SmartisU
Established in 2013, SmartistU is a global educational media platform for music industry professionals, primarily artist managers and professionally self-managed artists.
2755 Yonge Street Toronto, Canada
Phone: +14168415336

New Year, New You Offer:
60% OFF Enrollment
Or FREE With Membership

Artist Management School

Your step-by-step road map to building high-demand artists and becoming a full-time music industry entrepreneur (with fewer mistakes & more confidence).

 

This is for you if you are struggling with:

  • A lack of artists/clients (or reliable + high paying ones).
  • A lack of time.
  • A lack of music business or management expertise.
  • A lack of music industry contacts.

This is for you if you are feeling:

  • Self-doubt and overwhelmed.
  • Afraid of failing your artist’s.

You are ready to fix this problem now because you know if you continue like this, you might:

  • Waste too much time and not get any results.
  • Make mistakes, get fired, or let people down.
  • End up burning out.

You Deserve To Reach Your Dreams.

We don’t just care about artists; we care about managers.

SmartistU and all of its products and programs are created by, run by, and taught by managers, including former managers, newer managers, and GRAMMY-level managers- who get it.

A manager’s #1 goal is to help make their artist’s dreams come true.

We believe you both deserve to reach your dreams.

Save Time.
Save Face.
Make More Money.

  • Make your artist’s dreams come true.
  • Build a successful career that you love.
  • Become that confident, high demand music professional you desire to be.

You have what it takes. We’ve got your back.

  • Increase your industry connections.
  • Increase your artist roster and their fanbases.
  • Increase yours AND your artists revenue streams.
 
Join Artist Management School today.

Here’s What You’ll Learn

Artist Management School is a 12-week (on-demand) self-study course for managers, aspiring managers, and professional artists who manage themselves. It’s your road map to earning a living & building a successful career in the music business, with more confidence.

Week 1

Increase Your Confidence

By the end of this module, you’ll understand the psychology and physiology of confidence, you’ll let go of any limiting beliefs you have, any fears of rejection from putting yourself “out there”, and gain the confidence and mental toughness needed to achieve massive success.

Week 2

Increase Your Earning Potential

By the end of this module, you’ll be confident with your ability to manage an artist’s career, having strengthened your knowledge base and skill set, as well as increased your artist’s income streams, and therefore your own commissions as a manager (or band leader).

Week 3

Master the Industry & Its Gatekeepers

By the end of this module, you’ll be confidently navigating the music business and the gatekeepers in the industry, you’ll know how much it’ll cost you to get through to them, and you’ll be doing their jobs yourself until you’re ready to build your team.

Week 4

Build a Profitable Music Business

Whether with your employer or on your own, by the end of this module, you’ll have created a profitable offer suite (aside from artist commissions) based around your zone of genius, you’ll have created a sales and marketing plan, and launched it to your target music business niche.

Week 5

Discover & Sign Hardworking Talent

By the end of this module, you’ll have discovered potential talent, narrowed them down to the best possible clients to take on, commenced the ‘dating phase’, begun contract negotiations, and taken the first steps in your new artist-manager partnership.

Week 6

Develop Album Release Strategies

By the end of this module, you’ve set your & your artist’s career bucket lists and goals, and have confidently planned the writing, recording, marketing, promotion, and touring phases of your artist’s next album release cycle, including budgets and timelines.

Week 7

Build Your Artist’s Teams

By the end of this module, you’ll be a genuine networking machine, you’ll have confidently reached out and pitched your artists to prospective industry gatekeepers, and begun building your dream team of support around each of your artists.

Week 8

Develop Your Artists

By the end of this module, you’ll be able to confidently direct your artists’ creative endeavors and branding, book their songwriting sessions, manage their catalogues, and work with producers and publishers to create stronger albums.

Week 9

Build Your Fanbases Worldwide

At the end of this module, you’ll be confidently wearing the Record Label hat, Publicist Hat, and Music Supervisors hats, implementing plans to get your artist’s songs to as many fans as possible around the globe through streaming playlists, getting on the radio, getting in the media, getting songs in film and television, and getting the funding to make it all happen.

Week 10

Build Your Fanbases Worldwide Pt.2

By the end of this module, you’ll be confidently wearing the Agent hat, having planned out and booked the next one to two years of touring and live performances, including online performances, conferences, and festivals, and planned the budgeting to make it all profitable.

Week 11

Build Your Internal Team

By the end of this module, you’ll be confidently wearing the CEO hat, having built a great team you can trust, and delegating the right tasks so you can work on the business instead of in the business, and focus on what you love to do most, becoming a true company leader.

Week 12

Optimize for Stability & Longevity

By the end of this module, you’ll be managing both emotions and cash flow like a pro. You’ll have created a financial system to easily generate profits and savings, and implemented processes and standards that will keep you in the business you love for many years to come.

Lecture Breakdown

Module 1: Master Your Mindset

  1. Gaining a Confident Mindset
  2. Abundance vs. Scarcity Mindsets
  3. Self-Sabotage and Upper Limit Problems
  4. Release The Limiting Beliefs Holding You Back
  5. Handling Failure and Rejection
  6. Problem-Solving, Optimism, and an Opportunity Mindset
  7. Gaining Motivation and Creating Habits
  8. Feeling Good and the Law of Attraction

Module 2: Increase Your Earning Potential

  1. Money Confidence
  2. Defining the Artist Manager
  3. Mastering Management Duties
  4. Artist Management Income
  5. Working at an Artist Management Company vs. Independent Management
  6. Increasing Artist Revenue Streams
  7. Mastering The 8 Management Fundamentals

Module 3: Master the Industry & its Gatekeepers

  1. Gatekeepers and The Structure of the Music Business
  2. Understanding Agents
  3. Understanding Talent Buyers/Show Promoters
  4. Understanding Record Labels And A&R
  5. Understanding Publicists
  6. Understanding Radio Promoters
  7. Understanding Radio Programmers
  8. Understanding Streaming Promoters & Programmers
  9. Understanding Publishers
  10. Understanding Music Supervisors
  11. Understanding Distributors

Module 4: Build a Profitable Music Business

  1. Building a Business
  2. Freelancer vs. Entrepreneur
  3. Passive Income vs. Active Income
  4. Discovering Your Genius
  5. Creating a Profitable Offer Suite
  6. Pricing Your Products
  7. Copywriting & Developing Your Pitch
  8. Marketing & Automating Your Offers

Module 5: Discover & Sign Hardworking Talent

  1. Qualities Managers Look for In Artists
  2. Discovering Talent
  3. Reaching Out to An Artist
  4. Setting Up Your First Meeting
  5. The Dating Phase
  6. Negotiating With & Signing an Artist
  7. Onboarding New Artists
  8. Quitting and Firing

Module 6: Develop Album Release Strategies

  1. Developing Career Strategies Brief
  2. Getting on The Same Page as Your Artist
  3. Establishing Communication Strategies
  4. Doing Business for Your Artists
  5. The Artist Album Cycle
  6. Creating Career-Long Goals
  7. Creating Goals for Your Artist’s Next Album
  8. Drafting Your Artists Album & Touring Cycles
  9. Developing A Marketing Plan & Budget
  10. Developing A Project Timeline

Module 7: Build Your Artists Teams

  1. Making Music Industry Friends
  2. The Core Partner Team
  3. The Independent Service Team
  4. The Creative Team
  5. Pitching and Selling Fundamentals
  6. Gaining Record Label A&R Attention
  7. Gaining Publisher Attention
  8. Gaining Agent Attention
  9. Hiring a Tour Manager
  10. Gaining Show Promoter/Buyer Attention
  11. Gaining Publicist Attention
  12. Gaining Radio & Streaming Promoter Attention

Module 8: Develop Your Artists

  1. What is Artist Development?
  2. Creating Amazing Music & Merch
  3. Developing Your Artists Brand (Masterclass)
  4. Setting Up Songwriting Sessions
  5. Working With Songwriters, Publishers, and Producers to Make Better Music (Masterclass)
  6. Helping Your Artists Write Hit Songs (Masterclass)
  7. Entertainment & Copyright Law (Masterclass)

Module 9: Build Fanbases Worldwide Pt.1

  1. Building Audiences
  2. 6-Figure Income with 1000 Superfans
  3. The 6 Pillars of Artist Marketing RPMsss
  4. Getting On the Radio (Campus)
  5. Getting On the Radio (Commercial)
  6. Getting On Playlists
  7. Getting In the Media
  8. Getting Your Music in Film and TV
  9. Getting Seen on Social Media

    Module 10: Building Fanbases Worldwide Pt.2

    1. Booking Shows & Tours
    2. Getting Your Artist Started as A Performer
    3. Getting Booked in Conferences & Festivals
    4. Drafting a Tour Routing
    5. Pitching and Negotiating Show Deals
    6. Drafting a Budget for a Profitable Tour
    7. Advancing the Shows
    8. Tour Planning Timeline

    Module 11: Build Your Internal Team

    1. Hiring so the Business Runs Itself
    2. What to Hire Our First Using the Genius Task Audit
    3. The 4 Ds of Delegating
    4. Creating Systems and Standard Operating Procedures
    5. Serving Your Team Well

    Module 12: Optimize for Stability & Longevity

    1. Emotional Stability
    2. Creating Routines and Habits
    3. Creating a Work Routine
    4. Ensuring Financial Stability
    5. Building Profit, Savings, and Investments
    6. Tech Tutorial: Cashflow Template
    7. Creating Sustainability & Longevity

    Plus, real-life action tasks.

    COURSE MATERIAL

    Each week’s lecture series ends with real-life activities, checklists, and workbooks to get you moving ahead 100x faster.

    For example: our Gatekeeper Pitchbooks:

    • Agent Pitchbook
    • Publisher Pitchbook
    • Record Label A&R Pitchbook
    • Show Promoter Pitchbook
    • Tour Manager Hire Book
    • Publicist Hire Book
    • Radio & Streaming Promoter Hire Book
    • Manager Pitchbook* BONUS for self-managed artists

    Student Success Stories:

    We’ve Taught thousands how to build professional, high-demand artists & businesses.

    Now it’s your turn.

    The membership and SmartistU community have been a HUGE asset and vital resource for me. I discovered Jamie New and her work at a time when I was transitioning in my journey as an artist and was looking for a mentor to help me navigate my new path with a new mindset.

    Through our process of working together, I’ve been able to get clear on what I need to focus on, begin building a team, and take the necessary steps to make my artistry an actual, sustainable business.

    The process of manifesting the dream (being a full-time musician) is an ongoing project, filled with ups and downs, and many setbacks; but with Jamie and the SmartistU community as an essential part of my team, I feel closer than ever to seeing it actually manifest.

    Steff Reed, Artist, Grammy-Nominated Music Educator

    “I wanted to go full time but lacked the knowledge and resources it takes to make it.

    Since joining SmartistU I have started my own management company, built a tiny house and office, signed two artists, and achieved my year-long goals. The resources that SmartistU provides are game-changers for anyone wanting to be a mover and shaker in this industry!

    Sarah Fleshner, 362 Entertainment, Nashville

    “This has been by far one of the BEST decisions and investments I’ve made. The information, PDF files, and excel spreadsheets have all been a tremendous help in navigating my artist’s careers.

    This course and Manager Toolkit has equipped me with the knowledge and tools to start my own business. I started a consulting business; J.K.B. Strategic Consulting, LLC. Since then I’ve had my artists roster increase as well as hold several consultations a month.

    Some highlights from my artist have been charting on Billboards, performing at major national events like the National Cherry Blossom Festival, winning independent artist award shows, and several TV appearances.”

    JaLil Brown, JKB Strategic Consulting, Virginia

    “When I found Smartist University, it was like the information cut right to the chase. No fluff, no fillers – just incredibly detailed actionable steps and a narrative that encouraged, inspired, and shed light on areas of music promotion that I couldn’t find anywhere else online.

    In addition to getting my new single on radio, because of SmartistU I registered my titles with Media Base, Nielsen Soundscan, registered with DMDS and tapped into a new territory of DIY radio promotion — insights I previously didn’t have access to.”

    Mariami, Artist, New York/LA

    “I thought I already knew a lot about the music industry… but then I started this program and realized how much there still was for Jamie to teach me. Her course is straight to the point and tells you what you need to know without fluff or ego. I left feeling so much more confident in my abilities as an aid to artists. I couldn’t recommend Jamie and her program more highly.

    Paige Williams

    “I learned how to approach and pitch ideas and collaborations with other artists and industry people, and I am currently in the process of negotiating the exclusive rights to a specific beat my artist used! Through this community and training, I’ve been able to unfreeze myself and address the factors that contributed to my fear of progressing my business plans.

    Tayo Ajose

    “So far I’ve tried several packages on managing artists and managing yourself as an artist and yours by far, without me even diving deep into the product, is already helping me out tremendously as a self-managed artist.”

    Naomi Agosto

    Your templates, checklists and spreadsheets alone have given me a huge leg up, and you’ve saved me months of labour. Thank you for doing this. I look forward to sharing my successes (and those of my artists) with you and your other members.”

    Steve Parton

    “I was recently able to share an “artist win” as one of my artists had his single played on commercial radio. One of the tips that Jamie gave us about Radio Promo was to follow up with every station after you get that one spin. I’ve taken that to heart and this week these other stations are starting to respond about playing the track.”

    Felicity Ryan

    “This in-depth course covers the entire spectrum of the music industry with straight-to-the-point videos and lots of indispensable documents.

    No other program out there compares to it in scope and concept, delivering industry-standard firepower to your music administration workload. 10 out of 10!”

    Domingo Cava

    “Very much helped me better understand “Failure & Rejection”. That is an area I have struggled with for decades…. Honestly wish I could have addressed this topic 20 years ago! Better late than ever. I am more at peace with regard to this teaching.”

    David K Watson

    “This in-depth course covers the entire spectrum of the music industry with straight-to-the-point videos and lots of indispensable documents.

    No other program out there compares to it in scope and concept, delivering industry-standard firepower to your music administration workload. 10 out of 10!”

    Domingo Cava

    PLUS, GET

    The Artist Management Toolkit FREE

    The 100+ most important templates you
    need to manage artists’ tours, recordings,
    marketing, money; and run a professional
    artist management operation.

    Regularly $297

    Managing an
    artist’s career just
    got easier and way more organized.

    Introducing, your artist management company in a box.
    Take an artist managers entire Dropbox folder. 

    “It’s definitely worth the purchase, trust you won’t get this knowledge without some years of research & planning.”

    TaRodd White

    “it’s a great guide. You can make templates yourself, having pre-formatted sheets ready to go! saved me time –well worth the cost.”

    Roland Beaulieu’s

    “IT HAS Amazing resources! It’s got everything. Including marketing plans and streaming targets. Wow!”

    JULIA STARR

    Startup

    Start a music business
    and sign artist or artist
    manager agreements.

    This startup kit will help you get started
    with your new artist & manager partneship
    properly. If you’re a novice, it’ll help you get
    started with and plan out your new business.

    Artist Management Agreement

    An example of a legally binding artist management contract.

    Artist On-Boarding Checklist

    A 2-page checklist of everything you need to collect from an artist when you start working with them.

    Starting a Management Company Guide

    A 25-page PDF demonstrating how to become a manager, how to sign artists, good and bad characteristics of managers, qualities to look for in artists, and more.

    Music Business Plan Template

    The ultimate business plan worksheet for your music business – the true value of a business plan is the work that goes into creating it.

    Contact Directory Template

    A spreadsheet for you to start collecting contacts of industry people.

    Touring

    Prepare for profitable tours.

    From crafting emails to booking tours to planning the tour production, budget, and itineraries – this kit has everything you need to manage your shows like a tour manager.

    “I’m always a bit wary of online purchases because the buyer doesn’t have the chance to view the complete materials. But the toolkit delivered. The extent of the information and laying out items in pre-populated templates is very useful.” 

    -COLOMBIA ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

    Booking Advance Sheet

    All the information you need for your show including schedule, venue, merch info, contacts, guest list, payment details and more.

    Show Booking Email Template

    How to write an email to book your band on a show! 5 things to keep in mind before hand, writing the subject line, and what NOT to do!

    DIY Tour Management Guide

    Learn how to manage your own tours.

    Tour Itinerary Template

    Every tour needs an itinerary – it’s probably the most important part for staying organized and on-time.

    Tour Budget

    Use this excel sheet to budget your tour ahead of time! Broken down by all potential revenue streams, expense streams, and show dates.

    Tour Reference Notes

    Use this form to keep track of important information after each show so that you can refer back to it the next time you’re about to book a show in that location.

    Asset Inventory Template

    A spreadsheet to keep track of all your instruments and technology!

    Promoter Agreement

    An example of an agreement between a performer and promoter.

    Tour Booking Guide

    A 6-page guide explaining when you should go on tour, how to get gigs, exact steps on how to book your tour, promote your tour, and what to do while on tour!

    Merchandise Revenue Tracker
    Keep track of your monthly and yearly merchandise inventory sales with this spreadsheet.

    Merch Sales Register
    Print this out and bring it to your next show to keep track of inventory and sales per show.

    Personnel Doc

    Keep a copy of this sheet for every person in the band and crew that will be on tour.

    Run Sheet Template

    Used by stage managers or live music directors, this sheet helps to run the show from start to finish.


    Stage Plots & Input List Guide

    Things to include in your stage plot and input list – managers take note!


    Email Sign Up Sheet

    Print this off to use at your shows to collect emails! Trust us, collecting emails is a MUST.


    Set List Creating Guide

    A short guide on how to craft an amazing set list for your show.

    “It’s definitely worth the purchase, I had a short 4-5 yEAr partnership with Scooter Braun (Bieber and Kanye’s Manager) and now I’m back on my own and for the first time since I was 19 I’m without an assistant and I SUCK at spreadsheets and all things administrative! I want you to know how excited I a to have found you!”

    Recording

    Release records like a record label.

    Understand the recording process, and budget for, organize and distribute your recordings as the record labels do.

    Promises! I would recommend this to anyone interested in the music business.

    -JIM BONESS

    Album Budget Template

    All the most common expenses you may incur in the process of creating and marketing an album.

    Song Master Metadata Sheet

    Most song registration organizations (the ones that pay you your royalties) need the metadata from your songs – keep track of them with this spreadsheet!

    Shipping Cost Matrix Sheet

    When you’re shipping out physical product, it’s important to understand how much that is going to cost you – use this spreadsheet to keep track – so that you can add it into your pricing (especially for crowdfunding projects)!

    New Release Checklist

    A 2-page checklist of everything you need to do when releasing music – from the artwork to the song registrations and much more.

    Distribution Guide

    A 3-page guide on what music distribution is, what distributors do, and ‘digital’ distribution vs. physical distribution.

    CANCON & MAPL Guide

    Ever heard of the term ‘CCD’ or ‘CANCON’ or ‘MAPL’? This guide explains what rules the Canadian government has put into place to help Canadians get more content on the airwaves and television broadcasts.

    ISRC & UPC Code Guide

    All music releases need ISRC and/or UPC codes – this guide explains what they are and how to get them.

    The Artist Cycle

    A diagram and understanding of the artist album cycle from writing to releasing to touring.

    Co-Writer Split Sheet

    A table to keep track of the writers on a track – can also be used as an agreement between the writers.

    Lyric Sheet Template

    An example of the layout of a lyric sheet.

    Label Copy Template

    All record labels keep a ‘label copy’ document of each recording – use this template to keep track of your recordings like the labels do.

    Publishing Admin Agreement

    An example of an agreement between an artist and a publisher – where the publisher is the administrator.

    SoundScan Guide

    SoundScan is the biggest tracking system that keeps track of music sales – where Billboard and other music charts get their stats from – this guide explains further, as well as how to register.

    Producer Agreement

    2 examples of legally binding producer agreements!

    Marketing

    Be a professional music marketer.

    From planning your release to getting on the radio to streaming playlist pitching to social media marketing – these guides will have you marketing like a pro from the start.

    A couple months back I purchased the Toolkit that basically cuts majority of the work for me.

    -CHRISTIAN BRADLEY

    Album Release Plan Timeline

    There is no “one-way” to release an album – but for your first time we’ve broken down a suggested timeline over a span of the whole production period to the release date.

    Album Marketing Plan Template

    Use this professional marketing plan template when you are presenting your marketing plan to other industry professionals.

    DIY Commercial Radio Promotion Guide

    An intensive guide that explains exactly how to get your music on commercial radio.

    DIY College Radio Promotion Guide

    An intensive guide that explains exactly how to get your music on college radio.

    Marketing Forecast Template

    A spreadsheet of the types of marketing activities you want to be doing on a daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis – plan out your year ahead!

    Radio Formats 101 Guide

    A list of all the radio formats in the US and Canada to give you a better understanding of where your songs may fit.

    Single Release Plan

    A project timeline that shows exactly what needs to be completed and when – that can be altered to the next song you’re releasing.

    Streaming Playlist Target Sheet

    Use this sheet to keep track of the songs you’re promoting to playlists, along with the playlists you want to target, per genre.

    One Sheet Example

    An example of a real one sheet – needed for all artists for industry purposes.

    Social Media Calendar

    8 sheets to strategize your branding, target audience, annual themes, collect ideas, posting calendar, collect hashtags, keep track of links and passwords and more.

    Artist Audience Reports

    Keep track of your growth! Use this sheet to record artist audience stats weekly from all social media and streaming platforms.

    Marketing Routine Checklist

    A checklist of all the marketing tasks you can do on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis – more-so for the management business than for the artist – but can be altered for any purpose.

    Release Plan Example – Bieber

    A detailed breakdown of how Bieber released his Purpose album with highly creative marketing plans.

    Release Plan Example – Rihanna

    A detailed breakdown of how Rihanna released her ANTI album with highly creative marketing plans.

    Streaming Promo Report

    Use this sheet to keep track of your streaming follower numbers, monthly listeners, cumulative spins, and the locations and playlists you’re discovered on – helps to see growth over time!

    Money

    Bank your hard-earned money.

    Learn about the various music business revenue streams, where royalties come from, and how to register for them.

    Use our cash flow and budget tracking sheets to manage all your money.

    Annual Profit & Loss

    A breakdown of all income made and expenses paid over former years until now, to show you how much you’ve profited or lost each year.

    Artist Finances Template

    Managers, give this to your artists to help them keep track of their income and expenses, including your comission.

    Daily Bookkeeping Template

    Keep track of every single expense item, income item, the day the transaction was made, and what category of expense it is – to give to your accountant when tax season comes and to be aware of how much money you spend each month.

    Invoice Template

    A prepared invoice example for you to invoice your team and/or clients.

    Monthly Revenue Template

    A spreadsheet to record all of your monthly revenue.


    Royalties 101 Guide

    A 7-page guide where you’ll learn what royalties are, who gets them, where they come from, the different types, and how to collect them!

    Revenue Streams Checklist

    A list of over 20 types of revenue streams that you can start working on for your artist.

    Service Record Template

    Keep track of all the services you provide for each client so that when it comes time to billing them you can prove what you worked on.

    Cashflow Tracking Template

    A detailed cashflow chart to forecast where your money is coming and going each month – allowing you to prepare for the year ahead.

    Grant Funding for Canadians

    A list of the funding organizations available all across Canada!

    Personal Budget Template

    The best possible monthly budget to use for your personal income and expenses!

    Personal Net Worth Sheet

    After all assets and liabilities are taken into account – how much money are you left with? Your Net Worth is far more important than how much you earn.

    “So far I’ve tried several packages on managing artists and managing yourself as an artist and yours by far, without me even diving deep into the product, is already helping me out tremendously as a self-managed artist.”

    Naomi Agosto

    Your templates, checklists and spreadsheets alone have given me a huge leg up, and you’ve saved me months of labour. Thank you for doing this. I look forward to sharing my successes (and those of my artists) with you and your other members.”

    Steve Parton

    “IT HAS Amazing resources! It’s got everything. Including marketing plans and streaming targets. Wow!”

    JULIA STARR

    Ready to Stop wasting time?

    And see a massive ROI (return on your investment)?

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is it suitable for me if I don't have any artist clients yet?

    Yes! This program helps you find artists to manage, and start a business in music aside from artist management commission. 

    Is it suitable for me if I’m an artist?

    Yes. This program will help you fast forward your music industry knowledge better than any school can, putting you in a better position to manage yourself professionally.

    Is it suitable for me if I’m not a manager or an artist?

    If you have the desire to learn about the music industry and how the business side of it works, then this program is for you. 

    Can I login from my phone?

    Yes. Our website is mobile optimized and easy to use from your smart phone or tablet. Pro tip: add a short cut app to your iPhone or Android home screen, to easily access without typing in your browser.