"American music made Chinese music sound like noise"
Would this be considered a simile? If so why?
No, it is not a simile.
http://literarydevices.net/simile/
Yes, "American music made Chinese music sound like noise" can be considered a simile because it uses the word "like" to directly compare American music to Chinese music. Similes are figures of speech that make comparisons using the words "like" or "as." In this case, the simile is used to convey the idea that American music had a negative effect on the perception of Chinese music.
To determine if a sentence is a simile, you can identify the presence of a comparison between two different things using "like" or "as." Similes are commonly used in literature, poetry, and everyday language to create imagery or convey meaning.