We had the good fortune of connecting with Ralph Wilson Buado and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ralph Wilson, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Monetize my hobbies and passion so that I can work and be entertained at the same time, and equally providing passive income for my autistic son when I am gone.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Hi ShoutOut LA!

My business is Likha Music International: a boutique record label and one-stop sync catalog that delivers production-ready music for film trailers, TV promos, commercials, games, tv shows and movies, all built from the ground up by a 25-year Hollywood trailer editor and producer who knows exactly what a cut needs.

What sets us apart is simple: I’ve spent nearly three decades inside the edit bay writing, producing, and cutting promos for major networks and studios. I know how music has to move, breathe, and evolve with picture. Every track in the Likha catalog is crafted with that insider understanding: no filler, no clearance surprises, no “almost right.” It either drops in and elevates the cut immediately, or it doesn’t ship.

Right now I’m most excited about finally filling a gap I’ve felt for years: authentic, world-class production cues that feel fresh and human, distributed worldwide. Seeing editors and supervisors discover tracks they didn’t know they’d been missing is the best feeling.

The idea for Likha has lived in my head for at least 15 years, but I needed the right co-founder. In 2019 my wife Karen introduced me to her childhood friend Dennis Del Corro (former musician turned Bayer lab scientist whose day job literally depends on microgram precision). That level of obsessive detail was exactly who I wanted beside me. We started building quietly while I was still cutting promos full-time at CBS.

We launched in March 2024, but life had other plans. A couple of months before our launch, my younger sister got sick. What we thought was Covid turned out to be stage-4 cancer. She passed in June. During her last week, I took the graveyard shift at the hospital, and the only thing that still made her light up was putting headphones on her and playing rough demos or showing new cover art. She recruited half our early roster (her musician friends) and became our first true believer. Music turned into therapy, and Likha became the one place I could still feel her presence.

The biggest lesson this journey has burned into me is this: family first. They won’t always be around. Find ways to weave the people you love into the things you love, so you’re never choosing between them. That’s become Likha’s unspoken rule: we build with heart, we move at the speed of trust, and we never forget why we started.

I want every editor, supervisor, and creator (especially here in Los Angeles) to know there’s now a one-stop catalog that actually speaks your language, because it was built by one of you.

After 25 years cutting trailers and promos in Hollywood, I got tired of settling for “close enough” music. So I started Likha Music International: obsessively crafted, editor-friendly, genuinely global tracks that are designed to drop straight into your cut, clear instantly, and make your story hit harder than you imagined.

We know your deadlines, we know temp love, we know how fast a cut can change. Likha is here to save you time, kill the clearance headaches, and hand you music that simply works, the first time.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend visited Santa Clarita for a week, I’d keep things chill, family-friendly, and food-focused. We’d eat at some of my favorite Filipino spots like Pink Salt Grill, and grab treats from The Ensaymada Project. I’d take them to local highlights like Magic Mountain and Vasquez Rocks, then spend a couple of relaxed days exploring LA and hunting down my fave food trucks like Kogi, White Rabbit, and Spoon&Pork. Overall, it would be a laid-back week centered on great food, nature, and low-key exploring.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents, Ely and Thelma Buado, for the sacrifice of immigrating to a new country and culture. My dad particularly listened to a lot of music when I was young.

My best man Nived Ravikumar, whom I’ve known since childhood, for introducing me to modern music.

My college buddy Tim Jieh for helping steer me in to the career I’ve had for the past 20 years as a Film Editor.

Website: https://www.likhamusic.com

Instagram: @likhamusicinternational

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/likha-music-international/

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

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

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