Meet Yash Kapoor | Music Producer, Artist, A&R & Audio Engineer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Yash Kapoor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yash, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Work-life balance has become one of the most important pillars of how I function as both a creative and a human being. When I first started producing, I didn’t think about balance. I was just deep in it all the time — chasing new sounds, exploring plug-ins, building songs from scratch until I looked up and realized another day had passed. And while that kind of passion is powerful, I’ve learned that it’s not sustainable unless I build structure around it.

These days, I’m fully in charge of my own lifestyle. I’ve taken complete ownership of what I eat, and I’ve found real joy in cooking for myself. It’s not just a necessity anymore — it’s a daily ritual. Managing a healthy diet keeps my energy and focus steady, especially when I’m deep into back-to-back studio sessions or long stretches of mixing. There’s something really calming about chopping vegetables or planning meals. It gives me a sense of control that balances out the chaos of the creative process.

I’m also someone who needs physical activity to stay grounded. Sports have become a huge part of how I take care of myself. Whether it’s tennis, table tennis, pickleball, volleyball, or swimming — I make sure I’m moving. That’s how I reset. LA makes it easy to stay active because there are always open-play courts, drop-in games, or clubs around. West Hollywood especially has such a welcoming vibe — you can show up to a court, find a group of strangers, and end up playing for hours. It’s social, competitive, and refreshing in a way that nothing else is.

But balance isn’t just about food or fitness. It’s about staying inspired outside of the DAW too. I make time for networking events, pop-up shops, music meetups, and creative communities around the city. Just being in those spaces — around other people who are building, experimenting, launching projects — pushes me to stay hungry. Even the nightlife here plays a role. Some nights I’ll go out just to feel connected to the energy of the city. No Vacancy is one of my favorite spots — it always feels like something unexpected is going to happen.

I think the key for me has been realizing that if I want longevity in this industry, I can’t just pour everything into the music and forget to live. Working in sound is incredibly fulfilling, but it can also be isolating, especially when you’re managing everything on your own in a city like LA. So balance, for me, isn’t some aesthetic self-care concept. It’s the structure that holds the whole thing together. It’s what allows me to keep creating at a high level without burning out. It’s what makes this life feel sustainable — and honestly, more meaningful.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
If most people know me for my production and engineering work, what they might not know is how deeply involved I’ve been on the music business side — especially through my role as an A&R and sync executive at Ytinifni Pictures. That experience shifted the way I see the industry, because suddenly I wasn’t just thinking like a creative. I had to think like a strategist. I was helping shape soundtracks, spotting talent, negotiating contracts, and working to sign artists — all while making sure the music we selected or placed aligned with the creative vision of our film and media projects.

What gave me an edge in that space was my ear. As a producer, I’ve spent years analyzing mixes, digging into production techniques, and understanding what gives a track longevity. That critical listening skill translated perfectly into A&R. I could hear a demo and immediately break down whether it had commercial potential, what it needed in terms of arrangement, or even how it could fit into a sync library. I wasn’t just listening for what sounded good — I was listening for what could work in context, whether that meant licensing for a scene or building an artist’s trajectory.

Being part of that process taught me how deals are made, what really moves a project forward, and how to advocate for artists behind the scenes. I gained hands-on experience in contracts, music licensing, budgeting for sync placements, and the psychology behind artist development. It also gave me an appreciation for the balance between creative integrity and business practicality — how to protect the heart of the music while still making smart decisions that serve a larger vision.

It wasn’t always easy. Switching gears from studio sessions to pitch decks, or from layering vocals to negotiating splits, took a mindset shift. But I found power in being able to move between both worlds — the headphones and the conference calls. And it showed me that success in this industry isn’t just about how well you make a record. It’s about how you think, how you listen, and how you move.

If there’s one thing I want people to take away from my story, it’s that I’m not here to just make music. I’m here to help shape where it goes, who it reaches, and how it connects. I want to bridge the gap between the creative and the commercial — not by compromising either, but by understanding both deeply enough to make them work together. That’s where I think the future of music lives, and that’s the space I want to keep building in.

In my role as a sync executive, I was also responsible for the more intricate backend operations that often go unseen but are crucial to the process. I worked on drafting and reviewing contracts to license songs for film and television, making sure everything from usage rights to royalty splits was properly aligned. I helped manage music production catalogs, organized metadata for easier search and retrieval, and ensured every track was correctly tagged with tempo, genre, mood, and lyrical themes to increase discoverability for supervisors and editors. I also wrote and maintained DISCO and Wikipedia pages for our artists and releases, helping shape the public-facing narrative while keeping everything clean and professional for industry access. Sync work is meticulous — it’s part legal, part curatorial, part storytelling — but I found a real sense of rhythm in it. It gave me an even deeper appreciation for how music moves through the world and how every small detail contributes to where a song ends up.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This might be my favorite question so far — because I genuinely love showing people around LA. When one of my closest friends or family members visits, I treat it like a personal mission to make them fall in love with this city the way I did. I’ve got to give credit to my senior and good friend Viraj Bahri, who I reconnected with when I moved back to LA. We had the best two months just rediscovering LA and even venturing across California like tourists with local insight. That energy completely shifted how I experienced this city — not just as a creative hub, but as a place of culture, community, and really, really good food.

So here’s how I’d plan the ultimate week-long trip:

We’d start slow — maybe with a morning coffee at Sightglass or Tartine in West Hollywood, my go-to spots to reset or catch up on life. If we’re switching it up, Maru, Cha Cha Matcha, or Bloom Café always hit the spot too. From there, we’d spend the afternoon walking around Melrose Place, checking out vintage shops, local designers, or just people-watching with good energy. If we’re feeling outdoorsy, a hike at Griffith Park, Runyon Canyon, or one of the other hidden hillside trails is a must — nothing beats that view of LA when the sky’s clear.

Food-wise, I’m big on showing people the real flavor of the city. I love authentic Mexican joints like Tere’s and Angel’s Tijuana Tacos — no frills, just fire food. If I’m craving Indian, we’re definitely hitting Anarbagh, India’s Tandoori, or Badmaash, depending on the vibe. For Thai, Love Organic is my favorite spot. And dessert? It’s not even a debate — Baccio di Latte in Larchmont Village has the best gelato I’ve had outside of Italy, and Junior Cookies makes dangerously good baked goods you’ll end up craving every night.

At night, I like mixing it up — sometimes it’s dinner and chill, sometimes it’s full send. You’ll usually find me at spots like No Vacancy, Bungalow, Bootsy Bellows, Warwick, Hyde, or Members Only — each has its own crowd and vibe, but the energy is always electric. I love how LA’s nightlife feels like a giant creative mixer, where you never know who you’ll meet.

If it’s the weekend, we’re probably renting bikes at Venice and riding all the way to Santa Monica, right along the Pacific Coast Highway. It’s still one of my favorite experiences — nothing beats the ocean wind in your face while music’s blasting in your ears. If we’re taking a longer break, I’ll suggest a road trip to Joshua Tree or Palm Springs, or even a round of golf at some of my favorite courses like PGA West, Palos Verdes, or The Golf Club at Torrance. That’s my way of reconnecting with nature while keeping the game tight.

To me, LA is best when you experience it with someone. The food, the music, the people, the energy — it all feels richer when it’s shared. And I love being the person who gets to open that door for someone. This city has given me so much — and I’ll never stop exploring it.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people who’ve played a role in shaping who I am and where I’m headed, and it feels impossible to narrow it down to just one. But if I had to start somewhere, I’d say this shoutout goes to the community that believed in me before I had any credits to my name — the friends who let me mix their demos when I was just learning, the artists who trusted me with their songs when I still had imposter syndrome, and the people who saw potential even when I was still figuring it all out.

I owe a lot to my time at Berklee, not just for the technical education, but for the people it brought into my life — mentors who took time to teach me beyond the classroom, collaborators who challenged me creatively, and engineers who shared their workflows and let me shadow them for hours. Spaces like the Creative Technology Center and the studios there gave me hands-on experience that shaped my instincts. It’s also where I started understanding that the best work happens when egos are dropped and everyone’s aligned toward the same emotional truth in the music.

I’m also incredibly grateful to the engineers and producers I worked with in LA who welcomed me into their sessions — even when I was just the quiet guy in the corner learning from every knob they touched and every conversation they had with the artist. That kind of exposure taught me things no classroom ever could. And then there’s Citimall — the crew that pushed me out of my comfort zone and let me go all in. Working with a team that trusted me fully helped me realize I could hold my own not just as a contributor, but as a creative leader.

Of course, I can’t not mention my family — especially my parents. Even when they didn’t fully understand what I was doing, they gave me space to figure it out. That kind of freedom is rare, and I don’t take it for granted.

Every step of the way, someone extended a hand, shared a resource, or simply reminded me that this path is worth it. So this shoutout is for all of them — the visible and invisible supporters who’ve helped me build this life in music, one session at a time.

I also want to specifically shout out a few mentors who’ve shaped my craft and outlook in a big way. Dan Thompson, the Dean of the Music Production & Engineering Department at Berklee, always encouraged me to push boundaries while staying grounded in intention. Prince Charles Alexander, my MPE professor, taught me to think beyond the technical and really feel what the music needs — his wisdom continues to echo in every session I walk into. Richard Mendelson, my mix professor, gave me the kind of precise, technical foundation I still rely on every time I open a session. Outside of school, I’m incredibly thankful to DaHeala Farris and Dannyboystyles — working under them taught me how to think like a professional and listen like a fan. I also owe a lot to my friends back home who remind me, constantly, that I’m not doing this alone. And to the friends I made in college — the ones who stood by me during some of the toughest years of my life — your support is something I’ll never forget. These are the people who made the dream real.

Website: https://www.yashkapoor.studio

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_yash.kapoor_/

Linkedin: https://www.instagram.com/_yash.kapoor_/

Twitter: https://x.com/yashkapoormusic

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/yash-kapoor-437125665

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theyashkapoor/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@theyashkapoor

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kpeolUQDK81PT3KMteITm?trackId=46X8KfTdpq2VB4e60wuXlN