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

The Managers Club

Next Guest Expert: Feb 2nd with ICE-T's Manager, Jorge Hinojosa

Where music managers & self-managed artists connect with the best in the music industry to make their artist’s dreams come true and become high demand.

Join The Club

Expertise

Direction

Connections

Learn From Superstar Artist’s Teams

From Major Label A&R to Tour Managers and everyone in between, who work with artists, brands, and music companies such as:

Speakers pictured: (L) Samantha Cox, Sean Taylor, (R) Kappy, Nick Sadler, Shawn Thompson

Artists

Alicia Keys
Billie Eilish
Dolly Parton
Guns N’ Roses
Lady Gaga
Luke Combs
Lynrd Skynrd
Morgan Wallen
Skrillex
Taylor Swift
The Rolling Stones
+ many more.

Pictured: Samantha Cox (Publisher: Halsey, Lady Gaga, Bebe Rexha) and Sean Taylor (Marketing: Warner Music, 24kGoldn, Macy Gray)

BRANDS

Armani
Coca-Cola
Fossil
HBO
Hyundai
Jaguar
John Lennon Menswear
McDonald’s
NFL
Nissan
Taco Bell
+ more

Pictured: Kappy (Manager: Luke Combs), Nick Sadler (A&R: Skrillex, The Prototypes), Shawn Thompson (Entertainment Attorney: Lynyrd Skynyrd, St. Vincent, Bassnectar)

MUSIC COMPANIES

AEG
Billboard
BMI
Songwriters Hall of Fame
SONY Music
SoundCloud
The Recording Academy
The Windish Agency
Universal Music
Warner Music Group
WME
+ more

Too Many Artists & Managers Are:

  • Stressed out.
  • Doubting themselves.
  • Afraid of failing and not living up to their artists or their own expectations.

This is Likely Because They Are:

  • Lacking expertise and clear direction.
  • Lacking the right contacts and connections.
  • Struggling with unreliable artist clients or lacking artist clients.

When things stay like this for too long, they end up:

  • Quitting or getting fired by their artists.
  • Leaving the industry entirely.
  • Or worse, feeling like failures.
 

We’re Here To Change That.

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

SmartistU (Est. 2013) and The Managers Club (Est. 2020) were created by and are run by managers, from newer managers to Grammy-level managers, who get it. 

We believe you deserve to reach your dreams and make a name for yourself in this industry.

Together, We make Dreams Come True.

YOU have what it takes to make yours AND your artist’s dreams come true.

  • Becoming a high-demand music professional.
  • Building a successful and sustainable music career.

What better way to learn to create stars than learning from those who have created stars?

  • Accelerate your music business expertise.
  • Increase your music industry connections.
  • Increase your artist roster.

Save time and accelerate your results.

    What’s included in

    The
    Managers
    Club?

    Expertise

    Direction

    Connections

    Speakers include: (Top) Danny Goldberg (Steve Earle, Nirvana), Jeanine McLean-Williams (H.E.R., Alecia Keys), Jim Cressman (Brett Kissel, Dolly Parton), (Bottom) Rick Barker (Taylor Swift), Edgel Groves Jr. (T-Pain, Selena Gomez), and Danny Rukasin (Billie Eilish).

    Expertise

    3x/MO MENTORSHIP Q&A’s

    Super-charge your expertise & increase your client base. Get answers to your burning questions, and solve problems faster with access to superstar team members (Grammy-level experts) through:

    • 3x/monthly Group Q&As with Grammy-level experts, 1x/month is with a new guest expert on a specific industry topic!
    • 24/7 community chat support with 1:1 coaching
    • Unlimited access to the full Recordings Library

    Featured Guests & Topics:

    • Touring Strategies with Danny Rukasin (Manager, Billie Eilish)
    • Artist Management with Danny Goldberg (Manager, Steve Earl, Formerly Nirvana)
    • Building Superfans with Chris Kappy (Manager, Luke Combs)
    • Building an Artist Roster with Zach Farnum (Randy Travis, Jerry Lee Lewis)
    • Attracting Label Attention with Sean Taylor (Marketing for Warner Music, Macy Gray, Iggy Azalea)
    • Writing Hit Songs with Samantha Cox (BMI Publishing, Lady Gaga, Halsey, Bebe Rexha)
    • Playlist Promotions with Edgel Groves Jr. (T-Pain, Selena Gomez)
    • Growing Your Own Indie Label with Nick Sadler (Skrillex, The Prototypes)
    • Digital Marketing with Ariel Hyatt (Imagine Dragons, DURAN DURAN)
    • Branding with Jon Landman (Guns N’ Roses, Spoon, Death Cab For Cutie
    • Mass Publicity with Samantha Pickard (The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Carly Rae Jepsen)
    • Entertainment Law & Negotiation with Shawn Thompson (Lynyrd Skynrd, St. Vincent)
    • Tour Management with Chris Johnson (Morgan Wallen)

    What members are saying:

    Direction

    Artist Management M.A.S.T.E.R.Y. METHOD

    Our signature method, Artist Management M.A.S.T.E.R.Y, is the most tactical blueprint to help you gain massive clarity, direction, & progress.

    It takes all the thinking out of your day-to-day administrative and coordination to-do lists. Simply follow the blueprint and master artist management.

    Exclusive to The Managers Club.

    M – MINDSET
    A – A&R
    S – SUPERFANS
    T – TEAMS
    E – EARNINGS
    R – ROUTINES
    Y – YOU & YOUR OWN LIFE

    Direction

    ARTIST MANAGEMENT M.A.S.T.E.R.Y. METHOD

    Gain massive clarity, direction, & progress, saving you years of time, with SmartistU’s Method of Artist Management MASTERY.

    Exclusive to The Managers Club.

    M – MINDSET
    A – A&R
    S – SUPERFANS
    T – TEAMS
    E – EARNINGS
    R – ROUTINES
    Y – YOU & YOUR OWN LIFE

    The Managers Club testimonials.
    Connections

    PRIVATE MUSIC COMMUNITY

    You’ll join our private group called The Green Room where you’ll increase your connections worldwide with your new network of managers and other industry professionals from across the globe.

    Tap into the collective knowledge & experience of a community of music professionals from around the globe through our private group.

    BONUS: Get the toolkit for free

    The Artist Management Toolkit.

    The 100 most important systems, plans, templates, and guides you need to run an artist’s business and artist management operation.

    $249 FREE

    Startup

    Sign new artists. Start an artist management company.

    This startup kit will help you sign and onboard new artists properly. And if you’re a novice, it’ll help you get started as a manager 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.

    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.

    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!

    Asset Inventory Template

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

    Email Sign Up Sheet

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

    Promoter Agreement

    An example of an agreement between a performer and promoter.

    Set List Creating Guide

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

    Recording

    Release records like a record label.

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

    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.

    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.

    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.

    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.

    ISRC & UPC Code Guide

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

    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.

    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.

    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.

    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 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!

    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.

    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.

    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.

    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!

    Get Artist
    Management
    School For FREE

    YOUR ULTIMATE ROAD MAP TO SIGNING TALENT, INCREASING YOUR INCOME, AND GOING FULL-TIME IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS (WITH FEWER MISTAKES & MORE CONFIDENCE).

    “I’ve done management for over 15 years and I don’t know how I made it this long without something like this. "

    “I had a short 4-5 yr 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!  […] wanted you to know how excited I am to have found your site.”

    Anonymous for privacy

    Ready to Join The Club?

    If you're ready to take your career to the next level and massively accelerate your results, become a member today.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    I'm busy, what is the time committment?

    Time management is half the reason this club exists. The M.A.S.T.E.R.Y Method is designed to save you years of time, you just have to follow the checklist. The Coaching Classes save you years of DIY mistakes. You can submit your questions in advance if you can’t attend, saving even more time.

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

    Yes! This program will help you fast forward your music industry knowledge better than any school can, putting you in a better position to land new clients.

    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. 

    What payment plans are available?

    The Managers Club is a monthly membership subscription, meaning members pay monthly subscription fees. 

    Can you help me with my career 1-on-1?

    As soon as you enroll, you gain access to our private community called The Green Room where you can receive personalized help from everyone in there. Additionally, we have dedicated time in every coaching class for members to ask their personal questions.

    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. Additionally, all of our classes are over Zoom, which is also mobile-friendly.