Michael Woodrum on SoundBetter

Song-first producer, songwriter, mixer, recording engineer, and musician helping artists turn ideas and unfinished tracks into honest, distinctive records—remotely or in person by appointment in Woodland, California.

I’m a producer, songwriter, mixer, recording engineer, and musician who starts with the song and the artist’s intent. I help turn ideas, demos, and unfinished tracks into records that feel honest, alive, and unmistakably theirs.

I work from my home studio in Woodland, California, and collaborate remotely or in person by appointment. My credits and collaborations include Eric Clapton, Joss Stone, Willie Nelson, Snoop Dogg, the Backstreet Boys, Lamont Dozier, and independent artists across pop, rock, country, Americana, indie, and jazz-influenced music.

Services include full music production, songwriting and song development, recording, mixing, editing, and artist development. For projects that need a larger room or full-band tracking, I bring in trusted studios and musicians based on the song.

Would love to hear from you. Click the contact button above to get in touch.

Credits

Endorse Michael Woodrum9 Reviews - 2 Repeat Clients

by Luis L.
Verified
Aside from the top quality of his work, Michael really cares, he made sure that we ended up with a great sounding album!
by Roman Zajats
Verified
Michael is a Musical Wizard ! Pure classic and style !
by Anne F.
Verified
It was fantastic working with Michael. He is very professional, understands everything, and responds quickly. He's a winner.
I will come back.
by Roman Zajats
Verified
Michael is just great !
I will come back for EP
by Bob B.
Verified
Michael did an excellent job mixing my tracks and I'm very pleased with the results. He communicates clearly and promptly about the production process and it was a pleasure to work with him. I highly recommend his expertise.
by Daniel K.
Verified
Another great completion of the track by Michael. Always on point and excellent input to subtle tweaks to make the mix pop. THANK YOU
by Daniel K.
Verified
Clearly a perfectionist at heart and wonderful to work with. The result is stellar; crisp mixing while maintaining the heart. Thank you Michael
by Wesley Switzer
Michael is one of the best set of ears I've ever heard. His mixes and recordings are some of the most clean I've ever heard, and he has top quality gear to achieve any mix you could want. He's mixed a number of projects over the years I've worked with and sometimes have played on, and I'm always excited to hear the finished product as I know it'll be incredible! Also, what a great guy!
by Bryan Vanderpool of The Well Pennies
Michael Woodrum is rare breed of producer because he speaks two languages, artist and engineer. He understands what you, as an artist, want out of your song or mix, and is able to translate it into which gear you need to get you there. Michael has mixed both of our albums and he always understands exactly the vibe and sound we are going for. And he always delivers. Couldn't recommend him more!

Interview with Michael Woodrum

Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I’m producing, writing, recording, and mixing projects with independent artists from my studio in Woodland, California, along with remote collaborations.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I love music in all its forms. The best part of my work is helping artists find the emotional center of a song and realize their musical vision.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Pro Tools, a Neve 1073, a Neumann U87, a great guitar, and a reliable pair of monitors.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started as a guitar player in bands, writing most of the songs and recording our music. That led other artists and friends to ask me to produce, record, and mix their projects. I cut my teeth at the Village recording studio in Los Angeles, where I learned the importance of preparation, attention to detail, and staying ahead of what a session needs. From there I worked in notable studios across America with major artists in music, television, and film. I have built and owned several studios, including one later purchased by Ice Cube. Today I produce, write, record, and mix from my home studio in Woodland, California, and collaborate remotely or in person by appointment.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: A focused home studio in Woodland, California built for producing, songwriting, overdubs, vocal and instrument recording, mixing, and remote collaboration. The studio is Pro Tools-based, with trusted analog gear and microphones from Neve, Manley, Tube-Tech, Universal Audio, Empirical Labs, Neumann, Shure, Audio-Technica, and Sennheiser. For projects that need a larger room or full-band tracking, I bring in trusted studios and musicians based on the song.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Full music production, songwriting and song development, recording, editing, and mixing.
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: One of my highlights was recording Willie Nelson at The Hollywood Bowl with a 100 piece orchestra (The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra).
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Andrew Scheps, Jake Antelis
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: I love both. Digital is MUCH easier and you can do a lot more with digital. If you set up your front end while recording with nice pieces of gear you can get to an "analog-y" sound. You have to remember with analog the "vibe' is there, with tape compression and a nice warm desk, with digital it captures exactly what you put into it. If you put a clean sound it will give back a clean sound. If you want something dirty, use dirty gear, it will capture everything good or bad.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Ask questions. Communication is the key to getting exactly what you want.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Try not to use to much processing when recording. It is easy to add later but if it is overly processed when recording it is difficult to undo.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: pop, rock, americana, country
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I love the work of Linda Perry, mixes by Andy Wallace, Michael Brauer, Dave Pensado