Behind the Sound: The Work and Vision of Mixing Engineer Jay Sung

Mixing engineer Jay Sung has steadily built a career that bridges cultures, genres, and creative visions. From his early days at Berklee College of Music to projects with artists in the U.S., Korea, China, and beyond, he’s earned a reputation for bringing clarity, adaptability, and emotion to every track he works on. In this feature, Jay reflects on what drives him, what he’s learned from global collaborations, how technology is shaping the industry, and what’s next for his journey.

Finding His Role in Music

For Jay, mixing is about more than just polishing sounds. He sees his role as helping artists convey their ideas most straightforwardly and authentically as possible. With experience as a songwriter, producer, and performer, he approaches mixing from both creative and technical angles. This balance allows him to act as a true collaborator, ensuring that the final product reflects the artist’s vision and feels alive to listeners.

Lessons from Global Collaborations

Having collaborated with artists from the U.S., Korea, China, and several other countries, Jay has developed a deep understanding of how music connects people across cultures. Even when the lyrics are in a language he doesn’t speak, he can sense the intention and emotion behind the performance through tone, rhythm, and delivery. What he finds most exciting is how each culture adds its own unique character to music: the precision and energy of K-pop, the raw and personal storytelling often heard in American hip-hop, and the atmospheric layers and textures that define many Chinese ballads. Working in such a wide range of settings has pushed him to grow, not only as an engineer but also as a listener. It has taught him to step back, pay close attention, and adapt to different creative approaches. Instead of trying to shape every project according to his own vision, Jay has learned to amplify the artist’s voice, ensuring that their individuality comes through clearly, no matter where they come from.

Technology’s Role in the Creative Process

Technology has transformed the way Jay collaborates. Remote sessions have become second nature, allowing him to work seamlessly with artists across continents. New tools, including AI-assisted ones, have sped up parts of the process, giving more space to focus on creativity. Still, Jay emphasizes that technology is only a tool. “Plugins and algorithms are useful, but they can’t replace feeling or connection. At the end of the day, it’s about whether the listener connects with the music.”

Project Highlights and Career Milestones

Yel – ‘Perfect Blue’ EP

One of Jay’s proudest projects is mixing “Blind” by Hoody, a track from an album that went on to earn a nomination in Korea. The recognition reminded him how small details in a mix can elevate a song and create meaningful connections with listeners.

Another highlight is his collaboration with Yel, an artist he discovered when she had around 150,000 monthly listeners. Believing in her talent, Jay reached out directly, and the two began working together on multiple projects. Today, Yel has nearly 700,000 monthly listeners and has signed a U.S. record deal. Among the tracks on her Perfect Blue EP, the song “In My Room” has already gained strong traction—its music video, released just over a month ago, has reached more than 260,000 views.  In addition, a single outside of the album, “He’s Something,” has surpassed 3.6 million streams, further establishing Yel’s growing presence. Jay sees these achievements not only as milestones in her career but also as a sign of her potential to break further into the U.S. market. He considers it a privilege to contribute to that journey and plans to continue working with her on future projects. “It’s not just about numbers, it’s about helping artists find their voice and reach people,” he reflects.

Passion as Motivation

From the start of his career, Jay has taken on projects regardless of budget. Many early collaborations were unpaid, yet they provided invaluable opportunities to learn, experiment, and grow as an engineer. Even today, passion projects remain central to his work. They keep him sharp, open unexpected doors, and remind him why he started in music. “The payoff,” he says, “is in the process, the discovery, and the reminder of why I started doing this in the first place.”

Expanding Into Film and Soundtracks

Jay’s vision for the future goes beyond mixing records. He aims to continue bridging artists from diverse backgrounds, helping their music reach global audiences. Recently, he took a step into the world of film and television by mixing songs for the OST of The Potato Lab, a drama that aired on Netflix. It was his first time collaborating with a major company like CJ ENM STUDIOS on an OST project, and the experience opened new doors creatively. Jay mixed two songs for the series: “Hailey” performed by lead actress Lee Sun Bin, and “Like a Dream” performed by Cheeze.

This experience sparked his desire to explore more soundtrack and film work, where music becomes an integral part of storytelling. At the same time, he hopes to mentor emerging engineers, sharing the knowledge and guidance that helped shape his own path. For Jay, the next chapter is less about chasing bigger credits and more about staying true to collaboration, growth, and the human connection at the heart of music.