Do managers take 50%?

No. The standard is 15–20% of the artist's earnings. A 50% split isn't a real management rate – if someone's taking it, the artist is being robbed.

Is 20% too much for a manager?

20% is the top of the standard band, not over it. It's defensible – especially early on when the manager is doing the most work – but it's worth being able to explain why it isn't 15%.

Does a manager get paid if the artist isn't making money?

Commission is a percentage of earnings, so if the artist earns nothing, the manager earns nothing. That's the point of commission over a salary – the manager's upside is tied to the artist's.

How much commission does a music manager take?

A music manager takes 15–20% of what the artist earns. 15% is the most common; 20% is the top of the standard band, and anything above that is worth questioning. Crucially, it's a cut of earnings – not of gross, and not of money the artist never actually keeps.

Why 15–20%

The band exists for a reason: enough to make the work worth a manager’s time, not so much that it eats the artist’s living. 15% is the common default. 20% shows up when the manager is carrying more of the load – which is often the case early, when there’s no agent, no lawyer, and the manager is doing all of it.

It’s on earnings, not on gross

The rate matters less than what it’s applied to. A 15% cut of a show’s gross and a 15% cut of the show’s net – after the costs that come off the top – are different checks. Net is the more artist-friendly and more common read. If you only remember one thing, make it this: agree the base, not just the percentage. See gross vs net for the difference in dollars.

The 50% myth

Somewhere a new artist always hears that managers take half. They don’t. 50% isn’t a management rate – it’s the sort of number that shows up in a deal designed to take advantage of someone who didn’t know the norm. If you’re the manager, taking 15–20% on a clear base is how you build trust that lasts longer than one deal.

When higher or lower is justified

Below 15% is generous to the artist – fine, as long as the work is still worth your time. Above 20% needs a reason you can say out loud: you’re fronting costs, you’re the only person on the team, the artist came to you established. The number isn’t the problem; an unexplained number is.

See it on a real show

Plug a deal into the free show commission calculator to see what your rate actually pays once the agent and costs come out – or read the full guide to manager commission.

Common questions

Do managers take 50%?: No. The standard is 15–20% of the artist's earnings. A 50% split isn't a real management rate – if someone's taking it, the artist is being robbed.
Is 20% too much for a manager?: 20% is the top of the standard band, not over it. It's defensible – especially early on when the manager is doing the most work – but it's worth being able to explain why it isn't 15%.
Does a manager get paid if the artist isn't making money?: Commission is a percentage of earnings, so if the artist earns nothing, the manager earns nothing. That's the point of commission over a salary – the manager's upside is tied to the artist's.