“Managers do a lot more than they used to...” – super-manager Niamh Byrne on Gorillaz, how the role of manager is changing, and more

February 18, 2026 · 20 min

About this episode

Niamh Byrne discusses the evolving role of music managers and their impact on the industry.

Your weekly guide to the music biz and how it all works: don't forget - you can become a ⁠⁠ Superfan of the podcast for free – and access an extra 20 mins of show each week! ⁠ This week, it's time for another interview with one of the people who make it all happen. Steve speaks to Niamh Byrne , who managed Blur, Elastica, and Turin Brakes , before founding Eleven management, which works with artists like Damon Albarn and Gorillaz – and she’s also the chair of the Music Managers Forum, the global organisation that represents music managers. So... she is a great person to ask: what's it like being a manager today – and how is the role changing? (As ever, our Patreon Superfans ⁠⁠ get a bit extra - you’ll hear the full unedited interview, including Niamh’s thoughts on AI and the future of management.) Niamh explains to Steve how: Great management is built on trust and vision — artists need operational backing while they create, and managers must hold the long-term destination and strategy. The manager role has expanded significantly — managers now carry much of the execution workload that labels historically handled. How labels are still important — even though managers can now…

People in this episode

Host: Steve

Guest: Niamh Byrne

Topics covered

music management
role of manager
music industry
artist support
AI in music
manager-led campaigns

Keywords

music management
Gorillaz
Niamh Byrne
artist management
music industry
AI
manager role
Blur
Elastica

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Blur, Elastica, Turin Brakes, Eleven management, Gorillaz, Music Managers Forum

More episodes of The Price of Music

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Price of Music podcast page.