10 Trailblazing Female Music Producers

In the music industry, it can be rare for a woman to oversee music production in the recording studio or receive accolades for their production capabilities in the music business. Janet Jackson, Lauryn Hill, and Sheryl Crow are among a handful of women who have received nominations for producing their own albums. Here is a list of successful music producers who are also women:

1. 1. Sylvia Robinson: Two of history’s most influential rap songs—Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “The Message”—were produced by the same woman. An accomplished R&B artist in her own right, Robinson was crucial in bringing the sound of the streets into the mainstream during the late 1970s, giving her the nickname: “The Mother of Hip-Hop.”
2. 2. Suzanne Ciani: A pioneer of electronic music, Ciani has been dubbed “America’s first female synth hero.” In the 1970s, her glistening, otherworldly, self-produced compositions introduced many people to the then-unfamiliar sounds of the Buchla synthesizer. She also is responsible for both the pop-and-pour audio in Coca-Cola ads and the GE dishwasher “bleeps.” Learn more about synthesizers in our comprehensive guide.
3. 3. Sylvia Massy: Since the mid-1980s, Michigan-born producer and engineer Massy has shaped the pummeling hard rock sounds of bands like System of a Down and Tool, as well as the Red Hot Chili Peppers. She also worked as an engineer alongside Rick Rubin on Johnny Cash’s Grammy-winning 1997 album, Unchained.
4. 4. Linda Perry: Best known as the frontwoman of 4 Non Blondes, Perry’s prolific behind-the-scenes work—as both a songwriter and producer—helped define modern pop music. She’s worked on hit songs with P!nk, Christina Aguilera, and Alicia Keys. While a woman has never won a Grammy for Producer of the Year (Non-Classical), in 2019, Perry received a nomination for the award from the Recording Academy. The singer-songwriter is one of a handful of women to achieve success in production and with her own music.
5. 5. Sonia Pottinger: During a two-decade career that began in the mid-1960s, Pottinger held the distinction of being Jamaica’s first female record producer. Cutting tracks with the likes of Joe White & Chuck and Culture, her production spanned a variety of Jamaican genres, from rock-steady to ska to reggae.
6. 6. Ester Dean: Over the past decade, Dean has written and produced so many hit songs that she’s known as the “The Song Factory.” She’s worked extensively with Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj, received a Grammy nomination for her production work on Rihanna’s 2010 album Loud, and maintained a successful acting career. The Grammy nominee has also produced tracks for Leona Lewis, Florence + the Machine, and Ciara.
7. 7. Catherine Marks: Working out of the Assault & Battery studio in London, the classically-trained pianist-turned-alt-rock-producer has worked with an eclectic group of artists like The Killers, Wolf Alice, and St. Vincent.
8. 8. Fatima Al Qadiri: Born in Senegal and raised in Kuwait, Al Qadiri’s approach to producing artistic, experimental dance music draws on varied inspirations. She’s a member of both the GCC and Future Brown collectives, created an alter ego (Shaneera) for a concept album exploring queerness in Arab culture, and recently composed and produced the score for the acclaimed French film Atlantique (2019).
9. 9. TOKiMONSTA: Los Angeles-based DJ and producer Jennifer Lee (also known as TOKiMONSTA) is known for her psychedelic beats and was the first Asian-American female producer to receive a Grammy nomination in the Best Dance/Electronic category for her ac claimed 2017 album, Lune Rouge. Lee also produces for other artists and remixes tracks for notable music figures like Beck, Justin Timberlake, and Lil Uzi Vert.
10. 10. Wondagurl: In 2013, one of Ebony “Wondagurl” Oshunrinde’s beats was used on “Crown,” a song on Jay-Z’s album Magna Carta Holy Grail. The Canadian-Nigerian producer has continued to create hit records ever since, racking up production credits with artists like Drake, Travis Scott, Rihanna, and Mariah Carey.

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