Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Zhitao Song. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Zhitao thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
I started by just doing it — trial and error in my bedroom, watching YouTube tutorials late at night, remixing songs, and experimenting with plugins I barely understood. I wasn’t waiting for permission. That hands-on start taught me how to trust my ears, make fast decisions, and problem-solve creatively.
Later, I wanted to take things further, so I enrolled at Berklee College of Music. That’s where everything leveled up. I studied under mentors like Jonathan Perkins, who taught me how to think like a top-line writer, and Greg Ogan, who brought real-world mixing and production experience from working with artists like Justin Bieber and Bruno Mars. I also had the opportunity to meet Jaycen Joshua in his studio, where we talked in-depth about mix decisions and sonic identity — that kind of access made me sharper, fast.
If I could go back, I’d get around experienced people earlier. Mentorship was the biggest accelerator in my learning — not just for technical skills, but for how to think like a professional. Repetition was essential too — just showing up and doing the work over and over, refining instinct.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I specialize in modern music production and mixing — clean, punchy, emotionally driven sound that feels current but still timeless. My goal is always to help artists translate their raw ideas into something that sounds competitive on a global level, without losing their unique voice. I care deeply about detail — the tone of a vocal, the energy of a drop, the space between sounds — and I bring a balance of creative vision and technical discipline to every session. Whether it’s building a track from scratch or finishing a mix that needs to hit, I approach it like every record matters.
Outside of artist projects, I’ve also worked on larger commercial campaigns — one example being the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4 launch, where I handled sound design and engineering for their 2024 global ad campaign. That project hit over 5 million views across platforms, and it taught me how to deliver high-level work under real-world pressure. I’m proud to say that whether I’m working with a major brand or an emerging artist, the standard stays the same: the work has to feel real and sound elite.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding part of being a creative has been watching something I started alone grow into a real team and a real company. When I launched Songplex Entertainment, it was just me — producing, mixing, running sessions, learning how to balance the creative and the business sides at the same time. Now, we’ve grown into a full team, with a shared vision and the ability to deliver high-level work consistently. That journey — from bedroom producer to a functioning creative company — has been incredibly fulfilling.
One of the moments I’m most proud of is what we’ve built with Gabriella Lin, an artist we developed from day one. Her 2024 single Biscuit and Tea passed 500,000 streams, earned a Silver Record Plaque, and helped her gain over 80,000 new followers — and all of that came from trusting the process, working with intention, and building the right team around her. That’s the most rewarding part: turning belief into something real, and doing it together.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
At Songplex, we’ve always believed that the best way to grow is by going the extra mile — every single time. We don’t just aim to deliver a good product; we aim to deliver an experience. From properly labeled stems to clean deliverables and extra versions that the client didn’t even ask for — we take pride in being that team. The one that’s not just professional, but thoughtful. And over time, people really notice that.
I’ve always taken that mentality personally, too. It’s a habit — always asking, what’s one more thing I can do to make this better? That approach has helped us build strong, lasting relationships with artists, A&Rs, and collaborators. I truly believe it’s one of the reasons we’re able to stay competitive — not just because of our sound, but because of the care we put into every step of the process.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.songplex.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rico_szt/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rico-song-5a30b4329/
Image Credits
VinsonKZ, Clark Shi