For some people, music is more than just a part of the everyday soundtrack. It is the very lifeblood of their moment to moment existence. If music is the universal language, then these are the people who just can’t shut up. You might think that such a deep obsession would make for easy gift giving. But when buying gifts for music lovers, it can be easy to quickly run out of ideas or succumb to cliches. But fret not, you didn’t come to the end of the line when you bought them that pair of Beats headphones and an iTunes gift card last year. We know that every music lover is different, so we’ve put together a list of 12 of the best gifts ideas for all of the diverse audiophiles in your life.
Technology has been an ongoing boon to music makers and music lovers alike, but the downside is that anyone with a personal music collection has had a rough time keeping up over the last forty years or so. A 7-in-1 music player (AM, FM, CD, vinyl, cassette, bluetooth, and auxiliary in) allows them to get some use out of all that accumulated music without needing a room full of stereo equipment.
It’s no myth — well-kept vinyl sounds better, and there will always be an extra cool factor to turntable records. A membership to Vinyl Me, Please gets them a deluxe edition vinyl record delivered monthly, along with other add-ons like art prints and custom paired cocktail recipes (depending on the plan you choose). With three different genre tracks to fit their taste and the flexibility of swapping records whenever they want, you know they’ll be thrilled with their musical bounty every month.
In some houses it’s always music time, no matter the hour of the day. Still, it’s nice to know if you have to go to work or something. A vinyl record clock represents the perfect way to keep time.
Musicians have been using alcohol to make music since (presumably) the first caveman accidentally imbibed something fermented and learned how fun it was to pound on different rocks with an old saber-toothed tiger bone. These major scale wine glasses take the concept to a more refined level.
And when it’s time to relax with that glass, bottle, can, or jar of sweet poison, they’re going to need somewhere to place it without messin’ up the furniture. How about a snazzy set of repurposed album coasters?
Musicians and music lovers alike know the value of getting their kids involved in music from an early age. But what about their fur babies? There’s no cat cooler than a DJ cat, and this scratching pad turntable is the purr-fect place to hone their chops.
Famous musicians live wildly interesting and often bizarre lives, the kind that sound fun but in reality are usually way more trouble than they’re worth. Musician biographies are a great way to experience the craziness from afar.
Know someone who’s got a rusty-stringed acoustic guitar languishing under a pile of old clothes, or a piano gathering dust in the family room? Sometimes a little nudge is all they need to finally start moving down the path to musical stardom (or at least competence). There are lots of choices out there, but Playground Sessions (for piano players) and Guitar Tricks (for guitar players, duh) are can’t miss options.
Whether you’re buying for a musician, concert lover, club DJ, raver, or other seeker of loud noises, ear protection is a must. But not all earplugs are created equal. Those made from traditional materials like foam just make everything sound dull. Specialized earplugs from Loop or Vibes, on the other hand, bring the decibels down to safe levels while letting the most important frequencies through so they can hear the music the way it was supposed to sound, but without melting their eardrums.
Few people enjoy the recorded sound of their own singing voice, but everyone is a superstar in the shower. Unfortunately, showers don’t accommodate most backing bands, so if they want accompaniment, they’re going to have to look at some other options. A waterproof shower speaker is the best way to belt it out with their favorite artists in the world’s best vocal booth.
For the musician who hates music, or for the kid whose parents you hate, there is the Otamatone, a “musical” instrument that makes the bagpipes seem reasonable. A touch sensitive bar on the neck changes pitch, while the little mouth at the bottom “sings” when squeezed. It all makes perfect sense (in Japan).