Today we’d like to introduce you to Christian Olivarez.
Hi Christian, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Born in Waco, Texas, and now based out of Austin, Cio Made The Track has been passionate about music for as long as he can remember. Around the age of 15, that passion became something more serious when he picked up his first music production program and started experimenting with producing beats and recording vocals. At the time, he thought he was going to become a rapper, but he would soon discover that his real passion was happening behind the scenes.
One of the experiences that had the biggest impact on him early on came when his stepdad took him to Max Media, a major recording studio in Dallas, Texas, which is now home to Media Tech. His stepdad was working on an album with people who were already well established in the music industry, and the engineer running the session had worked on major A-list projects. Being exposed to that level of professionalism at such a young age gave Cio an early understanding of what a real studio session should look and sound like—from production to engineering. Looking back, he considers that experience one of the biggest influences on the direction his career would eventually take.
After leaving the studio, Cio asked his dad to buy him Pro Tools and an M-Audio Fast Track interface. From there, he completely locked in. He began making his own music, learning the software, recording himself, and experimenting with different sounds. He laughs when he looks back at those early recordings because, in his words, “the music wasn’t that great,” but at the time he genuinely believed he was going to blow up as a rapper. As he became more comfortable with the programs and started experimenting with different roles, he realized he was much more interested in creating the music, recording artists, editing vocals, and perfecting the sound than being the artist in front of the camera.
That realization changed everything. Cio began focusing heavily on his engineering and mixing skills, and before long, people started asking if they could pay him to record them. He was still only 15 years old. Around that same time, Cio also became a father, which gave him an even stronger reason to take his future seriously. He knew that if he wanted to continue pursuing music at a high level, he would eventually need to leave Waco and move to a larger market. He chose Austin, Texas—a city where his mother and brothers were living and a place known for its vibrant music culture and SXSW. That decision would become a major turning point in his life.
Around 18 years old, Cio had his first studio experience in Austin at 512 Studio on South Lamar. As he met more people and became more involved in the city’s music scene, he was introduced to other studios and artists. One of the most important connections came through an artist named J Soulja, whom Cio met while they were both working at First Texas Honda. They began working together, and J Soulja introduced Cio to several key people in Austin who helped create new opportunities for him.
One of the biggest introductions was to Dre, the owner of The Beat Kitchen. At the time, The Beat Kitchen was one of the places to be if you were involved in hip-hop, R&B, or anything related to those genres in Austin. Cio made the studio his home, recording countless artists and continuing to develop his skills as a producer and engineer. During his time there, he had the opportunity to work with artists including Lil Baby, Ray J, Sauce Walka, Lil Boosie, and many others.
Another major turning point came when a manager named Donnie Cash introduced Cio to a young artist named Quin NFN. Quin was only around 16 at the time, but he already had several songs gaining attention on YouTube. Cio immediately saw potential in him and decided not to charge him for studio time so that he could spend as much time as possible recording and developing his music.
That decision quickly paid off. Just a few months later, Quin NFN released “Talking My Shit,” which became his first major breakout record and helped lead to a record deal with 10K Projects. Quin kept Cio as his engineer after signing, which opened the door for Cio to travel with him and work in some of the most respected studios in the music industry, including Record Plant, Quad Studios, and Paramount Studios in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
As Cio continued building his career, his work expanded beyond independent artists and into the major-label side of the industry. He has worked on projects and within the music ecosystem connected to major companies and labels including **Atlantic Records, EMPIRE, Warner Music Group (WMG), and Universal Music Group (UMG)**. Those experiences gave him an even deeper understanding of how the industry operates at a professional level, from recording and production to artist development, releases, and the business behind the music.
Working in those rooms and at that level gave Cio something that couldn’t be taught in a classroom. He was able to build relationships, observe how major projects were handled, understand the business side of the industry, and gain firsthand experience working alongside established professionals. Every opportunity added another layer to his understanding of the music business.
Fast forward to today, and Cio has built a catalog that has generated hundreds of millions of streams. His career has evolved far beyond production and engineering. He now manages both Quin NFN and Texas Joe while continuing to work on music, artist development, business strategy, and other ventures within the entertainment industry.
What makes Cio’s story unique is that he has continued evolving with every stage of his career. He started as a teenager trying to figure out how to make beats and record himself, became an engineer and producer, developed relationships throughout the industry, and eventually transitioned into artist management and entrepreneurship.
He doesn’t look at his current position as the finish line. If anything, he sees it as another chapter. Cio knows he still has a lot to learn, and he’s continuing to take on new roles and challenges that expand his experience. With goals that are much bigger than where he is today, he believes there is still a lot more to accomplish—and a lot more to come.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The industry can be tough, making the music has always been the fun and easy part to me. When the business comes in that’s when it can get hard or make you feel like you’re struggling to make it work. After you get some understanding the business side it can start to be fun but challenging at times.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a music producer, audio engineer, artist manager, executive producer
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