May 17, 2020

In this episode of the Millennials in China Podcast we interview Kian How, a successful Malaysian audio producer and music composer who has worked on video games and blockbuster films. Kian shares his journey from studying music in Boston to struggling to pay rent in Los Angeles, before moving to Shanghai 8 years ago and owning his niche.

Show Notes:

• Kian’s background, from his time studying music in the US to how he struggled to pay rent while living the party life in LA.
• How Kian stumbled upon a job opportunity in China while intoxicated, and how he went from being skeptical about the opportunity to suddenly packing his bags and moving to Shanghai.
• Kian’s experience working with famed video game designer “American McGee” at Spicy Horse Studios in Shanghai.
• How he transitioned from being an employee to being a self-employed freelance audio producer - it took 3 years of building the foundations and networking before he was comfortable to do things on his own.
• How Kian managed to get the gig producing the soundtrack for one of China’s top grossing films, Wolf Warrior.
• The regional divide in China and how things can be totally different in different cities, both in terms of mentality and ways of doing business.
• Kian’s tough love for aspiring young artists and musicians.