Band Booking Artist Pages

Star Dust Artist Management

Infinite Talent Buying

Level One Productions

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Star Dust Artist Management Artist Representation

What We Do

StarDust Artist Management is a group of individuals (with Ed Bates at the helm) who love music. We expect the impossible of ourselves and work only with the most talented artists. A constant attitude of perseverance is devoted to each of the groups we represent. Ed Bates has devoted his life to music. With over 40 years experience in the music industry, Ed brings a wealth of knowledge and contacts to the organization.

Ed got his start in the music industry as clarinet player in the 1st grade obtaining 1st chair in the high school band. From there, he moved on to the bass guitar and true to his independent nature, taught himself how to play basic chords, and immediately began writing songs. Shortly he formed a band with a couple of friends playing in and around the San Antonio area.

In college (Southwest Texas-San Marcos), he studied Business and Music. It was also while in college that Ed began performing in bands with “paying” gigs. Over the years, Ed worked with numerous musicians and music industry businessmen learning the music industry from the ground up.

In only a few short years, Ed's reputation for honesty, knowledge, and limitless energy spread throughout the area. Countless local groups started sending in demos and requesting his help.

Do you have questions? Ed’s taken a few moments to cover some of his most frequently asked questions:

What are the benefits to hiring a band manager or management company?

When you decide that you want to be a professional musician, having a manager is essential. Each manager has their own style; from the music to marketing to image to meeting with industry people. A good manager should understand every aspect of the music biz, it's very complex and the competition is fierce - think of a manager as the person who will help you build and navigate your career, while keeping the sharks at bay. The manager will be able to look for opportunities that might not be on a band's radar. A manager is also there to be objective - it's hard when you are personally connected to the music to be objective about what is good and what isn't. One of the major benefits of working with our organization is knowing the timing of the industry - for example, a major magazine isn't going to review your music unless it's in national distribution - major labels need to hear more than good music, they get 100's of CD's each week of good music, it's having a story [huge fan base, record sales, etc] that separates your band from every other band.

What does a manager actually do for me?

At the beginning a manager does basically everything. Every musician has a goal - a manager helps you define your goal, map out the steps to take, and bring in the other people [publicists, labels, publishers, agents] necessary to help you get to your goal. Specifically, your manager is the person who will be creating the business of your band, taking care of contracts, coordinating with everyone in the team to make sure everything is on schedule. As a band gets bigger the role changes - from the very beginning when recording their demos and writing their press kits, to finding studios for them, talking with major labels and distributors, reading over licensing contracts, and coordinating with publicists. Bands need street teams, downloadable flyers, and to make great efforts to get their stuff on college radio and to the local media.

Why not just have a friend (roommate/brother/girlfriend) manage the band?

It’s tough working with someone “too” close as personal life may overlap into business life. You don't want to break up with your lover and find yourself out of a manager at the same time. It would also be bad for your home life if your band started getting really successful and you had to get a real manager because your current 'manager' didn't have the skills and knowledge to grow with you. If your friend is educated regarding the music industry and is very dedicated to helping you out then that might work - just make sure you deal with business as business and pay your friend as you would any other manager. The money is never a problem when everyone is broke - it's when the money starts rolling in that things get complicated between friends, so keep that part of your relationship strictly business.

Does it cost a lot?

No, the greatest expense and asset in life is time - A good manager will help you save time both in the long and short term. Rates are negotiable - managers typically make 15% - 25% of gross income and reasonable expenses. If you only need a few questions answered and are involved in the business there are Management consultants who charge an hourly rate or work on retainer for a block of time each month. The most important thing is that the manager you hire really knows what they're doing.

When I decide to hire someone to manage my band what qualities should I look for in that person/company?

There is a trade off between working with an individual manager and a company - The company will have more contacts and collective experience but will be less personally involved with your career. An individual on the other hand might have fewer contacts and experience but will work tirelessly to make you more successful, and you know that they'll be there to work with you on what YOU want out of your career. In either case you want to work with someone who understands the business of music. They should also be excited about you and your music - if they're not they won't be very convincing when they're pitching your band to labels and agents - and they won't be as dedicated to you either. You should also look for someone who likes working with people, doesn't mind traveling, and is very self motivated.

Should I sign a contract?