Mid-way through last year, music industry veteran Chris Maltese joined music technology platform Vydia as a Director of Label & Artist Relations. As part of this role, Maltese manages a Label & Artist Relations team, located on both coasts, while assisting in client acquisition and onboarding. He is also working with the sales support team to perform due diligence and work cross-functionally with legal and finance to structure content investment deals.
Before joining the team at Vydia, Maltese held the position of Head of Artist Services, US at Believe, the Paris-based parent company of TuneCore, where he launched the PIVTL Projects imprint and signed artists Charlotte Sands, Marc E. Bassy, Afro B and more. Prior to his tenure there, he was an Artist Management partner at Primary Wave, while simultaneously acting as GM of the in-house record label, Cure8. Additionally, Maltese spent nearly a decade as a Senior Writer / Producer at MTV before forming his own management agency, Maltese Management, taking singer-songwriter Secondhand Serenade to multi-platinum success.
This week we talk to Chris Maltese about his journey in the music industry over the past 20 years – from working within organizations to launching his own management company Chris shares the highs, lows, and everything in between.
LEG: Can you give us a brief career synopsis including how you were able to break into the music industry and what your first industry job was like?
I started my career at MTV back in 2000 when it was sort of the epicenter of pop culture. Although I originally was working as a Production Assistant on numerous tv shows & specials, I wound up making a move after my first year there, over to MTV Radio which was a syndication network for radio stations around the country. My role eventually was to write and produce the radio version of TRL (our flagship TV show at the time) which was essentially a top 20 countdown show along with celebrity guests and news bites. I also interviewed the celebrity guests on a regular basis which was a fun part of the job. I stayed for 8 years but eventually started managing artists on the side. One of the artists named Secondhand Serenade took off and wound up with a top 5 pop hit called "Fall For You". When that happened, I transitioned out of MTV and went to work for myself as a full time artist manager, opening Maltese Management. After a few years and a number of other clients who wound up getting signed to various labels, I decided to partner with a company called Primary Wave. They are now a massively successful publisher, especially in the catalog space, but at the time, were also just getting their management division started. While I was there, I was managing a number of artists (Erick Morillo, Richard Marx, Isac Elliot, and more) but also got to sign and develop some writers on the publishing side. Eventually, I started an in-house label there as well. So my understanding of the industry became much wider as I was operating in a number of different sides of the business, simultaneously. Fast forward to 2019 and I decided to leave Primary Wave in order to take on the role of Head of Artist Services at Believe (the largest independent music company in the world), which meant I was to start a new division, hire my own label services team and sign/develop a number of artists, this time as a distributor. All of this experience I view as my training ground for my current role. In 2022, I made a move over to Vydia to form and run a new A&R team. Again, its distribution & label services at its core (although we also have a number of other capabilities like publishing admin, rights management, sync, etc) but also a lot of A&R work, a lot of negotiating, sourcing, creating projections and managing people. Most importantly though, I get to still work with independent artists and managers. And there's nothing more rewarding in my book. Being at Vydia and seeing where this company is heading makes it VERY easy to get out of bed in the morning as I look forward to every day.
LEG: In your new role as Director of Label & Artist relations at Vydia what are some of your top objectives when working with independent labels and artists?
My main objective is for every one of our clients to feel like they made the right choice in coming to us. We all know how many options there are out there, despite them not all being created equal or offering the same things. We're not a DIY platform where just anyone can sign up, so we have the ability to selectively choose our partners as they have chosen us. And that allows for attention. So many of the issues we hear about from artists and managers (or have seen firsthand coming from other sides of the business) is that they simply have a hard time getting answers/responses from our competitors. We believe in getting back to our clients quickly and are structured in a way where the A&R doing the deal becomes the POC (point of contact) for that deal. So our clients have a human being to speak to and not just a support email in which you don't know who might answer you or when. Having been at various companies and having management clients signed all over the industry, I have also seen most of our competitors' platforms as well. And I can honestly say that Vydia, in my humble opinion, has a far superior product on the tech side. Vydia truly empowers any artist or manager to run an entire label from one, easy to use but highly comprehensive platform. So in short, I want to make sure that all of our clients feel like they have our attention, have a fair deal and have the resources they need on the tech side to run their businesses successfully.
LEG: What are a few of your priorities you’re currently working on that you’re excited about for 2023?
As a company, we have many. We were recently acquired by Larry Jackson’s new company, gamma. And that brought some new A-level talent into the fold, along with additional resources for us as a company.. But personally speaking... I signed Charlotte Sands when I was still at Believe. And when I came to Vydia, I was able to bring her and her catalog over here. We recently released a new song of her's called "Alright" which I am convinced is one of the best songs I've ever heard before. I have nothing but conviction that she is going to be a massively successful artist as all of the pieces are in place with her and her projects (solid management, amazing work ethic, real live chops, writing, the ability to create human connections better than I've ever seen, etc). I'm also very excited to have also brought Marc E Bassy, Afro B and Jazz Cartier here to Vydia after working with them in the past, all of which have amazing projects coming out soon. We recently put out the first couple of singles from Sam Nelson of X Ambassadors fame, and his work is incredible. Moon Taxi's upcoming album is fantastic and should do really well.. I'm also working with MDDN which many know as Benji & Joel Madden's label and management company, and they have some phenomenal artists. Lastly, we are making some real strides in the electronic music world which really excites me. I signed some amazing labels in this space like Robbie Rivera’s Juicy Music Group, Big Night Records, Damon Sharpe’s Brainjack and more. There's so many more I could talk about (new singles from Emily Vaughn, Madison Watkins, DOMENICO and Savannah Sgro are all on the way), but I'd take up way more of your time and real estate here than you're probably comfortable with. :)
LEG: Charlotte Sands is one of the biggest independent artist success stories of the past two years which we know had been a big passion project of yours. Her follow up hit “Alright” is out now, had a big first week, and is gaining momentum! Can you tell us some of the key elements that have contributed to all of the success so far?
Well as I hinted at in the last question, Charlotte essentially checks every box. She's overly talented, beautiful and has some of the best in the business around her. But to be frank, the biggest contributor to her success is her work ethic. The girl doesn't stop. There are certain areas of this business that are teachable... you can teach stage performance, vocal practices, songwriting, etc. But you can't teach someone to consistently work their ass off. And that's exactly what she does. She rarely says no, she'll go play a show at the drop of a hat, is a force in the studio and she is always striving to be better than the last time. She also has a rare understanding of how to make everyone around her feel not only welcome, but appreciated. It makes everyone (fans included) want to go and fight for her even harder. Charlotte is blessed with phenomenal management at Triple 8, an amazing booking agency at UTA, a high-end distributor at Vydia and everyone on board REALLY wants to see her win.
LEG: You had a successful near 10 year run at MTV as a senior writer & producer but then made the courageous decision to leave and launch your own company. Can you talk to us about the transition from MTV to going full force with Maltese Management? What was happening at the time that made you feel like it was the right move? What was it like going from having such a well known brand like MTV behind you to launching your own company?
When I was at MTV, it was very much a place where a lot of pop culture was stemming from. So it felt like an amazing place to be. But after a few years there, I knew it wasn't where I wanted to be forever. I had an entrepreneurial itch, but wasn't sure how to scratch it, so to speak. To be honest, I was mentally frustrated when I realized that no matter how hard I worked, I could only make X amount of money. That concept didn't sit well with me. I trusted my own work ethic to make me money, more than I did an employer. So when a friend of mine at the time, DJ AM told me the best advice he ever received was "if you love what you do for a living, you'll never work a day in your life", I started to think about what my passions were. And that was being around artists, trying to help them in some way. When I would interview all of these celebrities each week, I started figuring out who played what role... the publicist, the label rep, the hair & makeup, the personal assistant, etc. And I realized, it was often the manager that everyone was looking to speak to. So I started "managing" a few artists to see what it was like and quickly fell in love with it. I started getting their songs on to MTV shows (adding value where I could), which at the time would show the artists' name and song title, which would lead to some nice attention. Eventually, I convinced Secondhand Serenade to let me manage him and when it all worked out and we wound up signing to a label, having a hit and signing a big publishing deal, I took that as my cue from the universe that I could indeed do this and be my own boss. Was it frightening? Sure. A little. But more frightening would have been turning my back on the possibility of living out my dreams on my own terms, and instead, know that I'd be capped in salary year after year working for someone else. So heading out on my own was actually quite exciting. I'm not really one that lacks motivation, so knowing it was all on me to feed myself wasn't something I didn't think I could handle.
LEG: One of your early success stories with Maltese Management was with the band Secondhand Serenade. You were able to reach multi-platinum success and have a multi-format radio hit with his debut single “Fall For You”. What role did radio play at the time in developing and breaking your debut artist?
Radio was a massive piece of that puzzle. Massive. Let's be real... if radio didn't play much of a part in that success, I wouldn't be doing this interview right now!! Lol. But in all seriousness, you have to remember... it was 2008 which was before the social media impact we have now and before there was data everywhere you looked. A lot of radio, at that time, was relationship based to get in the door and then see how it reacts. To a point, it's still that way. But especially back then when you couldn't talk about the numbers it's doing on Tik Tok or how it just landed on 22 New Music Fridays, or any of the current points you're likely to bring up now. You needed some real believers and people who could open doors. Yet both the artist and myself were brand new to this game. We were grateful Daniel Glass at Glassnote gave us a shot and we were grateful that we had Dan Pearson to take us to the airwaves cause we certainly couldn't do it ourselves. The radio story on that song was a big one, because the artist was really known as a "Myspace artist"... meaning, he hit #1 on the Unsigned list on Myspace, which many in the industry looked at as meaningless. But the radio story showed people that he was real and it wasn't some internet fad thing that would be over in a few months. As I type this in March of 2023, 15 years later, Secondhand Serenade is touring in Southeast Asia doing a handful of massive shows and headlining festivals (yes, I still manage him). The radio story of "Fall For You" is why there are still thousands of people still singing along to every word at his shows. It's incredible, really.
LEG: One of the things Secondhand Serenade is known for is being one of the first independent artists to successfully gain significant traction on MySpace. From MySpace to Tik Tok, how do you think socials media platforms have changed through the years in respect to giving artists a voice?
I think overall, the playing field has been leveled. There used to be sooooo many gatekeepers. Whereas now, artists are succeeding without them. Think about history.... it wasn't all that long ago that if you wanted to create an album, you had to rent a studio, hire a producer, musicians, a sound engineer, mixing engineer, etc. You'd have to pay designers for your artwork, print up physical products, ship the product to the stores. Then you'd have to have someone of power negotiate to get your product on to the limited shelf space. And if you were lucky, maybe an endcap. And more than likely, it's only for a few weeks. The whole thing was so expensive, time consuming and filled with logistics and politics. It's no wonder the volume of releases was so low back then. Now? Today you have kids in the bedrooms on laptops cranking out a song in a day, getting up on all the major DSPs the same week, and doing real numbers. Today, you don't need the money, time or relationships you used to need for success. Sure, all of those things can help if you're trying to get on radio and up the charts. Of course, that's a major pro. But social media made it possible for artists everywhere to create their own fanbases. And to me, that's a very empowering, positive thing. I LOVE that we have artists like Charlotte Sands and Marc E Bassy, who are clearly winning, yet they own their masters and can choose to speak to their fans when and how they want without permission. They can release a song a week or they can put out one a year. It's up to them! And that's the direct result of what social media has allowed artists to do, all under their own terms. However, in the Myspace generation, it was hard to not give TOO much of yourself away. In the Tik Tok generation, its too easy to always be on. So there needs to be a balance if you're an artist.
LEG: What do you consider your biggest career accomplishment? What do you consider your biggest professional failure? How did you learn from the failure and overcome that challenge at the time?
Now we're getting into the tough questions, huh? :). I don't know if I would point to any one thing and say that it's my biggest accomplishment. I have a bunch of plaques on my wall, I've been to tons of cool events and been a part of chart topping singles. But I think the biggest accomplishment is probably just getting to where I am now. And being super confident in what I bring to the table each day. That being said, the most fun memory might be touring arenas in Europe back in 2014 when Pharrell was doing his Dear GIRL Tour. I was managing Cris Cab at the time, another phenomenal talent, who was a Pharrell protege and we had a single with him which Pharrell both produced and was featured on which went to #1 out there. Cris was the opening act and we got to wake up in a different European city each day. So that was a good time. As for my biggest failure... wow, there's been so many. From projects flopping to clients leaving to debating getting out of the business to try something else, I've had a lot of what many might call failures. But I don't really view them as that. I look at them all as opportunities to learn. And I did... I learned a lot. So all of those "failures" are just as needed on my path as the "wins". I'm grateful for them both equally.
LEG: What would you say the three most important things are for a developing artist to do early on to help grow their profile? Once an artist has a fan base and competitive music to release what are three things Vydia can do to help add value to the overall project?
Any artist who is looking to grow their profile should be releasing music often. We're in a world now where DSP editors are being let go (Spotify cut 6% of their staff in January, many of which were playlist editors) and they are leaning more and more on the algorithm (anyone see the new Spotify DJ tool that just came out?). If you want to use the algorithm in your favor, understand that you need to feed it. Don't release a song, kick your feet back for a couple of months and cross your fingers that it "goes viral". You need to be on a plan. A plan of consistency. So first things first, put yourself on a schedule to release a new single every ____ weeks. Feed the algorithm and it will keep putting you in front of more and more people. Secondly, understand that if anyone around you wants you to succeed more than you do, there's a problem. If your manager or anyone else around you is outworking you, there's a problem. You need to develop an early mindset that your career is in your hands so be prepared to work your butt off as being an artist is not a 9-5 job with a guaranteed paycheck. If you fail, your manager can sign other artists, your booking agent can sign other artists, your lawyer can work for other artists... but you can't make due without you! And lastly, understand that we are in a human being business. If people like you as a human being, they will want to help you. If they dislike you as a human being, good luck. Trust me when I tell you, you wind up bumping into the same people over and over again as the years go on. Roles will change, companies will change, but the same people are always around. So make sure you are always known as being "one of the good guys/girls". You never know when someone you know now is in a position of power down the line and you'll wish you didn't burn that bridge. Always be respectful. I'm a big advocate of "doing the right thing, is always the right thing". As for what Vydia can do, we have direct deals with all DSPs so our teams are actually speaking to them. Not just filling out a form. We also not only provide advances in many cases, but we can add additional advances while in term, turning them around in as little as 24 hours sometimes. There's nothing worse than having a moment with one of your songs and then NOT having the means to pour gasoline on the fire. Our splits are set up in a way that we're actually incentivized to provide more funding as long as everything is going well with the project. And lastly, Vydia's platform makes it super, super easy for anyone to run their own label. Whether that label is 1 artist or 100 artists, the platform automates all of your accounting, provides a ton of analytics and has many, many other tools that any artist can use.
LEG: If you could go back to your first day in the industry and give that Chris Maltese one piece of advice, what would that be?
Expect the highs and lows. But don't ever get off the ride. One day you just might get featured on the Lakeside blog. Everything is possible :)
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For more information on Vydia, and to explore the open positions on the Label & Artist Relations team, visit: https://vydia.com/about/careers/