From virtual popstar to producer – How RMIT helped Winnie find her voice in music

Winnie Jiang, known online as Aoqiye, has billions of streams under her belt. Now, graduating from a Bachelor of Arts (Music Industry) is helping her take her music to the next level.

Music has always been more than just sound for Winnie Jiang; it is a lifelong journey of self-expression and discovery. Starting classical piano lessons at just three years old, Winnie says music was always part of her DNA.

"Music is one of the most profound ways I communicate with the world. It has always held a special attraction for me for as long as I can remember," she recalls.

By the time she was eleven, Winnie had completed her first song.

While still in primary school, she created a virtual persona called “Aoqiye”. Originally, the pseudonym was just a way to stay anonymous online, but it eventually grew into a musical alter ego with a global fanbase.

As of 2025, Winnie’s songs have amassed over 4.1 billion streams and 700K followers across major platforms including Spotify and Chinese streaming platform NetEase Cloud Music. Her viral single 是想你的声音啊 has reached 15 million+ streams on Spotify and 20 million+ views on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.

"Through this persona, I gained the courage to pursue my dream of becoming a musician," she explains.

For several years after gaining success, Winnie continued to keep her online music career a secret.

“I didn’t want my family to know I was active online as a singer, so I kept using this anonymous virtual persona. It wasn’t until university, when my family finally accepted my music career, that I began showing my face and transitioning into a public identity as a real-life performer.”

While her success has brought Winnie happiness, she says there is also a sense of responsibility that comes with it, and she feels inspired to grow and to hold herself to higher standards.

“The positive responses are powerful motivation and knowing that so many people enjoy my music really pushes me,” Winnie says.

Her desire to develop her music led Winnie to study a Bachelor of Arts (Music Industry) at RMIT. She is set to graduate with her degree in December.

Winnie says the program has provided the creative freedom and critical thinking skills essential to her development.

This kind of environment is essential for creating art that resonates. The atmosphere here is relaxed and open-minded. Students are not judged for unusual ideas, instead, teachers praise them.

It’s this creative encouragement Winnie received throughout her studies that empowered her to fuse diverse musical influences into her own distinctive style.

“Exposure to different genres has been vital in shaping my style. My music often reflects a mix of anime and video game soundtracks, Chinese influences, and the classical piano training I received from a young age,” Winnie says.

During her degree, Winnie’s practical skills flourished. Learning to use advanced digital audio workstations, such as Ableton Live, introduced her to new worlds of electronic and beat-based production. This has made her music more versatile and innovative.

She also discovered the value of integrating research with practice. Studying the careers of predecessors gave her both cautionary lessons and inspiration. Sometimes, entirely fresh ideas sparked from what she learned.

“I don’t usually follow a fixed formula when blending influences. For me, music creation is about inspiration and expression. While this sometimes means my songs don’t always align with “market rules,” I value the freedom to combine whatever elements come to mind.”

Facing setbacks like unexpected software failures that erased years of demos, Winnie remains passionately committed to music. Her graduation project at RMIT is her first entirely self-produced EP.

This marks the first time I have fully produced a project on my own; writing, composing, arranging, recording, and producing every track. It feels like a new beginning.

As she plans for future releases and dreams of taking her music to audiences in live settings, Winnie urges aspiring musicians to be clear about what they want and to know what RMIT’s program can offer.

"If you choose this path, move forward with confidence and do not hesitate or look back," she says.

For Winnie, RMIT has been much more than a university. It has been a catalyst for growth, resilience, and the freedom to create music that resonates worldwide.

“My goal is to create work that is more mature, more meaningful, and worthy of those who support my music.”

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Listen to Winnie's music Spotify or follow her on Instagram.

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