Famous DJs Who Use Ghost Producers: What Is Confirmed and What Is Rumor
Updated November 2026 · By the Anonymous Tracks team
Questions like “does Tiësto use a ghost producer?” or “who is David Guetta’s ghost producer?” come up constantly. Most answers online repeat old rumors as facts. On this page we only report what artists, producers and credible outlets have actually said, and we mark everything else as unconfirmed.
What is a ghost producer?
A ghost producer is a music producer who makes a track that another artist releases under their own name. There are two common arrangements, both described by ghost producer Maarten Vorwerk to NOS:
- Full buyout: the artist buys all the rights and the producer stays completely anonymous.
- Co-production: the producer keeps a writing or production credit and a share of the royalties, but the public mostly knows the DJ’s name.
Only the first is ghost production in the strict sense. A producer who is credited on a track is a collaborator, even if fans never read the credits.
How common is ghost production?
Hard numbers are rare, because buyout contracts are confidential. The most detailed public report is a 2018 NOS investigation based on dozens of industry insiders:
- Nicky Romero and Ralph van Hilst (Bassjackers) each estimated that 10 to 15 DJs in the DJ Mag Top 100 order their music from others.
- In a Spotify list of 50 dance hits, 20 tracks were partly made by another DJ or producer.
- Top ghost producers were paid €25,000 to €30,000 per track, the level below €5,000 to €7,000, and beginners a few hundred euros.
- The main reasons given: heavy touring leaves no studio time, and some DJs lack production skills.
Famous DJs and ghost production: the evidence
| Artist | What is documented | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Martin Garrix | Told DJ Mag in 2013 that before his breakthrough he “made a ghost production for somebody else”, a track signed to Spinnin’ Records. He has said he makes his own music and has streamed his production sessions to prove it. | Confirmed (as a ghost producer) |
| Maarten Vorwerk | Dutch producer who works openly as a ghost producer and talks about it in interviews. NOS described him as one of the biggest ghost producers, often working with Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike. | Confirmed (as a ghost producer) |
| Maceo Plex | Has said in interviews that he started his career ghost-writing tracks for other artists (DJ Mag). | Confirmed (as a ghost producer) |
| David Guetta | Credits many co-producers on his releases, such as Giorgio Tuinfort. In the 2018 NOS report, producer Albert Harvey said he had often worked with Guetta but had agreed not to talk about it. Guetta did not respond. | Reported |
| Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike | Frequently linked to Maarten Vorwerk in industry reports, including NOS. | Reported |
| Tiësto | No public confirmation. He releases many openly credited collaborations; specific ghost producer names online come without sources. | Not confirmed |
| Fisher | Rumors that Chris Lake makes his music were never confirmed; “Losing It” is credited to Paul Fisher alone. Full story. | Not confirmed |
| Alan Walker | His tracks credit several co-writers and co-producers. In 2017 EDMTunes questioned his role after a studio walk-through video. Nothing beyond credited collaboration has been shown. | Not confirmed |
| KSHMR | Before his solo project, Niles Hollowell-Dhar was part of The Cataracs, the credited production team behind “Like a G6”. Stories that he ghost produced for big DJs circulate, but several of them come from April Fools’ articles. | Not confirmed |
| Marshmello | Not a ghost production case but a masked identity: in 2017 Forbes reported royalty records listing Chris Comstock (Dotcom) as the songwriter of “Silence”, widely taken as confirming who Marshmello is. | Identity, not ghost production |
| Maddix | We found no public evidence that Maddix uses a ghost producer. | No evidence |
“Confirmed” means the person said it publicly. “Reported” means a credible outlet reported it, without confirmation from the artist. “Not confirmed” means rumors exist but no reliable source supports them.
How can you tell if a track was ghost produced?
You usually can’t be sure, because a real buyout leaves no trace. But you can check who is officially credited:
- Streaming credits: on Spotify, open the track menu and choose “View credits” to see listed writers and producers.
- Performing rights databases: BMI and ASCAP have public repertoire searches that list registered songwriters.
- Discogs and label pages: release pages often list producers, engineers and co-writers.
Keep in mind that a second name in the credits is not proof of ghost production. It usually means an open collaboration, which is normal in every genre.
Is it wrong for a DJ to use a ghost producer?
It is legal and widespread: the producer is paid and transfers the rights by contract. Critics argue that fans deserve to know who made the music; supporters answer that pop, film and hip-hop have always worked with uncredited or behind-the-scenes producers, and that a DJ’s job is also the show, the brand and the selection. Our complete guide to ghost production explains how it works, what it costs and how rights are transferred.
Browse our exclusive ghost productions: every track is sold to one buyer only, with full rights, stems and a written transfer of ownership. Or hire a ghost producer for a custom track.
Frequently asked questions
Which famous DJs use ghost producers?
Very few cases are confirmed. Industry insiders quoted by NOS in 2018 estimated that 10 to 15 DJs in the DJ Mag Top 100 have their music made by others, but they did not name them. Confirmed cases are mostly producers talking about their own work, like Martin Garrix, Maarten Vorwerk and Maceo Plex.
Does Tiësto use a ghost producer?
There is no public confirmation. Tiësto works with many openly credited collaborators, and the specific ghost producer names found online come without reliable sources.
Does David Guetta use ghost producers?
Guetta openly credits many co-producers, such as Giorgio Tuinfort. In a 2018 NOS report, producer Albert Harvey said he had often worked with Guetta but had agreed not to discuss it; Guetta did not respond. There is no public confirmation from Guetta himself.
Did Martin Garrix use a ghost producer?
There is no evidence that he does. It is the other way around: Garrix told DJ Mag in 2013 that he made a ghost production for another artist before he was signed, and he has streamed his own production sessions to show he makes his music.
Does Alan Walker use a ghost producer?
His releases credit several co-writers and co-producers, which is open collaboration rather than ghost production. A 2017 EDMTunes article questioned his studio role, but nothing beyond credited collaboration has been shown.
Was KSHMR a ghost producer?
Before going solo, KSHMR was part of The Cataracs, the credited production team behind “Like a G6”. Stories that he ghost produced hits for big DJs are widespread but unconfirmed, and some come from April Fools’ articles.
Does Maddix use a ghost producer?
We found no public evidence that Maddix uses a ghost producer.
Who is the most famous ghost producer?
Maarten Vorwerk is often called the most famous EDM ghost producer, because he works openly in that role and has given interviews about it. Martin Garrix is the best-known example of a star who started out ghost producing.
How much do ghost producers earn?
According to the 2018 NOS report, top ghost producers earned €25,000 to €30,000 per track, the next level €5,000 to €7,000, and beginners a few hundred euros. Ready-made tracks on marketplaces usually cost much less; see our ghost production guide for current prices.
Sources
- NOS (2018): Een deel van de grote dj’s ‘bestelt’ zijn muziek bij anderen
- EDMTunes (2013): Martin Garrix talks ghost producing for others
- Splice: The 3 most important ghost producers in electronic dance music
- Dancing Astronaut (2015): Maarten Vorwerk on his ghost producing career
- DJ Mag: Ghost producer, or studio collaborator?
- EDMTunes (2017): Alan Walker accused of being ghost produced
- Dancing Astronaut (2017): Forbes and Marshmello’s identity