The 10 Best Female Music Producers of All Time

The music industry has continued to evolve, with unconventional recording techniques shaping distinct production styles. 

With technological advancements and easier access to production tools, more women are breaking into the industry, bringing fresh perspectives and innovative techniques. Their influence extends beyond hit records, redefining the role of producers today. 

Many top female music producers have played a key role in this transformation, collaborating with leading artists on some of the biggest hits.

Here’s a look at some of the most influential female producers and their significant contributions to the music business.

The 10 Best Female Music Producers of All Time

Whether you’re a hip-hop fan or prefer hard-hitting rock, female music producers have created many chart-topping hits.

Let’s explore in more detail how the unique styles of these female producers have helped catapult artists into the spotlight.

10. WondaGurl

Canadian producer WondaGurl launched her music career at 15 years old when she entered Battle of the Beat Makers in Toronto.

After being taken under Boi-1da’s wing, she soon began collaborating closely with Travis Scott, making a name for herself in the hip-hop scene.

Known for her crisp and dynamic production, she has produced many smash-hit songs, leading to multiple music industry awards.

Following her first hit song, “Crown,” performed by Jay-Z, she has worked as a producer with other male artists, such as Drake and pop sensation Rihanna.

Her tracks are firm favorites among performers who use DJ stems. They showcase her style with precisely engineered instruments, vocals, and drums.

A vocal advocate for gender equality and diversity, WondaGurl’s discography includes platinum-selling tracks that remain fan favorites today.

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9. Catherine Marks

Catherine Marks began her career in the music industry as a classically trained pianist before transitioning to the alt-rock scene.

Based out of the Assault & Battery studio in London, United Kingdom, her production work has involved collaborations with many high-profile bands.

A chance meeting with record producer Flood at a concert in Dublin led Marks to leave her home country of Australia and move to London.

After working as an assistant engineer, Marks eventually won the prestigious Breakthrough Producer of the Year MPG award in 2016.

Since then, she has worked on many albums and singles for an eclectic selection of bands and artists, including The Killers and Alanis Morisette.

Her biggest hit in the last few years came in 2023 with the release of The Record by boygenius, for which she worked as a co-producer and won three Grammy Awards.

This success boosted her production fees and cemented her reputation as the leading audio engineer in the alt-rock music scene.

Marks has also branched out into other genres in the music industry. Her work in jazz and folk music production has established her versatility among other iconic female producers.

8. Sonia Pottinger

Few music producers can claim to have defined an entire genre, but Sonia Pottinger’s pivotal role in reggae is impossible to overstate.

The Jamaican-born artist began her career in the early 1960s, a time when few women represented only a small fraction of the music production industry.

Inspired by her religious faith, Pottinger showcased her unique production style, becoming the first female producer in Jamaica.

Before long, she collaborated with the iconic reggae singer Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and other scene luminaries.

Likewise, her work as a producer for artists such as Joe White & Chuck and Culture marked her versatility, as she branched out into ska and rock-steady.

In addition to trailblazing music production methods, Pottinger was an outspoken advocate on various political and social issues.

Sonia Pottinger passed away in 2010, leaving behind an outstanding music legacy that continues to influence female music producers today.

7. Missy Elliott

You don’t have to be a hardcore hip-hop fan to know the name Missy Elliott, who remains one of the best-loved artists in the genre.

While perhaps best known for her on-stage performances, Missy Elliott is also a highly polished music producer.

Her producer discography spans decades, beginning in 1993 with the release of the single “That’s What Little Girls Are Made Of.”

Since then, Elliot has collaborated with an eclectic range of artists, including Busta Rhymes, Christina Aguilera, and Beyonce.

At the same time, Missy Elliott is well-known for her stylish dress sense and iconic looks, which have influenced popular culture and DJ fashion.

Between 2007 and 2014, her career focused primarily on music production, culminating in her halftime show at the 2015 Super Bowl.

Missy Elliott continues to divide her time between studio work and performing, returning to the tour scene in 2024 after three decades.

6. Mandy Parnell

Mandy Parnell is another exceptional female music producer based in London who has worked as a senior mastering engineer on many high-profile releases.

Artists including Bjork, Aphex Twin, Jamie XX, and Brian Eno have all collaborated with Parnell and applied her skills to cutting-edge electronic music.

After studying music technology in her formative years, Parnell has accumulated over twenty-five years of experience in the music industry.

She earned her first award nomination in 2014 when she was shortlisted for the Mastering Engineer of the Year award at the MPG Awards.

Her impressive production has influenced various DJing techniques, from precise mixing to using effects to introduce dynamic transitions.

Parnell has also become an influential figure for other female music producers, lecturing on mastering at conventions in Paris, New York, and Los Angeles.

Her discography represents her dedication to pioneering new approaches to music, inspiring a new generation of female producers.

5. Sylvia Robinson

If Sonia Pottinger had helped to define the reggae genre, Sylvia Robinson would have played an equally pivotal role in the evolution of hip-hop over the decades.

Often referred to as the godmother of hip-hop, Robinson produced some of the genre’s most iconic releases, which helped catapult the genre into mainstream media.

She began her career as a singer in the mid-1950s, collaborating with Joe Jones and Mickey Baker before transitioning into production.

By 1979, Robinson had established her own label, Sugar Hill Records, through which she began producing tracks for rising hip-hop legends.

The record label launched the Sugar Hill Gang into the limelight with the track “Rapper’s Delight,” a huge success in the charts.

This hit was followed by “The Message,” another classic track that brought Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five commercial success and critical acclaim.

Robinson’s production style would play a key role in the history of record players and their role for DJs throughout the 1980s and beyond.

Robinson’s influence is evident throughout the music industry, with numerous rappers and producers indebted to her iconic studio work.

Related reading: The best female DJs of all time.

4. Sylvia Massy

Another American female producer who has carved a unique production style is Sylvia Massy, known for pushing boundaries to develop a distinct sound.

Massy has worked with some of the biggest rock bands, including Red Hot Chili Peppers, System of a Down, and Tool.

Her work often applies experimental production and engineering techniques and is known for its full-bodied soundscapes with an organic flavor.

After leaving her home state of Michigan, she consolidated her reputation in Los Angeles, serving as producer on Green Jello’s debut album.

Over the following years, Massy collaborated with several major artists, including Johnny Cash, Rob Zombie, and the Beastie Boys.

Outside of music production, she’s established a strong reputation as a writer and artist, releasing the book Recording Unhinged in 2016.

Her role as an educator and inspiration for many women considering production is also evident in her work as an educator at Berklee College of Music.

Today, Massy continues to produce music from her private studio, working independently on various projects for established American rock bands.

3. Ester Dean

Ester Dean’s background as a singer and performer provided a strong foundation from which she established her name as a reputable music producer.

With her impressive mezzo-soprano singing voice, she’s ideally positioned to help other stars fine-tune the unique sound that made them international stars.

Throughout her career, these stars have included many women who are household names, from Britney Spears to Rihanna and Mary J. Blige.

Rihanna’s “Dancing in the Dark,” “The Night is Still Young” by Nicki Minaj, and David Guetta’s “No Money No Love” are among her notable hits.

Dean’s work as a producer and songwriter also carries through to movies, with songs for the Pitch Perfect trilogy and Ice Age among her credits.

Her discography reflects the unique blend of genres that Dean combines throughout her work, with influences from pop, hip-hop, and soul.

With multiple chart-topping hits to her credit, Dean has produced some of the best DJ closing songs that get the dance floor pumping.

She continues to work with the music industry’s leading artists, releasing “(I’m Not) AMNESIA” by Demi Lovato in 2024.

2. Suzanne Ciani

Few female music producers have enjoyed the same critical acclaim and appreciation from their peers as the pioneering producer Suzanne Ciani.

Ciani’s decades-long career has seen her revolutionize approaches to electronic music production, beginning with her work in the 1970s.

After early solo performances using the classic Buchla synthesizer, she worked briefly as a session musician before founding Ciani/Musica in 1978.

This experience in producing jingles for advertisements soon led to new opportunities to collaborate with other artists on various projects.

Ciani applied her production skills to various experimental projects before playing a pivotal role in the emerging new-age music scene.

More recently, she’s worked with artists like Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, helping up-and-coming talent develop innovative production techniques.

Suzanne Ciani recently celebrated the fortieth anniversary of her debut album, Seven Waves, at the Fourth Presbyterian Church.

Her legacy in the synthesizer community and electronic music industry remains as prominent today as any other producer working in this field.

1. Linda Perry

The American singer-songwriter and music producer Linda Perry is another industry luminary with a long list of high-profile bands and singers in her discography.

Her work as a producer has resulted in many hit releases from artists including Alicia Keys, Pink, Gwen Stefani, and James Blunt.

Anyone who has DJed a house party will likely include one of her tracks in their sets, from “What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes to Pink’s “Get the Party Started.”

Linda Perry’s discography extends into work for underground artists and bands on mainstream popular culture’s fringes.

Her production credits include personal releases covering bands such as Radiohead, with an acoustic version of the song “Creep” and a reworking of “Mad World” by Tears for Fears.

Perry frequently appears on national television shows to promote her production work and her role as a reality television show star.

In 2014, she appeared on the screen for the series Make or Break: The Linda Perry Project and led the house band for The Late Late Show the following year.

In the same year, her production of Adele’s “Can’t Let Go” captured the mainstream zeitgeist, with Perry providing piano accompaniment on the release.

Perry was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York, an accolade that placed her among the best music producers of all time.

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Summary

With thousands of music releases yearly, female producers have played a vital role in artistic development, resulting in groundbreaking work. 

The female music producers discussed above are great starting points for new producers to consider when setting up their own studios.

As production tools become increasingly democratized, more women are exploring record production, breaking barriers to create a unique sound.