The Steve Kinney on SoundBetter

I turn rough ideas into songs that shine — mixing, mastering, session guitar, vocal tuning, and editing. I bring polish, energy, and a love for big hooks, whether it’s the pop country sparkle of Shania Twain or the rock punch of Def Leppard. Your music, just louder, tighter, and ready to hit repeat.

Hey, I’m Stephen! I help artists turn rough ideas into polished tracks that hit. I offer mixing, mastering, session guitar, vocal tuning, editing, and comping—basically everything you need to make your music sound full, professional, and ready for release.

I love music with big hooks and heart, whether it’s the pop country sparkle of Shania Twain or the rock punch of Def Leppard, and I bring that same energy to every project. I’m all about collaboration — no ego, just listening, problem-solving, and helping your vision shine. My goal is to make the process smooth, creative, and even fun, so you can focus on making music while I handle the polish.

I believe every track has potential, and I love helping artists unlock it, whether that’s subtle tweaks or total transformations. If you’re ready to take your music to the next level, I’m here to help.

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

Credits

Languages

English

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Interview with The Steve Kinney

Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: In a perfect world - analogue. It's more reliable and faster. Digital sounds every bit as good if not better in some cases, but software updates, licenses, computer systems can be a pain in the butt to maintain over the years and there is usually end of life baked into the designs.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: A big misconception is that mixing, mastering, and session work is just “pressing buttons” or purely technical. In reality, it’s about serving the song—bringing out emotion, energy, and clarity while enhancing the artist’s vision. It’s creative, collaborative, and often subtle work that makes a track truly shine.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I bring polish, clarity, and energy to every song. Whether it’s tight mixes, balanced masters, session guitar, or perfectly tuned vocals, I focus on enhancing the artist’s vision while keeping the process collaborative, creative, and ego-free. My goal is to make every track sound full, professional, and ready to connect with listeners.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Typically, it all starts in pre-production to plan the tracks and arrangement. Then I head to a session studio for bulk tracking, return to mixing, editing, and cleaning up the recordings, and finally move on to vocal tracking, followed by mixing and mastering to deliver a polished, release-ready song.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: Apollo x8 Gen 2 + VOLT 876 for a 16in 16out Hybrid analogue backbone Mac Studio ProTools LUNA 2x Summit Audio TLA50 3x Quagliardi 576 Quagliardi 501+ Pre Ironage QP5 Roland Dimension D Wa Bus Comp Dolby 361 Pair SSL UF Series Controllers & more
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I’m inspired by artists with big hooks and heart—like Shania Twain and Def Leppard—and by producers and engineers who can make every element shine, like Mutt Lange, Mike Shipley, and Joey Moi. I love people who combine creativity, precision, and energy to make music that moves listeners.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: The most common work I do is mixing and mastering songs, helping artists polish their tracks so they sound full, balanced, and release-ready. I also provide session guitar, vocal tuning, editing, and comping, adding musical elements and fine-tuning performances to bring the artist’s vision to life. I focus on keeping the process smooth, collaborative, and creative.

Acoustic GuitarAverage price - $250 per song
Electric GuitarAverage price - $250 per song
EditingContact for pricing
Mixing EngineerContact for pricing
Mastering EngineerContact for pricing
ProducerContact for pricing

All services per agreement. Payments non-refundable once work begins. Revisions included as stated. I may showcase work for portfolio & promo unless requested otherwise.