Give the musician in your life the gift of music, whether it be creation, knowledge or the music itself with our best gifts for musicians.
There are a wide variety of music-related items out there to choose from, including everything from funny t-shirts to books. Musicians are a rare breed who love what they do so much, any and all references to making music are appreciated. And if all that fails, there’s always music itself, of course. I know about this first hand, since I am a musician with many musician friends. We’ve compiled a good mix of items to help you choose a great gift for your choosy musician.
Give the musician in your life the gift of music, whether it be creation, knowledge or the music itself with our best gifts for musicians.
Our Review
Did you know musicians require (at least) two pairs of headphones? Because they’re often obsessed with music in general, musicians tend to have one set of headphones for recording and another for listening. When simply listening to music, the preference is for something a little lighter weight with slightly more bass response, like the Bose SoundTrue, which are my personal favorite.
When recording in the studio, however, headphones need to be larger and better balanced, with no added bass. Studio monitoring requires natural sound response, and these Sennheisers are a great option. I have personally used them and can attest to their performance, particularly at this price point. The sound is clear and even after many hours of recording, they remain comfortable.
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Somewhat in the vein of Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies, Musician’s Dice gives composers a method to randomize note or chord selection as either a way to get valuable practice or to get through a block when writing. The random nature of the dice will stretch even the most practiced musician when they need it most. A technically complicated gift that’s easy to give and will appeal to a wide audience.
These are extremely popular, so if they’re out of stock when you go to buy, you could also consider Chord Dice .
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Speaking of composition, after utilizing the dice, the musician in your life will need a place to record their new creation. Sure, there’s excellent software for this these days, but for relatively simple songs, it’s still sometimes nice to put pen to paper. I owned this notebook for many years and it inspired me to write a good number of songs. Musicians can toss it in the gig bag and have it on hand when inspiration strikes.
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Musicians love to collaborate, and that usually means packing up the gear and heading over to another studio. Since studio setups are (generally) more involved than just a laptop, having a simple way to carry files around can really simplify the process. A one terabyte drive that fits in a pocket is a perfect solution. Even if it doesn’t get used for recording projects, it’s a great way to back up what is sure to be an enormous collection of digital music. Available from 500GB to 3TB, it’s practical, affordable, and always appreciated.
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Music memorabilia makes a great gift for musicians. This happens to be a display honoring Pink Floyd’s achievement, which will look great on any wall of the house, but especially in a studio or listening room.
Not a Pink Floyd fan? Not to worry, there are plenty to choose from, including Dr. Dre and Bob Dylan. Inspire your musician to greatness by reminding them of their heroes.
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Musicians love musical toys. Whether it’s a theremin or a noise maker, messing around with a toy version of more serious gear can be a way to free up creativity and unlock new ways of thinking about making music. This Stylophone pocket synth is a recreation of the 1967 version and includes the ability to pitch-bend three different organ voices. This little gem has been featured on some of my own music, and I happily recommend it to anyone looking to give a fun musical gift. You can also get the newer GEN X-1 model.
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I am personally fascinated with the history and trends of music that lead to what we hear today. This book focuses on a group of studio musicians behind many famous recordings from the 60s. They embodied the West Coast sound at the time, drawing many artists who previously recorded in New York out to California to cut their records, including the Beach Boys and Simon & Garfunkel. There’s also a documentary about the same group. An interesting read, for sure.
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When in the studio, monitoring via headphones is pretty common. If you’re multi-tracking, you’ll need to be able to split the monitoring or playback signal across several sets of headphones. This small device is a mini amplifier designed just for this purpose. It takes any 1/4 inch input and sends a high-quality signal to four sets of headphones at once. A simple but effective solution.
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Also in the synthesizer category, this kit allows the adventurous musician to create a fully customizable, modular synth. The modules snap together with magnets for quick reassembly so the musician can spend more time generating new sounds than building. There’s an included guide to get started quickly with famous tones, but the possibilities are really endless. A great gift for the aspiring sonic pioneer.
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While studio headphones are good, a dedicated pair of studio monitors are even better. Monitors should be completely colorless, meaning they don’t add their own flavor to the sound. They should reproduce what appears on the computer as accurately as possible to help the musician properly mix and master recorded material. While you can certainly spend several thousand dollars a piece on these, the under $1,000 threshold contains some gems. These Yamaha monitors are almost certainly the best you can get for the money. You can also get a bundled pair with XLR cables, which provides all you need.
There’s also the lesser, but still quite good, HS5 model .
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The player of strummed instruments in your life might also enjoy the freedom to make a pick out of just about anything. Make custom-designed picks, reuse old credit cards, or memorialize a plastic item. Guitarists especially lose picks all the time, so having something handy to make one on the quick is great. You can also buy a variety of pick material strips to give them plenty of ammo.
Our Review
While the condenser mic on this list is ideal for recording, you wouldn’t want to perform with it. For one thing, it’s very sensitive and for another, it’s too expensive. When it comes to live sound, the issue has long been decided about which microphone is best. The Shure SM58 is by far the industry standard. It sounds great, it’s tough as nails, and it’s nearly ubiquitous from coffee shop to arena. I have used them for years (even for recording), and I can attest to their brilliance. This bundle comes with a few extras so the musician in your life has everything they need.
Need more ideas? Browse our list of the best budget microphones here and microphones for sale under $50 here .
Our Review
Clip-on tuners have grown in popularity of late. They’re ideal because they take up no room on pedalboards or on top of amps. This D’Addario model is among the smallest ones on the market. It virtually disappears when it’s on the instrument, so only the player knows it’s there. Despite not requiring any cable connection, it’s super accurate. It’ll work on the vast majority of stringed instruments, but just in case, there’s a violin version, too.
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Sound isolation can be tricky in a home recording environment. Unlike a dedicated studio, there’s always more going on in the home than tracking that guitar part or vocal take, so anything you can do to knock down unwanted noise is helpful. This adjustable microphone isolation shield will keep ambient noise to a minimum, while also reducing stray reflections from the surfaces of your room. This is adjustable so you can use it for vocals or in front of an amp.
If the musician you’re buying for needs even more isolation, especially for vocals, consider the Pyle PSIB27 Sound Recording Booth Box, which encloses the mic even more.
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If they already have everything else on this list, then it’s time for your musician to get recording.
