GLAD Empire: Delivering Specialized Services for Artists of Today and Tomorrow

Every artist, right from the beginning, deserves an opportunity to access high-end services such as structuring, production, administration, and marketing of all their digital content to grow. Founded in 2006, GLAD Empire’s distribution platform is considered by experts as avant-garde, where its clients have the largest and best placement of their products in stores and digital services.

GLAD Empire was established by Camille Marie Soto Malavé and Alberto Mendoza Nieves. The company consists of a team of distribution experts in a total of more than 26 countries, with total and direct access to all the most lucrative digital platforms, including also all the minimally relevant but equally effective to reach projections around the world. Their priority is to provide an artist or an independent product with an opportunity.

With GLAD, artists have by their side a package of proven and complete services, including promotion and public relations plans, design of concepts in quality graphic art and at speed needed, video production for all budgets, and production or advice for your music or high-end commercial. In short, they have everything necessary to become an independent owner of a final product with greater projection and value in the entertainment market.

The Backstory and Growth

After the tragic demise of Camille Soto’s cousin, Alejandro Felix Tomei (who was better known as Get Low), the entrepreneur wanted to do something to support artists. She started the label Get Low Records with Alberto Mendoza, popularly known as MC Ceja (the co-CEO of GLAD Empire). The label was later rebranded into GLAD Empire (Get Low Artist Development).

Having worked with more than 500 clients over the years, Camille has been part of some of today’s most important music projects. Now co-owner of GLAD Empire, LLC, alongside her husband, veteran rapper MC Ceja (co-CEO), she is currently working alongside some of Latin music’s most acclaimed superstars such as Nio Garcia, Casper Magico, Myke Towers, Ozuna, and Anuel AA. Camille handles Ozuna’s, Aura Music’s publishing department and acts as label manager to Anuel’s record label, Real Hasta La Muerte, handling day-to-day operations alongside his manager, Frabian Eli Carrion. She is also responsible for distributing hit singles such as “Travesuras Remix” (by Nio Garcia, Casper Magico, Myke Towers, Ozuna, Wisin & Yandel), “Bandido” (by Myke Towers and Juhn), and “AM Remix” (by Nio Garcia, Bad Bunny & J Balvin).

Under her leadership, GLAD Empire is today home to nine divisions, including Get Low Records (record label), Get Low Studio (recording studio based in Orlando, FL), GLAD Core (digital distribution), GLAD (artist development and publishing), GLAD Arts (graphic and video design), Conteni2 Film & Photography Studio (video and photo studio), Praise Music (Christian record label), Conteni2 Media Group (Video and Film Production House), and GLAD Gaming (gaming center).

GLAD Empire earned the #1 spot on the “Inc. 5000 Regionals: Florida 2021” list, with a two-year revenue growth rate of 4,721%. The company has also expanded its Orlando-based facilities to almost 20,000 sq ft of creative space with a new media studio used for live streaming, private concerts, podcasts, and overall content production for its channel, GLAD TV.

Recently, The Silicon Review had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. Soto to learn more about the challenges faced by GLAD Empire initially and more. Read on for the excerpts from the interview.

Q. What challenges did you face in your initial years? What can your peers learn from it?

During our initial years we faced funding challenges. We wanted to do so much and literally had no budget. However, we found a way to make things work by working non-stop and believing in our vision.

Q. What is the contemporary landscape of content creation and how does your service contribute to the growth of content creators?

Our service contributes to the growth of content creators by providing creators with the necessary tools to develop unique and attractive content. From directors, studios, producers, to custom-built art sets, live concert area and podcast rooms – you name it – we have it.

Q. Do you manage the entire range of content related processes for a global audience?

Our facilities are local in Orlando, but our services are available to any content creator who wishes to hire us. Also, we distribute and monetize all content globally across all media platforms.

Q. How was it working through the pandemic? How challenging was it for you?

It was challenging for us in the way that we had to pay staff that could not come in to work, such as recording engineers. Fortunately, we found a way to expand our facilities to adapt to this new post - pandemic entertainment world, where we started offering podcasts and live streaming services and were able to keep our staff busy in these new positions – created – just to keep the content demand going after the pandemic.

Q. How do you maintain the balance of exclusivity and attainability of goals for the artists through your strategies?

Each artist is different and requires different strategies to succeed. There is no single plan identical to another.

Q. What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful artist?

Three skills important to be a successful artist are discipline, being unique and hardwork.

Q. What does the future hold for your company and its customers? Are exciting things on the way?

We are in midst of opening our new gaming center and have recently expanded our facilities to include a new media center, hosting podcasts, films sets and live streaming studios. We have also acquired lots of interesting new content, which will be released in 2022.

The Leaders Upfront

Camille Marie Soto Malavé, Founder and Co-CEO

Camille Marie Soto Malavé has worked in the Latin music industry for more than 17 years now. She graduated in 2003 from Florida International University with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism. In 2008, she graduated with a Juris Doctorate from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad School of Law. Before and while working in the music industry, Camille also worked with law firms in Miami, FL, where she developed the necessary discipline and expertise required to run her own company. Camille has been dedicated to artist development, digital content distribution, YouTube/VEVO monetization, promotion, marketing, and overall administration of an artist’s daily needs.

Alberto Mendoza Nieves, Founder and Co-CEO

Alberto Mendoza Nieves is the artist known as MC Ceja, pioneer of the Latin Rap scene and influencer to many top artists today, such as Residente, Wisin, Tego Calderon and more. With a 25 year career and access to the correct tools, he provides mentoring and guidance that helps young independent artists find their way through the complicated business module called music. He is responsible for all the audio recording and video production teams. Mendoza is a fan of the perfect sound and takes pride at having only the best equipment available at GLAD Empire for other artists to use.

“Having worked with more than 500 clients over the years, Camille has been part of some of today’s most important music projects.”

“Our service contributes to the growth of content creators by providing creators with the necessary tools to develop unique and attractive content.”- Camille Soto, Founder and Co-CEO