Skip to main content
Music Radar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Guitar Amps
  • Guitar Pedals
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Artist news
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Software & Apps
  • Drums
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • You Oughta Know
  • Fake AI band
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Wrecking Crew
Recommended reading
Steve Albini
Producers & Engineers 6 of the quirkiest producers who pushed recorded music further than ever before
Money
Artists From bedroom to billions… Rich List 2025 reveals the wealth and rankings of the UK’s biggest music stars
Plugins Future owns
Plugins Our resident platinum award-winning mixer and producer shares 10 of his go-to plugins
Fraser T Smith
Producers & Engineers “When I started I didn't really know what a producer was.”: Fraser T Smith on the definition of a ‘producer’
50 producers
Music Production Tutorials 50 production secrets from the pros
trevor horn spitfire audio jupiter
Producers & Engineers Trevor Horn finally dishes out his sampling and drum machine tips
Rafa Sardina
Producers & Engineers Rafa Sardina on producing, mixing and engineering for the stars
  1. Artists
  2. Djs

The 15 best record producers in the world right now

News
By MusicRadar Team ( Future Music ) published 11 December 2018

Who has reigned on the hit-parade?

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

10. Andrew Watt

10. Andrew Watt

The Future Music/Computer Music/MusicRadar Best in music tech 2018 polls received thousands of votes, and we're now ready to roll out the winners. The nominees were what we considered to be the personalities and gear that have excelled in 2018. Here, we present the best music tech personalities of 2018. 

Taking up positions 15 to 11 are:

15. Tommy Brown
14. Paul Blair
13. Cole M.G.N
12. Mattman & Robin
11. Louis Bell

Kicking off the top 10 we have Andrew Watt...

2018 highlight: Longtime Post Malone collaborator Andrew Watt has been a busy man this year with a string of production credits for the likes of Cardi B, Rita Ora, Future and 5 Seconds of Summer to name but a few.

Page 1 of 10
Page 1 of 10
9. Joseph Mount

9. Joseph Mount

2018 highlight: The Devon-native and founder of indietronica band Metronomy has very much been a driving force in the production of Robyn’s long-awaited eighth studio album, Honey.

Page 2 of 10
Page 2 of 10
8. Nate Wonder

8. Nate Wonder

2018 highlight: One half of funk duo Deep Cotton, Wonder has been a major part of the production team that went into creating Janelle Monae’s third and hugely successful album ‘Dirty Computer’.

Page 3 of 10
Page 3 of 10
7. Chuck Lightning

7. Chuck Lightning

2018 highlight: The other half of funk duo Deep Cotton, Lightning has also been responsible for crafting the sound of ‘Dirty Computer’, which has been nominated for two Grammys this year. Chuck, alongside Nate Wonder and Janelle Monae form The Wondaland Arts Society collective.

Page 4 of 10
Page 4 of 10
6. Klas Åhlund

6. Klas Åhlund

2018 highlight: Swedish-born Åhlund has worked with the likes of Katy Perry, Alesso, Axwell Ingrosso, Usher and more recently Ellie Goulding and Charlie XCX. This year his work has seen him join up with another finalist, Joseph Mount, on Robyn’s Honey album.

Page 5 of 10
Page 5 of 10
5. Frank Dukes

5. Frank Dukes

2018 highlight: Adam King Feeney hails from Canada and can boast songwriting and production credits for the likes of Kanye West, Rihanna, Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Fast forward to this year and the in-demand producer has collaborated with Camilla Cabello, The Weeknd, Cardi B and Nicki Minaj, to name but a few.

Page 6 of 10
Page 6 of 10
4. Max Martin

4. Max Martin

2018 highlight: The name Max Martin probably still means very little to much of the general public, despite the fact that the Swedish super-producer can claim to have written more Billboard number one singles than anyone in history other than John Lennon or Paul McCartney. 

From Britney Spears to NSYNC to Usher, the publicity-shy producer has had a hand in some of the biggest pop singles of the past two decades. He rounded off last year with Grammy wins for Album of the Year and Best Song Written for Visual Media.

Page 7 of 10
Page 7 of 10
3. Calvin Harris

3. Calvin Harris

2018 highlight: Last year’s winner, Harris continues to define the sound of pop. This year he collaborated on the dancehall-influenced ‘Nuh Ready Nuh Ready', with PartyNextDoor. He then released ‘One Kiss’ with Dua Lipa and ‘Promises’ with Sam Smith.

Page 8 of 10
Page 8 of 10
2. Mark Ronson

2. Mark Ronson

2018 highlight: Mark Ronson is another producer who continues to sprinkle funky gold wherever he goes. Much talk has been around the collaboration with Miley Cyrus on new single ‘Nothing Breaks Like a Heart’, which will feature on her upcoming seventh studio album.

Page 9 of 10
Page 9 of 10
Winner: Diplo

Winner: Diplo

2018 highlight: It is the will of the people and the will of the people is good (for a change); this year’s best record producer is Diplo, for what has to be the best song of the year, if not decade. Big words, but here at MusicRadar we are absolutely down with Chaka Khan’s ‘Like Sugar’.

Page 10 of 10
Page 10 of 10
MusicRadar Team
MusicRadar Team
Social Links Navigation

MusicRadar is the number 1 website for music makers of all kinds, be they guitarists, drummers, keyboard players, djs or producers...

  • GEAR: We help musicians find the best gear with top-ranking gear round-ups and high- quality, authoritative reviews by a wide team of highly experienced experts.
  • TIPS: We also provide tuition, from bite-sized tips to advanced work-outs and guidance from recognised musicians and stars.
  • STARS: We talk to musicians and stars about their creative processes, and the nuts and bolts of their gear and technique. We give fans an insight into the actual craft of music making that no other music website can.
All-access artist interviews, in-depth gear reviews, essential production tutorials and much more. image
All-access artist interviews, in-depth gear reviews, essential production tutorials and much more.
Get the latest issue now!
More Info
Read more
Steve Albini
6 of the quirkiest producers who pushed recorded music further than ever before
Money
From bedroom to billions… Rich List 2025 reveals the wealth and rankings of the UK’s biggest music stars
Plugins Future owns
Our resident platinum award-winning mixer and producer shares 10 of his go-to plugins
Fraser T Smith
“When I started I didn't really know what a producer was.”: Fraser T Smith on the definition of a ‘producer’
50 producers
50 production secrets from the pros
trevor horn spitfire audio jupiter
Trevor Horn finally dishes out his sampling and drum machine tips
Latest in Djs
Barry Can't Swim
Barry Can’t Swim has no time for people who have an issue with artists using synth presets
David Guetta
David Guetta says he’s never played a pre-recorded DJ set, and can’t understand why anyone would think he has
TAKKUUK
“Everyone comes back changed”: Bicep on their new collaborative project with Inuit musicians
Lawrence Hart
Lawrence Hart on the mixed blessings of classical training and being ‘scrappy’ in the studio
Nadia Struiwigh
Tresor resident Nadia Struiwigh on why she avoids tutorials and keeps things 'loose' in the studio
 Deadmau5 Performs At The Seaport District's Pier 17 Rooftop on September 8, 2018 in New York City
“Your passport to deep vibes and low-altitude cruising”: Deadmau5 launches his own 24/7 Youtube stream
Latest in News
Charvel Angel Vivaldi Signature Pro-Mod Nova-7 NAT: The new S-style is eight years in the making and in some of the promo pictures it looks like Angel Vivaldi has been on horseback for much of that time.
Angel Vivaldi and Charvel unveil state-of-the-art 7-string for levelling up your shred game
Boss RT-2 Rotary Ensemble: the rotating speaker emulator has a visual reference on front, three modes, mono/stereo outputs and a metallic gold paintjob.
Boss puts Hendrix and Gilmour rotating speaker sounds on the menu with the RT-2 Rotary Ensemble
a fire at the festival site of the Tomorrowland electronic music festival, Wednesday 16 July 2025
Massive fire breaks out at Tomorrowland EDM festival in Belgium
Jane's Addiction's Dave Navarro and Perry Farrell clash onstage
Jane’s Addiction – Farrell and the band are suing each other
Zach Myers of Shinedown is bathed in blue stage lights and plays his custom-relic'd Silver Sky.
Shinedown’s Zach Myers on Paul Reed Smith, signature model updates, and that relic’d Silver Sky
Barry Can't Swim
Barry Can’t Swim has no time for people who have an issue with artists using synth presets

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...