John Kennedy

Producer/Mixer: Real Musicians

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162 Reviews (153 Verified)
John Kennedy on SoundBetter

I’ll bring your songs to life with real musicians, not AI-generated performances. With 25+ years of experience, 150+ five-star SoundBetter reviews and a fully equipped hybrid studio, I offer full production, mixing and mastering across genres. My songwriting cuts include Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Jack Ingram and many others.

I’ve spent over 25 years as a songwriter, producer, and mixer, with songs recorded by Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jack Ingram, Jimmy Wayne, Emerson Hart, and many others.

When you hire me, you’re not just hiring someone to assemble tracks on a computer. You’re getting an experienced producer who knows how to bring the right musicians together, make the right creative decisions, and turn a good song into a great recording.
I’m based in Nashville, but work across genres with exceptional session musicians. I oversee each project from recording through the final mix and master. My fully equipped studio combines high-end analog hardware with modern software, pairing the depth and character of analog with the precision and flexibility of digital.
As AI makes music easier to generate, recordings made by actual musicians have something special to offer. If you’re serious about establishing yourself as an artist or songwriter, your recordings should reflect your musical identity. AI can help during development, but my finished productions feature real musicians and performances.
My goal is to make records that compete with today’s releases.
I’ve earned more than 150 five-star SoundBetter reviews, and I take that seriously. I value clear communication, honest feedback, and doing what’s best for the song.

If you’ve got songs ready to record, I’d love to hear them.

Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact' button above.

Languages

  • English

Endorse John Kennedy162 Reviews - 42 Repeat Clients

  1. Review by Curtis A.
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    John went above and beyond. He prepared complete sync packages for the four songs he produced for me (instrumentals, lead vocals and full stem sets for Some Men Believe, Plastic Heroes, Farewell My Light and Bring Mama Home for Christmas) and signed a master release so I can license them. He worked through them one song at a time around a busy schedule, and every file dropped cleanly into my library. Nashville-quality production from a pro who stands behind his work. I'll keep coming back.

  2. Review by Eric S.
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    This is the second song I have done with John and he did another outstanding job. Very easy to work with and gets things accomplished in a very timely manner.

  3. Review by Ken G.
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    by Ken G.
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    John absolutely nailed it! His attention to detail, expertise, and dedication to getting every element just right were incredible. He took my feedback seriously, refined every detail, and delivered a mix that sounds amazing. Beyond his technical skills, he genuinely cares about the music and bringing the artist’s vision to life. A true professional and a pleasure to work with. Highly recommend!

  4. Review by Curtis A.
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    John is the real deal. I’ve done five songs with him and every one came back better than I imagined: great Nashville players, tasteful arrangements, and mixes that sound like records. He’s patient, honest with feedback, and easy to work with across the miles. Highly recommended.

  5. Review by Jerry S.
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    John did a fantastic job on my song. Great musical instincts, excellent production, and very easy to work with throughout the process. I’m super happy with the final result and look forward to working with him again!

  6. Review by Madison V.
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    John was great, he really helped me capture my vision for the song. He had good communication, implemented all my feedback well, and is very skilled technically. I highly recommend John to anyone!

  7. Review by Nicholas J.
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    Awesome Work! Mixed and song for my wedding!! It was amazing!! Highly recommend!!

  8. Review by Tim G.
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    by Tim G.
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    This was my first song and recording, John did an awesome job from start to finish. He was upfront and honest, and helped walk me through and guide the process. His input was invaluable. The track came together better than I had hoped. Excellent job all around.

  9. Review by Mason Douglas
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    Great track and project with John - super flexible to make the key work and easy to work with!

  10. Review by Eric S.
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    Working with John was a great experience. The music was outstanding and captured exactly the sound I was looking for. He was open to feedback, and after a couple of vocal tweaks, the final mix came together perfectly.

    John was professional, easy to work with, and genuinely cared about making the song the best it could be. I highly recommend him to anyone looking for high-quality production, and I'll definitely be working with him again.

  11. Review by Sophie Hanson
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    It was an absolute pleasure working with John. He was easy to communicate with, clear about what he was looking for and made the whole process smooth from start to finish. I really appreciated that and hope we get the chance to work together on many more projects!

  12. Review by Brandon W.
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    John did an excellent job bringing our song to life. He was professional, communicative, patient with our feedback, and clearly cared about delivering the strongest possible final product. He explained his production decisions honestly, handled revisions thoughtfully, and guided us through the entire process. We’re very happy with the finished track and would gladly work with him again.

  13. Review by Rick S.
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    I needed help with a minor vocal project and John stepped right up and listened, told me what his plan was and had me back on the right track in no time at all. I highly recommend John for whatever you need.

  14. Review by Paul V.
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    John did an outstanding job mixing and mastering my song. He was professional, responsive, and incredibly patient throughout the entire process. He took feedback seriously, made thoughtful revisions, and was committed to getting the track exactly where it needed to be. The final mix sounds polished, balanced, and professional while still preserving the emotion of the song. I’d gladly work with him again and highly recommend him to anyone looking for a great mix engineer.

  15. Review by Curtis A.
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    Another great production by John. Thank you so very much for breathing life into my songs. I appreciate your talent.

  16. Review by Jason M.
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    John is a pro. Good communicator too. Gets a great sound, too.

  17. Review by Rick S.
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    John absolutely nailed the mix and master on “We The People.” He brought power, clarity, and emotion to every section of the song while keeping the message front and center. Professional, responsive, and easy to work with from start to finish. Highly recommended and I’ll definitely work with him again.

  18. Review by Matthew L.
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    John did an incredible job. Brought him 4 tracks which became 6.  Session players were top notch. Amazed at the creativity in producing my tracks and the tightness of the arrangements. Was my first time doing this, so I had a lot to learn.  John was incredibly helpful and responsive. He made many edits and mixes for me as I was curious about different ways to put more focus on certain aspects of the music. Songs came out amazing. Will be using John again shortly. 

  19. Review by Heather L.
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    John always nails it both with the production and the mix / master! Also very prompt - cannot go wrong!

  20. Review by Blaise D.
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    John is really good at what he does, which is why this isn't my first project with him. As expected, the track came out exactly as envisioned. I highly recommend letting John produce your next track.

Interview with John Kennedy

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

  2. A: I can deliver an extremely high quality project at most any budget. I have done this for almost 20 years and have learned the most efficient ways to deliver the highest quality product.

  3. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  4. A: Both. We live in a hybrid world these days. The goal is to get the analog sound in the box - and that can be achieved without the massive budgets of yesteryear.

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

  6. A: The industry sometimes has the reputation of being nothing but sharks. There ARE people with integrity out there. People that will deliver above and beyond. I consider myself one of those people.

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

  8. A: Find someone that relates to what you're doing. Look for integrity and sincerity.

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

  10. A: Elam 251, Martin D-28 Authentic, Retro Instruments Sta-Level, Neumann KM84 and Pro Tools...

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

  12. A: It depends on if you're talking about songwriting or production. In songwriting, I would say an ear for melody and truthful, honest lyrics. For production, my ability to listen, cast the right players and know the end goal for the project.

  13. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  14. A: I'm kind of a Pro Audio nut! I have a small home studio with a hybrid of hardware and software. I have the ability to work in Pro Tools, Cubase or Logic and can mix and deliver an album quality result with any of them.

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

  16. A: Classic 70's albums. Country, Rock, Jazz, Blues - my tastes are pretty wide ranging and ever-changing! A modern take on tried and true vintage recording approaches.

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

  18. A: I've done many demos for songwriters and produced, recorded and mixed many album projects.

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Turnaround time varies by project; additional costs to be discussed as needed.

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