Meet Yifei Xue | Music Producer / Composer & Audio Engineer

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

Hi Yifei, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My thought process behind starting my own music-related business involves two main aspects. Fundamentally, it’s essential to develop a solid business plan that allows me to effectively market my brand using my skills and resources to reach a wider audience and attract potential clients. Second, as an artist myself, I need to communicate artistic intentions clearly and tastefully while navigating the practicalities of running a business. Finding this balance can be challenging. Once I clarified these two aspects and established a short-term goal for the business—having secured a few clients—I felt ready to build my brand as a music producer/composer and audio engineer.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Having been working on composing, producing, mixing music for a little over ten years, there has been ups and downs. The journey so far has taught me a lot, but before anything else I would like to say, it is lucky to be able to pursue art.

I realized this after facing financial, physical and mental health, lack of career opportunities. With challenges coming from all directions and unpredictably, many things can stop one from pursuing a career in music. With this understanding, I think my music has grown with more and more empathy, on top of the passion and love when I first started. If I have to boil it down to the core, I think my music tells whoever listens truly how I feel at that moment. They are honest and empathetic. On the more technical side, I always make sure to create the best sonic experience possible, everything from the recording and sound design stage, all the way to mastering is carefully designed and crafted.

It is apparently not an easy career path, particularly when the drive and the passion is not titaniumly strong. I have been lost, I have had moments where I wanted to turn around and just give up. But ultimately realizing that everyone has mountains that they have to climb and conquer, and greatness in anything is absolutely, similarly difficult to achieve, then the question become do I still want to be good, if not great at anything? My answer was yes, to music. It put me back to a right headspace and kept me going.

One lesson I am still learning is how to not instinctively wanting to dodge the pain. Pain is inevitable in life, in the making of art. You always have to give it out and squeeze out every bit you have, to have a chance to make something valuable and good. I want to be able to fully love the process, and embrace the pain, feel the pain like it’s a given gift, because more and more I realize that it is a gift, especially for artists.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I recently had a friend visit me from Sacramento, and it was actually his first time in NYC! We spent the whole week doing some classic tourist stuff. Of course, a Broadway show is a must-see when you’re in New York—honestly, it feels almost like a rite of passage. There’s nothing like the energy of a live musical in the heart of the city. And if you’re into art, the major museums like MoMA and the MET are definitely worth checking out. They’re iconic for a reason.

When it comes to food, NYC is an absolute dream—it really is a melting pot of cuisines from all over the world. No matter what you’re craving, you’ll find it here. The Flushing and Chinatown neighborhoods are packed with amazing Asian food, and there are some awesome spots for sushi and yakitori, including all-you-can-eat options for those who are really hungry!

And if you’re into music, New York has some of the best venues for electronic music, as well as pretty much any genre you can imagine. I’ve had some unforgettable nights at places like Mirage and Beacon Theater. It’s definitely a city where you can always find something exciting happening.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are countless people and influences that have accompanied me on my musical journey. First and foremost, I want to give a shoutout to my parents; without their unwavering support, I wouldn’t be able to pursue my passion the way I do now.

Additionally, I’d like to recognize my mentors, such as Jason Petrin, who shared me with essential practical knowledge about music production that laid a solid foundation for me to build upon. Susan Rogers, who engineered for Prince for many years, has been instrumental in teaching me how to navigate a career as a professional music producer and engineer, as well as how to truly listen to music and identify talents within myself and others.

Finally, I want to shout out Oliver Tan. While working on projects for the sample library label, “Oliver’s Library,” we strived to create the best sounds and samples possible. I’ve learned so much from his dedication and workflow, and I greatly value the friendship we’ve built along the way.

Website: https://morphingcloudz.wixsite.com/morphing-cloud-produ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morphinxcloud/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yifei-xue-455340180/

Image Credits
Nicholas Jones
Ann Sreekanth