Distributed Agility: Artist Co-management in the Music Attention Economy

This article investigates the relationship between the concept of attention- and reputation-building mechanisms in the new music industries, with a specific focus on artist co-management. It addresses the following research question: How can artists and artist managers design artist-led organizations that operate effectively and efficiently in a world in which attention is increasingly scarce? The argument is made that agile artist comanagement practices are becoming ever more useful due to the plunging costs of experimentation in the increasingly globalized music industries. In order to explore these issues, interviews were held with 20 artist managers from a number of different territories of the international music industries, including Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. The findings highlight both the challenges and the opportunities facing artists and artist managers in relation to the specific deal structures that can facilitate distributed agility.