Preparing to Move Recording Artists from Independent to Mainstream unlocks the guarded secrets that managers of major recording artists use to keep their clients successful. The information contained in the book is based on qualitative interviews with 15 professional managers representing at least one major recording artist, some with more than three platinum artists on their roster and with more than 20 years of experience in the field. The author applied Critical Success Factor Category analysis to the music industry to bridge the gap in the available literature on the specific activities that lead to artist success. He analyzed over 381 potential factors found in eight categories, grouped them into themes, and condensed them into a workable list of the top 10 activities within each category. He then developed a list of the top 10 critical activities across categories. Artist managers, music label executives, artist & repertoire representatives (A&Rs, ), and self-managed/independent recording artists can benefit from concentrating on and tracking these activities as part of their strategic planning process to achieve and maintain success in the music industry.