Soy Kim holds the position of head of North America, music and podcasts content strategy at YouTube. Both bicultural and bilingual, she initiated first-in-market collaborations between the U.S. and Korea. Her background includes developing record-breaking campaigns for artists such BTS, Chloe and Halle, John Legend, and Baby Keem.
She spent time at Spotify, doing algorithmic discovery, audience development, and industry education. Her experience includes B2C/B2B marketing, global GTM, fan marketing, content strategy and distribution (music, film and television), and international business strategy across the U.S. and Korea.
Kim believes in paying it forward, and is proud mentor for the Asian American Collective and the GRAMMYU program as a member of the Recording Academy.
Have you seen progress in the music industry as far as AAPI representation?
When I speak to mentors who came before me, they often share stories of having been “the only” in rooms where they were present. While there’s still more work to be done, it’s encouraging to see brilliant AAPI leaders rising up across the greater music business and knocking down barriers for the next gen – like Wendy Ong (president, TaP Music), Kathy Baker (director, head of U.S. label partnerships, YouTube), and Mike Van (CEO, Billboard), to name a few. Second, there is a growing, global appetite for AAPI artists, culture, and content in parallel with a deep interest from artists and fans alike leaning in to reclaim, learn, and honor their heritage. We’re at the precipice of redefining what is celebrated on the global main stage, and I hope we continue to work towards this shared goal with intention.
What do you think is the most pressing issue the AAPI community is facing?
Greater collaboration and less fragmentation are needed within – and beyond – the greater AAPI community. We are stronger when we work together. There is much we can learn from other communities who are also building across cultures, borders, and languages, and we should actively partner to avoid an echo chamber effect. Moreover, AAPI professionals and artists alike should not be boxed into genres or opportunities that are solely tied to their heritage, nor should AAPI art only be championed during the month of May. I look forward to the day when more music, sports, TV, film, fashion reflect back the composition of the consumers who are actively leaning into it. Finally, it’s important to recognize that the AAPI community is not a monolith. There is a spectrum of identities and over 40 languages and dialects spoken in the umbrella of what is considered “AAPI,” and that is what makes the community so beautiful.
