Social Return on Investment Model for Artist Managers

The AAM commissioned a research piece into the value of the Artist Manager in the music industry ecosystem. We engaged with 180 Degrees Consulting for the research and had it peer reviewed by Dr Guy Morrow and the University of Melbourne.  The research conducted was a Social Return on Investment (SROI) evaluation for the AAM. SROI is a form of stakeholder-driven evaluation blended with cost-benefit analysis that focuses on social impact. The research found that every $1 invested in Artist Managers returns $19.94 to stakeholders in quantified benefits, demonstrating the significant impact of artist managers to the music industry. This ‘investment’ in artist managers is constituted by individual artist manager salaries/commissions, individual artist manager educational investment, and investment in individual artist managers by way of government grants.

This SROI is a huge figure in and of itself, but the fact that we've finally been able to measure and articulate our value is something we haven't been able to do until now. We'll now be able to use this method to gather this data year after year. This is a wake-up call to our industry on how valuable we are, but how much we are struggling with resources and financial security. We hope this research will create positive change so that the managers in this country feel less isolated and are more equipped to protect their artists.