Schreiber was born as the ninth of ten children to the carpenter Georg Schreiber. He hailed from Dusemond but moved to Glückstadt in 1750, where he acquired citizenship and opened a workshop. On July 9, 1750, he married the widow Magdalena Margaretha Layser, who passed away on September 9, 1750. From his second marriage to Rebecca Sophia Daß (1733–1782), Johanna Christiana was born on May 17, along with five other siblings in the following years, all of whom died in childhood. When Rebecca Sophia Schreiber died in 1782, she left behind two sons and a daughter. Besides organ building, Matthias Schreiber also operated a wine trade and was referred to as a "wine merchant." He was documented as a journeyman under Dietrich Christoph Gloger and Jacob Albrecht. His nephews Peter Schreiber (1732–1795) and Nikel (Nikolaus) Schreiber (1727–1776) also hailed from Dusemond and owned vineyards there. They had familial ties to the organ builder family Stumm. At least Peter Schreiber is confirmed to have worked in Matthias's organ workshop. Matthias Schreiber passed away in 1771 during his work on the Loxstedter organ.

Schreiber is associated with the school of Arp Schnitger and continued the tradition of the Glückstadt organ builders Berendt Hus and Johann Hinrich Klapmeyer. Since the northern German organ type with its Hamburg prospect in Wittlich, St. Markus by Peter and Nikel Schreiber is unusual, it is presumed that Matthias Schreiber mediated or influenced its design.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Matthias_Schreiber