The Epic Gift Guide for Musicians and Music Lovers
Have a music lover in your life but don’t know where to start? Come sit by me and I’ll share this Gift Guide for Musicians and Music Lovers – updated for 2021!
Do you have a music fan or musician friend in your life but don’t know what to get for them this holiday season? Or do you want to give them a special gift? Something more thoughtful than another vinyl record from their favorite artists.
Then let me help you this holiday season for the music enthusiast in your life with this gift guide for musicians and music lovers.
Many of you aren’t aware that Trent and I are professional musicians. I’m a singer and he is a drummer and we met at Belmont University where we both studied music. You can read all about our story here.
We have spent more than 20 of our married years making a living from music.
And now, we have two teen boys that are also musicians.
In fact, our youngest attends the same fine arts high school that Trent did – studying the same thing!
And yes, that means I have two drummers under one roof…
While we have taught music, off and on, there is always one question we get asked from many parents, aunts, uncles, siblings that have no idea where to start to find the perfect gift for the music lover or family member in their life.
So, friend, I got you!
If you are scratching your head and don’t know where to begin – these gifts for musicians will make you a rockstar at scoring the perfect present for your loved one!
Epic Gift Guide for Musicians and Music Lovers
(Some affiliate links are provided below. Full disclosure here.)
Let’s deep dive into the world of music!
So let’s start with those wanting to learn an instrument.
These gifts for musicians are broken down by category: drummers, guitarists, bassists, pianists, vocalists, music producers and music lovers. I’m sure you’ll find something!
Plus, I’ll even include a clickable shopping guide for you! Just click on any photo for a direct link!
Gifts for Drummers
Drum Set
If you have a drummer in your life, bless you. I’m right there with you and understand the excitement and, of course, the hesitation of bringing a drum set into your home.
Like I mentioned, I live with two drummers under my roof.
So, I went to the drumming guru and asked what are the necessities to get a beginning student set up. First off, skip the cheap sets – mostly made by First Act.
Yes, that cheap price tag is tempting, but it’s like trying to bake with an Easy Bake Oven. You’re budding student will quickly get frustrated with the limitations of a budget kit. Here’s what Trent recommends:
This is a great kit for the drummer who is in it for the long haul. It’s not too expensive and is a great choice for a quality set that will last for years. This is what we purchased for our son for his first drum set and he loves it!
Don’t forget that you will need Cymbals to crash and Stands to put those cymbals on. And there’s also the drum throne for the drummer to sit on.
A real kit too much for you? There’s always the option for an electric kit. Now it will not be the same as a real kit, but this may be a good starting point to make sure your budding drummer is interested.
Another idea is the gift of gig bags. The drummer needs to lug their instrument safely, and these are a great option.
What if you already are set up with a kit? Here are some great gift ideas that are at a much better price point!
Under $100
This is a fun percussion box that works great in coffee bar situations or for a low key vibe. It’s a fun gift that any drummer would enjoy.
Yes – these exist! They help keep the sound down when practice time comes. They are made of rubber and you place them on the drum heads and cymbals to help reduce the noise. The inventor who made these needs a round of applause!
When lugging your gear, this bag holds all the cymbals in one convenient case.
There are tons of drummers out there chasing their bass drum, meaning, when they hit the drum with their pedal, it constantly moves forward. This drum rug helps keep the set in place.
Stick Bag – $15 – $75
Where to put all those sticks? A stick bag is a great gift idea for any drummer. They have affordable ones like this one or you can splurge on a nicer one like this. They even have these fun little stick bags you can attach to the drum stand to hold the sticks on the set.
This is a great way for the budding drummer to get their practice in. This rubber pad even fits in a back pack!
This is a fun instrument that you can play melodies with – similar to a steel drum – just smaller. You don’t even have to be a drummer – anyone can have fun with this!
Under $25
Drum Books –
You need to learn the rudiments, so this is a fun way to beef up that education! Trent uses this one when he teaches.
Drummers use these sticks in situations where the drums need to be not so loud. A great addition to the arsensal.
Noise Reducing Ear Muffs – $20.50
We all know drums are loud, but it’s even louder for the drummer. Protecting their hearing is an important must that all drummers need. It also makes the drums sound better!
Nice stocking stuffer – these little gels help knock down the ring of the drum when hit.
Drum Sticks – $10 – $15
There are never enough sticks! This is the item that constantly breaks, so this will always be a welcome gift for the drummer. Trent swears by ProMark sticks, but there are many other brands that work too. Another option would be to get brushes – the stick they use in jazz playing.
Perfect stocking stuffer – these little eggs are a fun addition to any drummer’s percussion accessories.
Novelty Items
A must have on this gift guide for musicians and music lovers are novelty items!
If you want to steer away from instruments, you can always get fun drummer themed gifts. I gave this metal drummer figurine to Trent a few years ago, which our son now displays in his room.
There are so many ideas: keychains, ornaments, unique percussion, hoodies, t-shirts, mugs, drum set accessories, light up drumsticks, drummer tool for tuning – the list goes on and on.
Gifts for Guitarists
For beginning guitarists learning how to play, an acoustic guitar is the best to start with. This Yamaha Guitar is only $150, but if the student is younger, you may have to get them fitted for their guitar. Uncle Johnny’s hand me down may be too big!
Now if they are ready to move on to the big leagues and get an electric guitar, this all in one kit has everything you need. Guitar, strap, amp, cord, picks and even a tuner!
Here are some more gift ideas for the guitarist.
Under $100
This all in one tool kit is a great gift for any guitar player. It helps with stringing guitars as well as necessary instrument maintenance.
Does your Guitar player love to sing? This boom mic stand works great to allow room for the guitar. And don’t forget the pickholder!
This leather strap is a nice one to check out.
This is perfect for the guitar playing hobbiest! Most professional guitarists love the feel of new strings, but for those who play for pleasure, changing strings can be an annoyance. For those who just want their strings to last longer, this is a great gift idea. Strings deteriorate fast due to the oils on your hands and the environment around you and this will help slow that down to make your strings last longer.
Guitar Pedals
Any electric guitarist is going to want to play around with fun effects. There are lots of pedals that are great, like this looper pedal, this distortion pedal, and this wah-wah pedal. Or you can start with this all-in-one pedal. There are so many more, plus these also work for bass guitars.
Under $25
Guitar Tuner – $17
You need to have a tuner to make sure your guitar always sounds great. Trent loves this acoustic tuner, and here is one for all guitars. There are also tons of apps out there the guitarist can use.
A broken string is the nemesis of the guitar player. This little tool helps make swapping them out really easy!
Does your music lover have loads of guitars? Here’s a great way to display them with these easy wall mounts.
This helps build dexterity and speed for the guitar player.
A great gift idea for those players who are hoping to perform. This is a great stand to have on stage between sets. It’s also good for a room display and for easy access. A guitar within arms reach is a guitar that will get played.
Guitar capos are great for playing songs in different key. You just clip this on the strings strategically and it helps retune the song.
Here are some more fun ideas: Acoustic Guitars Guitar pick keychain holder, t-shirt, Favorite Band Guitar Picks, Guitar Amp Cables, keychain, Guitar Chord Book, Guitar strings
Gifts for Bassists
Our son just purchased his first bass guitar and this Yamaha bass is a great beginner bass to start with.
Don’t forget that you will need an amplifier. We went with this top of the line Orange brand, but you can find more affordable amps like this one.
Under $100
A hard gig case is ideal. It’s like an oversized briefcase for the base guitar and is a wonderful way to protect your investment.
This is the top of the line strap that will make any player happy.
I love this accessory! It gives the player the option to practice while using headphones, keeping the noise level down.
Under $25
This is an affordable option for your bass player who likes to travel with their bass.
A stand is necessary, especially if the bass is still plugged into the amp – it protects the plug in from getting damaged.
A wall mount is a great space saver as well as a beautiful way to display your instrument.
Don’t forget that you’ll have to plug that bass guitar into the amp with something. This is a great cord to have.
Learning control and agility is key with any stringed instrument and these riff bands help the budding bassist get control of their fingers while practicing.
Here are some more fun ideas: Bass Guitar Novelty Spoons, Wall Art, Bass Figurine, t-shirt, key holder, mug, bass strings, tuner,
Gifts for Pianists
Obviously, a piano is the granddaddy of all gifts in this category, but there are some economical options you definitely want to consider.
A fully weighted keyboard is ideal because it mimics the feel of real piano keys, but this one is a semi-weighted and at a good price point.
A keyboard stand is a must as well as a good sustain pedal. And don’t forget the bench! Sometimes they sell an all-in-one kit that has everything the beginning student needs.
Under $100
Do you have a keyboardist that gigs? This is a great travel bag to keep their keyboard safe.
Other fun gifts are this nano block piano model, music book of Piano Classics, t-shirt, artwork, figurines, sheet music holder, keychain, notecards
Gifts for Singers / Vocalists
Now you would think I would have tons of ideas for this category. To be honest, when the person is the instrument – there aren’t tons of options, but I have a few I’ll share that I swear by!
A Shure SM58 is the standard microphone go to for years. If you have a budding performer, learning mic technique is important and this would be great to practice with.
This tool is a fun way to add harmonies or add reverb to your vocals. Plus, it has a headphone jack for the singer to hear themselves.
Under $100
This is a must for any singer, but I love the squeeze action on this one. It makes raising and lowering a cinch.
This is a great stand to be able to hold music while you practice. My son uses this travel version and it’s a great one to have.
If your vocalist likes to record or do voice overs, this is a must for any singer wanting to reduce outside noise in their room.
Under $25
iPhone Clip on for Mic Stand – $18
This is great if you need to reference lyrics. They also make these for iPads as well.
I personally have never used these, but some of my friends swear by it. Room temp water is my go to. I have used these lozenges and they are the best!
Here are some more ideas: Mic Cable, ornament, I love this tea, pitch pipe, t-shirt, keychain, artwork, mug.
But do me a favor – skip all the treble clef music note gifts. If you have someone who is serious about singing, most of these gifts are pretty cheesy.
Gifts for Music Producers
Our youngest is also into music production, as well as drums and in recent years has increased his recording studio use. So if you have a mini producer in your life, check out these gifts.
While we have a recording studio in our home, I will steer clear of the music studio type gifts simply due to personal preference.
That involves computers, software, and a host of audio interface systems that go above my own head at times. Most producers starting off will know what they want and it may be best to ask them if you are looking for a high price tag item.
But if they don’t know where to start, this all-in-one kit is a great one to begin with.
But let’s get into some gifts that would work at a better price range.
Midi Keyboard
This is a great gift for those who may want to produce. This hooks up to any computer, including a laptop and is a great way to make music anywhere. We love this one made by Akai – at $115 – it’s not too expensive.
Under $100
Also called studio monitors, these are a must for any music producer to listen to their compositions.
There is a large price range and selection for headphones, but these are a good quality pair to begin with.
One important element of studio production are sound proofing panels. These are easily attached the wall with double sided tape. You can also DIY some like we did in our studio.
You can never have enough hard drive space, especially when you collect sounds, plug-ins and software. This SSD drive is a great starter.
Plug-ins
Plug-ins are software used to create sounds and effects in recordings. Prices vary, but there are always sales and you can find them as low as $29 or less! This would be a “ask first” type of gift. I guarantee you they know what they want!
Under $25
So these handy risers help with vibration that might bleed through and isolate the noise to just the speakers, resulting in a better mix quality.
Other cool gift ideas: Artwork, Wall Decor, Wall Decals, t-shirt, Color changing Light bulbs or light strips,
General Music Gift Ideas
This gift guide for music lovers and musicians certainly isn’t just limited to instruments and gear. There are so many gift ideas for the music obsessives in your life.
Music Subscription
You can always give a gift subscription to Amazon Music, or some other service. We share our Amazon Music with our boys as well as my Mom. And if you are a prime member, then you can get a great deal!
High-end speakers don’t have to come in large packages. Another great idea to consider is to give them portable bluetooth speakers. Trent gave me this one and I absolutely love it!
This little Bose Speaker packs quite the punch. It has awesome clarity and volume and I love how portable it is. Plus it has hours of battery life and we use this whenever we are doing a DIY project. Plus it’s a waterproof speaker, so you can use it anywhere!
Earbuds – price varies
If you are wanting to keep the volume down or don’t necessarily like the music the loved one listens to, then earbuds are a great option. And it’s a step above the old pair of headphones of long ago.
We love these, but there are cheaper ones on the market! It’s definitely a step above the typical apple AirPods!
Vinyl
Classic Vinyl Records have made a comeback and it is always a fun gift to give if you know your music lover’s favorite band. You can also give a portable record player as a fun gift!
Ear Plugs
Have a concert-goer? Give them the gift of ear protection. Concerts are so loud these days and we’ve even found that certain ear plugs can help improve the sound of the performance. We love these Vibes high-fidelity earplugs. They filter out certain frequencies to protect your hearing, but without changing the sound experience of hearing your favorite band perform live.
Other gift ideas: Guitar Amp KeyChain Wall Holder, Posters, Favorite Band Jigsaw Puzzle, Music Books, Box set of their favorite band.
Other Unique Gift Ideas for the Musician
- Practice session with a local teacher or professional musician
- Gift card to a record store for the audio files in your life
- Itunes gift card to download the latest song from their favorite musician
- Offer to host a jam session for your teen
So I hope this Gift Guide for Musicians and Music Lovers gives you some ideas on where to start.
Recognizing the love of music in someone’s life is the easiest way to show them that you care. The most awesome gifts are the ones you know they’ll enjoy!
Plus there’s the ultimate cool factor status that you’ll achieve in getting them a useful gift – which is a bonus!
If you have any more ideas you want to add to this gift guide for musicians, leave me a comment below and I will make sure to update the list!
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and Music Lovers for Later!
So glad this will give you some ideas!
This is sooo awesome Jen! I have a daughter who is a musician and this gives me so many ideas! I’m passing it on to my friends.
Wow this is an incredible gift guide!!! I will share this with my music loving cousin!
Thanks Mom! You gave me the gift of music and it means so much to me. I am honored to be able to share my knowledge with others.
This is an awesome post with some great gift ideas. Like that you included the estimated price with each item. There’s something for everyone on this post. Good job!!