So you have a friend, sibling, son or daughter who loves music, huh? If so, you know picking out a gift for them is incredibly challenging. Somehow, everything you pick is “lame” or “not cool anymore,” despite your best efforts. Gifts for music lovers never really fall into your lap the way you’d like them to.
Lucky for you, we work with a TON of music snobs. Which is to say, regardless of what music is trending on the charts at the moment, we’re confident that all of our music gift ideas will go over well. From the must-watch movie Almost Famous to an impossibly in-depth book on Bob Dylan, and all the best Bluetooth speakers and headphones on the market, the best gifts for music lovers are sure to strike a chord. Sure, it’s the thought that counts, but do you really want to give them something they’ll never use? We didn’t think so.
Whether they prefer digital or analog, over-the-ear or earbuds, there’s a gift for every music lover on our list. Take a look at the best music gift ideas below and thank us later.
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Sonos One SL
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon Give your favorite music lover the gift that keeps on giving: rich, high-quality, room-filling music. The Sonos One SL will change the way your giftee is listening to their favorite tunes forever. Though it has a compact design fit for just about any tabletop, desktop or shelf in their home, the sheer amount of volume this baby can bring is insane. You can connect these via Wi-Fi to other Sonos speakers and create a house-filling sound that’ll bring everyone together musically no matter where they are in the home. It’s affiliated with Apple Airplay 2, so your giftee can stream their favorite tunes straight from their iPhone and even use Siri while they’re at it.
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50 Years of Rolling Stone, best gifts for music lovers
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon If your giftee is a music snob, there’s a solid chance they know just about everything RollingStone. Maybe they have a solid magazine collection covering every inch of their wall. Maybe they listed a quote from their favorite interview under the high school yearbook photo. Maybe they actually, now, work there. RollingStone is a sister brand of ours, so we’re pretty obsessed ourselves. The hype is understandable.
With that all said, the iconic 50 Years of Rolling Stone book is a must-have for any music lover in 2021. It is an in-depth coffee table sitter that goes over the music, people and politics that changed music over the past couple of decades. There’s no shot that your giftee won’t love it.
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Victrola Bluetooth Suitcase Turntable
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon If your giftee has a small vinyl collection (or is looking to start one), you can’t do better than this suitcase turntable from Victrola. While there are other high-quality turntables out there, save those for the audiophiles. This option from Victrola is great for any collectors just starting to dabble with vinyl. Plus, the built-in speakers will allow them to play tunes the moment the package arrives. Honestly, this is one of the best gifts for music lovers solely because all music snobs need a record player. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it.
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Buy New Vinyl Records
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Urban Outfitters Now that they’ve got a record player, it’s time to gift them a couple of their favorite records. No matter what their taste is, you’ll be able to find it. Check out places like Amazon, Target, Rough Trade, FYE, The Sound of Vinyl and Urban Outfitters to get yourself started. Mac Miller’s very last album, Circles, is always a great one to start off with.
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Vinyl Record Storage Shelf
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Urban Outfitters With a new record player, your pal is going to need a place for storing all of the new records they’re going to buy. Yeah, they can place all of their LPs inside a crate the way a lot of people do, but, come on. This vinyl record storage shelf is way to cute to pass up on. With room to hold a multitude of records, an extra shelf for books and a spot right on top for their record player, this will become the most useful piece of furniture in their home. E-commerce editor Tyler Schoeber has this wire metal frame shelf in his Brooklyn apartment, and it’s his favorite piece of furniture, so we’re sure you’ll love it, too.
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Custom Sound Track
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Etsy What’s your giftee’s favorite song of all time? Is it something from Bob Marley? The Beatles? Lynyrd Skynyrd? Or, maybe it’s something a little more modern, like Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo or Harry Styles. Whatever it might be, get the album cover art placed on this clear plaque they can hand up in their room. It’s meant to mimic the styling of a song playing on Spotify to keep it with the times. To put it quite simply, this is one of the best music gifts money can buy. Period.
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Almost Famous
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon No list of gift ideas for music lovers is complete without Almost Famous. This fantastic movie follows a young, aspiring music journalist on the tour of his life as he covers the slowly decaying band Stillwater. It packs incredible performances from the likes of Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup and Philip Seymour Hoffman, and is as iconic today as it was when it first came out. No matter what type of music your giftee loves, a DVD or Blu-Ray of Almost Famous is always one of the best gifts for music lovers.
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Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon A good set of bookshelf speakers is like a great suit; it’s an investment. If your giftee has a record player and is looking to upgrade the built-in speakers, opt for these bookshelf speakers from Edifier. The R1280T boast incredible sound for such a small package, and to make the deal that much sweeter, they’re extremely affordable. We prefer them with the dust cover off for a more industrial look, but either way, these speakers will sound great blasting Rubber Soul for years to come.
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The Beatles x Happy Socks Gift Set
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Happy Socks Fan of the Fab Four? Get them this set of four socks from Happy Socks. Featuring Yellow Submarine-style prints and caricatures, your giftee will love to show off his or her Beatles pride with these socks. From all-over print flowers and fish to portraits of the Beatles themselves, it’s tough to beat this gift box for the Beatle lover in your life.
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Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass by Lana Del Rey
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon Lana Del Rey’s first-ever published poetry book titled Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass is a hauntingly alluring coffee table book just about every music lover needs in their home. It’s a modern-day voyage surrounding the honesty around everyday feelings and looked over mundanities in Lana’s life. It’s gorgeously written and even features a number of visuals as well, making it not only one of the best gifts for music lovers but for readers, poetry fans and visual art lovers as well.
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Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon Sony’s take on their newest noise-canceling headphones are so good, we dare say they’re the best in the game. Yes, sure, the sound quality is extraordinary, but the features are what make these headphones worth the money. Alexa integration, incredibly long battery life, a microphone for Zoom calls and the ability to cut the tunes with a simple gesture are all but some of the features that come standard in these headphones. If your giftee travels often or needs a spectacular pair of headphones to get lost in their favorite albums with, look no further than Sony.
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Wolf and Badger Bohemian Rhapsody – Song Lyric Print
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Wolf and Badger This gorgeous minimalistic print is just what your buddy needs in their home office or music studio. It features the lyrics from the most singable song of all time: Bohemian Rhapsody. Whether it adds a little spark of inspiration to your pal’s writing or some charm to their living space, we’re sure they’ll love it.
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Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Earbuds
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon Whether an Apple or Android user, these are the wireless earbuds your giftee wants. Bose’s take on the wireless earbud boasts twenty whole hours of nonstop music. The buds are super comfortable making these a great pair for the gym as well as their daily commute. They are the best noise-canceling earbuds on the market, too
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Boy Smells Slow Burn Candle
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Boy Smells “I’m alright with a slow burn”, said queen Kacey Musgraves off her most recent album “Golden Hour”, which won her four Grammy’s (including Album of the Year) at the 61st Grammy Awards. Recently, the country legend teamed up with Boy Smells to create a scented candle based on her hit song “Slow Burn”. The candle’s main scent includes aromas of incense, black pepper, and guaiac wood to create a truly dreamy scent your giftee will geek out over.
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Bob Dylan: All the Songs – the Story Behind Every Track
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon Dylan fans are a special breed, and if the music lover in your life fits into that lane, get them this book. Written by Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon, Bob Dylan: All the Songs – the Story Behind Every Track goes into INCREDIBLE detail about nearly all of Dylan’s music. From line notes and behind-the-scenes photos to the instruments used in each track, this book covers it all and is a must-have for any true Dylan fan.
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Vinyl Me, Please Gift Membership
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Vinyl Me, Please If your giftee already has a record player and some speakers, another fantastic option is a membership to Vinyl Me, Please. The vinyl subscription service will send records on a monthly basis based on your giftee’s tastes. If for some reason he/she doesn’t like a record, they can always swap out. Plus, when you gift the membership, your giftee will get a bonus vinyl in the mail with their first shipment.