Breaking Through The Business with Chris Maltese

Date
July 16, 2025
Author
Abby Garcia
Share

By Abby Garcia, Office Operations Coordinator

Chris Maltese, Vydia’s Vice President of Label & Artist Relations, has been a dominant force in the music industry since his start nearly 25 years ago. Two decades later and he continues to reach new heights, driving global impact for both artists and labels. I sat down with Chris to find out how he has navigated the ever-changing landscape of the music business, from launching his career at MTV in their early 2000s prime, through now: a time with more technology, tools, and market saturation than ever. 

Q: What is your current title, and what are some of your responsibilities at Vydia?

A: My current title is Vice President of Label & Artist Relations. Essentially, what I do is oversee a team of people who are out there signing the deals with the artists and the labels that are our clients, making sure that the deals we’re doing are the right deals, that they are priced appropriately, and that we are providing the right level of service. I am also bringing on clients myself. In addition to all of that, I am ensuring that we are keeping processes in place, or putting new processes in place to make sure that the team is as efficient as possible.  I’m also utilizing my relationships to bring in any new partners that could be beneficial.


Q: Is there a specific moment in your life that you remember feeling drawn to a career in the music industry?

A: I think I’ve always wanted to be in the music industry… even though I didn’t always know that was a thing. When I was a kid, I was super into music. I just didn’t realize that there was a business behind it, and that you could have a career in music without being an artist.

I never thought I would be an artist – I wasn’t born with those genes. But, I think that there was a certain point when I was working at MTV right out of college, where I was absorbing a lot about the entertainment industry as a whole. I was surrounded by it every day, and the longer I stayed and the more people I got to meet, interview, and familiarize myself with their teams, the more I felt like I wanted to work with the artists directly. I just needed to find a way to add value and learn the business, and that’s essentially what I did.


Q: How did you land your first opportunity in the industry, and what do you think helped make it happen—timing, connections, talent, or something else?

A: My first real-world experience stems from college. I was fortunate enough to know somebody who was working at MTV, who helped me get an interview to get an internship. Once I got the internship, I had a couple of extra credits that I needed to finish over the summer, but I didn’t want to just end my internship at the end of the spring, because then I knew I would lose my contacts and there would be a new group of interns coming in who would be offered jobs. So instead of leaving the internship, I just convinced them to let me stay and intern over the summer as well.  They were fine with that.  From there, I was able to massage myself into a position. I actually graduated college on a Tuesday, and I started at MTV that Thursday.


So, I immediately went right into a role at a company I was excited to be at. It was nice to know that I could make that happen right off the bat, but it also meant real responsibility without a safety net, so to speak. That part excited me, to be honest.


Q: Your role requires you to leverage both your creative and analytical mind. How do you balance those perspectives when making key decisions? 

A: In a role like this, you need to have the ability to sense what is working musically and culturally at any moment, and also figure out how much potential any one project might have to succeed, and at what level. Each artist and label has its own set of needs and circumstances, which is also something you need to consider when figuring out which deals to do and which ones may not be right for us.  Additionally, really understanding the math behind any deal, in order to mitigate risk, and having the skillset to negotiate a fair deal that presents enough upside for both parties are key aspects of my role. So yes, there’s a ton going on analytically.  

However, tons of creativity exists in the music business that has nothing to do with the music itself. There’s creativity in marketing and reaching new consumers, there’s creativity in negotiating deals, and there’s creativity in deciding which partners to bring on. There’s creativity everywhere in this business.

The balance of the creative side and the business side is something I actually enjoy. I get just as excited when somebody asks me, “hey, what do you think we can do to maximize this song?” or “who do you think would work for a remix or a feature?” as I do thinking about the structure of a deal, the value that can be added or extracted, or how to introduce a new tool to the team which will make their jobs easier.

It is sort of a unique role in that sense where it’s not fully creative, and it’s not fully business, it’s a good combination of both. And I love that.


Q: We live in a time where becoming an artist is more accessible than ever, and arguably in a time where the industry is most saturated. What advice would you give to artists who want to stand out to A&Rs and to fans in general?

A: It’s pretty simple.  If an artist just concentrates on two things, everything else will fall into place. One is the quality of the artistry. And two, is answering the question – “how do I create more fans than I already have?”

If those are the only 2 things that a developing artist focuses on, over time, those two things are going to continue to increase and attract all of the other pieces of this business that an artist ultimately needs. If you want to have a good manager, a booking agent, a label, a distributor, a publicist, whatever it is… they’re going to be more interested in you if you have a great product and you know how to consistently increase your fan base. Your fans will be the best staff you’ve ever had, as they will work for free and help you multiply your listeners. They’ll be your A&Rs by telling you which songs work and which ones don’t. They’ll be your promotion team, telling their friends about you and posting you on their socials. They’ll wear more hats than you’ll ever be able to.

Just focus on those two things, and Mother Nature will take care of the rest.

Q: How would you describe your leadership style when working with music professionals at different stages of their careers? What key experiences or turning points helped shape that approach?

A: I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by and work with a variety of people who were very successful in this business, early on. When I was at MTV, I was interviewing the biggest stars in the world, and I was surrounded by their teams on a daily basis. I saw their interactions, I got to see how they spoke to people, their work ethic, and how they communicated the things that they needed at that moment. 

Then, when I left MTV and was managing full-time, one artist on my roster was the first signing for Glassnote Records, which is founded by an icon in the business, Daniel Glass. He took me under his wing and taught me a LOT about how things work in this industry, the importance of relationships, and the need to outwork your competition. He did this while building his company from scratch… something I got a front row seat to. There were others I learned from as well, as I was essentially a sponge (and still am), but those early lessons stick with me today.

My style is very communicative and very open. I’m big on communication and am convinced that most problems in business (and in life) can be fixed with proper communication and being clear about intentions. I’m also big on processes, and think that creating a blueprint for how to reach your goals is a big part of continued growth.

When it comes to leading, I want the team to know that my door is always open. If you see a hole in my calendar and you want to talk, you don’t have to ask me. You could just put it on my calendar, and I’ll be ready to listen and provide whatever feedback is needed. 

Lastly, I believe that everybody has a voice. Anytime we have a group meeting with the department, I always end it by asking for thoughts, questions, ideas, or problems that we can talk about in the room. It’s good for us to all share our experiences and communicate what the issues are, because the stronger we are as a team, the more successful we’re going to be. Knowledge is power, and communicating as clearly as you can is the best strategy if you want to succeed as a group.
 

Q: Although we use many tools to make calculated business choices, the deals you make often rely on leaps of faith in some capacity. How did you become comfortable with taking risks, and what helps you stay positive when things don’t go as expected?

A: Luckily, in today’s modern age, we have access to tons of data, which we can use to mitigate risk. It’s not hard to calculate what a particular artist is typically making on average with a single, an EP, or an album. We’re able to create projections based on recent history. That said, there is no crystal ball, and we don’t always know when something might explode or when something might tank.  But we do our best to figure out the historical averages and can use that information to determine what an offer should look like.  As long as our offers are based on sound reasoning backed by data, I’m comfortable. Occasionally, there will be a project or an artist that we are super passionate about and will take a bit more of a swing on, beyond what the data suggests.  But for the most part, the data is telling us where our starting point should be.

When something does go particularly well, better than we projected, we very quickly look to maximize that opportunity, whether it be to bring in more of an investment, bring on additional hands to help push, or pitch for new opportunities. When something does not live up to the expectations we had, which happens from time to time, we analyze why something may not have worked, what we could have potentially done differently, and try to use that information moving forward.  

One thing I tell my team all the time is that you can’t get married to a deal. There’s no reason to take it personally if they decide to pass, especially if it’s because they got a bigger check somewhere else. That just means that somebody else was willing to overpay, because we know what it’s worth, and that’s okay. There’s never a shortage of deals. If there’s one that we’re really excited about and we don’t get it, you can’t sit there and sulk. You just have to move on and go after the next one. And as long as we put forth offers that are fair for both sides, that make sense for the investment and the time and resources we’d need to put in, compared to the return, then I don’t ever get upset when we lose the deal because I know we put forth an offer that would have been beneficial to both sides.  

Q: What has been the most memorable accomplishment you have experienced in your career thus far?

A: I’ve had a good amount of success in many sides of the business, whether it be in management, labels, publishing, and now distribution. I’ve had multi-platinum hits, I’ve gotten to tour the world, and have been to many award shows and massive events. But, I think the fact that I came into this business in 2000 and I’m still not only in it, but am on the cusp of what’s really exciting and working (aka, modern distribution) is a major feat in itself.  It used to be label deals for a long time. Now, ownership is the new flex. A lot more artists want to be with a strong distributor, and a lot fewer want to be with major labels. That’s just where the industry’s at now.

To know that I’m still here and I’m still in a very viable position at a very viable company is probably the biggest win, because I know a lot of people who came into the business when I did, or later, that have moved into some other industry. It’s not an easy business to stay in for the long haul.

I would say my greatest win is the fact that it’s 2025 and you and I are on a call right now, discussing my career. Outside of the plaques, the #1s, the tours, the accolades… Its longevity that is the most notable. And yet, I know that I have so much more to do and accomplish.

Q: Building relationships is extremely important for someone in your position. How has networking impacted your career? What advice would you give to someone who is building their network from the ground up?

A: Especially in this business, relationships are so crucially important. There are two things that I would say you really need to do. Number one, be nice to everybody. I can tell you firsthand, I’ve seen people come into the industry who have had some success, but they treated people badly, and now no one wants to work with them.  Those people don’t last.
 
You might have a hot artist for a minute, but when that artist fizzles out, if you were a jerk to everybody, no one’s going to come to you and give you more clients. No one’s going to want to work with you. Just be a good human being. That’s the first thing to remember because the people you come up with are going to be in high places too at some point. And you want to be someone people want on their teams.  Your reputation is everything.

Secondly, keep track of all of your contacts. I’ve been in this business for a very long time, and many, many years ago, I created an Excel sheet that I still have to this day that I still keep minimized on my computer every day. There is a tab for people at labels, there’s a tab for lawyers, there’s a tab for music supervisors, there’s a tab for booking agents, even hair and makeup, because again, as a manager, you need to have contacts all over the place.  And many more tabs as well. Whenever I come into contact with somebody new, I input their name, their email address, and how I know them so I can reference it down the road when we cross paths again.

Nowadays, you have ROSTR, which I think is an amazing tool for our industry because it’s just chock-full of contacts, so you can find almost anybody, quickly. Even if you’re just starting out, start a spreadsheet or some sort of contact list, and get a ROSTR subscription. Find some way to keep it all organized, knowing that you’re going to still be looking at that thing in 10, 15, or 20 years, because it’s going to help you.

Q: Lastly, if you had to choose one song to be the soundtrack to your journey, what would it be and why?

A: I guess the easy answer is Secondhand Serenade’s “Fall For You.” The reason is, the success of that song was why I was able to leave my job at MTV and open up my own management firm full-time and really get started in this business.
 
That’s an artist I was managing on the side while I was at MTV, and the song exploded. I got him a label, a lawyer, a publishing deal, a booking agent… and it all just worked better than I could have planned. It was a top-five pop song in America back in 2008. Because of that song and the success that it had, I was able to leave my job and go after my own dreams instead of just working for a corporation. It also forced me to learn the business, which set me up for the success that I have now. And took away the safety net of a salary, which inspired me to go hard at it.  The eat what you kill mentality is still something I have today.  I kind of owe it to that song; it kicked off my journey, so to speak. 

About Chris: Chris Maltese is the current Vice President of Label & Artist Services for Vydia. However, his long history in the music and entertainment space spans more than 20 years. The New Jersey native began his career at MTV, the epicenter of pop culture at the time, where he stayed for 8.5 years, eventually departing as a Senior Producer & Writer. He left to open his own artist management company, where he quickly found multi-platinum success with singer/songwriter Secondhand Serenade. A few years later, Maltese partnered with management and publishing company, Primary Wave. Aside from managing the careers of a Grammy Award-winning artist, Richard Marx, and 2-time International DJ of the year, Erick Morillo, Maltese also had #1 radio hits with clients Cris Cab (featuring Pharrell Williams), Nicole Bus, and Isac Elliot. He also worked on the publishing side, signing and developing writers, in addition to starting an in-house label where he’d release songs from Cee-Lo Green, Krewella, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, and more.   

In 2019, Chris took over the role of Head of Artist Services, US for the largest independent music company in the world, Paris-based Believe. It was here where he signed and developed a wide variety of artists while managing the US operations, aiding in the company going public in 2021. Now in his current role, Maltese oversees the large A&R team at Vydia, working alongside its parent company, gamma., home to Usher, French Montana, Sexyy Red, Rick Ross, and more.

Interested in joining Vydia’s platform? Request an invite today.

Share