Howie Weinberg

Howie Weinberg is an American mastering engineer. He has over 200 Gold and Platinum records. Weinberg has over 19,000 mastering credits according to AllMusic. Weinberg has been awarded 16 Grammy Awards, 32 Grammy nominations as well as 4 TEC Awards 2 Juno Awards, and 1 Mercury Prize.
Career.
In 2011 Weinberg moved to Los Angeles and opened Howie Weinberg Mastering located in Laurel Canyon after working at Masterdisk in New York City since 1979.
Weinberg began his mastering career by working his way up from the mailroom at Masterdisk, delivering tapes all over the city. Masterdisk, one of the most famous mastering studios in the world at the time, and Bob Ludwig gave him his start by acting as his mentor.
Weinberg mastered several of Bill Laswell's productions, such as Herbie Hancock's Grammy Award-winning album "Future Shock" which included the hit single "Rockit which was Grammy nominated 3 X and won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance. in 1983. It was nominated for Best Instrumental Composition and Best Jazz Instrumental Performance.
Weinberg also received his first Juno Award in 1993 for his work on Payolas' Eyes of a Stranger off the album No Stranger to Danger (Payolas album).
Other notable works include the Beastie Boys' "Licensed to Ill" which was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2015 for shipping over ten million copies in the United States.
Howie Weinberg mastered the multi-platinum 1991 studio album "Nevermind" by Nirvana which was Grammy nominated in 1991 for Best Alternative Music Album and was then 2 X Grammy nominated the following year of 1992 for Smells Like Teen Spirit that was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance and Best Rock Song. The album was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
His mastering work on Rush's "Vapor Trails" drew some criticism for its extremely compressed dynamics by the band in 2002 which was an audio trend during the time. The album, nevertheless, went Gold.
Howie Weinberg currently has over 200 Gold & Platinum Records. He works with celebrities, record labels and independent artists.
Weinberg also worked with:
Dimebag Darrell of Pantera fame is quoted as saying:
When you get to mastering you've got to find the magic mix that works once it goes through all the compression and EQing. We worked with Howie Weinberg and he's a fantabulous motherfucker.
In 1991 he was Grammy nominated for Soundgarden's "Badmotorfinger". It was nominated for Best Metal Performance.
That same year, he got 2 Grammy nominations for Mariah Carey's album Emotions. It was nominated for Best Pop Female Performance and for Producer of the Year Non Classical. Howie Weinberg mastered the album.
In 1991 LL Cool J's album Mama Said Knock You Out also mastered by Weinberg won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance.
In 1992 Weinberg won 2 Grammy's and 1 Grammy nomination for the Arrested Development album 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of... The album won Best New Artist and Best Rap Performance Duo or Group for the single Tennessee. It was nominated for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for the single People Everyday.
In 1993 he was Grammy nominated for LL Cool J's 14 Shots to the Dome single Stand by Your Man (LL Cool J song). It was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance. Weinberg mastered the album.
In 1995 he earned a Grammy nomination for the Red Hot Chili Peppers album Blood Sugar Sex Magik. It was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance. The album was also mastered by him.
In 1996 he won a Grammy for mastering the Smashing Pumpkins's album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. It won for Best Hard Rock Performance and received 6 Grammy nominations; Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Pop Instrumental Performance, Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Best Alternative Music Performance, Best Music Video, Short Form.
In 1996 he was also 3 X Grammy nominated for Garbage's Stupid Girl which was nominated for Best New Artist, Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Rock Song.
In 1997 he won a Grammy Award for mastering The Smashing Pumpkins's The End Is the Beginning Is the End which won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance.
In 1997 he earned a Grammy nominated for U2's Pop. It was nominated Best Rock Album. Weinberg mastered the album.
In 1998 he was Grammy nominated for the Smashing Pumpkins album Adore that was nominated for Best Alternative Music Performance.
In 1998 he as also 2 X Grammy nominated for Garbage's album Version 2.0 that was Grammy nominated for Album of the Year and Rock Album.
In 2000 he was 3 X Grammy nominated for his work on Madonna's album Music. Weinberg mastered it and it was nominated for Record of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and Best Pop Vocal Album.
In 2001 he received a Mercury Prize for mastering PJ Harvey's 2 X Grammy nominated album Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea. It was Grammy nominated for Best Rock Album and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for the single "This Is Love". This album also won a Mercury Prize.
In 2003 his work for Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill was ranked number 217 on "Rolling Stone" magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
In 2003 he won a Grammy for mastering Sheryl Crow's "C'mon, C'mon" which was released in 2002, spawning the hit single "Soak Up the Sun". The second single, "Steve McQueen" won Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. The album earned 4 Grammy nominations. It was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, Best Rock Album and Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. This album also earned 2 TEC Awards.
In 2004 "Rolling Stone" ranking Nirvana's Nevermind number 27 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and again, at number 30 on their updated list in 2011.
In 2006 was Grammy nominated for mastering Yeah Yeah Yeahs 's Show Your Bones. It was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album.
He also was Grammy nominated for UB40's album Who You Fighting For? that same year. It was nominated for Best Reggae Album.
In 2006, he also won a Latin Grammy for mastering Ahí vamos which won for Best Rock Solo Vocal.
In 2008 he won a Grammy for mastering Daft Punk's Alive 2007 which won Best Electronic/Dance Album in 2008.
He appeared at the 2009 SXSW on the Panel: Producers On Making Classic Records.
In January 2011, he left Masterdisk to set up his own mastering company in Los Angeles.
In 2013 he was Grammy nominated for mastering Fiona Apple's The Idler Wheel... which was Grammy nominated for Best Alternative Music Album.
In 2017 his work from Nirvana's, Smells Like Teen Spirit, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. That year he also won a Juno Awards of 2017 for The Strumbellas.
In 2019 he won a Latin Grammy Award for mastering Mon Laferte's Norma won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album.
In 2020 he won 3 Grammy's for mastering Gary Clark Jr.'s album This Land. The album won 3 Grammy's and earned 1 Grammy nomination. The album won Best Contemporary Blues Album, Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song. It was nominated for Best Music Video.
In 2020 Weinberg began doing consulting work with LANDR is an online, cloud-based, automated mastering service developed by MixGenius in Montreal, QC. It allows for the upload of audio tracks in various formats which are then instantly digitally mastered using artificial intelligence algorithms. He consults with new technologies, new media, and education.
He appeared in Voyage LA Magazine's "Most Inspiring Stories" on February 11, 2021.
Award.
He has been nominated for the Mix Foundation's Technical Excellence & Creativity award for mastering engineer in 1997, was part of two of the winners in 2003 (best track with Sheryl Crow's "Soak Up the Sun"; best record for Sheryl Crow's "C'mon, C'mon"), and was part of the winners for best track in 2006 with Gorillaz' "Feel Good Inc".
Personal life.
Howie Weinberg married Rachel Felder, the director of artists and repertory at Columbia Records in July 1999. The couple separated in 2009 and divorced soon after.
Partial discography.
If not stated otherwise, Howie Weinberg received credits for mastering. Listed in alphabetical order: