Inside the Playbook: J Erving III on What to Do Before Artists Break

In this Manager’s Playbook clip, J. Erving breaks down a truth the music business loves to forget: artist trust is built in the off-season.

Not when the venue is sold out. Not when the streams spike. Real artist management is dinners, conversations, check-ins, and showing up early, like being present when there are 57 people in the room, because you can’t “build the relationship” once it’s an arena. Care isn’t branding. It’s behaviour.

J also explains how great teams use live shows as A&R data, watching crowd reactions, testing records in real time, and turning those moments into release strategy (including a story that led to re-releasing Jessie Reyez’s “Imported” with a new feature). From there, we get into digital indicators that matter before the numbers are huge, like TikTok/Reels “creates”, and how moving quickly on those signals can drive content strategy, music marketing, and streaming growth. RAYE’s “Escapism” comes up as a case study in timing, preparation, and execution.

Finally, J talks leadership: building a culture-first team (predominantly people of colour, primarily women), holding the team accountable for the opportunity, and trusting younger ears to champion new music, because mentorship and fresh perspective keep A&R sharp.

If you’re an independent artist, music manager, or aspiring exec, this is a masterclass in care, systems and execution.

Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap.

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Listen to the full episode here -

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0PE3sW1MLfGpxE7cb3iMeK?si=eo75Qd0AQbSANSXHzE2uDw

Watch the Episodes On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook