Meet Dazhou Jin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dazhou Jin.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m also known as D-Jin. I started as a songwriter with EMI back in 2006, when I was still a college student in China. Later I began working with publishing companies like Avex, Universal, and Warner Music, releasing around 50 songs for several A-list artists, including A-Lin, Rainie Yang, Ronald Cheng, A-Do, Wilber Pan, Shin, Wallace Chung, etc. I was also writing OST soundtracks for a few hit TV series, including “The Legend of The Condor Heroes 2008”, “Chinese Paladin 3”, and “Naked Wedding”. I was, by most metrics, a successful songwriter. But I always had bigger goals. I dreamt of being not only a songwriter but a complete music producer, proficient in every aspect of music production. That’s what brought me to Los Angeles. 11 years later, I now lead an international team of my own, D-Jin Music, based in both LA and Beijing, producing music for hit TV series and movies. LA changed my life.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Giving up all my work to go back to school was certainly a struggle. I enrolled in both Musicians Institute and UCLA (for Film Scoring), determined to learn as much as possible. Studying both programs at the same time, managing the language barrier, plus cultural differences in a foreign land, it was a uniquely stressful experience. I was humbled, inspired, and motivated every day. I remember barely eating or sleeping. I spent every minute soaking up knowledge every way I could. It was a tireless pursuit.

After graduation, I was hit with a big reality check returning to work. The record label age was nearing its end, the industry was shifting, and I was caught in the middle. The new age of social media bubblegum songs, the rise of TV drama series OST music, and the record label industry’s continuous fall, all the changes hit me right in the head. I spent years lost in the shuffle, unsure of what I could do. Eventually, I decided to focus honing my arranging and music production skills, no matter what it took. I became a music producer for a few TV series, even winning a “Producer of the Year” award for my music in “Little Daddy”. Even so, my reputation in the market was free falling as I struggled to adapt myself to the industry.

From 2016 on, as the market and audience for the TV industry matured, I was ready. I was basically starting from scratch competing against established OST composers, but I proved myself by writing and producing a bunch of hits in that span, including “Sweet Sixteen”, “Lost Love in Times”, and “The Wandering Earth”. I also wrote several songs for video games like “Honor of Kings” and “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds”. I started producing music for a wide array of artists again while also writing and producing music for TV shows, including several seasons of “The Voice”, where many of my works scored top chart positions. It was a long road crafting and searching my path and possibilities in the ever-shifting industry, and I finally did it.

For me, the biggest takeaway from all my experiences was – I learnt how to learn. Music is a never-ending journey. I always view every new project as an opportunity to improve myself. I’m still learning to this day. It’s addictive. Conversations with musical greats, case studies, online tutorials, attending seminars (e.g. Mix With The Masters in France), I continue to learn every day.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I founded D-Jin Music in 2018, focusing on music production for TV series and movies. I serve as lead producer and music director in my team. I believe that individuals are never enough – it always takes a strong, consistent team to deliver. We have built an experienced team ready to write, orchestrate, record, mix, and produce various genres of TV and film music, and my main role is to set the musical vision for every project, then manage and lead the team through our work.

I’m proud of the team’s work. We got some great results as we establish ourselves in the field. Our international makeup allows us to excel in different genres, including period dramas, romantic comedies, fantasy, mystery, idol dramas, etc. In recent years we’ve produced several TV hits, including “Go Ahead” (2020 NetEase OST Overall #1), “The Sword and the Brocade”, “Le Coup de Foudre”, “I’ve Fallen For You”, “My Little Happiness”, and “The Long Ballad” – the 49-episode epic drama which just finished its run on air. Our work has been successful in movies too, including “Detective Chinatown 3” and “A Writer’s Odyssey”, featuring my own compositions as well as Saji, our exclusive artist. Commercially we’ve done well too. Our songs consistently top the charts – on good months, we regularly hold 8 out of the top 10 spots on all major music streaming charts.

Right now, our core team has about 20 staff, including musicians and team personnel from China, US, Spain, Austria, Mexico, Korea, and Japan. We are focused on our direction and vision, producing great international music for our clients.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I feel my passion for music and my thirst to keep improving on every aspect of music production that forms the basis for everything. I still get joy from that everyday. I think if one were to ever lose that, music would become meaningless. We might still produce work that sounds ok, but it would be soulless, repetitive, perfunctory work. And that’s when the market will leave us behind.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/djinmusic
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/Cr1XZIVXTho