The Diamond Standard

29/07/2026

Artist management....an ART & a SCIENCE. You aren't just born with it, you have to cultivate it and study it...

What is the difference between a good and a great manager?

Are the qualities you see in your manager red flags or healthy traits?

https://open.substack.com/pub/thediamondstandardmw/p/the-six-kinds-of-manager-every-artist?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=eo9a4

28/07/2026

"How much commission should my manager get?"

It depends on what exactly they are bringing to the table. If they are investing from their own pocket - money, extra resources, and various costs related to your music career then you need a separate business contract that outlined their return on investment.
Otherwise, the typical range is 10% - 25%.

Managers handling new artists might charge 25% to make up for their investment of time and money; they might charge 10% if they are handling an established artists where that 10% converts to a larger income.

Whatever the commission and arrangement is going to be, be clear about it from the beginning.

- the Artist Management Series

28/07/2026

Getting into an artist-manager relationships is like crossing the road - you really have to look twice!

Get your management and you'll build a career that unlocks revenue and opportunities for you at each stage of your artist journey

Some interesting examples of artist-manager relationships that have and haven't worked out https://open.substack.com/pub/thediamondstandardmw/p/the-six-kinds-of-manager-every-artist?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=74s03e

22/07/2026

Start distributing your music right away 🔥
No sign up fees, subscriptions or hidden costs...
https://studio.vwaza.com/signup?ref=HKZ2DJGY

17/07/2026

Pressure makes diamonds. That’s the standard we hold every relationship in this industry to, and this week, we’re putting the artist-manager relationship under it.

Anyone can technically become a manager. So if anyone can start, what actually separates a manager from a brilliant one?

Whether you’re managing someone else’s career or building your own as an artist, this episode is about recognising the patterns - the healthy ones worth building toward, and the red flags worth walking away from.

Tune in to the full episode!
https://thediamondstandardmw.substack.com/p/anybody-can-manage-not-everyone-can

14/07/2026

When you find yourself ready to get an artist manager or to be one, listen to this:

Episode 3 of The Diamond Standard:Elvis never reading his own contracts, Jimi Hendrix’s manager tried to own his masters after his death, Don Jazzy & D’banj doing it right & Sauti Sol’s example

13/07/2026

Have you signed up for Vwaza Music yet? Let us know what you're waiting for 👀

13/07/2026

Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to making it big as an artist or in your artist-management releationship⭐

Just because someone shows up claiming to have money to fund your music career doesn’t mean you jump at the opportunity right away. Pause. Think about it. And consider a few other things.

Many Western artists found themselves in situations where they signed away copyrights and gave up far more than they should have - sometimes without even understanding what they’d agreed to.

The story doesn’t have to be that way for you.

In this episode, we look at several examples of famous artist-manager relationships so you can be able to recognise any red flags and healthy signs when you’re in one.

Listen to the full episode for some interesting case studies:

Episode 3 of The Diamond Standard:Elvis never reading his own contracts, Jimi Hendrix’s manager tried to own his masters after his death, Don Jazzy & D’banj doing it right & Sauti Sol’s example

12/07/2026

Every artist eventually asks the same question: do I need a manager, and if I get one, how do I make sure it doesn’t go wrong?

History has already answered that question, many times over, in many different ways.

Some of those answers are cautionary tales and a few are genuinely worth copying.

In today’s episode, we walk through six real artist-manager relationships - four from the West, two from Africa - and pulls out exactly what an aspiring manager and an independent artist should each take from them.

Episode 3 of The Diamond Standard:Elvis never reading his own contracts, Jimi Hendrix’s manager tried to own his masters after his death, Don Jazzy & D’banj doing it right & Sauti Sol’s example

10/07/2026

"I'm looking for an artist manager or management team..."

"All I need is a manager now & that's it!"

Before you proceed, would YOU manage you if you met you right now? 👀😅

https://substack.com//note/p-204954415?r=eo9a4