23 best gifts for music lovers and musicians

Shopping for a music lover can be hard, especially if their tastes range from Beyoncé to Joni Mitchell to ACDC. Regardless of the type of music they listen to, you’ll want a gift that will strike a chord. The team at Select is here to help streamline the process with a list of great music gifts for all kinds of fans. From portable speakers to jazzy decór, one of these gifts is sure to excite them.

Best gifts for music lovers

To help you find the best gifts for the music lover on your list this year, we revisited our previous expert guidance on headphones, speakers and other music-related gadgets that align with Select-reader interest. Additionally, we consulted our in-house shopping experts on staff — many of whom are music lovers themselves — for their favorite speakers and more. We also included some highly rated items we think Select readers (and their gift recipients) will love, starting with the bestsellers.

Bestselling gifts for music lovers

Pick-a-Palooza Make Your Own Guitar Pick Punch

This gadget allows the user to take any unwanted plastic — like expired credit cards or IDs — and punch it into a guitar pick, ready for plucking. A favorite from our guide to dad-approved gifts, this tool comes recommended by former Select editor Morgan Greenwald’s father, who has been using it for years.

“1000 Record Covers”

This book presents a selection of rock album covers from the ’60s to the ’90s, curated by music archivist, disc jockey, journalist and former record-publicity executive Michael Ochs. The hardcover book, which comes with an introduction from Ochs, can make a neat addition to any library or coffee table.

GLEAM Guitar Stand

This iron guitar stand is suitable for most electric and acoustic guitars, as well as bass and 26-inch ukuleles. Lightweight, at just under 2 pounds, the stand is height adjustable. Sponge tubing around the iron poles and brackets protect the guitar from scratches, and a head-lock belt keeps the guitar in place when not in use, says the brand.

Other top-rated music gifts

Favorite Song Lyrics Vinyl Print

If you know the song that means the most to your music lover, you can give them a print of those beloved lyrics in the shape of a vinyl record. You can further personalize the record by adding extra text like names and the date, making it a great gift for newlyweds or new parents celebrating their first holiday season together.

Helvetiq Music IQ Party Game

If your giftee is a music history nerd, this game might make a good gift. The card-based trivia game, meant for players ages 15 and older, requires two teams and can accommodate up to 12 players. The first round tests knowledge, while the second round tests memory from the first round and players can take risks in each round to earn more points. Helvetiq says the game has an average playtime of 45 minutes.

Victrola Suitcase Record Player

Select writer Mili Godio, who owns the Crosley Cruiser Deluxe record player, gave this affordable suitcase-style Victrola record player to her younger sister as a starter record player. It has a three-speed belt built-in and can also stream audio through the built-in Bluetooth speakers. The record player has an auto-stop switch that stops spinning records once the record is finished playing, according to the brand.

Philips Hue Go

Everyone can appreciate good ambience, especially when there’s music involved. This Philips Hue Go smart light can create tons of different moods on the fly, says the brand. Unlike most smart lights, the Hue Go is portable, meaning your giftee can take it wherever they want. It connects via Bluetooth or Philips Hue Hub and has a battery life of up to 10 hours, according to the brand. When connected to the Philips Hue Hub, its lighting effects can sync to music over Spotify.

Edifier R1280DB Bookshelf Speakers

Select writer Harry Rabinowitz has used this pair of Edifier Bluetooth bookshelf speakers for years. It features three different input options: optical, coaxial and Bluetooth, meaning it can connect to everything from a traditional record player to your smartphone. He’s found the speakers offer much better sound quality than laptops, smartphones and smaller speakers.

CustomizeArtefacts Custom Wooden Music Box

You can pick one classic song for this music box to play to your giftee. From “You Are My Sunshine” to “Moon River,” there are plenty of songs to choose from, so you can pick one with special meaning for your giftee. This custom wooden music box comes in three different wood varieties of varying hue.

Loop Experience Ear Plugs

For music lovers, concerts and rehearsals may be part of their daily life. But live music can often get uncomfortably, or even dangerously loud. These sleek and subtle ear plugs from Loop can reduce noise levels by up to 18 decibels, according to the brand. Select writer Harry Rabinowitz has used them at concerts and weddings and says they block out ample noise without ruining the music-going experience.

Loog Ukulele

This all-wood ukulele was designed for beginner players or budding musicians, according to Loog. The instrument comes with flashcards with ukulele chord diagrams or you can play along with the Loog Guitar app, which has a “Magic Mirror feature” that shows you how to form chords through augmented reality.

JBL Flip 5 Portable Speaker

The JBL Flip 5 is one of the best Bluetooth portable speakers, according to tech expert and former Select contributor Whitson Gordon. Gordon appreciated its “decently strong bass and clear midrange,” which produces crisp sounds for vocals and guitar. The Flip 5 can pair with other JBL products to create a multi-speaker setup, and is available in several colors like pink, forest green and more.

Rarton Custom Album Cover Light

If you know your loved one’s absolute favorite song, this LED light-up plaque, which sits in a wooden base, can remind them of their favorite tune at their desk. This album cover light displays their favorite song the way it would appear while listening to it on your phone via a streaming service, plus you can add a personal message and photo to create a sentimental and personalized gift.

Spotify Premium Gift Card

Most of the team here at Select listen to music through online streaming platforms. Spotify is a favorite, and their premium subscription allows you to listen to anything free of ads and interruptions. This digital gift card offers three months of Spotify premium and is delivered via email and redeemed digitally, so you can be sure it will arrive on time for gift-giving. You can also purchase this card in physical form.

Sony WH-1000XM4

Tech expert and Select contributor Terri Williams recommended the Sony WH-1000XM4 as the best overall over-ear headphones. The headphones have active noise cancellation, but also have an ambient sound mode, so you can hear some background songs. The headphones are Bluetooth compatible but come with a cable for wired listening, and according to the brand, the music intuitively pauses when you take the headphones off. They can also be paired with the Sony Headphones Connect App to control settings from your phone, and should last up to 30 hours on one charge.

The Holiday Candle Co. “All Too Well”-inspired Candle

If you’re a Swiftie like myself, this candle may be as big of a hit as “Shake it Off.” Inspired by pop star Taylor Swift’s “RED” album, the soy-blend candle has a strong cinnamon and earthy scent, and has a label on the front with some lyrics from the album. I received this specific candle as a gift and absolutely love it, but The Holiday Candle Co. also sells other candles inspired by other songs from Swift.

Cedar Thumb Piano

This cedar thumb piano, more commonly called a kalimba, is a portable, piano-like instrument you can carry in the palm of your hand. This model has eight numbered keys, or tines, that create a traditional diatonic scale. Playing is as simple as plucking each key. We think this thumb piano is a great fit for musicians in need of a small, portable instrument to try out spontaneous ideas.

East Top 008K Harmonica

A harmonica is a classic, portable instrument that can be taken almost anywhere. This popular model from East Top is in the key of C, one of the most common, making it easy for musicians to pick up and play. On Amazon, it has an average rating of 4.7 stars from more than 3,000 global reviews.

Crosley Record Cleaning Kit

If you’re not sure what to get the picky vinyl lover in your life, give them a record-cleaning kit. This cleaning kit comes with a felt record cleaning brush and a record-cleaning solution (that is stored inside the brush’s wood handle). Crosley recommends placing the solution on the edge of the brush and applying it gently as the record spins on your turntable. The brand also recommends allowing the album to dry completely before playing the record.

Music Note Measuring Spoon Set

This musical-themed measuring spoon set, which hangs from a pewter metal bar that you can drill into the wall, comes with a ¼ teaspoon, ½ teaspoon, teaspoon and tablespoon. They are made from lead-free pewter, according to the brand, and are designed to look like eighth notes hanging from a musical staff.

LEGO Ideas Fender Stratocaster Set

This LEGO Ideas set, designed for adults, gives you all the bricks you need to build a 14-inch display model of a 1970s Fender Stratocaster guitar and a Fender 65 Princeton Reverb amplifier. It comes with enough bricks to build the guitar in red or black and includes a foldable display stand for the guitar.

“The Storyteller” by Dave Grohl

“The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music” is the first and only memoir by musician Dave Grohl, the drummer of Nirvana and later famed founder of the Foo Fighters. The book explores his early days as a struggling artist, as well as his rising success in the grunge and rock movements of the ‘80s and ‘90s. It is a behind-the-scenes look at music and fame, and the stories that go along with that journey, according to Grohl.

Harley Benton Mini Loop Pedal

This loop pedal — designed for electric guitar and bass — has a 6.3-millimeter jack input and output and can record up to 10 minutes of audio, so that an artist of any skill level can record and loop audio as they play. It has a volume adjuster and comes with a three-year warranty.

Catch up on Select’s in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.