JFH News: Pandora Alum Melissa Riddle Chalos Launches MRC Artist Advisory

PANDORA ALUM MELISSA RIDDLE CHALOS LAUNCHES MRC ARTIST ADVISORY

Streaming Strategy and Brand Development Among Key Services

NEWS SOURCE: Turning Point PR
October 16, 2024

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Music industry veteran and entrepreneur Melissa Riddle Chalos announces the launch of MRC Artist Advisory, a Franklin, Tennessee-based artist and label services firm specializing in streaming strategy for new music and catalog, brand and content development, and marketing.

With a background in journalism and 15 years on the frontlines of digital content strategy—including 10 years in DSP programming—Chalos offers an impressive breadth of experience built on relationships, collaboration, and trust. She was the first senior programmer of faith-based content for GooglePlay, followed by a six-year tenure at Pandora as the platform’s inaugural associate director of Christian, Gospel, and Kids & Family programming. While at Pandora, Chalos’ initiative and advocacy drove significant streaming growth year-over-year, and she facilitated original branded partnerships with Disney, KIDZBOP, Cocomelon, and Gaither Music, some of which evolved into SiriusXM branded stations.

“The music industry requires speedboat agility, the ability to mine the data, level-set expectations, shift gears and keep moving—all while bouncing off the waves,” Chalos explains of the mission of MRC Artist Advisory. “For real success, the story-brand has to be real. That’s what energizes me, empowering artists to become compelling brand ambassadors with ‘behind the curtain’ intel, freeing them to focus on creating great art.”

MRC Artist Advisory is also set to offer media training for artists, authors and influencers, to bolster their communication skills and flexibility for every media opportunity. "I’ve spent the better part of 25 years helping artists and those who represent them become better storytellers,” Chalos adds. “The driving force has always been the pursuit of compelling stories, using various platforms to connect with real people.”

ABOUT MELISSA RIDDLE CHALOS
Music industry veteran Melissa Riddle Chalos founded RiddleMeThis Communications in 2000 to focus specifically on media services, including content strategy and development, editorial services, and media coaching. Her clients included BMG, Sony, Warner Bros., Atlantic, Gaylord Entertainment, Thomas Nelson, Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, Foundations Recovery Network, and numerous Christian music labels. An intuitive music journalist, Chalos’ work has appeared in The Chicago Tribune, Kirkus Reviews, Beliefnet, and CCM Magazine, among other publications. She became the first Christian/Gospel curator for GooglePlay (2013-2016) and the first Christian/Gospel curator for Pandora (2017-2024), overseeing all programming, industry relations, brand partnerships, and on-platform marketing for three distinctive genres. In 2024, Chalos relaunched her agency as MRC Artist Advisory to bring the full range of her experience to the table for artists who light up the culture for good.

For more information visit mrcartistadvisory.com.