Manager Spotlight: Sarah Lipman ‹ MMF (Music Managers Forum)

Manager Spotlight: Sarah Lipman

25 Nov 2020 |

By Lovisa Attebrant

Manager Spotlight offers a small insight into the heads of incredible managers. This week in the spotlight is Sarah Lipman!

How long have you worked in Management?

10 months. I used to manage my own rock bands (when I wasn’t performing with them!) which piqued my interest in the field. Then, while working at a major record company, I often felt a strong desire to be a part of the artist management team.

Who do you manage now?

I set up my own management company, Sarah Lipman MGMT, earlier this year and Alice Pisano is my first client on the books. Additionally I co-manage The Kingdom Choir with Jonathan Shalit at InterTalent and I help Lee McCutcheon at Wildtone with management for LORYN. I also consult for Chosen Music on a number of their acts – I enjoy the variety of experiences that come with that affiliation.

Where did you find your first client and what inspired you to take them on?

I discovered Alice Pisano online during lockdown earlier this year. I instantly fell in love with her voice and warm personality. She is a determined and a beautiful young woman who writes magical music and I want to help her in every way I can.

What’s a good/bad day at work look like for you?

‘Good day’ is being immersed in building the perfect team around a new artist or connecting two people (manager/artist/producer) who go onto create badass music together. It’s getting the Choir back into the studio with fresh producers, or receiving a fantastic appearance offer for my client. ‘Bad day’ might be due to miscommunication or failed promises. Trust and honesty certainly form a sound basis for working relationships.

What has been the highlight of your management career to date?

LORYN dropped her video for ‘Less Is More’ last month, the lead single from her new EP, also titled ‘Less Is More’. Lee and I worked hard here in London earlier in the year to pull the video together through lockdown, while LORYN was in lockdown in Canada at her family home. Working remotely yet closely with the director, producer and LORYN through every detail – from the planning stages, all the way up to the 8 hour shoot via zoom – was crazy. But it worked!

What do you think are the big challenges for a manager in 2020?

I see a major external force, namely social media, as an increasing challenge. Because of the growing complexities (technical and legal), this tool will need to be watched and evaluated closely for artists’ marketing needs. An internal (and personal) challenge, time management in 2020, is an ongoing and crucial discipline while keeping up to date with an ever-evolving industry backdrop. A priority of my time management has been making space for relevant courses: I booked myself on law courses (copyright law and contract law) at the beginning of the year, and I frequently join various marketing focused courses even though I specialise in this area (I worked at Warner Music Group in the Global Marketing department for 12 years on Atlantic US and other International acts). I also regularly join the numerous, and super insightful, webinars that MMF provides for us. I consider this ‘constant learning’ essential to my development as a manager – and most importantly, it helps me help my artists to achieve their goals.

What music are you currently listening to?

My current playlist is a mix of Dominic Fike, Khalid, Tyler, The Creator and Ariana Grande with some old school Sean Paul, jazz and classical music thrown in.

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