Meet Snow Jiang: singer, songwriter, and fearless CEO of Cheerful Music. Since 2019, she’s been breaking borders between Chinese and Western pop, turning her label into a global launchpad for artists. In this interview with LOCK, Snow opens up about creativity, leadership, and her mission to “fill the world with music.”
Tell us a bit about your career so far and how you secured the role you’re in today.
I’ve had a deep passion for music since I was very young, and in 2010, I took my first major step into the industry by signing with a record label and beginning my journey as a singer. While pursuing music, I also explored entrepreneurship in fields like coffee and skincare, driven by a desire to grow into a globally minded female business leader. Those ventures came with challenges, but they ultimately helped me recognize my core strengths and reaffirm that my true calling has always been in music. With years of industry experience behind me, I decided to establish my own record label and step into the role of CEO, allowing me to shape projects with a broader, more international vision. As the company developed, I became increasingly committed to building a stronger bridge between Chinese and Western music markets—introducing more Chinese music to global audiences while creating pathways for outstanding international artists to enter China. To further this mission, I established a UK branch, positioning the company on a more international stage and enabling deeper cultural exchange and creative collaboration.
How do you ensure that your job doesn’t burn you out mentally?
Music has never been just a career for me—it has always been a source of grounding and emotional clarity. Even during the most demanding periods of my life, it’s something that brings me strength and a sense of calm. Whenever I’m creating or performing, that level of immersion feels almost therapeutic, as if I’m rediscovering meaning in the midst of exhaustion. But of course, passion alone doesn’t make all challenges disappear. I’ve dealt with anxiety, burnout and moments of uncertainty, which pushed me to develop a more mature way of navigating pressure. I’ve created what I call my own “balance system”: during intense work phases, I allow myself to give everything; and when fatigue sets in, I make it a rule to pause—whether that means taking a short trip, stepping away from work entirely, or simply sitting quietly with a piece of music I love. These moments help me reset and return with a full sense of energy and purpose.
Cheerful Music has built a bridge between Chinese and Western pop scenes. What inspired this cross-cultural vision in the first place?
This cross-cultural vision really began with my observations of how different the music ecosystems are in China and overseas. They operate almost like two completely separate worlds—Chinese audiences are on platforms like QQ Music and NetEase, while international listeners are on Spotify and Apple Music. Because of this divide, many great songs struggle to travel beyond their own markets. We often see hugely popular Chinese artists with almost no visibility abroad, while some artists who barely register internationally suddenly find strong traction in China. To me, this gap signals an enormous space that simply hasn’t been connected yet. At the same time, the rise of K-pop has been deeply inspiring. It blends Eastern aesthetics with Western pop sensibilities so effectively that Korean-language music can dominate global charts. It made me think: if Korean music can achieve that, why can’t Chinese music? These observations are what motivated me to build a bridge—to help Chinese music finds its way out into the world, and to invite more international artists into China. Music was never meant to have boundaries, and through Cheerful Music, I hope we can be a part of breaking those boundaries.
The company started in Shenzhen and now has a London office. How do those two creative cultures influence each other within your team and your music?
Our teams in Shenzhen and London embody two very different creative energies. The China team excels in crafting music rooted in Chinese aesthetics and trends that resonate with the local youth, while the UK team brings extensive experience in EDM, dance, Afro and other mainstream Western genres. Instead of creating conflict, these differences actually broaden our creative vocabulary. Shenzhen is a fast-paced, highly dynamic city filled with multidisciplinary talent, which constantly pushes the team to experiment and innovate. Meanwhile, London’s cultural depth and global perspective allow us to connect with top-tier Western artists and participate in major industry events like TGE, ADE and SXSW, further strengthening our international presence. The cultural interplay between the two offices has become an organic part of our workflow—our songwriting has become more open, our production more globally aligned, and our marketing and brand storytelling naturally more international. This fusion is what gives our music the real potential to “go global” while also creating opportunities to bring diverse global sounds into China.
Many of your hits blend languages and styles seamlessly. What’s your process for identifying songs or artists that have true international appeal?
When it comes to selecting songs or artists, we’ve always upheld a simple but firm principle: international listening appeal comes first. On one hand, our team keeps a close eye on global music trends; on the other, we rely heavily on the expertise—and intuition—of our producers and A&R leads. There are two qualities we value above all: a melody that’s instantly memorable, and a voice with unmistakable character. If a track meets those two criteria, its potential to travel across cultures is already there, regardless of language or genre. Our A&R teams in China and the UK come from diverse backgrounds with vastly different musical tastes, which actually makes our evaluation process more balanced and globally minded. Whenever we receive a demo, everyone listens, discusses, and votes together. Only when the entire A&R team believes a song has genuine potential do we move forward with licensing or collaboration. This multicultural, multi-perspective process is what enables us to identify voices that can truly be heard on the world stage.
You’ve mentioned sync opportunities (film, TV, games). How do you see the future of music licensing evolving for global artists?
The global music licensing market is expanding at remarkable speed, especially as film, TV, gaming, and short-form video increasingly rely on music to drive emotion and storytelling. Content producers are looking for tracks with strong identity and cross-cultural appeal—qualities that present a tremendous opportunity for Chinese music. Our presence in both China and the UK is very intentional: we want to bring more Chinese-language works into the global sync ecosystem, enabling them to be used in international films, series, games, and beyond. Sync has become a major engine for music globalization, and at Cheerful Music, our goal is to make Chinese music heard worldwide. Going forward, multilingual and cross-cultural collaborations will only grow in demand, and creators around the world are already seeking out Chinese elements more proactively. This trend is opening new doors for global artists and shaping a future where East-West fusion becomes part of mainstream storytelling.
As the founder and CEO, how do you balance business strategy with creative instinct?
For me, business strategy and creative instinct are two sides of the same coin, each supporting the other. Creative instinct tells me which tracks have potential and which voices can truly resonate with listeners, while business strategy allows me to transform that potential into sustainable growth. In day-to-day operations, I focus on cultivating the team’s market awareness, evaluating the feasibility of projects, and then combining those insights with my own business instincts to make final decisions. This approach enables us to preserve the unique character of our music while ensuring the long-term stability of the label. I firmly believe that being an exceptional creator and a capable entrepreneur are not mutually exclusive—the key is learning to strike the right balance between data and instinct, turning creativity into tangible results, and helping music reach further and wider audiences.
Cheerful has achieved remarkable global recognition, including being featured in a Harvard Business School case study — how did that experience shape your leadership perspective?
Cheerful Music’s inclusion as a Harvard case study reflects our unique approach to global music innovation. That experience made me realize that a CEO’s role goes far beyond managing a company—it’s about building bridges across cultures, understanding the language of global markets, and bringing Chinese music into international narratives. For me, the Harvard case isn’t just an honor; it’s a mirror that clarifies what’s required of me as a female CEO: to lead the team with a broader perspective, clearer values, and stronger global dialogue skills. Practically, this means I often take our production team from China abroad to experience and learn from different music cultures, while also inviting artists from around the world to China to participate in our international songwriting camps, fostering creative exchange and collaboration across borders.
As a female leader in a male-dominated industry, what challenges have you faced, and how have you turned them into strengths?
In the music industry and many business settings, female leaders are still relatively rare, which is why we’ve been actively cultivating women in management roles. In fact, the majority of our team in the UK office are women. Personally, I advocate for a more flexible, empathetic style of leadership. The greatest strength of female leadership lies in sensitivity and the ability to balance rationality with emotional intelligence. This is especially important in the music industry, where creativity and emotional connection are key—applying a traditional, high-pressure management approach to young talent often stifles their creativity and motivation. By fostering an environment that values understanding and collaboration, we can help our artists and teams thrive while maintaining high standards and driving innovation.
Cheerful has a reputation for being bold and tech-savvy. How do you use innovation to stay ahead in such a fast-moving industry?
Personally, I see myself more as a pioneer than a follower—I’m willing to explore areas others are hesitant or unwilling to venture into. In today’s era of AI, that means experimenting with AI-generated music, virtual artists, and immersive AI-powered performances. Take AI voices, for example—a topic that’s sparked considerable debate. We proactively engage with artists on licensing and usage of their voices, ensuring fair compensation. Our aim is not only to respect artists’ vocal rights but also to establish healthier industry standards for managing voice assets in the future, setting a precedent for responsible innovation in the music world.
What advice would you give to young women looking to break into music, whether as creatives or entrepreneurs?
I would offer three pieces of advice. First, trust your own judgment. In this industry, people will always tell you what you should or shouldn’t do, but you have to believe in your own aesthetic, intuition, and choices. Ten years ago, many around me said I wasn’t suited to be a singer, yet I chose to trust myself—and that decision laid the foundation for Cheerful Music today. Second, confidence is your core strength. You have to believe that you can excel and be willing to step onto the stage and show the world what you can do. Finally, never see your gender as a limitation; see it as a source of power. You don’t need to emulate anyone else—you need to be yourself, and fully embrace the unique person that only you can be.
And finally — if you could describe Cheerful Music’s mission in one sentence to a young artist discovering you for the first time, what would you say?
At Cheerful Music, our mission is to build cultural bridges through music—we want to help more people hear your voice, your music. It’s exactly what our slogan embodies: “fill the world with music”.