Manager Spotlight offers a small insight into the heads of incredible managers. This week in the spotlight is Hannah Joseph.

How long have you worked in management?

I started in the industry at 19 in management but I was predominately at labels early on so my main management focus has been over the last 25 years and the last 20 of which have been mainly producer/songwriter/mixer management focused.

Who do you manage now?

Personally via my company Decibelle. I manage Grammy award winning mix engineer Wez Clarke, legendary Grime engineer MSM and songwriter/Ivor’s Chairman Crispin Hunt and I also consult for 365 artists in a management capacity. I have a couple of other business ventures including a new publishing company JV In Loco Parentis Songs and multi media reggae company KlaAsh and I consult for Westminster Uni MA too.

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

I was approached by a client from a company I had worked at previously and it provided me with the opportunity of freelance versatility and some financial security around having young children, which I am forever grateful for and gave me the confidence to later set up completely on my own.

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

A good day entails a mixture of fun, constructive meetings, lots of positivity and happy clients! Those are not every day lol.

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

Highlights have to include Grammy trips and wins with Wez Clarke but I’ve enjoyed lots of really lovely events including A&R trips abroad, many no.1 records with clients (which I will never take for granted!), plus working with numerous amazing artists and colleagues. Every day is different in music and that keeps us all engaged – it’s a great industry to work in.

What do you think are the big challenges for a manager in 2021?

Working smart to ensure you have the right balance of income (so it’s sustainable) but also having the time to be creative and entrepreneurial. You can’t just do one thing anymore in my opinion – that applies to both managers and creatives. Managers definitely tend to wear way more hats these days and definitely can’t get complacent.

What music are you currently listening to?

Always a mixture of old and new for me. Excited for the Casisdead project (that MSM has additionally produced and mixed) – it’s a real piece of art inc visually. The new single Rude Boy by Jords is great, plus a track that’s on repeat at the moment is a long term favourite that I was reminded about recently (during a reminiscing 360 meeting), Love is All I Got by Feed Me and Crystal Fighters. It’s always interspersed by my ‘go to’ reggae, house and soul classics like John Holt, Lou Rawls, Masters at Work and definitely a bit of Buju!