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What is Media Management?

H. Bliss
H. Bliss

Media management is a general job title that describes people who manage talent for media professionals like those who work in photo, sound, and video. It is a form of entertainment management, a field that manages talent in show business. Professionals in the media management field work with many types of media-related talent, including actors, artists, writers, and musicians. Media management in business differs from media management in computers because the computer term refers to activities that involve processing computer media files like music, video, and picture files.

Managers of this type are common in entertainment and print media because they facilitate contact between those seeking talent and those providing media talent. The media management field can include many types of management, including managing the finances of a popular band or controlling the royalties in the estate of a deceased movie star. A media manager might also work as an agent for a writer of books or magazines, contacting publishers who might want to buy clients' writing work.

Professionals in the media management field work with many types of media-related talent, including actors, artists, writers, and musicians.
Professionals in the media management field work with many types of media-related talent, including actors, artists, writers, and musicians.

Media managers usually have a number of copyright and trademark laws that guide and restrict the way they conduct business within their media field. In most places, the laws that govern music copyrights differ from laws that control copyrights of motion pictures and photographs, so some media managers specialize in only one type of media. A media professional can benefit from the use of a manager because it allows the talent to focus on media work instead of promoting the work. Because managers specialize in promoting talent to industry professionals, they often have better and more reliable industry contacts that facilitate promotion and management of the media professional's work.

A large part of the job of a media management professional is to promote and control the media image of managed talent. Job titles for media managers include broadcast media managers, Internet media managers and public relations managers. Professionals in this field may also handle negotiating contracts and collecting payments, including royalties. In many regions, governments require a talent management professional to have a license in order to negotiate or sign contracts on behalf of a media professional. Management professionals can suffer invalid or negated contracts or prosecution if they do not operate within local laws.

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Discussion Comments

literally45

@Feryll-- Yes, but how can one get to know a famous publisher or get their manuscript on their desk without any help? I think it's difficult. It might take years. Working with a media manager would make the process a little easier.

bluedolphin

@Animandel-- I think that for a newcomer, it's important to work with a media manager. It's not just about finding a publisher for the work, it's also about protecting the work.

Media managers know how to protect their client's works. They are familiar with all the copyrights laws etc. Someone who is new with these things could easy make a few mistakes when handing out their manuscripts to potential publishers. Believe it or not, copyright infringement is a big issue for writer. It's nice to work with someone who knows what they're doing. And I'm also certain that a media manager can get a newcomer a far better deal than he or she would be able to alone. These things are about networking and like the article said, media managers know the right people.

ZipLine

Okay, so based on this article, I'm understanding that media management and talent management are very similar or the same.

I know that talent management is a huge sector now. Talent management firms are the middle-men between artists and producers/publishers. Talent management people are far more powerful than we realize. Influential people in an industry usually trust talent management and rely on them to bring them new faces and new talents. So a lot of the time, talent management are the ones selecting candidates for an album, a TV show, a film or new book. The producers and publishers usually just pick from this lot.

Of course, there is a lot of money involved. I mean, someone who is just moderately talented could end up on the candidate list of many producers just because they pay their talent managers a nice hefty fee every month.

This process doesn't really apply to already popular and well-known people. It's mostly applicable to beginners.

Feryll

The business world and the world in general is changing so much because of the Internet and how easy it is to communicate with people all over the world. I think the average person with a good grasp of computer and online technology can be his own media manager.

Of course, if you are really busy, like some professional actors who are already established, then you might not have the time to devote to marketing yourself. However, for the average person who is just starting out and on a budget, a good social media management plan can lead to a lot of exposure, and this is something you can do yourself without hiring a professional.

Sporkasia

@Animandel - Media managers/agents generally work on commission, so they will take a percentage of the money you earn when they help you sell your work or services. Even if they charge 20 percent of what you earn then you are still getting 80 percent and that is better than not selling your work or services at all.

I think it is a good idea for a writer to have a marketing agency or an agent because there is so much competition out there that your work may never get seen by the people who might be willing to pay for it otherwise. Being a good writer or a great writer does not ensure that you will get published. You need all the help you can get.

Animandel

In the second paragraph of this article, towards the end of the paragraph, it mentions that media managers can also work as agents for writers. I am wondering whether a new writer really needs an agent to help him or her get published.

Are media managers really worth the money they charge or would a writer be better of just going it alone. I mean, if you are any good then won't your work eventually sell anyway? And you won't have to share the money you earn if you don't hire a media management person.

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    • Professionals in the media management field work with many types of media-related talent, including actors, artists, writers, and musicians.
      By: corepics
      Professionals in the media management field work with many types of media-related talent, including actors, artists, writers, and musicians.