A ghost producer is a musician who’s paid to create or work on a song that they never release themselves. Instead, they quietly sell the rights to the track to another artist. In a world where producers pride themselves on their sound design knowledge and production skills, fans and critics alike tend to look down on artists who use the services of ghost producers. However, ghost production can be an excellent source of revenue for artists who haven\u2019t yet built up a big brand, despite having the production chops to make professional-quality music. Sometimes, ghost production can even be a springboard to launch a budding producer\u2019s career.<\/p>\n
The controversy begs the question: what does music \u201cproduction\u201d itself actually mean? Sean Love Combs, the legendary producer formerly known as Puff Daddy, once famously quipped, \u201cI don\u2019t write beats, I write checks.\u201d Typically, those who might contract ghost producers have more to worry about than simply making the beat: their job might include selecting a producer to make a beat, then selecting a vocalist to record over it, then shopping the record, dealing with the label, marketing the release, handling rights administration, and a laundry list of other tasks that make the song a success. Even if you can identify some famous examples of artists who have used ghost producers, it\u2019s not cool \u2014 or accurate \u2014 to imply that the artist whose name is attached to the record is doing nothing but profiting from the ghost producer\u2019s creativity. Often times, music is a team sport.<\/p>\n
It should be noted that in this article, I’m not going to call out specific names of artists who may have contracted the services of ghost producers. I base this choice on the stigma that still exists against ghost production, despite my own personal belief that using a ghost producer is nothing to be ashamed of. Instead, let\u2019s give a little shine to three of the highest-profile artists who have (allegedly) worked as ghost producers throughout the course of their careers.<\/p>\n
Frequently cited as \u201cthe most famous EDM ghost producer,\u201d Maarten Vorwerk played a key role in the rapid proliferation of the festival house sound. That said, his Dutch electro house roots go all the way back to the turn of the millennium, when he released an official remix to the stone-cold classic \u201cSatisfaction.\u201d Vorwerk famously doesn\u2019t do DJ performances, choosing instead to remain in the studio cranking out bangers. Who can blame him?<\/p>\n