Ghost production

The term “ghost production” originated in electronic dance music (EDM) circles and refers to situations where a music track is created by one or more artists, but released under the name and credits of another artist or group. This practice is widespread among famous DJs, who use the services of such shady producers to supplement their repertoire. The reasons for turning to ghost producers are varied: from lack of time to create your own music to the lack of necessary skills or the ability to bring the composition to perfection.

Finding customers and selling your work as a ghost producer requires certain knowledge and skills. Where and how to start making money in this niche is of interest to many aspiring musicians and producers exploring the possibilities of the music industry.

• Ghost Production Platforms: There are many online platforms for selling music tracks, but the key to success is to stand out from the competition. It is important to create unique and high-quality tracks while keeping up with current trends in music. The market is crowded and it is becoming increasingly difficult to stand out from the noise;
• Attracting customers through quality: If your music really stands out, customers will start finding you on their own. Often your first clients come after they have heard and appreciated your work. Although supply and demand have now changed greatly, maintaining high quality and uniqueness continues to be key;
• Personal Branding and Marketing: Start by developing your personal brand on social media such as Facebook and Instagram. Create a compilation of your work, a video presentation with information and prices, and launch targeted advertising to attract the attention of potential clients;
• Creating your own website: In the long run, having your own website where you can present your work and services will be your advantage. Investments in a website and its promotion can pay off by attracting new customers;
• Freelancing Platforms: Working through freelance sites can be profitable, but it takes time for newbies to establish themselves and increase their ranking through successfully completed orders;
• Email Marketing: Sending out a proposal with examples of your work to potential clients can be another way to attract attention. Not everyone can respond, but there is always a chance to find interested customers.

Ghost producer for writing music, custom tracks

Ghost Producer is a musician-producer who specializes in creating music tracks, mainly in the EDM genre, for sale or custom order. The compositions he created are released on music labels, performed and promoted as the work of the customer, under whose brand and name these tracks are presented to the public.

Ghost production as collaboration

In the modern EDM scene, the phenomenon of ghost production is widespread. Many well-known top-tier DJs, due to busy schedules and other responsibilities, either do not have time to create their own music, or prefer not to spend effort on this, relying on the ambitions of young talents seeking to earn money and at the same time break into the big stage. In these circumstances, ghost producers take on the role of creators of music content, which is then sold to the artist for promotion under his name. Sometimes a situation arises when a famous performer includes a ghost producer as a co-author in the credit for a track, which can be an excellent chance for the latter to launch a career: joint projects with world stars, participation in global tours, increased attention to his work, remuneration for work without indication authorship and a powerful impetus for entering the world of EDM.

Hardwell – top DJ and ghost producer

The famous DJ, who led the TOP 100 DJMAG rating, Hardwell, admits that he himself creates music for other DJs. “I have no problem working as a ghost producer,” he notes. However, Hardwell wants DJs who don’t write their own tracks and use a ghost producer to be open about it. He notes that many of them may not have time to be creative due to touring, but they may still be talented DJs. “They have to be honest and admit that someone else is partly responsible for their music,” says Hardwell. In the professional producer community, it is well known who uses the services of a ghost producer and who orders music from them, not because of information leaks, but due to the monotony of orders that do not reflect the unique style of the customer. “An interesting fact,” adds Hardwell, “is that not many people know that I’m behind tracks that regularly top Beatport that aren’t released under my name. It doesn’t take an expert to spot my unique flair on one of these tracks.”

Joachim Garraud – ghost producer for David Guetta

Companies and artists offering ghost production services strictly control confidentiality and try not to disseminate information about their clients and sold compositions. Despite this, information about the purchase of tracks by famous DJs sometimes becomes public knowledge, usually thanks to the DJs themselves who requested such services. They may share sensitive information among friends and colleagues, making it impossible to trace the source of the leak.

Among all the names associated with ghost production, David Guetta especially stands out. In Guetta’s first three albums, track liner notes often credit Joachim Garraud as a co-writer, although his name does not appear in the track titles as a co-writer. In subsequent works, Guetta no longer included the names of other co-authors in the annotations if they were not indicated in the title of the track. There are rumors that producers such as Nicky Romero and Showtek were involved in creating music for Guetta. Moreover, there are statements by Guetta and Garro himself that at the time they met, Guetta barely knew how to use a computer, let alone create electronic music. However, today the name David Guetta is known to almost everyone.

Nicky Romero – about writing custom tracks and remixes

Famous sound producer and DJ of our time, Nicky Romero, shared his thoughts on the phenomenon of ghost production in the music industry. He noted that many famous DJs actively use the work of ghost producers, without making any effort to develop their own creativity and ideas. According to Romero, these DJs not only lack basic music production skills and knowledge of modern software, but also tend to buy already guaranteed popular tracks to promote under their name. He emphasized that a true artist spends countless hours developing unique pieces, exploring new sounds and chords, while some turn to ghost producers, allowing their wealth to “buy” fame and success for their children as “great musicians.”

Romero also emphasized the importance of hard work, perseverance, uniqueness and creativity in creating an artistic identity, rejecting the idea that success can be achieved solely through financial investment. Interestingly, Romero himself is one of the most sought after ghost producers in the music industry, creating tracks for stars such as Britney Spears, Rihanna and David Guetta.

Ghost production track from Martin Garrix released on Spinnin` Records

Martin Garrix shares that his first steps to world fame were connected with his work as an invisible producer. In one of his conversations, he recalls: “During that period, I hid my name, working on creating tracks for others. One of my projects, the details of which I keep secret, received significant recognition, ending up in the repertoire of the world famous label Spinnin Records. When Spinnin discovered who was behind the track and invited me to their studio. That visit led to a deal being signed and that’s when I really started on the road to success.”

Which strategy should you choose?

Now let’s discuss approaches to work. In reality, it’s quite simple: if you are active on the platforms, then out of the many strategies, only two have proven to be effective based on our personal experience.

Strategy 1. Few tracks, but very high quality

Create tracks of the highest quality, perhaps even adding vocals, giving each track several days of work and offering them for between $700 and $1,000. It is important that all aspects are at their best: from commercial potential to technical execution.

This approach increases the chances of a successful sale, since the tracks stand out for their high quality. However, there is a risk of burnout due to the high investment of time and effort on each track, which is perceived differently by different people.

In addition, it should be remembered that a track can be sold either within a few days after publication or several months later, which is considered normal practice.

Strategy 2. Average but good tracks often

This strategy involves creating high-quality tracks without being too meticulous in terms of ideas and technical implementation. Thus, the process does not require maximum attention to detail and excellence in every element. As a result, it takes less time to produce one composition (one day on average), and the selling price is between $300 and $500. At the same time, you can create at least two such tracks per month without much stress, which provides a fairly stable income and maintains emotional health thanks to a more relaxed pace of work.

The approach allows the musician to create a significant number of tracks without the risk of professional burnout, which leads to stable sales throughout the year. Improvement and optimization of the process allows you to create simple but high-quality ghost compositions in a couple of days. It is important to understand that the simplicity of the composition does not mean its low quality or lack of expression. Today’s technology makes the process of creating music more accessible and easier than many people imagine.

However, do not forget that low-quality, monotonous or faceless tracks are unlikely to sell, even if they are accepted onto the platform. So while it is possible to produce tracks faster and in greater quantity, it is important not to sacrifice their quality. Ultimately, the harmonious combination of speed and quality becomes the key to success, allowing the musician to maintain creative diversity and maintain a stable level of income.

What to do next?

Then there are several options for action.

Option 1. Login to the topic yourself

Figure it out on your own, research the topic, organize information, and test different approaches.

When working on online platforms, it is important to deeply immerse yourself in studying current trends and avoid mistakes so as not to end up on the blacklist of sites. Even correct behavior does not guarantee success if your music is not up to standard or quality.

It is recommended to focus on one or more genres in which you have the greatest potential. A distracted approach rarely leads to successful results in music production.

Option 2. Entry through other people’s experience and help

It’s definitely worth looking for an opportunity to communicate with experienced ghost producers to delve into the details and features of working in this area. It will be useful to seek advice from professionals, since practical knowledge and experience are much more valuable than theoretical information, helping to avoid many mistakes and speed up the learning process.

For those who want to achieve financial success faster, while saving time and effort, we recommend taking our new training course “Ghost Production: How to consistently make money on EDM music, starting from 30,000 rubles per month.” As part of the course, we comprehensively examined the issues of making money in this niche, providing you with a comprehensive understanding of the subject and preparation for starting your own path in the world of music production. This approach will allow you to speed up the learning process and start earning money by investing in your development and education, which is guaranteed to bring positive results.

Action plan

Now let’s look at the general plan of action to enter the guest topic and start making money in it.

Step 1. Study modern EDM trends, sound and direction

Trends are divided into global and specific, associated with specific styles or genres. It is important not only to follow global trends in music, but also to delve into the details of genre trends. As a rule, the greatest demand in the ghost production market is for tracks created taking into account the latest musical trends. By creating compositions that do not meet the current needs and preferences of the audience, you are unlikely to achieve high profitability. As part of our course, we will pay special attention to analyzing and studying trends so that you can navigate the music market as effectively as possible.

Step 2. Explore sites and ways to interact with them

To successfully sell your compositions, it is important to carefully select platforms that specialize in ghost production. Research their reputation, terms of cooperation and effectiveness in attracting buyers. It is also important to seek advice from experienced market participants to avoid resources with low sales potential and traffic. After careful analysis and gathering of feedback, focus your efforts on working with proven and reliable platforms.

Step 3. Decide on strategies

It is important to clearly define your work strategy: how many and what tracks you plan to create. Start with simpler projects to quickly gain experience and start earning money. Once you feel confident in your understanding of current EDM trends, your chosen platforms to sell to, and your operating strategy, then you’ll be ready to create guest tracks. This approach will allow you to gradually enter the process and build the professional skills needed to succeed in this field.

Conclusion

Now you have the basic knowledge of how to make money creating music for others. We hope you found our review valuable and will become a starting point in your career. Improve yourself and deepen your knowledge, and you will definitely achieve success.

If you are looking for a way to speed up your path to making money in the field of ghost production and want to gain deeper knowledge, we invite you to join our training “Ghost Production. How to start earning 30,000 a month from EDM music.” We will provide more details about this program soon.