Manager Spotlight offers a small insight into the heads of incredible managers. This week in the spotlight is  Neha Hindocha (Sound Collective)

How long have you worked in Management?
I have been working as a manager for 3 and a half years now. I initially started managing a development artist and then towards the end of 2018 I joined Sound Collective as a manager

Who do you manage now?
I co-manage 10 producers and songwriters with other Sound Collective managers including Royale Avenue, Nick Bradley, Anthony Trueman, Adj Buffone and Michael Angelo. I also co-manage Taneisha Jackson with Massive Management. We have over 30 clients in total on our Sound Collective roster.

Where did you find your first client and what inspired you to take them on?
The first client I signed at Sound Collective was Anthony Trueman. A young producer who had already been in some good rooms but needed to take things to the next level. I heard his demos and could hear some real potential. We gave him some initial sessions to see how he got on and there was one song he did wrote with NEVE that made me decide instantly that he needs to join the fam.

What’s a good/bad day at work look like for you?
Most days are good and insanely busy but that’s what I love about it. It’s non-stop and every day is different! We do about 10 sessions a day across our roster so at the end of the day we are always getting great music back. An especially good day is getting a cut confirmed or getting a banger back from my producer/writers’ sessions and everyone is buzzing about it. There aren’t many bad days to be honest. There will be those days where multiple sessions are cancelled for one reason or another and I am trying to reshuffle the diary at the last minute but to be honest, it’s not that bad. All in all though I can’t complain, there is fun in the madness!

What has been the highlight of your management career to date?
My highlights have definitely been securing publishing deals. We got Nick Bradley’s first deal last year with Karma Songs / Budde Music and currently we are finalising LAWRENT from Royale Avenue’s new publishing deal. All very exciting!

What do you think are the big challenges for a manager in 2021?
We represent mainly producers and songwriters and one of the things we are strongly advocating is getting our songwriters fairly remunerated. It’s very challenging for a songwriter manager to see decent income for their client unless the songs do millions of streams and get ample radio play. Last year we started to charge reasonable writer fees for songs that are cut which for the most part have been accepted by labels and artist management. We have started to see a very gradual shift in culture but overall it is a cause that still needs a lot of work and endorsement for it to become an industry standard.

What music are you currently listening to?
Whilst my producers and writers work across all genres, my personal taste in music definitely leans more towards contemporary/indie R&B and UK rap. At the moment I’m listening to a lot of Jasmine Sullivan, Tiana Major9, Odeal and Wretch 32. Also randomly, I love listening to Latin pop, Reggaeton, Bachata and Cuban salsa!