Definition: Artistic Agent Job Description

What are the missions of the artistic agent? What training to follow to exercise this profession? What are his outlets and his salary? The answers are provided to you by this artistic agent job sheet.

Artistic agent profession

Actors, athletes, singers, writers… need to be represented in order to best protect their interests. For this, a professional is essential in the artistic and cultural field, theartistic agent. Discover this profession in detail: mission, training, retraining.

What is a celebrity agent?

Also called booker or even impresario, the artistic agent is a key player in the professional life of a star: actor, singer, model, writer, photographer, musician, blogger…

Its mission is extremely varied but if it had to be summed up in a few words, we could say that it consists in managing the career of an artist or “talent”.

Missions of the artistic agent

So that his talents can be known and obtain interesting contracts, the impresario is present at all times of the artist’s life.

First of all, it is he who unearths promising artists and selects those he will represent. To do this, he spends a lot of time going through the CVs he receives as well as the books, but also frequents the places where these emerging talents perform (cabarets, concert halls, theaters…).

Once this prospecting work has been carried out and the artist agrees to collaborate with the agent, they jointly establish the artistic, logistical and commercial strategy. He must best advise his clients on their career choices and the construction of their media image.

Then comes the bulk of the mission: finding contracts, negotiating them, finding and registering for castings, promoting the artist, managing the schedule or even defending their interests.

It is also important for the agent to keep up to date with the latest news in the field in which his talent is developing so as not to miss out on a great opportunity.

Where does the impresario work?

The artist’s agent can work within an agency or directly on behalf of an artist.

Trends in the profession

Even if more and more agencies hiring salaried agents are emerging, the profession of artistic agent remains mainly carried out as independent workers or as intermittents of the spectacle making this profession more or less stable.

Qualifications required to become an artistic agent

A true salesperson at heart, the artistic agent is an outstanding negotiator who knows how to deploy a lot of daring and tenacity to find contracts for his talents.

Often managing several clients at the same time, a good sense of organization is an undeniable asset as well as a very good knowledge of their field and a good professional network.

His job may require a lot of travel, but also having to work in the evening or on weekends. The artistic agent must therefore be very available, and reachable at all times.

Finally, having a perfect command of English and knowing the basics of commercial law, intermittent labor law and intellectual property law is a real plus.

Training to become a booker

There is very little specific training to become an artist’s agent because it is really a profession that can be learned on the job. Most bookers have experience as a collaborator of an agent, a producer of shows or an artist. Knowledge of law (commercial, intellectual property, etc.) and communication is however recommended.

Different courses can help you access this profession:

• Management or communication training
• Master MI – management of innovation course MCA – management and careers of artists
• MBA in music production and artist development (ESG)
• Master’s in cultural industries
• Master’s degree in project management or cultural establishments
• Higher professional certificate of artist’s agent
• Production manager of the Factory center

Possible evolutions of the celebrity agent

After a few years of experience and a well-established reputation in the business, he can consider setting up his own agency. But he can also choose to specialize in a specific field: cinema, singers…

Salary of an artistic agent

An artistic agent receives 10% to 15% of the remuneration received by his client.