Award-winning singer-songwriter, producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist. I've worked with band members of Kelly Clarkson, John Mayer, Avril Lavigne, Rufus Wainwright, and George Michael. Taught music production & music theory at UCLA. Taught Songwriting at the American Festival for the Arts. Received seven ASCAP awards for my songwriting.
Hello, music friends! As a producer my specialties are indie rock, indie & urban pop, singer-songwriter, folk, and Americana. I also work in a variety of other genres including classical, children's music and hip-hop.
I'm a versatile multi-instrumentalist and an excellent pop and rock pianist, a synthesizer programmer and player, as well as a top-notch rhythm guitarist for rock or folk. I also sing and play rock drums and hand percussion for a variety of genres.
I'm a decent engineer too, fluid in Logic and Pro Tools, and have recorded, edited, and mixed a number of studio projects professionally for 18 years.
Email me through the CONTACT button and let's talk about your project!
Click the 'Contact' above to get in touch. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Languages
- English
- Hebrew
- Spanish
15 Reviews
Endorse Joel Henry Stein
check_circleVerified (Client)Joel was an absolute pleasure to work with! He had such a fun positive song to sing and I loved his ability to communicate what he was looking for. An absolute pleasure and excited to continue working together on future projects!
It is always a joy to work with Joel! We have collaborated on several occasions recording drums and his sessions are always calm, cool and creative. I admire his song first approach, patience, flexibility and attention to detail. I look forward to working together again soon and would recommend him to anyone looking for a capable songwriter / producer / engineer in Los Angeles and beyond. Cheers!
I loved to work with Joel! He really teached me what to focus on in the song and I think we created something really special. It was so much fun! Joel is really helpful especially for a starting artist so don't worry if you don't know so much about music industry. Joel will guide you. Thank you for everything!
Joel is an exceptional producer and engineer! He brings out the best in the artists he works with. He has great ideas for performances to bring a track to life. While his specialty is pop music production he has an extensive background in other genres and can manage any type of project. Always such a pleasure working with Joel, highly recommended!
Joel is an absolute pleasure to work with! From the beginning of any project he comes in with a clear vision, professionalism, and a light heartedness that makes songwriting feel fun and effortless. He knows what is current while also understanding the depth and heart a song needs to stand out. He is an incredible musican versatile in multiple genres so as a producer he uses this wide range of influence to really hone in on what's best for the song. His production packs a high level punch that modern music needs to stand out, and he chooses really tasteful sounds to bring songs to life!
Joel produced an album for me and let me tell you, it could not have been a better experience! He did everything from the musical arrangements, to playing several of the instruments, and engineering as well. Not only was it fun, but I have a very professional product to show for it. He is also a wildly talented singer-songwriter. If you're looking for a folk-rock sound with clever, thought-provoking lyrics, he's your guy. Don't hesitate. Just book Joel now! You'll be in good hands.
Joel produced and engineered my acoustic folk single, "The Old Man and His Daughter" and helped my very personal story/song come to life. He listened to me and what I was imagining for the track, helped me get clear on the arrangement, brought in incredible studio musicians to play on the track, he wrote the cello part for the song, and he even tracked the percussion himself! Super helpful to have a great musician and composer like Joel to bring a song all the way through, it was a one stop shop. I'm very proud of what we created together.
I do sessions for Joel regularly. He is always pro and makes everything sound fantastic! I can highly recommend him for your next project.
Joel Henry Stein is a huge talent and an absolute pleasure to work with. From top-lining to production and mixing, Joel plays multiple instruments including guitar, drums, piano, bass, and midi programming. he has a keen ear for melodies, harmonies and lyrics. He is a perfectionist and has the most detailed ear for production and mixing! I can't say enough how easy Joel is to work with and how professional she is. Please hire him for your next project.
Joel is a great songwriter/composer for any genre. He is great at making an artist’s vision morph into reality!
I know I’m blessed to have found Joel to produce my children’s album. He saw my vision and together we brought it to reality. Working together was fun, relaxed and co-creative. Truly a gift.
Joel has such a great ear for production! His style is strong and unique. Would definitely work with him again!
What a great experience we had working with Joel! His breadth of musical knowledge and talent was invaluable in turning our rough songs into exciting and professional sounding tracks. From playing keys to crafting song structures to composing harmonies, he can do it all. Nothing but praise for Joel and our time in the studio with him.
I've had nothing but great experiences making records with Joel, and I absolutely recommend his SoundBetter services. I've had the pleasure of mastering a half-dozen full length LP's produced and co-written by Joel and his clients. He delivers coherent musical results. An excellent producer with legacy chops and contemporary sounds, he also communicates well and takes care of business! Looking forward to the next project!
Joel is an amazing producer. He took our raw songs and made them more exciting than we could have imagined. He diligently worked with us through all phases of production. First, he took the time in pre-production to help us make our songs better, our band better, and get us ready to record. His knowledge of harmonies and incredible voice helped us add layers to our music we didn’t think were possible. His multi instrumental and vocal abilities were an invaluable addition in the studio. He can shred the keys for days and is just an all around awesome human being!
Interview with Joel Henry Stein
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: The McCartys. Awesome people. Awesome songs. And I had a blast producing them.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Making pop music for advertising, an alternative synth pop side project, and singer-songwriter material
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Yes. Mt.Olympia Mastering
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: BOTH! They’re both available and they can each sound fantastic in their own way.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: You’re going to get a killer track or set of tracks that you can be excited about!
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Music and people
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: What do you charge? How do you work? When can we start? How quickly can we do this? I generally charge by the hour. I work in a way that suits your needs. We can start at a time that works well for both of us. I generally need 2-8 weeks before I can dive into a project as I’m usually finishing up someone else’s when people contact me. We decide on a timeline ahead of time, and, based on your budget, we do our best to stick to the plan.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That I only know folk-rock
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What’s your budget!? 😊 When do you want this done? What’s the scope? How many songs? How many instruments? What do you feel you need help with?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Be yourself. Don’t try to fit into some box that you think is what you need to be in order to “make it”
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Computer, Interface, Mic, Guitar, Piano
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started recording in high school in the ‘80s with a four track in my parents’ basement. Went on to get three degrees in composition and theory all the while working in studios, touring, and putting out my own records as a signed solo artist and also on my own label. I’ve worked with top-notch session players, engineers, and producer and learned A TON.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Retro with some modern flair
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Taylor Swift. I think she hasn’t even scratched the surface of her potential and she could do something truly unique and innovative.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Listen to a ton of different music spanning multiple decades and study what you hear
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Indie rock, singer-songwriter, folk
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Listening
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: 30 years of professional expertise as a musician, songwriter, composer, and producer.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I believe in getting a song to be in tip-top shape before arranging it for recording and bringing it to the studio. Once the song is great we can begin focusing on what the instrumentation will be like and how the arrangement will work. Once in the studio, I provide guidance and feedback to you and any studio musicians on the project, much like a film director would work with the lead actors.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have a home studio with lots of space - high ceilings make for a killer drum room. Running an Apollo d8P interface with 8 extra audio ins for a total of 16 inputs. Fantastic Phoenix Audio mix pres plus UAD digital pres. A Gefell m70 is my go-to vocal mic. Some great Sennheiser, Sure, and MXL mics for guitars and drums. Fender strat and Epiphone Casino electric guitars. Two Yamaha acoustics (steel and nylon string). Yamaha U2 upright piano. Vintage Pearl drum set with zildjian and paiste cymbals. Vox AC15 guitar amp. Lots of auxiliary percussion.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I love anything Beatles, Mitchell Froom, Prince, Bowie, Nigel Godrich, Cat Stevens
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Assist with developing and arranging your songs (pre-production), provide objective guidance and feedback during your recording process in the studio, coordinate and hire studio musicians, and engineer.
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: The McCartys. Awesome people. Awesome songs. And I had a blast producing them.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Making pop music for advertising, an alternative synth pop side project, and singer-songwriter material
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Yes. Mt.Olympia Mastering
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: BOTH! They’re both available and they can each sound fantastic in their own way.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: You’re going to get a killer track or set of tracks that you can be excited about!
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Music and people
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: What do you charge? How do you work? When can we start? How quickly can we do this? I generally charge by the hour. I work in a way that suits your needs. We can start at a time that works well for both of us. I generally need 2-8 weeks before I can dive into a project as I’m usually finishing up someone else’s when people contact me. We decide on a timeline ahead of time, and, based on your budget, we do our best to stick to the plan.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That I only know folk-rock
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What’s your budget!? 😊 When do you want this done? What’s the scope? How many songs? How many instruments? What do you feel you need help with?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Be yourself. Don’t try to fit into some box that you think is what you need to be in order to “make it”
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Computer, Interface, Mic, Guitar, Piano
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started recording in high school in the ‘80s with a four track in my parents’ basement. Went on to get three degrees in composition and theory all the while working in studios, touring, and putting out my own records as a signed solo artist and also on my own label. I’ve worked with top-notch session players, engineers, and producer and learned A TON.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Retro with some modern flair
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Taylor Swift. I think she hasn’t even scratched the surface of her potential and she could do something truly unique and innovative.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Listen to a ton of different music spanning multiple decades and study what you hear
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Indie rock, singer-songwriter, folk
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Listening
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: 30 years of professional expertise as a musician, songwriter, composer, and producer.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I believe in getting a song to be in tip-top shape before arranging it for recording and bringing it to the studio. Once the song is great we can begin focusing on what the instrumentation will be like and how the arrangement will work. Once in the studio, I provide guidance and feedback to you and any studio musicians on the project, much like a film director would work with the lead actors.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have a home studio with lots of space - high ceilings make for a killer drum room. Running an Apollo d8P interface with 8 extra audio ins for a total of 16 inputs. Fantastic Phoenix Audio mix pres plus UAD digital pres. A Gefell m70 is my go-to vocal mic. Some great Sennheiser, Sure, and MXL mics for guitars and drums. Fender strat and Epiphone Casino electric guitars. Two Yamaha acoustics (steel and nylon string). Yamaha U2 upright piano. Vintage Pearl drum set with zildjian and paiste cymbals. Vox AC15 guitar amp. Lots of auxiliary percussion.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I love anything Beatles, Mitchell Froom, Prince, Bowie, Nigel Godrich, Cat Stevens
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Assist with developing and arranging your songs (pre-production), provide objective guidance and feedback during your recording process in the studio, coordinate and hire studio musicians, and engineer.
I was the Producer in this production
- ProducerAverage price - $2000 per song
- Songwriter - MusicContact for pricing
- Songwriter - LyricContact for pricing
- Singer - MaleAverage price - $200 per song
- Composer OrchestralContact for pricing
- PianoAverage price - $200 per song
- Acoustic GuitarAverage price - $200 per song
If I'm producing your song, I work on it until you are satisfied. If I'm playing or singing on your track, I'm happy to make a couple of revisions. Turn-around time varies per project.
- The Beatles
- The Rolling Stones
- Spoon
- Pro Tools
- Logic
- UA Apollo x8p
- Phoenix Audio DRS-8
- Neumann-Gefell m70 mic
- tons of plugins
- Yamaha piano
- Pearl drums
- Fender Strat
- Epiphone Casino
- Yamaha acoustic guitars
