HOYO-MiX

HOYO-MiX is a musical group and music studio under miHoYo, primarily responsible for producing songs and soundtracks for various miHoYo games, including the Honkai series, Tears of Themis, and Genshin Impact. The studio is headed by Cai Jinhan, miHoYo's music director.

Although HOYO-MiX consists of several groups of people working on different game projects, they are mostly credited as "HOYO-MiX" as a whole in their works on streaming platforms.

Etymology
In an interview with Shanghai Morning Post, Cai Jinhan mentioned that the name "HOYO-MiX" is actually "miHoYo" spelled backward, and "MiX" refers to audio mixing. In "HOYO-MiX," only the letter "i" is lowercase, symbolizing the individual, as "we both respect the individual and serve the collective, which is because we are the music department of miHoYo, and serving the product is essential."

History
In 2011, a Vocaloid music group called "Hatsune Squadron" (初音战队), consisting of Cai Jinhan, Zheng Xiaoyu (Zheng Yujie), and Xia Yihan, composed the theme song "Gradually Collapsing Hatsune Miku" (日渐崩溃的初音未来) for the manga "Gradually Collapsing World" (日渐崩坏的世界). The copyright for this song was later acquired by miHoYo, thus the three joined miHoYo to establish the "HOYO-MiX" studio. Cai Jinhan took on the role of HOYO-MiX leader while also serving as the music director for miHoYo. Subsequently, the studio began creating soundtracks for various games under miHoYo.

The first OST album released by HOYO-MiX was Honkai World Diva - Guns Girl Z OST on November 11, 2014. Since then, they have produced numerous albums and singles, including over 20 albums for Genshin Impact alone. These albums feature a variety of tracks, such as regional music, boss themes, battle themes, character trailers, and event-specific tracks.

The members of each game's music team, including the producer (a.k.a. team leader), are not unchanged. After the establishment of the Genshin Impact project, Cai Jinhan invited Chen Yupeng to produce the original soundtrack for Genshin Impact. In June 2020, Chen Yupeng officially joined HOYO-MiX as the music producer for Genshin Impact. In the early stages of music production for Genshin Impact, Chen Yupeng was primarily responsible. As the game's world expanded to include the Inazuma region, other music composers such as Yuan Dimeng joined the creative process. For the Sumeru region, music production involved Zhao Xin, Jiang Yijun, and other music composers. By the time of the Fontaine region, HOYO-MiX had established a comprehensive creative system and completed music production in the absence of Chen Yupeng's involvement. On September 12, 2023, Chen Yupeng announced his departure from miHoYo and the HOYO-MiX team to continue pursuing his musical dreams; the music producer role is succeeded by Yuan Dimeng, who also came from Chen's studio.

Collaborations
In 2017, HOYO-MiX collaborated with Japanese pianist and singer Mika Kobayashi to release singles such as Girl Inside and Honkai World Diva. Within half a month of their release, these singles entered the NetEase Cloud Music charts, with the remixed version of the theme song "Honkai World Diva" also making it to the top 10. Since 2017, HOYO-MiX has collaborated with various singers, including Mika Kobayashi, Chalili, Shang Wenjie, Tanya Chua, Hanser, Sa Dingding, Tia Ray, Hu Xia, Weep Clouds (雲の泣), Zhou Shen, TetraCalyx, Huang Xiaoyun, Ayanga, Huang Ling, Yusuf, Paolo Andrea Di Pietro, Lea Sirk, Anthony Lynch, Jonathan Steingard, Cécilia Cara, Yang Yang, Tan Weiwei, Liu Huan, Jason Zhang, Jake Miller, Kosei Nishiyama, and Jooyoung.

Starting from 2020, HOYO-MiX collaborated with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra to produce music for the game Genshin Impact and released multiple Genshin Impact original soundtracks.

Music Performances
In an interview in April 2021, Chen Yupeng revealed his plan to organize "offline music related activities, including concerts" in the future. Following this announcement, HOYO-MiX initiated a series of annual concerts, expanding their music performances to various countries.

On October 3, 2021, HOYO-MiX hosted their first Genshin Impact symphony concert, "GENSHIN CONCERT 2021 'Melodies of an Endless Journey,'" featuring the world-renowned Belgian conductor Dirk Brossé, the Flanders Symphony Orchestra, and musicians from various countries, including the United States and South Korea.

On October 5, 2021, HOYO-MiX hosted the Honkai Impact 3rd "Starfire Sonorant" commemorative performance, featuring singers such as Chalili, Shang Wenjie, Tanya Chua, Tia Ray, Mika Kobayashi, Hanser, TetraCalyx, and more.

On February 4, 2022, HOYO-MiX hosted the Genshin Impact "Reflections of Spring" symphony concert, featuring the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, and Yang Yang from the Shanghai Jingju Theatre Company.

On August 27, 2022, HOYO-MiX held the Honkai Impact 3rd "Dreamy Euphony" online concert, featuring the Xi'an Symphony Orchestra and singers like Huang Ling, Huang Xiaoyun, Hanser, Mika Kobayashi, MARiA (GARNiDELiA), Ding Shuang, and more.

On October 2, 2022, HOYO-MiX organized the Genshin Impact online concert "GENSHIN CONCERT 2022 'Melodies of an Endless Journey,'" in collaboration with the Hollywood Chamber Orchestra. Composer, arranger, and music producer Shiro Sagisu served as the music director, and conductor Eimear Noone conducted the performance.

In late 2022 to mid-2023, HOYO-MiX collaborated with Sony Music Solutions to host multiple "Genshin Symphony" concerts in Japan. These concerts featured orchestral renditions of songs from the Genshin Impact video game. Sachiko Miyano served as the music director. The Tokyo and Osaka performances were conducted by Ryo Nishiya, with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra performing on December 3, 2022, and January 29, 2023, respectively. The Yokohama and Nagoya performances were conducted by Kurita Hirofumi, with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra performing on February 11, 2023, and June 3, 2023, respectively.

On April 30, 2023, HOYO-MiX hosted the "Honkai: Star Rail Departure Festival," including symphonic music performances of several tracks from Honkai: Star Rail.

On July 29, 2023, HOYO-MiX organized the Honkai Impact 3rd online concert "Forest Capriccio," utilizing virtual production (VP) and extended reality (xR) technologies. Guest performers included Mika Kobayashi, Hanser, Huang Ling, Sa Dingding, Axis Neptune, Chongqing Grand Theatre Philharmonic Children's Choir, and more. This concert also marked its first physical theater screening, held at the "Guangdian Huashan Cinema" in Taipei and the "K11 Musea" in Hong Kong.

In late 2023 to early 2024, HOYO-MiX organized the Genshin Impact global symphony concert tour "GENSHIN CONCERT TOUR 'Melodies of an Endless Journey,'" performing in various cities including Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Chongqing, Changsha, Wuhan, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Guadalajara, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Osaka, Yokohama, Seoul, London, and Düsseldorf. The performing orchestras include: Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, Shanghai Opera House Chorus, Sfuture Art Troupe, Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra, Genshin Concert Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, and Arts Symphony Orchestra. Among them, the Genshin Concert Orchestra is a touring symphony orchestra co-organized by miHoYo, Sony Music Solutions, and AWR Music Productions. The first concert took place on September 29, 2023, at the Mercedes-Benz Cultural Center in Shanghai, and the final one took place on January 20, 2024, at the Mitsubishi Electric Halle in Düsseldorf, Germany. Italian singer and actor Paolo Andrea Di Pietro performed "Rhapsodia Roscida" and "Polumnia Omnia" at the shows in Osaka, Yokohama and Seoul.

On December 22, 2023, HOYO-MiX organized the Genshin Impact online concert "GENSHIN CONCERT 2023 'Melodies of an Endless Journey' – Scenic Vistas," in collaboration with the London Philharmonic Orchestra with many international guest musicians such as singers Yang Yang and Paolo Andrea Di Pietro. Composer and arranger Yasunori Nishiki served as the music director, and conductor Robert Ziegler conducted the performance.

On May 1, 2024, HOYO-MiX hosted the "Star Rail LIVE 2024" concert in Shanghai Oriental Sports Center. The concert including songs and symphonic music performances of several tracks from Honkai: Star Rail. The concert was also livestreamed globally.

Social Activities
On December 12, 2021, miHoYo's HOYO-MiX and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music jointly hosted the 2021 Shanghai Conservatory of Music International Digital Music Festival. The event included activities such as a summit forum on game music creation and the finals of a game music competition, leading to the establishment of the "Digital Music Professional Alliance." Professor An Dong from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, the artistic director of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music International Digital Music Festival, and a well-known composer, served as the director of the alliance. Cai Jinhan, the music director of miHoYo, served as the deputy director and deputy secretary-general. In March 2023, HOYO-MiX continued to host the second Shanghai Conservatory of Music International Digital Music Festival, upgrading the "Digital Music Professional Alliance" to the "Digital Music Audio Professional Committee."

Musical style
Former music producer of HOYO-MiX's Genshin Impact soundtrack, Chen Yupeng, expressed in an interview that the aim of the music is to touch the players and fully immerse them in the game world. "The music needs to have beautiful melodies, and it always sounds full of hope and passion. It brings out the poetic, beautiful and humanistic feelings within the listeners." The music producer of HOYO-MiX's Honkai: Star Rail soundtrack, Gong Qi, mentioned that the creation team places great emphasis on the combination of music and storyline. The purpose of the soundtrack's production is to enhance the narrative experience, making the gameplay more immersive, "like doing music design for an animated film." Manager of HOYO-MiX, Cai Jinhan, stated that each player's encounters and emotions during their journey are unique. "Making the music and the storyline complement each other, and accompany Trailblazers with just enough presence to witness this adventure into the stars, is our top priority in composition." In terms of character music, Cai Jinhan remarked that music is a new interpretation of characters, a process of re-creation, "to put it most simply, it is about 'purpose' and 'function.'" Additionally, to avoid auditory fatigue for players, the rhythm of most outdoor exploration music is very soothing and peaceful, and the duration is relatively short.

Genshin Impact chooses traditional orchestral music as its base, incorporating elements of world music on top of this foundation, and the music also adopts regional and cultural influences according to different areas in the game. Honkai: Star Rail selects a small orchestral ensemble to highlight the intricacy of melodies and the details in performance, while appropriately integrating electronic synthesizers and electronic percussion elements.

Influences
On platforms e.g. NetEase Cloud Music, HOYO-MiX's works have consistently ranked high on the ACG charts. On bilibili, the Genshin Impact online concert "Melodies of an Endless Journey" had over 3 million views. On YouTube, the concert had over 4 million views. Songs e.g. "Liyue", "Contemplation in Snow", and "Rapid as Wildfires" from Genshin Impact were included in the music library of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Several vocal tracks composed by HOYO-MiX have garnered widespread attention and appreciation. The game music "Devastation and Redemption" also known in cutscene as "The Divine Damsel of Devastation", composed by HOYO-MiX and performed by Yang Yang, an opera singer from the Shanghai Peking Opera Company, had over 15 million views within half a month of its release, attracting artists from various genres within the opera community for covers and adaptations. HOYO-MiX's collaboration with pop punk singer Jonathan Steingard on the Honkai: Star Rail battle track "Wildfire", was commented by The Loadout as making the game's iconic key battle scenes more profound; Eurogamer commentator Jessica Orr praised it for being pop rock yet endlessly listenable. HOYO-MiX's traditional Chinese-style vocal song "Samudrartha" for Honkai: Star Rail reached the top three on the bilibili charts on the day of its release, and achieved 8 million plays within a month on bilibili, with 3.64 million plays on YouTube. In addition to the single's spread, various covers and re-creations of the song are also widespread across the internet. The Beijing News praised it, saying "the shocking music, combined with the impactful visuals, captivates both gamers and music enthusiasts." In the 2021 Weibo Game Awards, the impression song "Rubia" for Honkai Impact 3rd, sung by Zhou Shen, won the Best Game Music of 2021.

Discography
(* denotes digital soundtracks that are yet to be released globally, with usually only a NetEase Cloud Music or QQ Music exclusive release in China or East Asia.)

Reception
HOYO-MiX's game music has received widespread positive reviews. Game Grape states that the character music in Genshin Impact brings aural "recognition," with each character's music attempting to create a unique soundtrack system that represents that character alone. The game's music not only possesses "purpose" and "functionality" but also has the "narrative ability" to tell the story of the characters. IGN reviews praise that in Genshin Impact, "the sights and sounds of this world are still a joy to behold, with breathtaking vistas around every corner and a memorable soundtrack to back them up." Stefania Netti from Eurogamer Italy regards the musical framework of Genshin Impact as "praiseworthy" and likens it to some of the music from the Final Fantasy series, such as Nobuo Uematsu's Prelude and To Zanarkand. Zackerie Fairfax from Screen Rant believes that "Teyvat is brought to life by Genshin Impact's beautiful soundtrack." "The orchestrated score celebrates the environment and seamlessly changes its tune depending on the setting which makes for some of the most memorable melodies." The Loadout's reviewer Aaron Down commends the music as one of miHoYo's strengths, with the game soundtrack of Honkai: Star Rail showing progress compared to miHoYo's previous games. A Gaming Bolt reviewer finds the excellent orchestral works and electronic music tracks in Honkai: Star Rail captivating. Francesco Corica from Spazio Games praises the quality of the soundtrack in Honkai: Star Rail, noting that the music for each plot segment leaves a lasting impression. Eurogamer's reviewer Jessica Orr applauds the music of Honkai: Star Rail for creating an immersive atmosphere, providing pleasant piano melodies, gentle chants, and lively electronic beats that correspond to different in-game scenes. Marco Wutz from GLHF on Sports Illustrated states that the environmental music and battle tracks of Honkai: Star Rail have been lingering in their mind, making it unforgettable.