Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Xilan Fang. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Xilan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
My name is Xilan Fang and I’m a game music composer and sound designer. I started playing video games since I was very young because of the influence of my parents. I remember when I was 7, my father registered an account for me in a online game which he was playing. That allowed me to explore the amazing virtual world and planted a seed for my future fantasy of the video game world. As a game composer and sound designer, my mission is to create audio experiences that don’t just support gameplay, but become part of the player’s emotional journey. It’s about understanding what the player feels in a given moment and using sound to deepen that feeling, whether it’s tension, wonder, or triumph. Every step, action, or choice can trigger a sound or a shift in mood. That interactivity fascinates me. It’s like painting with sound in real-time. That’s why I do what I do. Not just to compose music or design sound effects, but to craft emotional bridges between the player and the world they’re exploring.
Xilan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m an free-lancing musician specializing in game audio. I graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2024 with majors in Game and Interactive Scoring and Contemporary Writing and Production.
Before attending Berklee, my original path was actually geared more toward being an independent artist in the pop music world—writing, arranging, and singing my own songs. I initially chose game scoring as an elective, but as I delved deeper into the world of game audio, I discovered that it was even more fascinating than pop music. That’s what ultimately led me to fully pursue game scoring.
I primarily provide audio support for clients in the game industry. Whether it’s a small roguelike indie game or a large-scale open-world project, I’m confident in my ability to deliver powerful and immersive audio solutions.
As a game audio producer, I’ve also noticed that many developers don’t always have a deep understanding of how game audio works. In many cases, a more complex and responsive audio system is what truly enhances immersion. Helping clients understand and explore these possibilities is something I genuinely enjoy.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Absolutely. I think for every single game-design-related person, making a game of our own is the ultimate goal. I want to build a game where sound is not only immersive and emotional, but also interactive, shaping the way players explore, solve, and connect with the world. Through my past experiences, I’ve come to realize how underutilized sound sometimes is in games. While visuals and mechanics take center stage, audio tends to remain in the background, despite its massive potential to deepen immersion and emotional impact. The idea of flipping that dynamic drives me to build a game where audio leads the design—where players have to listen carefully to navigate, solve puzzles, or uncover story elements. A game where sound is not just atmosphere, but gameplay.
This goal pushes me to keep learning—not just about music and sound design, but about game development as a whole. I’ve been diving into game mechanics, learning about level design, narrative structure, and interactive systems. I believe that to create the kind of audio-forward experience I envision, I need to understand how all the pieces fit together.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist—especially in the world of game audio—is the opportunity to help build entire worlds from sound. It’s a form of storytelling that doesn’t rely on words or visuals alone, but instead works quietly in the background to shape how players feel, react, and connect with the game. Every footstep echoing in a cavern, every subtle swell of strings as a player enters a mysterious forest, every satisfying “click” of a UI interaction—these details might seem small, but they come together to create an immersive artistic environment. That’s the magic of it: sound has the power to make virtual worlds feel alive.
One of the best feelings is when everything clicks—when the audio system responds just right, when a piece of music brings a scene to life, or when a developer tells me, “This is exactly what I imagined, but better.” Those moments remind me that I’m not just making sounds—I’m helping create memories for players.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://xfang8.wixsite.com/music
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%E7%86%99%E5%B2%9A-%E6%96%B9-65b900352/?locale=en_US
- Other: Bilibili：https://space.bilibili.com/18080842?spm_id_from=333.788.0.0
Image Credits
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_1haqx4BRtE6U2AmdNSQQ4EnXqqAGiNC?usp=sharing