In general, road managers handle tour details for their specific band, while tour managers are used to oversee the logistics, finances and communications for tours as a holistic entity.
Long Hours and Workloads: Tour managers often work long and irregular hours. They are responsible for overseeing every aspect of the tour, from planning and logistics to problem-solving and troubleshooting.
Being a Tour Manager is a 24/7 job with lots of responsibilities.
For a young-gun tour manager just starting out on a van tour, the average salary is anywhere between $1000 – $1500 per week. With a few years of touring experience, the average tour manager's salary can range between $2000 – $3000 per week, depending on the organization and responsibilities.
Some employers may require a bachelor's degree, while others need only a high school diploma or certificate. Most employers prefer a degree in business management, music, communication, marketing, entrepreneurship or a related area.
Top 10 Tour and Band Management Schools College/UniversityLocationDegrees Offered Syracuse University Syracuse, NY Bachelor's William Patterson University Wayne, NJ Bachelor's, Master's University of Colorado Denver Denver, CO Bachelor's University of Miami Coral Gables, FL Bachelor's, Master's6 more rows
It's easy to forget that managing a tour means going on tour oneself. Just like the musicians and crew members they manage, tour managers spend hours riding in cars, buses, and/or planes, work long days that continue well into the night, and sleep in hotels and motels in unfamiliar cities.
Most employers prefer a degree in business management, music, communication, marketing, entrepreneurship or a related area. To stand out among the competition, additional recommended courses include psychology, business law, logistics, accounting or tourism and travel management.
Here are the basic steps you can take to become a tour manager: Pursue relevant education. Some employers may require a bachelor's degree, while others need only a high school diploma or certificate. Gain experience. Develop a professional network. Perfect your social skills. Identify a mentor.
As modern concert touring involves complex financial, legal and technical arrangements, the booking agent or artist manager hire a tour manager to organize the logistics, personnel, communications and schedule. Concert tour managers are usually freelancers working on a tour-by-tour basis.