Music Managers North America

Music Managers North America
Name	Music Managers North America
Abbreviation	MMNA
Founded	2012
Type	Nonprofit association
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California
Region served	United States, Canada

Music Managers North America is a nonprofit trade association that represents professional music managers across the United States and Canada. Founded as a regional counterpart to a global managers' group, the organization focuses on advocacy, education, networking, and professional standards for managers working with recording artists, songwriters, and touring acts. MMNA acts as a hub connecting managers with industry institutions, policy makers, and artist-support organizations.

History

MMNA was established in 2012 amid a period of rapid change in the music business driven by streaming services such as Spotify (service), Apple Music, and YouTube (service), and by shifts in revenue from recorded music to live performance led by promoters like Live Nation Entertainment and AEG Presents. Its creation paralleled developments in artist representation seen with groups such as the Association of Independent Music and the British Association of Music Managers, and it emerged from dialogues involving regional chapters of IMMF and the global Music Managers Forum. Early founders included managers who had previously worked with acts affiliated with labels such as Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment. MMNA's formative years included collaborations with advocacy organizations like RIAA and A2IM on matters ranging from digital licensing to touring logistics. Key moments in its history involved participation in policy debates around legislation including the Music Modernization Act and regulatory interventions before the Federal Communications Commission and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.

Organization and Membership

MMNA is organized as an association with a board of directors composed of practicing managers and industry professionals drawn from cities with prominent music scenes such as Los Angeles, New York City, Nashville, Tennessee, Toronto, and Atlanta, Georgia. Membership categories typically distinguish between full members—managers with active client rosters—and associate members such as independent agencies, lawyers, and managers-in-training. The organization maintains partnerships with entities including Berklee College of Music, Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, and regional arts councils to broaden its membership pipeline. MMNA has engaged with unions and guilds such as AFM and IATSE where touring labor and venue relations intersect. Its governance practices reference nonprofit standards used by organizations like NARAS and ASCAP for transparency and conflict-of-interest policies.

Activities and Services

MMNA offers networking forums, mentorship programs, and model contract templates tailored to relationships between managers and clients, informed by precedents from legal entities like The Recording Academy and firms advising on rights such as Pro Music Rights. Services include curated panels featuring executives from Spotify, Warner Chappell Music, and Kobalt Music Group, workshops on royalty collection with representatives from SoundExchange and SESAC, and seminars on touring logistics referencing promoters such as C3 Presents. The association publishes best-practice guides addressing deals with publishers like BMG Rights Management and distributors like The Orchard. MMNA's member meetings and summits draw participants from artist management collectives and businesses including Creative Artists Agency, WME, and independent managers who have worked with acts formerly signed to Sub Pop Records or Domino Recording Company.

Advocacy and Policy Initiatives

MMNA engages in policy advocacy on issues affecting artist income and rights, coordinating with coalitions that have included Future of Music Coalition and Music Managers Forum (UK). Its advocacy has addressed legislative topics such as the Music Modernization Act, digital performance royalties administered by SoundExchange, and artist-rights protections implicated by decisions of the United States Copyright Office. MMNA provides manager perspectives during regulatory processes at the Federal Communications Commission and in consultations with legislative offices on Capitol Hill and in the Parliament of Canada. The organization has supported measures to improve transparency from platforms like YouTube (service) and Facebook and has lobbied on touring issues involving venues regulated by municipal authorities in cities including New Orleans and Seattle. MMNA also participates in amicus or comment initiatives on antitrust matters touching Live Nation Entertainment and ticketing practices.

Education and Professional Development

A core MMNA function is continuing education: offering masterclasses, webinars, and mentorships that cover catalog monetization, sync licensing, and tour routing. Educational partners have included academic programs at Berklee College of Music, UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, and industry trainers from ASCAP and BMI. MMNA runs mentorship schemes linking emerging managers with experienced practitioners who have worked with artists affiliated with labels like Matador Records and agencies such as William Morris Agency. Programming emphasizes practical skills—contract negotiation modeled on precedents involving Universal Music Publishing Group, royalty accounting aligned with reporting systems used by Nielsen Music—and professional ethics drawn from standards used by associations like Association of Independent Music.

Regional and International Partnerships

While focused on North America, MMNA maintains formal and informal ties with international bodies including Music Managers Forum (UK), IMPALA, and regional networks in Europe, Australia, and Latin America. These partnerships facilitate cross-border touring advice involving customs and visa processes coordinated with agencies like U.S. Department of State and Canadian immigration authorities, and they support collaborative advocacy on global streaming practices implicated with services such as Spotify (service) and Deezer. MMNA also collaborates with festival organizers—examples include SXSW, CMJ Music Marathon, and Canadian Music Week—to present manager-focused panels and to connect members with international industry stakeholders.

Category:Music organizations in the United States Category:Music industry organizations