make a living at what they do and still enjoy life then they are successful. Lets be honest very few artists can maintain “Superstar” status for many years.

(How) Can you prepare your artists for being successful? What’s the most difficult for artists to deal with when becoming successful? How do you manage them in this?
I’m not sure you truly can prepare an act for success, however reminding them when they are starting out or up and coming that one day they may have to face an ego, is a good start
It also doesn’t hurt that when they are successful to remind them of the days when they were moving their own gear or  updating their own website or selling their own merchandise, certainly can’t hurt.
I can’t recall which Manager said, “I tell all my acts its not a matter of if you fire me but when”…. I think that’s very true…. Eventually the relationship breaks down, be it 30 days or 30 years.

Later this month I want to offer artists on my blog online coaching and consulting in dealing with success (and failure). What aspects to you think need most attention?
I think the biggest point you can make is that Artists have to do everything themselves …. Waiting to find a manager who will do it, or a label to sign them or an agent to book them could take years.
And waste valuable years of development they could do on their own.


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