Jim Daneker

Composer, Producer, Programmer

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1 Review
Jim Daneker on SoundBetter

Jim Daneker is an award-winning and Billboard-charting composer & producer with a diverse musical career, including 25 years as musical director and producer for CCM icon Michael W. Smith, producer on several #1 albums, film & trailer composer, and synth pop artist...

Services include:
- Producing, programming, and mixing for pop/rock, synth pop, cinematic and instrumental projects
- Composing original music for film/trailers, epic cinematic instrumentals
- Piano, keyboards, synth overdubs

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

Credits

AllMusic verified credits for Jim Daneker
  • Michael W. Smith
  • Michael W. Smith
  • Michael W. Smith
  • Michael W. Smith
  • Michael W. Smith
  • Michael W. Smith
  • Michael W. Smith
  • Paul Cardall
  • Paul Cardall
  • Paul Cardall
  • Paul Cardall
  • Paul Cardall
  • Paul Cardall
  • Paul Cardall
  • Paul Cardall
  • Paul Cardall
  • Paul Cardall
  • Michael W. Smith
  • Michael W. Smith
  • Michael W. Smith
  • Michael W. Smith
  • Michael W. Smith
  • Michael W. Smith
  • Michael W. Smith
  • Michael W. Smith
  • Michael W. Smith
  • The University Of Notre Dame Folk Choir
  • Michael W. Smith
  • Michael W. Smith
  • Michael W. Smith
  • David DeMarco
  • CeCe Winans
  • CeCe Winans
  • Gregory Paul Smith
  • Chris Rice
  • Chris Rice
  • Michael W. Smith
  • Michael W. Smith
  • Michael W. Smith
  • Michael W. Smith
  • Wilshire
  • Greg Long
  • Greg Long
  • Dan Smith
  • Dan Smith

1 Reviews

Endorse Jim Daneker
  1. Review by Tim Calhoun
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    Jim is an incredible talent!!! I've had the pleasure of playing and working with Jim through the years and he is top notch!!! Amazing producer, writer and keyboardist!!! You'll be very thankful you hired him!!!

Interview with Jim Daneker

  1. Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

  2. A: My AD ALTA instrumental album. It was my dream project; I did a Kickstarter to fund it, composed the whole thing, hired an orchestra and A-list players, and I still get letters from people who are inspired by it.

  3. Q: What are you working on at the moment?

  4. A: Epic pop singles & instrumentals for sync licensing.

  5. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  6. A: A mixture of both, and nobody should care about anything but the end result. Does it move you and inspire you?

  7. Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

  8. A: I NEVER settle for anything less than extraordinary. I abhor compromise, and it shows in my work.

  9. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  10. A: That I'm my own boss and work on my own schedule; that I can pick and choose what I work on!

  11. Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

  12. A: Q: What do you charge to produce or program a track? A: It varies greatly depending on the arrangement!

  13. Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

  14. A: That anyone with a laptop and sample libraries knows how to compose for film, or mimic an orchestra. Only a very few people can do it well.

  15. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  16. A: What's your time frame, budget, and goals for the project?

  17. Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

  18. A: Get to know each other and have some great conversations first. Trust your instincts and if something feels weird, RUN!

  19. Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

  20. A: Laptop with all my sample libraries, a great controller keyboard, speakers, and a generator with unlimited fuel supply!

  21. Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

  22. A: Moved to Nashville in 1995 and landed my dream gig with a major artist (Michael W. Smith) 6 months later. Eventually became his musical director & produced several projects for him over 25 years. Worked on a ton of indie projects on the side over the years, and finally started composing for film and sync licensing as well. It's been a thrill ride!

  23. Q: How would you describe your style?

  24. A: A crazy blend of classic and modern film music mixed with synth-heavy pop/rock. The more cinematic the better!

  25. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  26. A: Don't overthink it. If it moves you, pursue it.

  27. Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

  28. A: Modern film & instrumental music, and synth-heavy pop/rock.

  29. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  30. A: Hearing a finished product in my head, and carving away until it becomes reality!

  31. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  32. A: Lots of creativity, outside the box ideas, pop sensibilities, and extreme attention to detail and sonic quality.

  33. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  34. A: See www.jimdaneker.com/studio for a detailed list. My studio is a synth-lover's paradise, and really set up for high-end film scoring with multiple computers and mastering-grade monitoring by PMC.

  35. Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

  36. A: I grew up on film music & 80s pop, so any artists in those genres tend to inspire me - as well as anything with great melodies or creative production.

  37. Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

  38. A: My main work is producing albums and singles, composing for film & visual media, writing pop/rock/instrumental tracks for sync licensing, and high-end orchestral & string programming.

  39. Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

  40. A: John Williams. He wrote the soundtrack to my life.

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Learning To Fly - Jim Daneker

I was the Composer, Programmer, Mixer in this production

GenresSounds Like
  • Hans Zimmer
  • Carpark North
  • BT
Gear Highlights
  • High-end personal studio featuring a killer collection of keyboards & synths
  • a massive scoring rig
  • and PMC monitoring
More Photos