Major Label Studio Musician, Producer, and Mixer (Brett Young, Allen Stone,) Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Bass, Vocals, Demo Production.

Top Shelf studio gear and mic selection. From moody and dark, bright and clean, to punchy, smooth, or edgy. Country, Pop, Singer/Songwriter, Indie, Folk, Alt. I bring 20 years of recording expertise to capture the right sounds for the song. My bread and butter isn't the science, it's the vibe; I'm here to breathe life into songs with creative interpretations and focused attention to detail. I'm currently Music Director for Brett Young, responsible for all elements of his Live Show, producing both his Spotify and Acoustic Sessions releases. I've worked on all sides of music creation with Brett and other artists, including Allen Stone, Colbie Caillat, Boyz II Men, Nichole Nordeman, Zach Williams, and producers like Dann Huff, Jon Kaplan, Jimmy Robbins, and others.

"Noah is one of only two people I trust with my music. Dann Huff is the other." -Brett Young

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

Credits

Languages

English

50 Reviews - 12 Repeat Clients

Endorse Noah Needleman

by Seth M.
Verified
Incredible talent - clearly a pro. Don’t hesitate if you are searching for a real guitarist
by George D.
Verified
Second project with Noah and I couldn't be happier. Really beautiful track. His guitar playing is exceptional. Look forward to working with him again.
by Hannes H.
Verified
Noah is a true pro, perfect sound and great fingerpicking style, creative and fast
by Dylan A.
Verified
Another one for the books
by Laura G.
Verified
Noah is a pure professional and beyond completed what was asked of what we needed for the project!

Amazing!
by Katie L.
Verified
Noah is a total pro!! It was such a treat to work with him - he is clearly an expert in what he does and I already look forward to working with him again!
by Mark Siegel
Verified
Stellar Player and perfect enginering / tone. Noah knew what the song needed arrangement wise and got the tone exactly how I needed. Highly recommend.
by Israel Slaughter
Verified
Mr Noah Needleman!! So talented man. Many more things to come with you!
by Israel Slaughter
Verified
Noah’s the man for sure!
by Floyd
Verified
Noah rocks! If you look for high quality guitar work he is your man.
by Lisa M.
Verified
Noah was an amazing guitarist to work with. He gave countless updates on how the project was going, gave a deadline and executed it, and also was just an all around great guy. I will definitely be coming back with more projects for him in the future!
by Harry V.
Verified
Always a Joy to work with!
by Lisa M.
Verified
Noah is GREAT to work with! He knew exactly what we wanted, delivered right away and his talent definitely shines through! Thank you so much Noah!
by Moore H.
Verified
I had a fantastic experience with Noah. Communicates really well, easy going, outstanding musician, and he delivered beautiful guitar tracks on time.
by MIKE MARTEL
Verified
amazing as always
by Cruz A.
Verified
Highly recommend. Worked on an acoustic track with Noah and he went above and beyond! Thanks Noah! :)
by Alla I.
Verified
Noah played the guitar for my upcoming acoustic single exactly how I wanted. Really nice to work with! :)
by George D.
Verified
Noah did excellent work on a short Holiday song. The music track he put together was beautiful and really made the piece. The result was truly outstanding... great to work with. Look forward to working with him in the future!
by Andrew m.
Verified
This was my first experience with Sounds Better, enlisting the services of Noah to provide guitars for a cover I am currently working on. Noah's communication and the quality of his work is outstanding. I cannot recommend him highly enough, and will certainly be using him again. Thanks Noah
by Sylvie H.
Verified
Noah is amazing, a true artist.
by Dylan A.
Verified
Another one for the books! Noah is amazing.
by MIKE MARTEL
Verified
Noah is beyond amazing
by Harry V.
Verified
Noah is one of the most professional musicians I've worked with.
He is efficient, respective to your creative vision, and also collaborative. I will definitely be hiring again!
by MIKE MARTEL
Verified
Amazing guitar and melodies as always
by Jason C.
Verified
Noah is a pro's pro, has great communication and delivered stellar results with a very fast turnaround. Looking forward to collaborating on future projects as well.
by Roniit A.
Verified
Noah is fast and his guitar parts sound awesome! He's great at recreating my scratch tracks and great at coming up with his own ideas! Always friendly and a pleasure to work with.
by MIKE MARTEL
Verified
noah is very profesional and talented amazing
by Chris
Verified
Noah was amazing, the guitar he made for us fit perfectly with the rest of the track and was super fast on the delivery!
by MIKE MARTEL
Verified
Noah is an amazing guitar player and a great melody maker fest and amazing hope to work with him soon
by Ben M.
Verified
Noah is an extremely talented instrumentalist and producer. I'll definitely be using him again.
by Tani P.
Verified
Noah is out of this world. incredible to work with, both in talent, technical skill and, energy. He went above and beyond to make this track shine for me and im truly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him. A++++
by shaya m.
Verified
Noah is the real deal. When I needed a few guitar parts done in a pinch he gave me exactly what I was looking for in less than a day. Noah was highly communicative, took the time to figure out the vibe I was looking for, offered me multiple tonal options and just knocked the performance out of the park. The recordings were fantastic, easy to work with in my production and definitely elevated the song. Noah is an absolute pleasure to work with and I will be coming back.
by Ade C.
Verified
Noah is a Godsend. While carrying out a sonic mission, Noah can maintain sincerity, insight, and balance. Begin your journey with the teacher of the ages. You won't be disappointed.
by Jackson
Verified
Amazing job!
by Bianca
Verified
Fastest delivery on Soundbetter! Noah communicated with me very quickly and was enthusiastic about my project. His vocals brought my song to life. I hope to work with him again. Highly recommend!
by Ade C.
Verified
I had so much fun working with Noah. His communication skills are sharp, and he has a polished ear for music. With an unfinished demo, Noah was able to produce and deliver a top tier product! Working with him to execute your vision is a must. 10 Stars!!!!
by Kyle D.
Verified
Exactly what I needed for my tune. Was very easy to work with Noah.
by Ade C.
Verified
While the world is on fire, Noah is settling the heat with love, patience, and understanding. Intuitively, he directed my vision and executed it. I will be working with him again!
by Jonathan b.
Verified
worked on another track with Noah he did a killer job love the track cant wait to work with him again !!
by Dylan A.
Verified
Noah is such an amazing guy to work with. I came to him with a roughed up guitar demo and a song. He was able to make a master piece out of it. I am looking forward to working with him again on future songs. Thanks again Noah!
by Jonathan b.
Verified
Noah did an awesome job took my track to the next level can’t wait to work with him again !
by Ricky H.
Verified
Ok - this guy NOAH N is ALL THAT and a bag of whatever!!! My first project with him and what an AWESOME demo he pulled together for me... He captured and pulled out the raw essence of my ruff vocal track and breathed life in to it.. Super professional - super creative - & quick turn around... A good man!
by Pat Tarpey
Noah consistently captures some of the best sounds of anyone I've worked with. He's a consummate pro, a genuine guy, and appreciates a good Lord of The Rings meme.
by Dylan A.
Second Project that I have worked on with Noah and it was a blast. Excited for the future and the projects ahead.
by Eric Berdon
Noah is a rare combination of talent, expertise, and heart. The care he puts into every note of a composition is unparalleled. I’m a singer and guitarist professionally, and Noah is one of the only people I’ve ever hired to work with me in that same capacity ... not because I couldn’t do what was needed on my own, but because it was just better in Noah’s hands. I would not hesitate to trust him with any facet of musical work.
by Szekely Jacob
Noah doesn’t just have incredible ears in great gear... he has fantastic taste and makes every project I’ve ever done with him better. Whether it’s beautiful color guitar, production or anything in between Noah is definitely your guy!
by Denny White
Noah is my go to guy for everything guitar, bass, electric, vibe, etc and a gem of a human! One of the most talented and passionate people I've met, and highly recommend him!
by Keaton Simons
Noah is creative and capable, passionate and professional. He does it all and enhances everything he touches. Top of my recommendation list!
by Joey Diehl
Not only is Noah great at what he does, he’s passionate beyond question about what he hears. He combines both a practical modern knowledge of sounds to a background of intense musical studies. I recommend him all the way!
by Jon Kaplan
Noah is an extraordinarily talented singer and multi-instrumentalist and has been my first call on records I have made with Allen Stone, Brett Young, Zach Williams and others. He is a consummate professional and I highly recommend him.

Interview with Noah Needleman

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I absolutely loved working on the CMT Crossroads event with Brett Young and Boyz II Men. Arranging songs for an all-star band, and then getting to sing with some of my childhood idols was literally a dream come true.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: During the Coronavirus Pandemic Shutdown, I'm working remotely on an album of covers with Brett Young, Shawn Stockman, Gavin Degraw, Colbie Caillat, and several other artists.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Denny White is a fantastic singer, songwriter, and producer. Rod Castro is an unbelievable guitarist.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Analog Chains, Digital Capture. For recording real sources, there's nothing like actual signal flow, but the flexibility of working in a DAW is a requirement. Soundbetter is a Digital Platform!
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: We'll work until you're happy!
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Music is like the Force. It surrounds us, penetrates us, binds us together. Making music makes me feel like a Jedi.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: "Do you like it?" More often than not, clients are unsure of exactly what they want, and when tracks are delivered they're afraid to actually like their own work! I try to fend that off by telling clients exactly what I like about the song/track/files, and where I have my own questions.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That I'm somehow too important to be apart of your record. I've had many people tell me they were afraid to ask because I'm so busy. I AM busy, but I love what I do and I'm always looking for more opportunities and artists to work with.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What artists/songs do you want this to sound like? Chasing vibes is a great way to begin a conversation.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Look for people who have work with artists you love. There's no guaranty that you're tastes will align, but that's the best way I can think to ensure it.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: My Martin HD-28v, my Gibson 335 Black Dot, my Soyuz 017 Tube Mic, Neve 1073, and Empirical Labs Distressor.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: My mom and dad were in a band together, so I always joke that I've been gigging since the womb. I bugged my older brother incessantly to teach me how to play songs on the guitar, and ultimately went to school for music composition and conducting. I left college before my degree because I had finished my music studies and still had 2 years of General Ed classed to take. I went home, saved up for a car, recorded an album, and moved back to LA to pursue being an artist, songwriter, performer and producer.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I'm in love with real sounds, real instruments, used in intimate and nuanced ways.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: If I could work with any artist, it would be Lennon Stella. Her ability to craft and perform a song is astounding.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Produce for the Mix! When capturing sounds, or choosing parts, think about frequency ranges that need to be developed or expanded as the narrative progresses.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Even though I'm mostly a fan of alternative, I end up working on Country music the most.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My strongest skill is my ability to hear an incomplete song in it's finished form, and to understand how to cover that distance between.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I'm a lover of songs. My parents were in a band together, (my Mom was a singer and Dad a guitarist,) and so I feel like I've lived my whole life in 3 minute increments. Song form is so simple and yet infinitely variable.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Once I have a song loaded into the DAW, I like to listen down and mark out the sections. Once I know what the vibe is, I choose a guitar and start to make stylistic decisions- kapo position & voicings, pick or fingers or nails- and then make the mic selection. After I dial in the tones I'm looking for, I hit record. Even the very first time playing it down I make sure the red light is on, cause ears get bigger when it is! I record everything, and keep playing until all parts are recorded satisfactorily. Then I put the guitar down and listen. I do a quick mix on the instrument, edit and comp until it's just right, (not looking for perfection, looking for VIBE,) and then pick up any spots that aren't quite right yet.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I've spent years in big professional studios before starting to build my own. I've always been interested in recording gear, and finding the exact right mics and gear to get the tones I loved. I'm running Protools with a 3rd Gen Apollo, with a great mic selection and an outboard 500 Series rack. Neve, AEA, API, Beyerdynamic, Nuemann, and a healthy portion of UAD and Boutique Plugs, (also Soundtoys and Waves, of course.)
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: When I was learning to play guitar, I followed with all the Jimmys- Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and James Taylor. I fell in love with Dave Matthews, Ben Harper, and John Mayer when I started writing songs. I love records that are textural and subtle.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I get called mostly for my acoustic guitar work. When done well, it should sound easy, effortless. But the nuance and detail, the pocket, in a great acoustic performance takes years to develop