"OK, let’s have some backstory”: The group songwriting sessions that yielded Lily Allen’s West End Girl
“It felt like days I had as a teenager in a band, writing live in the room,” says collaborator Violet Skies
Artists
"OK, let’s have some backstory”: The group songwriting sessions that yielded Lily Allen’s West End Girl
“It felt like days I had as a teenager in a band, writing live in the room,” says collaborator Violet Skies
It turns out there’s a reason André 3000 turned up at the 2025 Met Gala with a grand piano on his back
After the flutey New Blue Sun we now have 7 piano sketches
“I would come into the studio and people didn’t want to listen to me”: Avril Lavigne’s fight to create her first big hit
It also kick-started the career of production team The Matrix
The devastating personal pain behind one of Radiohead’s most affecting songs
The melancholy masterpiece was a highlight of the group’s last album to date, and was accompanied by a surreal Paul Thomas Anderson-directed video
When David Bowie predicted how the internet would change the state of music and content forever
Bowie’s staggeringly prophetic 1999 Newsnight interview revealed his astute awareness of how the internet was on the verge of irreparably changing popular culture
“I wanted to call it Taylor’s Version”: John Fogerty has 'done a Taylor Swift' and rerecorded his hits
Get ready for The Creedence Clearwater Revival revival...
"The answer might sound a little boring, but it's probably my iPhone": Modeselektor on their go-to instrument
Based in a new studio, Berlin’s favourite sonic troublemakers crash the DJ-Kicks series with a shape-shifting techno-industrial mix. We sit down with Sebastian Szary to find out more
Music Tech
It turns out there’s a reason André 3000 turned up at the 2025 Met Gala with a grand piano on his back
After the flutey New Blue Sun we now have 7 piano sketches
“I wanted to call it Taylor’s Version”: John Fogerty has 'done a Taylor Swift' and rerecorded his hits
Get ready for The Creedence Clearwater Revival revival...
"The answer might sound a little boring, but it's probably my iPhone": Modeselektor on their go-to instrument
Based in a new studio, Berlin’s favourite sonic troublemakers crash the DJ-Kicks series with a shape-shifting techno-industrial mix. We sit down with Sebastian Szary to find out more
This deep dive into a classic Beatles song reveals 4 synth parts that we’d never even noticed before
Anthony Marinelli’s video might change the way you listen to George Harrison’s ode to sunny positivity
“People have been imitating my sound for a long time, but now someone can type a prompt and make a song that sounds like Chris Lake – that's wild!”: Chris Lake on how AI is putting music-making “under threat”
One of house music’s most established talents., Chris Lake released his debut album this year after 20 years in the game. Danny Turner finds out more
AmenBreak VST is a break-slicing, sample-mangling junglist powerhouse - and there’s a free version
LET'S GO!
It’s official! Neural DSP’s John Mayer Archetype plugin suite is here – and with Dumble, Klon and Reverberator captures, it is the motherlode for boutique electric guitar tone
Neural DSP bags its most high-profile artist yet and present players with a cornucopia of gourmet tone options
Behringer says its $55 Oberheim-inspired UB-1 Micro is the "world's smallest full-featured analogue synth"
"This tiny synth sounds massive"
“David was a nice guy, but never a superstar”: 54 years on, how Hunky Dory rebooted Bowie’s career
The album’s creation and release marked a turning point in Bowie’s talent and trajectory
"You don't need to know music theory – Nopia takes care of that": Two years after going viral, this pastel-coloured, harmony-focused synth has finally broken cover
Official specs and images of this eagerly anticipated instrument have arrived
Guitars
“I turn this thing on, I don’t want to stop playing”: Keeley Electronics has made Andy Timmons fall in love with reverb with his new signature Nocturne pedal
Robert Keeley gives reverb the Halo treatment for an all-new signature reverb that has officially made a convert of Timmons
It’s official! Neural DSP’s John Mayer Archetype plugin suite is here – and with Dumble, Klon and Reverberator captures, it is the motherlode for boutique electric guitar tone
Neural DSP bags its most high-profile artist yet and present players with a cornucopia of gourmet tone options
Paul McCartney's favourite bass company is in trouble – Höfner's future uncertain as it files provisional insolvency proceedings
The German brand behind McCartney's iconic 500/1 Violin Bass has been in existence since its founding by Karl Höfner in 1887
Burned out recording vocals? Myles Kennedy shares his top for getting the perfect take
Kennedy says Alter Bridge producer Michael 'Elvis' Baskette knows his voice better than anyone and has worked out how to get it sounding 100 per cent on record
Olivia Rodrigo explains why she loves playing her custom Ernie Ball Music Man St Vincent Goldie signature model
She also discusses her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame performance of a White Stripes song and duetting with The Cure’s Robert Smith at Glastonbury
Joe Walsh on the best guitar solo he ever recorded (and how it officially made the talk box a thing)
How a fateful night at a Nashville party gave Walsh the sound he was looking for, and an all-new sound for rock guitar
“For me, the amplifier is even more important than the guitar”: Joe Perry on the evolution of electric guitar tone
The Aerosmith guitarist is a self-confessed gear obsessive and makes the case that, historically, the speaker is the most vital component in your signal chain
Harley Benton just put a Vega-Trem on YouTuber Carlos Asensio's $700 signature guitar: is this the best-value S-style on the market?
HSS Tesla pickups with coil-split, roasted maple neck, rolled fingerboard edges, Luminlay side markers... this is on tricked-out S-style – and then you have the Vega-Trem
"It’s just the most emotive piece of music": Alter Bridge's Mark Tremonti on the greatest guitar solo of all time
Like what, 99.99 per cent of players, the Alter Bridge and Creed guitarist looks for patterns on the fretboard, but alternate tunings set him free from reaching for the same old notes when soloing
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
How Tom Morello used his guitar to drill into the off-limits domain of the turntablist
The Rage Against the Machine axe-man’s most memorable moment saw him emulate a DJ scratch breakdown using a trick that few have fully mastered
With a massive 89% discount, $99 for a year's worth of Guitar Tricks online lessons is the best way to upgrade your guitar playing this Black Friday
Guitar Tricks is our number one online tuition platform for guitar players
What are the best online guitar lessons in 2025? I review guitar gear for a living and these are my favourite lessons platforms
My pick of the best online guitar courses will get your playing up to speed from the comfort of your own home, whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player
Ignite your inner guitar god for just 27 cents a day with TrueFire’s July 4th sale - save 60% on online lessons
With over 84,000 lessons at your disposal, this is one of the best value guitar tuition subscriptions online right now
Can you fix your guitar's frets yourself? We try three innovative approaches from MusicNomad to investigate how they might conquer a major cause of fret buzz
Uneven frets are a common issue with our guitars, but MusicNomad has come up with different ways to empower players to deal with it themselves
How to play like George Harrison on The Beatles' Abbey Road
Learn the guitar style of the most expressive and accomplished playing The Beatle would ever commit to tape
How to play guitar like David Gilmour: Bluesy diads, slides, quarter-tone blues curls and more
Tackle the expressive phrasing and minor pentatonic tricks of one of rock's finest guitarists, David Gilmour
Latest Tuition
How to emulate the sound of Gary Numan’s synth-pop classic Cars
We lift the bonnet on a foundational piece of synth genius, and demonstrate how you can achieve its distinctive sound yourself in your DAW
How unquantizing your tracks can make them stand out from the AI-dominated crowd
If your music is sounding a little mechanical, maybe it deserves a sprinkle of organic nurturing. We invite you to un-click the quantize!
Stuck for ideas? Here's how to create fresh basslines and melodies with Ableton Live 12’s MIDI tools
In our latest video tutorial, we explore how to use Live generative MIDI tools and hardware-inspired sequencers to create riffs and patterns
7 great house and techno tips from Don’t Be Afraid label boss Semtek (aka DJ Persuasion)
The producer, DJ and founder of one of the UK's most respected underground labels revisits a 2012 release to explore what he's learned in 15 years of releasing house and techno
Four big-name guitarists spill their recording secrets
With insight from Paul Gilbert, John 5, Adam Dutkiewicz and Marty Friedman on their approaches to the recording process
37 heavyweight bass production tips
More than three dozen priceless nuggets of bass recording and production wisdom
Creating chords for electronic music: 3 ways to generate more interesting progressions in Ableton Live 12
Let’s explore how Live’s MIDI effects can help us write better progressions
25 recording tips and tricks everyone should know
Get better takes in the studio and on the stage, with our essential advice for producers and DIY music-makers
Produce better music with our ultimate compression cheat sheet
Confused about where to start with compressors and dynamics effects? We'll guide you through the essential features and settings
Ever wondered how a microphone really works?
If microphone terminology confuses more than it helps, this guide will illuminate the microphone basics
How to stress test a laptop for music production in any DAW - and why every producer should do it
Get the most out of your machine and find out how far your laptop can really take your recordings
Never miss a MusicRadar thing: Google has made it easier to keep us in your feed
How to make MusicRadar.com a preferred source
Why imposing hard limitations could be the secret to finishing more music
We’re all struggling to fit in music-making between our other time consuming responsibilities. Optimise your process by cutting back on the options
5 creative ways to use distortion in Ableton Live: From punchier drums to dub techno delays
Let's explore how devices including Saturator, Roar and Erosion can help bring a track to life
How to think like a human drummer when building software beats
Ditch the repetitive loops and unlock more dynamic rhythms
10 tips for recording perfect drums
Essential information for anyone who wants to capture a kit
“At certain points in music history it became fashionable to place accents on certain beats”: How to score a drum part
We explore the theory behind beats, and how we score kicks, snares, hats and percussion
Latest Reviews
“Not the most thunderous of kits. Not particularly loud, but sophisticated, rounded and darkly inviting": Slingerland Radio King drum set review
Drum Workshop brings back to life the most historic brand in drum set history with this warmly re-imagined Radio King outfit
“The modelling offers sumptuous guitar tones with plenty of variety”: Blackstar Beam Solo review
Blackstar may be late to the guitar headphone amp party, but its offering has some seriously good sounds
“These are classy sounds with no danger of single coil hum... a near-perfect function-gig guitar”: PRS Fiore HH Satin review
PRS’s under-the-radar Fiore, the signature guitar of Mark Lettieri, gets a dual humbucking makeover and packs serious punch
“Virtually every sound I conjure recalls a classic player or style”: Gibson Les Paul Special Double Cut review
Along with the punk classic Les Paul Junior double-cut, the twin pickup Special is now readily available from Gibson USA. It might be stripped down but it’s a great platform for its two P-90s.
“The overall sample quality is decent, focusing on natural sounds within a mixed bag of styles, and promising to keep the majority happy”: EFnote Mini review
A fantastic looking ‘acoustic style’ e-kit, perfect for kids and adults alike
“Not having to reach for a USB cable feels like the advent of a new era for electronic drums, and we might be about to see a lot more e-kits out in the wild as a result.” Roland TD516 review
Roland unlocks the tonal backbone of its flagship V71 for the new 5 Series. Is this the electronic drum set that finally keeps us away from the computer?
“A reasonably portable device that provides a realistic and practical solution for a multitude of environments”: t.akustik Vocal Head Booth Mobile review
Reducing room ambience is often desirable for vocal and voiceover recording and here’s device you can take with you
"Just as good as many affordable Squier, Epiphone, or Yamaha guitars I’ve played": Cort G200SE review
Cort's beginner-friendly S-type shows just how far beginner guitars have come in the last 20 years
"Humans will be doing all the serious music transcription for the foreseeable future": Songscription review
This AI-powered transcription tool promises to convert any audio file into sheet music, tab or MIDI. But can it really match the skills of a professional?
"In terms of audio and signal performance, it delivers everything I would want as a vocalist": Positive Grid Spark Link XLR wireless system review
A simple way to add wireless connectivity to an XLR device with mic signal levels, I find out how well Positive Grid's solution holds up in a full band rehearsal