For us normies, Christmas is more music-filled than any other time of year. But for folks who live and breathe music, it’s like any other day – just more annoying.
If you have that special someone in your life who’s always citing facts about music, Christmas day could be the perfect opportunity to deliver them something to make their year.
Whether they’re a music consumer, know it all, or they go so far as to make their own music, we’ve found the music themed gifts not to miss this year.
We’re living through an analogue renaissance, so we’ve included everything from cassette players, to more high-tech options like wired headphones, and even home decor to prove they’re a genuine audiophile.
And, of course, we’ve included options that range from £15 to £300 fo revery budget.
Best gifts for music lovers
It’s Christmas, so you might as well throw them a bone: let ‘em run rampant with showing off their music knowledge with this game that asks you to blindly name the song, artist, and year of individual music clips.
Part of the gift is letting them win, FYI.
No music lover is letting their family get away with not knowing all the classics. If your little ones need help brushing up on their music history, then a karaoke machine is a great way to drum it into them – or at least, leave them cringing at your singing skills.
If it’s a more modern take on the turntable they’re after, this one from SONY will fit seamlessly into any space.
It not only looks ultra sleek, but it’s wireless and super easy to use thanks to its one button playback. Plus, it’s pretty close to the warm sound of old record players, making it seem much more expensive than it is.
Whether they’re big on producing their own music, or simply love having a tune in their ears no matter where they are, the latest launch from Nothing will tick all their boxes.
With three drivers, they have a firm grasp on a range of frequencies, which results in a richer sound, sharper vocals, and deeper bass.
I’m obsessed with the functionality of Nothing headphones – the ear cups have their own manual play, pause, skip and rewind buttons so you can easily control your music, and the battery life is up to a whopping 30 hours.
Forget producing on GarageBand, bring back the Stylophone, a pocket synthesiser with a built-in speaker and volume control that lets them create music on the go.
This one is, obviously, pink, but if that’s not their style is comes in other colours, or this adorable mini version (that works!) to hang on their keys.
When I’m not busy using my SONY ULT Field 5, this Kilburn speaker is my go-to for more domestic (read: neighbour-friendly) listening. Again, it has that vintage look, but the white leather (and velvet-lined handle) gives it a luxurious look that is unrivalled by any other speaker I’ve seen.
We’ve all seen a Crosley record player, but I think compact CD player is much more enviable. Unlike the chunkier players of 2000s past, this one comes built into a blue case, making it easy to pack away when you’re not listening. And, just like its turntables, it’s got its own Bluetooth speaker to make it even more versatile.
We’re in a real analogue renaissance, and while for some that might mean a very modern version of a turntable, the cassette tape was the OG form of listening to music.
Now, it’s making a comeback, so for the person who’s unwilling to throw away their old tapes (or is collecting new ones), this player from Gadhouse doubles as a player and a recorder, so they can even dabble in mixing their own tapes. Long live giving your crush a mixtape!
They might already be happy with their AirPods, in which case buying them a new pair of headphones is almost completely useless.
But one thing about AirPods is that the case gets quite grubby after a couple of years, so a case for the case (meta) could be a thoughtful touch to make their listening experience that much more thoughtful.
This one from Wildflower comes in a range of sizes, and there are also a ton of fun prints to choose from if leopard print isn’t their thing – or even covers for AirPods Max headphones.
Everyone in the world needs a great portable speaker. If they like things bass-heavy, this one from SONY is the way to go, as it comes with a boosted bass sound that makes literally everything sound good.
I’ve been blasting mine for the past few months, and the sound is truly unbeaten. Not to mention it comes with a whopping 25 hours of battery life, and charging it for just 10 minutes gives you 100 minutes of listening time, which is epic when you need to blast a tune to boost your energy.
We all know and love a Roberts Radio, but the company has really stepped up its game with its latest series, which has faster processing and unlocks access to a whopping 20,000 radio stations.
It might look vintage, but this handy portable speaker is also loaded with Bluetooth connectivity, and has built-in streaming that lets you switch between Spotify, Deezer, and Amazon Music.
Most excitingly for you as a shopper though, it comes in a whole range of stand out colours, so you can match it to your lucky recipient’s taste.
Likewise, there’s not a music fan who wouldn’t enjoy taking a walk down memory lane by flicking through this book.
In over 500 pages, it looks back on the best vinyl covers between the 90s and 60s – cue the arguing about your favourites.
Finally, a way to enjoy music in any format you like. This vintage-looking system from Victrola might look like a mere turntable, but it actually also doubles (and triples, and quadruples…) as a CD player, tape deck, and radio, so you can make full use of even the oldest of collections.
It even has an AUX port so you can plug your phone in directly to enjoy music, and comes with built-in Bluetooth speakers so you don’t have to fiddle around with setting up a DIY sound system. I’m also a huge fan of the wooden finish, which will fit in nicely with any decorating style.
If they’re a collector, nothing will make them happier than a first edition of Madonna’s controversial coffee table book ‘Sex’, which features iconic (basically soft porn) photos by Steven Meisel of the star enacting different sexual fantasies.
We all know that one person who’s pointing out just how similar the song you’re listening to sounds to one in pop history’s past.
To help them see how we go to this point in music, Dorothy has created this blueprint of the history of pop, featuring over 1,200 artists on the circuit diagram from the 80s.
Starting with precursors like Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra, it follows music’s development through the likes of Elvis in the 50s and the Beatles in the 60s, straight through to powerhouses like Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Charli XCX and even Jack Antonoff.
Whatever their taste, they’ll be proud to display this on their wall and showcase their knowledge.
