Best Producers for Independent Christian Artists 2022
Anyone that knows me well knows that I’m passionate about equipping and empowering independent Christian artists and churches to release their own music, and to do it well. In my experience of working with indie Christian artists and churches for the past 16 years, one of the biggest issues I see causing some of them to not be able to see much traction comes down to this: the product.
What I mean by “the product” is the final music that you are releasing, also known as, the final master. It’s the version of the recording that you are putting on DSPs (Digital Service Providers) like Spotify. It’s the thing that you are presenting to the world and saying, “Here. Here is my art. Here is my offering to The Lord. Here is what I am contributing to the world.”
I’m intentionally calling this “the product” because sometimes as Christians we can fall into the trap of over-spiritualizing things, especially with music. If you think about any other products - things you go to the store to buy - you expect it to be quality. You expect whatever product you are committing to with your time and money to be as high quality as any other comparable product out there.
As one of the most known Christian music marketing agencies out there today, ChristianMusicMarketing.com (a sister brand of Marketing with Wisdom) receives 40-50 new inquiries every month and unfortunately, we turn down about half of those inquiries right off the bat, just based on the music quality - the product.
David Ogilvy, known as the "Father of Advertising", once said, “Great marketing only makes a bad product fail faster.”
This is so true. And, in the world of 60,000 songs being uploaded to DSPs every single day, it’s no surprise that most of the songs get less than 1,000 streams in the lifetime of the song. Yes, marketing is crucial to any music release, but before marketing, production is critical. Without a remarkable product (which requires a combination of a remarkable song, remarkable performance and remarkable production), there is nothing marketing can do to get people to listen to the music.
Marketing and advertising can’t force people to listen to a subpar song. The market is too oversaturated for that. People have endless options of songs to listen to. If you want your song to be one of the songs they listen to, it’s not enough to just run ads or promote the song. You HAVE TO have a remarkable product - a remarkable song.
Author and speaker, Seth Godin, says, “Remarkable doesn’t mean remarkable to you. It means remarkable to me. Am I going to make a remark about it? If not, then you’re average, and average is for losers. Being noticed is not the same as being remarkable. Running down the street naked will get you noticed, but it won’t accomplish much. It’s easy to pull off a stunt, but not useful.”
With that said, here is a list of some of The Best Producers for Independent Christian Artists in 2022, in alphabetical order. If you’re getting ready to go in the studio to release new music, I suggest checking out some of these producers and exploring the possibility of working with one of them. None of these producers paid to be on this list. We compiled this list based on recommendations from Christian artists/churches that have worked with them.
Aaron Hunt
Instagram
Spotify playlist of work
Note: multi-instrumentalist who loves working with solo artists and specializes in pop/R&B/indie worship production and mixing
Austin Cannon
austincannonmusic.com
Instagram
Spotify playlist of work
Note: specializes in pop, CCM, remixes and worship
Caylea
cayleamusic.com
Instagram
Spotify
Note: specializes in vocals, programming drums, arranging harmonies, piano, finger-style acoustic guitar, and general programmed instrumentation // pop, hip-hop, R&B, soul-pop, neo-soul, acoustic pop
Chris Clayton
chrisclaytonmusic.com
Instagram
Note: award-nominated worship/CCM producer, songwriter and mix engineer
Colton Price
coltonprice.com
Instagram
Note: specializes in worship/CCM
Jeff Owen
Instagram
Spotify playlist of work
Note: specializes in vocal production, acoustic, rock, pop, sync, rock, alternative, hip-hop, singer/songwriter
Julie Odnoralov
Instagram
Spotify playlist of work
Note: specializes in remixes, vocal production, pop production, alternative, guitar
Sean Hill
uphillstudiosonline.com
Instagram
Spotify playlist of work
Note: specializes in developing artists through co-writing and production and leading them into a real career in music as an artist // worship, CCM, pop, rock, singer/songwriter, contemporary gospel
Stephen McWhirter
smworship.com
Instagram
Spotify
-Wisdom Moon, Founder
