29 gifts for music lovers that'll hit all the right notes, from guitar ornaments to vinyl subscriptions
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- The music lover in your life can always be found listening to or playing music.
- Here are 29 gift ideas to fuel their passion for songs, bands, instruments, and any genre of music.
- Still looking for a great gift? Check out our list of the All-Time Best products we've ever tested.
There are the people who casually listen to whatever happens to be on the radio, and then there are the people who spend hours carefully curating playlists, filling their calendars with concerts, and even playing music themselves.
This gift guide is for the latter group, who don't just like music but love it.
To fuel their passion, you can gift them something that elevates their listening experience, teaches them something new about music, or puts them right in front of their favorite singer.
Due to the impact of the pandemic on the music industry, we also suggest looking at their favorite local music store or live event venue for merch and gift cards. Or, you can make a donation to local musician funds and venues in your recipient's name.
The 29 best gifts for music lovers:
Boy Smells Slow Burn Candle, from $39, available at Nordstrom
Kacey Musgrave's collaboration with Boy Smells, a popular emergent candle brand, won the 2020 Consumer Choice Candle of The Year by The Fragrance Foundation and GQ's 2020 Grooming Awards for Home Scents. It's woody and dark, with hints of smoked papyrus and amber with ginger and black pepper.
"Life" by Keith Richards, $17.70, available at Amazon
Keith Richards' disarmingly honest autobiography is widely considered one of the best rock memoirs to ever be published. In it, you'll find the winding story of Richards, The Rolling Stones, and the love, music, estrangement, reconciliation, and isolation he experienced as an "outlaw folk hero" in rock and roll.
If the music lover in your life already has "Life" in their home library, check out alternative classics such as Patti Smith's "Just Kids."
"Music is History" by Questlove, $14.99, available at Amazon
Beyond an iconic career as drummer and joint frontman of the band The Roots, Questlove is known for an insatiable, obsessive love of musical history (particularly Black music). He's amassed over two hundred thousand records, which he stores at a farm upstate. His musical knowledge is unbelievably expansive, with such hyper-specific playlists as "Funk Songs in E Major I Cringe At" on his phone.
"Music Is History" is a natural project for him and a natural gift for any music lover. It combines Questlove's deep musical expertise with a fascination for history, examining America over the past 50 years through its music.
Snark ST-8 Super Tight Clip On Tuner, $19.99, available at Amazon
They'll be able to clip this battery-operated (read: no outlet needed) tuner onto their guitar to tune wherever they need to.
StubHub Gift Card, from $25, available at StubHub
Whether their favorite musicians are performing again or your gift recipient wants to wait a little longer before comfortably going to concerts again, a gift card for concert tickets is won't go to waste — and gives them something to look forward to.
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones, $348, available at Amazon
The best gift is the gift that improves their music-listening experience. For that, we recommend our favorite noise-canceling headphones — Sony's WH-1000XM4 — that balance sound quality, noise cancellation, and comfort with a solid price.
You can find more good noise-canceling headphone options here.
Karaoke Microphone Speaker, $50, available at Uncommon Goods
This karaoke speaker will help liven up all special events and get-togethers. They'll need to download an app to connect the microphone to their phone and then they'll be all set to sing their heart out all night long.
Booze & Vinyl: A Spirited Guide to Great Music and Mixed Drinks, $22.49, available at Barnes & Noble
Combining two great pastimes, the fun guide features 70 albums from the '50s through the 2000s and an A-side and B-side cocktail for each one. They're organized by mood, so your recipient will know just what pairing to use for the night.
How Music Shapes the Brain by Dr. Indre Viskontas, $35, available at One Day University
Learning and performing music changes the brain, which is why neuroscientist and opera singer/director Dr. Indre Viskontas says the musician's brain is hailed as a model of neuroplasticity.
Even listening to music can change the brain, and in this short, affordable lecture, Viskontas explains how — and what — music can tell us about what it means to be human. Learn more about how One Day University works here.
The Rolling Stones Tie-Dye Tee, $39, available at Urban Outfitters
Urban Outfitters offers tons of graphic T-shirts featuring the logos and designs of classic artists and bands like Nirvana, Sublime, Metallica, and The Notorious B.I.G.
Three-month Gift Membership, $119, available at Vinyl Me, Please
Record owners experience no greater joy than when they get to add to their collection and play a new vinyl for the first time. Your recipient will choose from three different types of tracks each month and will also receive extra goodies in each package. The three-month membership includes one bonus record.
Pastabilities Music Pasta (2-Pack), $12.99, available at Amazon
If they like playing music as much as they like playing with their food, here's a fun, edible gift they can cook right away.
A Visual Compendium of Guitars 18"x 24" Print, $30, available at Pop Chart
Can they identify all the guitars held by famous rockers in this eye-catching print? They'll find the musical companions of Jimi Hendrix, Tom Petty, Kurt Cobain, Joan Jett, and many other iconic musicians.
Personalized Glass Acrylic Music Plaque, available at Etsy, from $15.28
Submit your recipient's favorite song to make this eye-catching acrylic plaque. You can use an album cover or a personal picture to make this gift feel even more special. You can also opt for a stand so they can keep the plaque close by on their desk or any other surface.
Cameo appearance, available at Cameo, from $50
Make their day by gifting them a special video message from their favorite musician. With hundreds of artists to choose from, you can filter artists by your recipient's favorite music genre.
If you want to go the extra mile, some artists offer availability for one-on-one chats and Zoom calls. Some musicians you can find on the site include Snoop Dogg, Kenny G, and Ice T.
Personalized Record Doormat, available at Uncommon Goods, $35
Turn their favorite record into a treasured home decor piece with this thoughtful gift. Personalize this doormat with their favorite record title and their name to make this gift feel like it was made just for them.
Sony Bluetooth Stereo Turntable, available at Best Buy, $249.99
No music lover's vinyl collection is complete without a turntable that can play their favorite records over and over again. This turntable from Sony not only has incredible sound quality but also doubles as a Bluetooth speaker, allowing them to play music from their other devices.
Foot Traffic Novelty Socks, $12, available at Amazon
These soft and comfortable socks come in a variety of music-themed patterns, from a simple but striking piano keyboard to an ensemble of orchestral musicians.
DropMix Music Gaming System, $69.98, available at Amazon
DropMix is a fast-paced game that challenges them to make new and unexpected mixes with popular tracks they already know and love. It'll be a hit among competitive music lovers and experts.
AirPods with Charging Case, $129.99, available at Best Buy
Apple AirPods are far from perfect, but we have to admit they're really convenient. They're the easiest earbuds to pop into their ears since they're light and pair automatically with their phone, and they'll stay in surprisingly well.
Suck UK Drumstick Pencils, $7.77, available at Amazon
These clever pencils are an easy stocking stuffer for budding and experienced drummers alike.
Cotodama Canvas Lyric Speaker, $1,900, available at Cotodama
This sleek WiFi-enabled speaker, which integrates seamlessly into their living room or bedroom, recognizes and artistically displays the lyrics of the song as it plays.
The sound quality is also top-notch, which isn't a surprise since the company behind it is part of an incubator run by the famous Abbey Road Studios.
Hans Zimmer Film Scoring Class, $180, available at MasterClass
Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard the work of film score composer Hans Zimmer. Through lessons on tempo, character themes, sound palettes, and more, the composer of over 150 movies including "Inception" and "The Lion King" shows students how he makes movie score magic.
Ultimate Ears Boom 3 Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker, $138, available at Amazon
The loud and powerful UE Boom 3 delivers 360-degree sound and has a long battery life, perfect for outdoor hangouts. They can even continue being DJ at the beach or in the tub because the speaker is waterproof.
This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, $13.19, available at Amazon
This fascinating book delves into why music is so important to us, and is written by someone with a firm grasp on both the artistic and scientific sides of it: A neuroscientist who previously worked as a session musician, sound engineer, and record producer.
Amazon Echo (4th Generation), $99.99, available at Target
They'll be able to stream music from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, SiriusXM, and more without even lifting a finger. The newest version of the popular Echo device has even better audio features than before: 360-degree Dolby-powered audio, dynamic bass response, and personalized equalizer settings.
Major Scale Musical Wine Glasses (Set of 2), $68, available at UncommonGoods
These special wine glasses have lines labeling different notes of the scale, so they can play a tune with their finger while enjoying their favorite red or white.
Just the Ticket: Ticket Stub Organizer, $9.65, available at Amazon
Videos and photos aside, a way to remember their concerts, down to the exact seat in the venue, is this ticket stub diary. There's also space on each page to jot down notes and memories to look fondly back on later.
Cufflinks, Inc. Music Notes Cufflinks, $55, available at Cufflinks.com
These small accessories are the perfect finishing note on their ensemble, whether they're heading to work or the symphony.