Berklee Grad Susanne Phan Makes Waves in LA’s Music Production Scene

In the heart of Burbank’s Media District, Susanne Phan works her magic at Igloo Music Studios. The Swedish-Vietnamese audio engineer and music producer has become a rising figure in Hollywood’s competitive sound industry, her fingers expertly manipulating faders and knobs to craft audio for blockbuster productions.

Susanne’s journey to Tinseltown began in Sweden, where she grew up surrounded by a unique blend of musical influences. Her Vietnamese heritage exposed her to a variety of sounds, laying the foundation for her future career. This multicultural background caught the attention of Berklee College of Music, who awarded her a scholarship to study contemporary writing and production.

After graduation, Susanne took a leap of faith and moved to LA. Her gamble paid off when she landed a gig working on “Babylon” (2022) at Igloo Music, collaborating with Noah Hubbell as an engineer and producer. This breakthrough opened doors to other high-profile projects, including “The Color Purple” (2023), “Dick The Musical”, “The Glory”, and co-producing “Welcome to Flatch” Season 2.

Now based at the Grammy-winning Igloo Music Studios, Susanne’s expertise spans multi-channel film mixes, ADR, voice-over, sound design, and live music production. The facility buzzes with creativity, its halls echoing with snippets of dialogue and soaring scores as Phan and her colleagues work on projects for major studios like Netflix, Disney, Paramount, and Warner Brothers.

But it’s not all Hollywood glamour. Long nights and tight deadlines are part of the job, pushing the growing artist and engineer to constantly hone her skills. Her passion for audio engineering shines through in her pet project, Igloo + Sessions. As head producer and creative director, she’s creating a platform for global artists to showcase their talents through live video recorded sessions.

Susanne’s multi-instrumental background gives her a unique edge in the studio. Her ability to understand musical composition and arrangement from both a technical and creative standpoint has made her a valuable asset in an industry always hungry for fresh perspectives.

As the LA sun sets, painting the sky in cinematic hues, Susanne is often still hard at work. The city’s iconic palm trees sway outside, a silent audience to the audio magic happening within. For this sound alchemist, every day brings new challenges and opportunities to shape the soundscapes of tomorrow’s hit films and TV shows.

In the ever-evolving world of Hollywood sound production, Susanne Phan is carving out her own unique path. From her early days in Sweden to her current role at the forefront of audio engineering, Phan’s journey is a testament to the power of diverse backgrounds in shaping the future of entertainment. As she continues to work on high-profile projects and nurture global talent through Igloo + Sessions, Susanne Phan isn’t just engineering sound – she’s helping to produce the very soundtrack of modern cinema.

Follow and connect with Suanne Phan via her website or Instagram.