The Price of Music “Managers do a lot more than they used to...” – super-manager Niamh Byrne on Gorillaz, how the role of manager is changing, and more
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This week, it's time for another interview with one of the people who make it all happen. Steve speaks to Niamh Byrne, who managed Blur, Elastica, and Turin Brakes, before founding Eleven management, which works with artists like Damon Albarn and Gorillaz – and she’s also the chair of the Music Managers Forum, the global organisation that represents music managers.
So... she is a great person to ask: what's it like being a manager today – and how is the role changing?
(As ever, our Patreon Superfans get a bit extra - you’ll hear the full unedited interview, including Niamh’s thoughts on AI and the future of management.)
Niamh explains to Steve how:
Great management is built on trust and vision — artists need operational backing while they create, and managers must hold the long-term destination and strategy.
The manager role has expanded significantly — managers now carry much of the execution workload that labels historically handled.
How labels are still important — even though managers can now replicate many label functions, access to capital keeps traditional deals relevant.
Manager-led campaigns are increasingly viable — teams can now run marketing, digital, data and fan strategy directly (as with upcoming Gorillaz releases).
Managers are undervalued — despite delivering end-to-end commercial and operational value, compensation models often still reflect a “deal-maker only” role
Adaptability is now a survival skill — with more release paths and tools available, managers must continuously evolve and build flexible, independent-capable business models.
You can read Music Ally’s full report on the chat here too: https://musically.com/2026/01/26/today-managers-could-probably-do-everything-but-funding-is-really-difficult
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See you next week!
Steve and Stuart
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