Beat Making
25 Holiday Gift Ideas on Every Musician’s List for Any Budget in 2021
The holidays are coming up quick so before everyone gets started with their holiday shopping, it’s time to find (or ask for) that perfect gift.
There’s so much interesting music gear out there, it’s not hard to get overwhelmed by choice.
That’s why we’ve put together a list with all kinds of ideas for any budget big or small.
If you aren’t sure what to ask for or give to the music producer in your life, here’s 20 great gift ideas any artist will love this holiday season.
There’s so much interesting music gear out there, it’s not hard to get overwhelmed by choice.
1. Teenage Engineering’s Pocket Operator synth
The Pocket Operator makes an excellent gift because it’s affordable, portable and actually a quite good synthesizer. And it’s super fun!
Pretty much everything Teenage Engineering puts out is a great gift for the aspiring musician, the Pocket Operator is just one example.
Any item from their collection of fun and user-friendly modular synth products is enough to make the musician on your list jump for joy.
2. The LANDR Studio
LANDR offers a lot of products to the emerging producers of the world.
Whether you need samples or plugins to create with, a space to collaborate online, mastering to finish your tracks or distribution to share them on streaming platforms, LANDR can help.
That’s why a yearly subscription to LANDR Studio is an excellent gift for the artist in your life—it’s got everything a producer needs to start, finish and publish their first album.
3. Behringer Ultra Vibrato
Vibrato is one of the prettiest guitar effects out there, its ability to add warmth and warble to guitar tone makes it an incredibly useful pedal to have around.
The Ultra Vibrato from Behringer is quite possibly the best pedal you can buy for under $25, I’ve heard pro guitarists tell me they replaced $600 pedals on their pedalboards with it.
Behringer’s line of re-built guitar pedals is pretty good in general, but if there’s one pedal that’ll impress the electric guitarist in your life it’s definitely the Ultra Vibrato.
4. Arturia KeyStep
The KeyStep is possibly one of the most beloved MIDI keyboards out there.
The small compact size is great for desktop use and it comes with an excellent arpeggiator, sequencer, mod, pitch and transport built-in.
It also includes MIDI, CV and Sync outputs—making it compatible with any synth out there, old or new.
5. LANDR Chromatic
Chromatic is the new loop-based VST from LANDR that makes finding inspiration quick, easy and fun.
With Chromatic artists get access to sets that contain curated loops and samples that are primed for chopping and twisting into whatever inspires you.
It’s super easy to get hands-on with exclusive, artist-approved loops and manipulate them with Chromatic’s built-in effects in real-time.
The ever-expanding library of loops is constantly getting updated too, so there’s always something new to inspire.
6. Korg Volca FM
Volca FM is one of the most interesting synths from Korg’s Volca compact synth series.
That’s because it’s a desktop-sized rebuild of the legendary Yamaha DX7, which was one of the first synths to popularize FM synthesis.
FM synths sound amazing, and Volca FM delivers with some great patches and a fairly simple interface for controlling and modifying patches.
And at $169 it makes for a reasonably priced gift that’ll get the synth lover in your life super excited.
7. Really nice guitar strings
Guitar strings break and they’re pretty expensive to replace over and over.
There’s no guitarist out there who can’t put a pack of premium guitar strings to use.
There’s plenty of premium strings out there but Elixir is one brand that offers a collection of higher quality guitar strings that any guitarist in your life is sure to appreciate!
Elixir – Starting at around $10 USD
8. A LANDR Pro mastering account
Mastering is a critical part of the music production process. No track is finished until it’s mastered.
LANDR removes the cost and time it takes to get a track mastered with its AI-based mastering tool.
LANDR removes the cost and time it takes to get a track mastered with its AI-based mastering tool.
Give the artist in your life the ability to make high-quality tracks that shine with a yearly unlimited mastering subscription for 2021.
9. Output’s Platform music production desk
For the serious music producer staying organized is key for maintaining a productive workflow.
Sometimes something as simple as the furniture you use in the home studio can have a positive or negative effect on productivity.
Output’s Platform music production desk is the perfect way to stay productive, organized and inspired in the studio.
The desk is designed by and for music producers and features optimal space for keyboards, monitors, speakers, MIDI instruments and more!
10. Universal Audio’s Apollo Twin X audio interface
Recording sound into your DAW isn’t possible without a digital audio interface.
There are all kinds of audio interfaces out there, but having a high-quality one can improve recording quality everywhere throughout your workflow.
With a broad range of configuration and connectivity options, real-time UAD Console environment, Unison preamp modeling, and industry-standard UAD-2 plugins, Apollo is the interface to beat for features and performance.
It even doubles as a mic pre-amp and features speedy Apple Thunderbolt 3 connectors for iOS.
11. The Drum Caddy
Drummers are constantly losing or breaking their sticks when playing their instruments.
In the practice room this might not be a big deal, but live it can be a disaster.
The drum caddy a convenient way to solve this problem with its cup holder-like receptacle for drum sticks that easily attaches to any drum hardware.
This is a great stocking stuffer idea for any drummer out there.
12. Ableton Push 2
Ableton is the DAW of choice for a lot of music producers, especially beatmakers and DJs.
Ableton Push is a great MIDI controller companion for any Ableton user, it makes Ableton that much more fun and easy to use.
In 2020 boost someone’s creativity with the perfect MIDI controller for Ableton.
Ableton Push 2 with Ableton 10 Live Intro - $799 USD
13. Any guitar pedal from this sale
I’ve never met a guitar player who doesn’t love a new pedal.
There are so many to choose from, it’s hard to pick just one.
But with the holiday season coming up there are a lot of great guitar pedal sales.
Keeping in mind who you are buying for, pick out a cool guitar pedal and give someone a new range of sounds to play with!
Guitar pedals on Reverb – Starting at $20USD
14. The Lethal Audio Synthesizer Plugin
Lethal is a great synthesizer plugin for any music producer out there.
It offers a lot of options to create cool and modern sounds for any genre.
Lethal offers a lot of options to create cool and modern sounds for any genre.
Best of all, you don’t have to pay for it entirely right now. You can rent-to-own the plugin and pay for it monthly over time with LANDR rent-to-own plugins.
Try Lethal for free today and dive into over 3000 presets and drum samples.
Lethal Audio Synthesizer – Rent-to-Own for $9.99 USD per month for 20 months
15. Music lessons
Giving someone the opportunity to get better at their instrument or learn a new one is a powerful and life-changing gift.
Whether it’s through an app or with a private instructor, a batch of music lessons is an excellent gift for an aspiring musician.
Music lessons – varying prices
16. Behringer’s WASP Deluxe hybrid synth
Behringer is putting out some pretty cool yet affordable synth products these days.
If you are looking for a versatile gift for an electronic music producer the WASP Deluxe is a great option!
It’s fun to use and since it’s a hybrid synth it can easily connect to either a computer or analog speakers.
17. Roland’s TR-08 drum machine
The TR-08 is a compact take on the TR-808 drum machine that took the world by storm in the 80s.
It’s highly sought after because it’s such a useful tool for any creator out there. This groove box is sure to delight any musical artist in your life.
18. Zildjian’s Crash Cymbal of Doom
I’m a little biased here but I think Zildjian’s Crash Cymbal of Doom is one of the coolest cymbals out there.
While this cymbal definitely comes off my wishlist, a lot of drummers are turning towards this cymbal for its complex sound and explosive quality.
Zildjian Crash Cymbal of Doom – 310$ USD
19. Alesis’ Nitro Mesh Kit
Whether you’re learning or are looking for a quieter way to practice drums, the Alesis’ Nitro Mesh Kit is the best quality and value on the electronic drum market.
At an affordable price, it offers a complete mesh kit that closely simulates the feeling of a real drumset.
This is a great choice for anyone that wants to learn or practice drums quietly.
Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit – $379 USD
20. Fender’s Mustang GT40
The Mustang GT40 is a great amp for a beginner guitarist and a good option for anyone who wants a modern amp to back up their existing amp setup.
Fender’s Mustang series is special because they digitally simulate hundreds of the world’s most sought after amp sounds.
These amps are both affordable and versatile and represent a great option for any guitarist or aspiring musician in your life.
Fender Mustang GT40 – $299 USD
21. 1000 LANDR Samples credits
Clearance and copyright law have made sampling music a little bit complicated.
Luckily, LANDR samples make it possible for creators to make tracks without anything to worry about.
Luckily, LANDR samples make it possible for creators to make tracks without anything to worry about.
LANDR’s extensive database of over 1,000,000 cleared and royalty-free samples offers artists any sound they could possibly need to make that perfect track.
Give a music producer 1000 LANDR sample credits today and help someone make a new hit!
22. Glo the Polyphonic Whale by Phonicbloom
This is one cool little synthesizer toy that is perfect for all ages and produces an unending variety of cool and interesting sounds.
The whale-shaped device uses a microphone that synthesizes surrounding noises into beautiful ambient sounds.
It makes for a great gift to anyone interested in making cool, psychedelic, and even meditative sounds.
Glo the Polyphonic Whale – $150 USD
23. The Arturia Microlab
This low-cost MIDI keyboard is the perfect starter kit for anyone who wants to get into music production.
It comes with everything you need to get started with creating beats, electronic music, and more!
Plus the keyboard easily maps and integrates with the included BitWig recording and music production software platform.
24. Audio Technica’s AT4040 condenser mic
For the bedroom producer, I recommend getting Audio Technica’s relatively affordable AT4040 condenser mic.
A condenser mic offers a great deal of versatility for recording vocals, drums, guitar, or any other instrument.
In terms of microphones, it’s all you need to get started with making music.
Audio Technica AT4040 – $249 USD
25. Two Notes’ Torpedo Captor amp attenuator
Getting quality recording tone out of a loud amp, where loud amps aren’t welcome isn’t easy without a good amp attenuator.
Two Notes’ Torpedo Captor is a great option for capturing the full tone of any tube amp without creating any noise at all.
Just plug it into your digital audio interface and record the amp’s signal directly into your daw!
Two Notes’ Torpedo Captor – $269 USD
It’s the thought that counts
New gear is always nice to have, but the holidays aren’t just about buying gifts and getting what you want.
New gear is always nice to have, but the holidays aren’t just about buying gifts and getting what you want.
Remember, the point of having all this music gear is to express yourself, create art and share it with the world.
Spending time with someone close to you, helping someone create, or sharing something you created is often the most valuable gift you can give this holiday season.
Alex Lavoie works as a staff writer at LANDR by day and moonlights as a drummer for folk-rock outfit The Painters.
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