Top Music Producers

Music producers are a vital component of the industry. Their skills can touch on a wide area, from songwriting and recording to artist development and even music promotion. Searching online for the keyword music producers near me will likely return hundreds of results, as they tend to be plentiful in every city. However, not all music producers are created equal.

There are those whose skills have helped to shape the music industry into what it is today, and are still influencing its direction. Among them includes those super-famous music producers, who have transcended borders and worked with diverse artists from all around the world. Names like Quincy Jones, Nile Rodgers, George Martin, Berry Gordy, and Babyface are considered some of the best music producers of all time, having set the stage for modern music and created sounds that continue to be replicated by today’s artists.

To focus on the body of work by these and other famous music producers would take up an enormous amount of time. Instead, this article will zoom in on some of the current influential music producers from some of the cities notorious for their music scenes, among them London, Toronto, Houston, Nashville, Los Angeles, and New York. Here goes...

Music Producers in New York

The Alchemist: Born with the name Daniel Alan Maman, the Alchemist is one of the best known producers in New York City today, especially on the hip-hop scene. This is ironic since he was born and raised in the more laidback locale of Beverly Hills, California. His rise to an A-list hip hop music producer in New York goes back to the 1990s while still living in California.

Back then, the music prodigy joined up with a classmate to form the duo Whooliganz. While that project failed, the Alchemist’s association with DJ Muggs of Cypress Hills led him to start producing tracks for Mobb Deep, an act from Queens, New York. His work on their 1999 album Murda Muzik, opened the door to numerous opportunities to work with many of New York’s top rap talent over the following years. These include Nas, Jadakiss, Infamous Mobb, Cam’Ron, and a host of other musicians. Most recently, Alchemist has produced records for artists such as Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent, Rick Ross and many others.

DJ Premier: Here is another music producer linked to hip hop and New York. This is understandable with the city being credited as the place where the genre emerged. DJ Premier’s track record as a producer of note stretches back to the 1990s when Notorious B.I.G. roamed the streets. Born Christopher Edward Martin, Premier was also part of the popular duo Gang Starr and produced seminal tracks for Jay-Z, Nas, and a host of other top acts. His mastery of music arose out of his prowess of fusing Jazz and Funk with hip-hop and his ability to use techniques such as scratching. Later on in his career, he has even worked with pop acts such as Christina Aguilera, all while being credited for helping to define the New York hip-hop sound.

Music Producers in Los Angeles

Harvey Mason Jr.: If you happen to be in La La Land and searching for a top music producer, names such as Diplo and Rick Rubin may be easily thrown around. And those are absolutely great music producers who deserve as much mention as any other. However, Harvey Mason Jr. is another great who you may also want to consider working with.

Owner of Harvey Mason Media, his own independent music and film production company, Harvey has been a driving force in music and film for many years. Hundreds of artists have entrusted him with their music, including the likes of Backstreet Boys, Beyonce, Chris Brown, Aretha Franklin, Justin Timberlake, and many more. Being highly regarded in the music industry, Harvey has been elected to the board of directors of the Los Angeles chapter of The Recording Academy (Grammy Awards).

Jeff Bhasker: As one of the most versatile modern music producers, Jeff Bhasker has landed hits in a number of genres. He first came to prominence in 2008 when he worked on Kanye West’s 808s and Heartbreak. Later on, Bhasker was landing hits on pop and R&B tracks such as “Just Give Me a Reason” by P!nk, “Locked Out Of Heaven” by Bruno Mars, and “This Girl Is On Fire” by Alicia Keys. During 2013, he was regarded as one of the most dominant producers in the business, scoring numerous Billboard hits and getting his hands on a Song of the Year Grammy Award.

Music Producers in Nashville

Nathan Chapman: One of the most successful and best known music producers in Music City, Nathan Chapman worked on some of the biggest Country hits for a young Taylor Swift. In fact, he was a virtual unknown before lending his musical talent to the albums Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, and 1989. This association with Swift landed Chapman two Album of the Year Grammy Awards and plenty of recognition. Other notable acts he has produced music for include Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Canadian Country star Shania Twain, and Australian Country singer Keith Urban. He has also copped numerous other trophies, such as Dove and American Music awards. Oh, Chapman is also a session musician who plays the guitar, banjo and mandolin.

Michael Wagener: Although born in Germany, Wagener’s contribution to the music industry has come about mostly from his time spent in Nashville. Remarkably, his body of work was not in Country (the main genre in Nashville). Instead, he made his mark in the Rock genre, selling over 94 million albums worldwide in the process. His credits include hits by Metallica, Motley Crue, and Ozzy osbourne. Having settled in Nashville permanently, these days Wagener is attracting all types of talent to the so-called Music City, from as far away as Europe and all across the U.S.

WE ARE MORE THAN A MUSIC PRODUCTION SOURCE. TUNEDLY ALSO OFFERS PUBLISHING OPPORTUNITIES AND OTHER EXTRAS. CHECK OUT OUR TOP FEATURES.

Music Producers in Houston

Happy Perez: Houston has a vibrant music scene and right in the middle of it is Happy Perez. In fact, the music producer has a fairy-tale-like story. His journey started with a $20 Casio Keyboard, which led to him landing at the famous No Limit Records with Master P. From there, Perez’s career took off and he has not looked back. His credits include chart-topping recordings for a number of popular artists, such as Chamillionaire and Baby Bash, among others. Perez has also put out his own mixtape, which has done reasonably well, and snagged several notable awards.

Mike Dean: As one of the most enduring music producers in the game, Mike Dean has seen it all, starting from the 90s to present day. The Houston native got his start rather humbly - mixing and mastering music at Rap-A-Lot Records. His credits include some of the biggest songs recorded by hip-hop superstars, as well as pop artists, ranging from Tupac, Jay-Z, Travis Scott, and Kanye West to Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, and Teyana Taylor. He has taken home major accolades too, copping several Grammy and BET Awards during the course of his career. His achievements have not slowed him down; in 2018, for example, he was widely regarded as one of the most productive music producers, working on new music for Migos, Nas, and Kanye, to name a few.

Music Producers in Toronto

WondaGurl: What do Big Sean, Travis Scott, Jay-Z, Drake and Kayne West all have in common? They all have had hits produced by Ebony Naomi Oshunrinde aka WondaGurl! Hailing from Toronto, she is one of the youngest female producers who has managed to add her talents to several platinum-selling hip-hop albums. She’s also made a name for herself in trap and R&b music. At only 22 years old (turning 23 this December), she has achieved plenty for someone at such a tender age. In 2018, for instance, WondaGurl was included in the 30 under 30 list by Forbes.

Boi-1da: Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Matthew Jehu Samuels aka Boi-1da has left a trail of hits in his wake as a Toronto music producer. Much of his best work stems from his association with Drake’s OVO Sound. However, he has crafted hits for the likes of Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and Jay-Z, among others. His talent lies mainly in his dancehall roots. He helped to create “Work” by Rihanna featuring Drake and “Controlla” by Drake, both dancehall-laced tracks. Boi-1da also has a hand in many hip-hop tunes and has been Grammy-nominated several times for awards in the genre.

Music Producers in London

Tre Jean-Marie: One of the top music producers in London at the moment, Tre jean-Marie has done a lot of great work in a short period of time. For starters, he was the mind behind “One More Time” by Craig David and, at only 26 years old, he has quite a few notches on his belt. He has worked with a variety of popular artists, to include Little Mix, Labrinth A$AP Rocky, and Mabel among others. Tre is also quite business-savvy, being the owner of a music publishing company.

MNEK: At only 25 years old, Uzoechi Emenike aka MNEK has made quite a name for himself while racking up several accolades and awards. A singer, as well as a songwriter and producer, he has worked with several big-name artists, including Beyonce, Madonna, Naughty Boy, Clean Bandit, Little Mix, and Kylie Minogue, among many others. His work has been on top of several charts and he has been nominated for major awards, including the Grammys. MNEK is also a recipient of the ASCAP Vanguard Award.

There you have it, some of the top names in music production circles at the moment. Connecting with music producers near me of note is not difficult when you live in the cities mentioned above. If you live in remote locations, however (which is the case for most music creators), it might be way more challenging. Fortunately, you can connect with top music producers online for your projects as well.

WE ARE MORE THAN A MUSIC PRODUCTION SOURCE. TUNEDLY ALSO OFFERS PUBLISHING OPPORTUNITIES AND OTHER EXTRAS. CHECK OUT OUR TOP FEATURES.