Using a ghost producer is very popular. Many musicians and DJs use them to help with their tracks, asking them to give their tune a final polish up before release.
A ghost producer can take an existing track for an artist and work closely with them to finalise the sound and feel of the music before it is released. They remain uncredited on the final release, with the artist paying a flat fee for the producer’s services. Several well-known DJs are rumoured to have used this tactic to help with the production of their big hits.
These producers sometimes also make and market their own beats, often for use as backing tracks by others. Using custom ghost production services to make a demo means that the resulting track is likely to sound more professional and may stand a better chance of being heard by a label.
Working behind the scenes
A ghost producer working with an artist does exactly what the job title says. They produce the track on behalf of the musician or DJ but this teamwork is unrecognised publicly. They use the artist’s original idea or rough mix as the starting point and develop it into the finished product, just as any producer would, except they work anonymously. Arguably, having someone new hearing the track with fresh ears is a good idea. A custom ghost production on an existing track could be seen as the musical equivalent of an editor tweaking a manuscript – it’s done, but it needs a last minute shine before being published.
All genres use ghost producing services, however this style of production is especially popular with EDM artists. These producers know their way around a studio set-up and have enough tips and tricks to make a track sound just the way the creator intended. Some ghost producers also help the musician or vocalist with the promotion of their track, which is sensible if they have been working closely together to make it.
Royalties or one off payment
For some artists, the question of royalties may influence their decision to use a ghost producer. The anonymity of ghost producing means that the producer usually waives all rights to further recognition or payment once the track has been mixed to the artist’s satisfaction. If an artist buys a track online, the producer does not often retain the rights. If their client is an established artist, some producers will strike a rights deal which allows them to retain all rights and royalties but the track is released under the artist’s name. Usually, once the track is sold or has been mixed, that’s the end of the producer’s involvement with it.
This may seem harsh, but ghost writing and content writing have operated on similar principles for decades. Those celebrity biographies everyone raves over are often ghost written by someone else from interviews with the subject. A true autobiography written personally by a celebrity is rare these days. Similar teamwork is evident in songwriting, where multiple writers collaborate to craft a song for a particular singer. A glance at the nominations for the latest Grammys or Oscars will show most songs are collaboratively written, so why should production be any different?
