Orlando, FL (May 10, 2023)—At the turn of the millennium, in-ear monitors were still an emerging concept in the pro-audio world, but within a decade, they had become a widely accepted part of live sound. One thing hadn’t changed, however—most quality IEMs were still prohibitively expensive. Sensing an opportunity, Cesar Milano, founder and CEO of Clear Tune Monitors, created his company in 2010 with a plan to bring ear monitors not only to a different part of the marketplace, but also a different part of the world.
“I was a sound engineer and drummer in Venezuela,” said Milano, “and I moved to the States looking for in-ear monitors that would perform at a high level, but nothing satisfied my need. Everything was either low price and low quality, or priced so high that it was unaffordable. CTM rose from that goal that I had of pursuing the best sound quality and affordability.”
While Milano founded the company in Orlando, Fla., he immediately turned his eye back home to establish CTM’s user base; it was a strategy that paid off. “CTM is in a unique position in the industry; while many manufacturers eye the Latin American market as a huge potential area of business, we view it as our roots,” he explained. Clear Tune Monitors quickly became the brand of choice for a number of Latin music artists, and today, the brand counts Bad Bunny, Anuel, Prince Royce, Maná, Victor Manuel and Arcangel among its fans. “Rolling Stone magazine recently showcased four women Reaggaton artists, three of whom are using Clear Tune Monitors,” Milano added. “The fact that these artists, as well as others, are headlining huge festivals and are being talked about in the media speaks to the size and influence of this market—and we’ve been with them from the start.”
View from The Top: Audiomovers on the Move
Growing in popularity in Latin America led to a similar surge of interest among U.S. Latin artists, and now CTM is expanding into other IEM markets, broadening its base of support. “Our business within the house of worship and ministry markets has grown, as has our work with live productions in the theme park industry,” he noted.
A big part of Milano’s approach to business has always been accessibility, whether that means making the technology more accessible to artists back in Latin America or ensuring that he and his team are available to end users to answer questions and requests. Underlining that openness, the company’s headquarters and lab in Orlando is also a brick-and-mortar store where customers can come in and test each product, play instruments to see how they feel and sound while moving around, and more. That hands-on, face-to-face approach isn’t in place as a sales tactic; it’s simply part of CTM’s culture.
“Clear Tune Monitors is a close-knit company,” he said. “We are a company of musicians that have a passion for working with other artists in the industry. We are easy to reach and personable, which we believe makes us unique. We also take our local community and its needs very seriously.”
While Milano has built CTM into a brand with high-profile clients and a variety of markets, there is still far more that he wants to accomplish. The company already has an extensive dealer and worldwide distributor network, and the brand has undertaken a mid- to long-term growth initiative that is dually focused on increasing Clear Tune Monitors’ retail presence and broadening its global distribution.
Clear Tune Monitors CE220 IEMs Unveiled
New products always raise interest in a brand, and the IEM company has a number of those on tap, including universal fit products such as the CE220, aimed at first-time buyers as well as owners of custom IEMs looking for a cost-effective backup. Meanwhile, looking to expand its presence elsewhere in the consumer marketplace, CTM has also debuted its new ORUN1 and 2 wireless bone conduction headsets, aimed at outdoor sports enthusiasts.
While growing a business and developing new products is always a serious endeavor, Milano maintains not only that open-door policy, but an open mind as well—which can sometimes lead to unexpectedly fun results. He explained: “In terms of new product development, we are always in that mode and work with many artist production teams to further new ideas and help them with their needs. Last year, I was asked to fit our in-ear drivers into conch shells for an artist’s publicity department. What began as ‘Cesar, can you do a few of these?’ turned into ‘We love them—can you make 100 of them?’ Of course, I agreed!”
