About David Choi
David Choi is a Los Angeles–based composer, songwriter, producer, and music publisher whose work spans film, television, and global brand campaigns. His music has been featured in commercials for brands including Disney, Kellogg’s, the American Cancer Society, GE, Google, Samsung, Toyota, and many others.
As a composer and producer, his work has appeared in the Emmy-winning series Ted Lasso, Netflix’s Finding ‘Ohana (which ranked among the platform’s top 8% most-watched titles), and award-winning films by director Justin Chon including Ms. Purple and Gook, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. More recently he has composed music for television series including The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys, Wylde Pak and Kung Fu, and his songs have been featured in Ginny & Georgia, Black Doves and Our Blues.
Choi’s journey in the music industry began in 2004 while interning and composing music for television projects at a music production studio in North Hollywood. In 2006, he was discovered and signed by industry veteran Judy Stakee, then Senior Vice President at Warner Chappell Music. Stakee is known for discovering and developing major artists and producers including Katy Perry, Sheryl Crow, Joy Williams, and John Shanks. Under her mentorship, Choi refined his craft as a songwriter and producer.
Born on March 22, 1986 in Anaheim, California, Choi is Korean-American. In December 2006 his song “YouTube (A Love Song)” was featured on YouTube’s homepage, and he is widely credited as the first Asian American musician on YouTube, and the first Korean-American musician on the platform.
That same year, he also emerged as one of the early pioneers of the YouTube music movement, building an audience of nearly one million subscribers and helping shape the platform’s early music creator ecosystem. During this period he founded the independent record company CHOIS MUSIC, INC., releasing music that has collectively generated more than 125 million streams and video views, with multiple songs charting on Billboard.
As an artist, Choi has released five studio albums and collaborated with acclaimed musicians including Sean Hurley (John Mayer, Gwen Stefani, Ringo Starr) and Victor Indrizzo (Willie Nelson, Avril Lavigne, Gnarls Barkley). His performances have captivated audiences worldwide, blending heartfelt melodies with jazz, pop, and folk influences. Alongside his solo work, he has also written and produced with artists such as Kina Grannis, Imaginary Future, Macy Gray, The Cheetah Girls, Maudy Ayunda, Nataly Dawn, Auburn, and Ryan Higa.
Beyond his work in music, Choi has also built ventures in the creator economy. He co-founded and served as CEO of Content Creators, Inc., a venture-backed technology company that developed tools to help digital creators generate revenue and was later acquired.
Today, Choi is the founder and President of CHOIS MUSIC, a music publishing and administration company representing songs behind major hits across Asia, Europe, and the United States. Through CHOIS MUSIC, he works with artists, music publishers, rights owners, and societies to manage and monetize music rights across global digital platforms.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is David Choi?
- David Choi is a Korean-American music composer, Korean American singer-songwriter, music producer, YouTuber and content creator, music publisher and music tech entrepreneur based in Los Angeles. He writes music for film, television and brand campaigns, releases his own albums and singles, co-founded a creator-economy technology company, and runs the music publishing company CHOIS MUSIC, INC.
- Was David Choi the first Asian American musician on YouTube?
- Yes. David Choi is widely credited as the first Asian American musician on YouTube, and the first Korean-American musician on the platform. His song "YouTube (A Love Song)" was featured on the YouTube homepage in December 2006, and his channel grew to nearly one million subscribers.
- What TV shows and films has David Choi composed music for?
- His music appears in Ted Lasso, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys, Wylde Pak, Kung Fu, Psych and Cougar Town on television, and in the films Finding Ohana, Gook, Ms. Purple, Peppermint and Twinsters, among others. The full list is on the Credits page.
- What albums has David Choi released?
- Only You (2008), By My Side (2010), Forever and Ever (2011), Stories of You's and Me (2015) and The David Choi Christmas Album (2016), plus the David & Kina EP and singles including Valentines, I Choose Happiness, Chill Tonight, Bank Account, Darling I Love You, You Turned One and My Belle (2026).
- What is CHOIS MUSIC?
- CHOIS MUSIC, INC. is the music publishing and rights administration company David Choi founded and leads as president. It represents songs behind hits across Asia, Europe and the United States and works with artists, publishers, rights owners and collecting societies.
- How can I license David Choi's music or hire him to compose?
- Use the contact form on this site for scoring, licensing, sync and publishing inquiries.