Artist Management Agreement Template (2026): Protect the Manager–Artist Relationship

A manager discovers an unsigned artist playing to 40 people in a basement venue. Two years of unpaid nights, cold emails, and slept-in vans later, the artist is selling out theaters and signing a distribution deal. Then the artist's new lawyer sends a letter: the "handshake" management arrangement is over, effective immediately, and no, the manager will not be paid a cent on the tour, the sync placement, or the record advance that closed last week — all deals the manager personally negotiated.

Or the mirror image: an artist signs a one-page agreement at 22, becomes a star, and discovers at 30 that they owe their former manager 20% of everything they earn — forever — including songs written and deals closed years after the manager stopped returning calls.

Both disasters come from the same root cause: an artist management agreement that was never written down properly, or was written to protect only one side. A good agreement is not a sign of distrust. It is the thing that lets a manager invest years of unpaid work knowing they will share in the upside, and lets an artist grow knowing the relationship has a defined shape and a defined end.

What an Artist Management Agreement Actually Does

A manager is not a booking agent, not a lawyer, and not a label. The manager is the artist's strategic partner and day-to-day quarterback: shaping the career, assembling the team, and negotiating the deals. Because that role touches nearly every dollar the artist earns, the agreement has to answer four questions with zero ambiguity:

1. What is the manager responsible for? (Scope)
2. How is the manager paid, and on what income? (Commission)
3. How long does this last, and what survives the end? (Term and sunset)
4. How does it end, and who owns what on the way out? (Termination)

Get those four right and most disputes never happen. Get them wrong and you get the two horror stories above.

The Three Ways These Deals Go Wrong

Before the clause library, understand the failure modes. Almost every artist–manager blowup traces to one of these.

1. Perpetual commission

The single most damaging mistake for artists. If the agreement says the manager earns commission on "all income from the artist's career" with no end date, the artist can be paying a former manager decades after the relationship ends. Commission must be tied to a defined term, with a limited sunset tail after that. No term, no cap, no exit.

2. Undefined "gross vs. net"

"Manager receives 20%" of what? Gross earnings, or net after expenses? On a $100,000 tour that grossed but netted $10,000 after production, crew, and travel, 20% of gross is $20,000 — meaning the artist pays the manager more than the artist keeps. Every commission clause must define the base precisely and list what is excluded (recording costs, tour production, sound and lights, opening-act fees, co-writer splits).

3. No sunset clause

The flip side of perpetual commission. If a manager spends three years building relationships and closes a record deal in month 35, and the artist fires them in month 36, should the manager earn nothing on that deal? A sunset clause solves this: the manager continues to earn a declining commission on deals substantially negotiated during the term, for a limited window after the term ends. Without it, either the manager gets robbed or the artist stays trapped.

Artist Management Agreement: Complete Clause Library

Copy, paste, and fill in the brackets. These clauses are drafted to be fair to both sides — which is exactly what makes them durable.

1. Scope of Management Services

Define what the manager does and the clear line between managing and the roles the manager is not licensed or hired to perform.

Section 1. Scope of Services

(a) Manager shall use commercially reasonable efforts to advise and counsel Artist in the development and advancement of Artist's career in the entertainment industry, including without limitation:

• Career strategy, branding, and long-term planning
• Advising on selection and supervision of Artist's team (booking agent, publicist, business manager, attorney, label)
• Advising on recording, publishing, touring, merchandise, and sync/licensing opportunities
• Advising on the negotiation of agreements (final approval and signature remain with Artist)
• Coordinating day-to-day professional activities and schedule

(b) Manager is not: a booking/talent agent and shall not procure or offer to procure employment or engagements for Artist except where permitted by applicable law; Artist's attorney; or Artist's business manager/accountant. Manager does not guarantee any specific level of success, income, or number of engagements.

(c) Artist retains sole and final authority to approve all agreements, appearances, and creative decisions.

2. Commission and Commissionable Income

The heart of the deal. Industry standard is 15–20%. Define the percentage, the base, and the exclusions.

Section 2. Commission

(a) As compensation, Artist shall pay Manager a commission of ___% (typically 15–20%) of Gross Earnings, as defined below.

(b) "Gross Earnings" means all gross monies and consideration earned or received by Artist for Artist's activities in the entertainment industry during the Term (and during the Sunset Period per Section 4), including recording, live performance, publishing, merchandise, endorsements, sponsorships, sync licensing, and streaming.

(c) Exclusions from Gross Earnings (commission does NOT apply to):

• Recording costs, and monies paid by a label solely to produce master recordings
• Tour support and tour production costs (sound, lights, staging, crew, transportation, opening acts) — commission is calculated on net touring income after these documented costs
• Collaborator, co-writer, and featured-artist shares paid through to third parties
• Monies that pass through Artist to third parties (e.g., producer points, session musicians)
• Amounts Artist must pay to a signatory booking agent as agency commission

(d) Tiered option: The parties may agree to ___% on live performance income and ___% on all other Gross Earnings.

(e) Manager's commission is calculated on Gross Earnings received, not merely invoiced. If Artist is not paid, no commission is due on that amount.

(f) Artist (or Artist's business manager) shall pay commission within ___ days of Artist's receipt of the underlying income, together with a statement.

3. Term

Keep it defined and finite. Long "auto-renew forever" terms are a red flag for artists.

Section 3. Term

(a) The initial term of this Agreement is ___ years/months from the Effective Date (the "Initial Term").

(b) Option/Renewal: Upon expiration, this Agreement [renews for ___ additional period(s) of ___ months each unless either party gives ___ days' written notice] OR [terminates unless the parties agree in writing to extend].

(c) Performance benchmark (optional, artist-friendly): If Artist's Gross Earnings do not reach $___ during the first ___ months, Artist may terminate on ___ days' written notice without further obligation except accrued and Sunset amounts.

4. Sunset Clause (Post-Term Commission)

This is the clause that makes the whole agreement fair. It rewards the manager for deals they actually built, while guaranteeing the artist a hard end.

Section 4. Sunset / Post-Term Commission

(a) After the Term ends, Manager shall be entitled to a declining commission ("Sunset Commission") ONLY on income derived from agreements that were entered into, or substantially negotiated, during the Term.

(b) The Sunset Commission on such income shall be:

• Year 1 after Term: ___% (e.g., full rate, 20%)
• Year 2 after Term: ___% (e.g., 15%)
• Year 3 after Term: ___% (e.g., 10%)
• Year 4 after Term: ___% (e.g., 5%)
• After Year ___: 0% (commission ends permanently)

(c) Manager earns no commission on any new agreement entered into after the Term with which Manager had no substantial involvement.

(d) For clarity, this sunset provision is the entire post-Term entitlement of Manager. No other perpetual or ongoing commission survives.

5. Exclusivity

Section 5. Exclusivity

(a) During the Term, Manager shall be Artist's sole and exclusive personal manager worldwide for the entertainment industry.

(b) Artist shall not engage another personal manager for the covered activities during the Term.

(c) Manager's other clients: Manager may represent other artists, provided Manager does not act in a manner that presents a direct, uncured conflict of interest with Artist. [Optional carve-out: Manager shall not sign another artist in the ___ genre without Artist's consent.]

6. Expenses

Section 6. Expenses

(a) Manager shall bear Manager's own general overhead (office, staff, phone).

(b) Reimbursable expenses: Artist shall reimburse Manager for reasonable, pre-approved out-of-pocket expenses incurred specifically for Artist (travel to Artist's shows, agreed marketing costs, etc.).

(c) Any single expense over $___ requires Artist's prior written approval. Manager shall provide receipts and an itemized statement.

(d) Reimbursement is not deducted from Gross Earnings before commission unless expressly agreed in writing.

7. Key-Person Clause

Artists sign with a person, not a logo. If that person leaves the management company, the artist should be able to leave too.

Section 7. Key Person

(a) The parties acknowledge that Artist has engaged Manager in material reliance on the personal involvement of ___________ (the "Key Person").

(b) If the Key Person ceases to be actively and primarily responsible for Artist's day-to-day management — whether through departure, incapacity, or reassignment — Artist may terminate this Agreement on ___ days' written notice, subject only to accrued amounts and the Sunset Commission in Section 4.

8. Termination

Section 8. Termination

(a) For cause: Either party may terminate immediately if the other materially breaches this Agreement and fails to cure within ___ days of written notice.

(b) Insolvency / conduct: Either party may terminate on written notice if the other becomes insolvent or engages in conduct that materially and reputationally harms the other.

(c) Effect of termination: Upon termination, (i) Artist owes all accrued and unpaid commission on income received through the termination date; (ii) the Sunset Commission in Section 4 applies to qualifying agreements; and (iii) neither party has any other continuing obligation.

(d) Return of materials: Within ___ days of termination, Manager shall return Artist's property, files, credentials, and assets, and provide a final accounting.

9. Dispute Resolution

Section 9. Governing Law and Disputes

(a) This Agreement is governed by the laws of ___________ (state/country), without regard to conflict-of-laws rules.

(b) The parties shall first attempt to resolve any dispute through good-faith negotiation for ___ days.

(c) Any unresolved dispute shall be settled by binding arbitration administered by ___________ [e.g., AAA/JAMS or local equivalent] in ___________ (venue), before a single arbitrator. Judgment on the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

(d) The prevailing party is entitled to recover reasonable attorneys' fees and costs.

(e) [Jurisdiction note: some jurisdictions require talent agency/management agreements to comply with specific statutes — e.g., California's Talent Agencies Act. Confirm local requirements before signing.]

Compact Fill-In Template

For a quick draft, this short-form version captures the essentials. Expand each section with the clauses above for a full agreement.

ARTIST MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT

Effective Date: ___________ Artist: _________________________ ("Artist") Manager: _______________________ ("Manager") Key Person: _____________________

1. Services. Manager provides exclusive personal management services per the attached scope. Manager is not a booking agent, attorney, or business manager.
2. Commission. ___% of Gross Earnings, calculated on income received, net of the exclusions listed in Section 2(c). Touring commissioned on net income after documented production costs.
3. Term. ___ years from the Effective Date [renewal: ___].
4. Sunset. Post-term commission only on deals negotiated during the Term, declining %/%/%/% over ___ years, then 0%.
5. Exclusivity. Manager is Artist's sole personal manager worldwide during the Term.
6. Expenses. Pre-approved, itemized, receipts required; reimbursed separately from commission.
7. Key Person. If ___________ ceases day-to-day involvement, Artist may terminate on ___ days' notice.
8. Termination. For material uncured breach on ___ days' notice; accrued commission and Sunset survive.
9. Disputes. Governed by ___________; binding arbitration in ___________.

Artist signature: __________________ Date: ________ Manager signature: ________________ Date: ________

Once your terms are set, you don't need to shuffle Word files or chase wet signatures. You can generate the full agreement from an AI draft and send it for e-signature in minutes — filling the brackets above, exporting a clean PDF, and collecting signatures from both parties without leaving the browser.

Artist Management Agreement Checklist

Before anyone signs, confirm:

• Commission percentage is stated (15–20% range) and the base is defined
• "Gross Earnings" lists what is and isn't commissionable
• Touring is commissioned on net after production costs
• The Term has a fixed, finite end date
• A sunset clause limits and phases out post-term commission
• No language creates perpetual or lifetime commission
• Exclusivity scope and any conflict carve-outs are clear
• Expense approval threshold and receipt requirement are set
• A key-person clause protects the artist if the manager leaves
• Termination-for-cause notice/cure periods are defined
• Governing law and dispute process are specified

How This Compares to Other Creative Contracts

The commission-and-sunset structure here is specific to management, but the discipline is universal. If you also work with agencies or freelancers, the same "define scope, define money, define exit" logic drives a strong agency retainer agreement. When you bring collaborators or investors into early conversations, protect the material with an NDA before the interview or pitch. And when it's time to actually sign, our roundup of the best free e-signature software covers the tools that get contracts closed without printing anything.

One underrated advantage of sending your agreement digitally: you can see the moment the other party opens it. With AiDocx you get a notification when the counterparty views the document — useful when an artist's attorney says "we're reviewing it" and you'd like to know whether they've actually opened the file.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a normal manager commission percentage? The industry standard for personal managers is 15–20% of the artist's gross earnings from entertainment activities. Newer or developing artists sometimes negotiate 15%; established managers taking on significant risk may ask for 20%. What matters more than the exact number is the base it applies to — 15% of a clearly defined, exclusion-adjusted figure can be worth more to the artist than "20% of gross" with no exclusions.

What is a sunset clause and why does it matter? A sunset clause limits how long a manager keeps earning after the relationship ends. Instead of perpetual commission, the manager earns a declining percentage — only on deals negotiated during the term — for a few years, then nothing. It protects the manager's investment in deals they actually built while guaranteeing the artist a hard financial end date. Never sign a management agreement without one.

Is a manager the same as a booking agent? No. A personal manager advises on career strategy and coordinates the artist's team and deals. A booking agent procures live performance engagements and is often separately licensed and regulated (in some places, only a licensed agent may legally procure engagements). A good management agreement explicitly states that the manager is not acting as a booking agent.

Can I write my own artist management agreement? You can draft the structure yourself using a template like this one, and it's a great way to negotiate the business terms before spending on legal fees. But management agreements intersect with local talent-agency statutes and tax rules, so have a qualified entertainment attorney review the final version — especially the commission base, sunset, and jurisdiction clauses.

Get Your Agreement Signed Faster

A clear management agreement does the same thing a good manager does: it removes ambiguity so everyone can focus on the work. Once your terms are settled, generate the document from an AI draft, fill in the brackets, and send it for e-signature — no printing, no scanning, no chasing.

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This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Entertainment and talent-management law varies by jurisdiction. Consult a qualified attorney before signing any management agreement.