Thomas Toner is a Nashville-based producer and songwriter best known for his decade-long collaboration with Jelly Roll. In this conversation, Thomas gets honest about the business side of producing, how AI is reshaping his workflow, and why he walked away from a thriving career to return to Christian music.
In This Episode
The artist-producer relationship: chemistry, trust, and knowing your roleWhat producers are actually worth — and how to negotiate for itMaster splits, recoupment, and catalog organizationWhere AI fits (and where it doesn't) in modern music productionFaith, fulfillment, and the decision to start overHis new producer presets via STL Tones Control HubTimestamps
[01:43] Early influences: Travis Barker, Blink-182, and stealing his sisters' CDs
[07:00] First job in Christian music at 19
[09:50] Meeting Jelly Roll
[12:10] Can you make Christian music without believing it?
[22:38] What a decade with Jelly Roll taught him about the artist-producer relationship
[31:00] The "Walmart Rick Rubin" production philosophy
[35:35] What separates good producers from great ones
[38:05] What artists most misunderstand about producers
[43:23] Master splits, recoupment, and why the old model is broken
[55:18] Catalog admin and the revenue streams most producers are missing
[59:44] AI: tool, threat, or noise?
[01:23:00] What AI can never replicate in production
[01:35:42] What integrity looks like in this industry
[01:39:31] The hardest lessons from 15 years in the business
[01:44:56] Why he returned to Christian music
[01:51:28] His new STL Tones / Control Hub plugin presets
[01:59:37] "If your kids described your career one day, what would you hope they say?"
Resources
🎛️ Thomas Toner's Producer Presets — STL Tones Control Hub 👉 https://www.stltones.com/products/controlhub-plugin
📱 Follow Thomas Toner on IG: https://www.instagram.com/stonebabysounds
🎙️ Follow Christian Music Maker on IG: https://www.instagram.com/christian.music.maker
🎙️ Website: https://www.christianmusicmaker.com
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClpxaPIm0dcJ01Ma5VsHCqw
Christian Music Maker is a podcast about the people, process, and purpose behind music made for something bigger. Subscribe wherever you listen.