Jan Ilgner on SoundBetter

I help emerging Pop & Indie artists turn great songs into professional, release-ready mixes.

I’m a mixing and mastering engineer based in Münster, Germany. I studied audio engineering and production in the Netherlands, and since 2019 I’ve been working with artists from my own studio.

Besides checking off the technical aspects, I believe the number one reason to hire an external mixer is to enhance your creative and artistic vision. With the help of an extra pair of ears in a well-treated room, we can shape your music in a way that conveys its intended emotion and energy, making it more engaging and relatable for the listener.

In the studio, I work in a hybrid fashion, treating your recordings with care while giving them their final polish.

Get in touch—I’m beyond excited to hear your music!

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

Credits

4 Reviews

Endorse Jan Ilgner

by Jason Nkanga
Jan is exceptionally talented at what he does and he is incredibly easy to work with. He’s one of the few mixing and mastering engineers that I can fully trust with my sound.

So far, Jan has mixed and mastered five of my songs and I’ve never had any problem with any. The most recent song “Real Talk” has been getting a lot of great feedback especially about the quality of the mix. That’s all thanks to Jan.

If you’re looking for someone who truly cares about your music and delivers at a high level, I highly recommend Jan!
by Gunnar
We’ve had the pleasure of working with Jan for the past three years, and his contribution has been invaluable to us. Thanks to his expertise, we were able to grow our YouTube channel to several thousand subscribers.

Jan is incredibly skilled — he makes your voice sound like a pro and has an impressive ability to enhance and even rescue recordings that seemed beyond repair. I always look forward to hearing his mixes; they never fail to impress.

I can wholeheartedly recommend working with him.
by Joenny
Jan knows what a track needs, subtle moves with big impact. I always felt comfortable sharing my art with him!
by Burak
Jan is truly passionate about what he does. He approaches the mixing process with both creativity and attention to detail. In the project we worked on, he managed to capture not just the technical side but also the emotional essence of the song. His communication was excellent, which made the whole process really enjoyable for me.
The result exceeded my expectations, and I honestly can’t wait to work with him again!

Interview with Jan Ilgner

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Communication is key. Be open about what you are looking for — this is all about you and your art.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I work primarily on Pop, Indie Pop, Indie Rock and Singer-Songwriter tracks. I love music with a clear artistic vision and intention.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: I mix in a hybrid setup, with most of the work happening digitally in the box. This allows us to have a flexible and creative workflow. When your song comes to me, it's most likely already on the home stretch. So let's not get in its way, but rather cheer it on together as it crosses the finish line. Analog equipment can therefore be used either at the beginning or at the very end as a mastering tool.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: We will work on your project until we have a finished result which you can proudly release. No compromises.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Mostly, I like the teamwork aspect. I spend enough time sitting alone in the studio for days on end. So I enjoy working on projects with creative producers and artists, especially when they share their creative processes with me.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Most of the time, people ask me if I need references. My answer: not at first. Let’s take a chance. I’ll work with your latest production version and mix it the way I think you intended. Sure, we might miss the mark, but it could also lead us somewhere completely new. Later on, we can always share references and keep the communication flowing.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: In the mixing context, I am a big fan of Spike Stent and Jon Castelli. Especially given their fundamentally different mixing philosophies, both of which are connected by an unmistakable signature sound.