"A standout year for female artists": But Taylor Swift didn’t bag Spotify Wrapped’s most streamed song of 2024
The all-important year-end figures, released today, show that another artist snagged the song of the year
Artists
Is music nostalgia really dead as new acts out-ticket established artists?
New gig-going research shows that passion for older acts is being outpaced by music’s increasingly active social stars
“What a way to make a living - putting your hand up the arse-end of a puppet!”: Iron Maiden star’s epic drum battle
And he still has a little Sooty on his drum kit
As Last Christmas celebrates its 40th anniversary, Blackpink’s Rosé covers it in BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge
The original was released on 3 December 1984
British band robbed at gunpoint on first day of US tour - before they'd even "played a note"
Sports Team are touring the US in promotion of their forthcoming third album Boys These Days
“I handed the bass to Steven, picked up a guitar and played the solo”: How Aerosmith created a classic
Joe Perry recalls the fun they had with Sick As A Dog
Gibson unveils meticulous Custom Shop VOS replica of Jimmy Page’s iconic 1969 Doubleneck
After turning loose the 3D scanner, this forensic recreation presents the EDS-1275 just as it was when Page first received it back in the day
"SID WAS THE PISTOLS": Liam Gallagher hits back at Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock’s criticism of Oasis
The Pistols bassist had compared Oasis to Status Quo and called the band's live shows "boring"
Music Tech
Meet the dongle nightmare that’ll get your original iPod working with your M4 Mac
Attention hipsters. Still rocking Apple’s first ever 5Gb iPod from 2001? We've got some great news
Is using commercially available samples in a track really that much of a problem?
“There's no such thing as cheating. Just make music you like and stop following rules.”
This "absurd and over-the-top" distortion plugin transforms a glitch into an audio effect - and it's absolutely free
Newfangled Audio's Obliterate started life as a conventional filter before a bug in the code caused some unique-sounding distortion - which the developer packaged into a free plugin
FL Studio gains a new looper effect in its latest update – plus up-to 30% off for Cyber Monday
The 2024.2 update brings a new effect and an assortment of user-requested features to Image-Line’s DAW
I've been covering Cyber Monday MacBook deals for 7 years, and these are some of the best I've seen. Shop my pick of music-friendly M3 and M4 Mac laptops, including Air and Pro models
Plus, save even bigger if you go for an M2 or M1 MacBook
This Moog bundle price drop might be my Cyber Monday deal of the day
Get classic Moog sounds galore via this stellar deal on an in-the-box bundle of magnificent modules
I banned myself from buying plugins this Cyber Monday, but Universal Audio’s UAD Amp Bundle is about to undo that: £91 for Ruby ’63, Lion ’68 and Dream ’65, saving hundreds on the list price!
This insane one-day deal from Thomann won't exist for long, so get looting while you can
In my opinion, these are the only 12 plugins most producers need. Here’s why - and how to save money on nearly all of them with these last-minute Cyber Monday deals
Get creative for less with these production essentials
"This is a game-changer for us. I mean, that's a pretty essential piece of gear": Andertons just slashed £249 off the Behringer X32 mixer, which has Foo Fighter Chris Shiflett's stamp of approval
Chris Shiflet called this digital mixer an essential part of his solo tour - and now you can own one for a whole lot less
Picture this: you’ve got $/£200 to spend on synths. Now I think I’ve found the best deals for you this Cyber Monday
Save big on some last-minute guilt-fee shopping on gear
Guitars
Gibson unveils meticulous Custom Shop VOS replica of Jimmy Page’s iconic 1969 Doubleneck
After turning loose the 3D scanner, this forensic recreation presents the EDS-1275 just as it was when Page first received it back in the day
Harley Benton unveils the CLO and CLG, Fishman-equipped acoustics with solid builds and an armrest
Available as a cutaway auditorium or user-friendly OM-sized acoustic, and with a more affordable layered rosewood option for both, the CLO and CLG models look very classy for the price
Nail Kurt Cobain's sound as Nirvana tone guru Aaron Rash releases The Nevermind Sessions IR bundle
If you’ve been trying to nail the Smells Like Teen Spirit tone and found there was always something in the way, maybe this is the secret sauce you’ve been waiting for
Jack White and Vernon Reid swap signature guitars after chance meeting at the airport
A heartwarming six-string story for the festive season as serendipity strikes in Memphis
Neural DSP gives the Quad Cortex a power-up with CorOS 3.1.0 and Cortex Control 1.2.0 updates
Fortin Nameless Suite X and Soldano SLO-100 X plugins are now officially compatible with your Quad Cortex – and Dimebag's Cry Baby From Hell joins expanded device library
With the LEGO Strat at its lowest-ever price, who needs the Fender Custom Shop? Be quick, though, you only have a few hours left to grab it and build your own
Fender and Lego have made the perfect gift for Strat fans: Woodworking tools or skills not required
Grab a whole lot of plugins for a bargain price: These are the Cyber Monday software bundle deals not to miss
Get discounts on your discounts with these cut-price plugin collections on Cyber Monday
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
3 ways to supercharge your lead guitar playing like Rory Gallagher
Improve your blues with this lesson on the Irish rocker's style
How to use tried and tested chord progressions when crafting your song
Lets draw some harmonic inspiration and top-tips from the past-masters.
How to understand and use suspended chords
"Sometimes you don't want to be overtly happy or sad and a suspended chord strikes that perfect balance"
Don't be afraid of your electric and acoustic guitar's truss rod – we'll show you how to adjust it
Changing your neck curvature is not some mystic art, but it can make a lot of difference to your guitar and how playable its neck is
Ditch the University of YouTube and unlock your musical potential with Guitar Tricks’ $800 off annual subscription Black Friday bundle
Get a year of premium lessons, exclusive resources and beginner essentials for just $99 - perfect for players of all levels
I didn’t think online guitar lessons were for me until I tried Til - get $20 off your first lesson with a professional guitar player
Get a big discount on your first private guitar lesson with a professional guitar tutor in this exclusive deal for MusicRadar readers
How to become a master of melodies
"It's what the overwhelming majority of us listen to first and foremost"
“There are so many hurdles guitar players get into that are attributed to knowing 30% of the neck. Just map it out - it takes a week”: Julian Lage unlocks the secret of mastering guitar
The virtuoso guitarist explains his approach to music theory and the wider scope a little knowledge can bring
Latest Tuition
3 ways to supercharge your lead guitar playing like Rory Gallagher
Improve your blues with this lesson on the Irish rocker's style
How to make supersized hyperpop vocals
How to get that hyperpop chipmunk vocal effect whilst keeping your tempo in check - and artefacts to a minimum.
How to use tried and tested chord progressions when crafting your song
Lets draw some harmonic inspiration and top-tips from the past-masters.
How to understand and use suspended chords
"Sometimes you don't want to be overtly happy or sad and a suspended chord strikes that perfect balance"
How to make a trip-hop bass part
"A simple programmed sub bass synth sound simply won’t cut it"
"These chords are used on everything from The Beatles to Billie Eilish": How to learn triad theory
The triad is one of the cornerstones of music theory, and vital for creating harmony. We examine the three points of the chord.
Don't be afraid of your electric and acoustic guitar's truss rod – we'll show you how to adjust it
Changing your neck curvature is not some mystic art, but it can make a lot of difference to your guitar and how playable its neck is
Ditch the loops and build your own trip-hop beat
If you’re after crispness and definition, processing loops has its limitations
How to understand key signatures
“The way that sharps and flats are organised is far from random or chaotic”
"The importance of scales cannot be understated": How to easily grasp scale theory
How to get a handle on scale theory
How to create satisfying lo-fi chords and progressions
Think smart and consider the underlying theory of your lo-fi arrangement
How to understand rhythm when reading music
Establishing rhythm in your sheet music is just as important as dictating pitch
“What you’re about to play should be influenced by what you just played”: Greg Koch's tips for better solos
He says: “The main things I work on are vibrato, bends and phrasing”
10 ways to create lo-fi sounds in your DAW
Sure-fire methods for adding some soothing space and vintage texture to your lo-fi tracks
The quick guide to reading music
We go back to basics and make a pitch for reading music. Here's the first part of a new series
How to easily make a unique lo-fi beat
Stop relying on samples and loops, and build it from scratch in your DAW
10 common electronic drum set issues and how to troubleshoot them
Don’t let annoying gremlins spoil your playing. From no sound to too much noise, most problems can be solved with some simple settings or affordable upgrades - here’s how
How to become a master of melodies
"It's what the overwhelming majority of us listen to first and foremost"
Latest reviews
"The engineers at Pianote have done a great job replicating the feel of an acoustic piano": Pianote Prima digital piano review
On Black Friday, online learning platform Pianote drops its first digital piano for beginners. But can it hold its own against the leading players?
"Warm, round, with a chewy mid-range that simply begs to be fed pentatonic licks, this amp sounds fantastic": Fender Tone Master '59 Bassman amp
A Fender classic gets a digital makeover, but how does it compare to the real thing?
“A wonderful blend of multitimbral synth hardware with clip style sequencing, wrapped up in a solid, performance-based module”: Mayer EMI MD850 Vibes review
Vibes is a multitimbral hardware synth with Ableton-style sequencing. It's hardware imitating software imitating hardware, and we like it a lot
"A great beginner keyboard, and a potential gateway into electronic music making in general": Roland Go Keys 3 and 5 review
The beginner keyboard market gets a couple of fresh contenders that offer more than you might think
“Launchkeys are a reminder that sometimes a keyboard is still what you need, even with Ableton Live”: Novation Launchkey MK4 25 and 37 review
We examine Novation’s Launchkey MK4 synth-action keyboards, available in 25- and 37-key versions
“With the room calibration and support software, it's the most flexible mini monitor we’ve tried”: IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitor Pro review
Small monitors usually struggle to deliver convincing low end, but this latest design has different ideas
"This might be the most affordable guitar from Strandberg, but you wouldn’t notice": Strandberg Boden Essential review
Want to get into the headless game but are wary of spending big? Strandberg just might have the gateway drug for you
“A well-priced synth workstation – just don't expect a 1980s Juno”: Roland Juno-D7 review
Roland's entry-level synth workstation is easy, light, and cheap, but has depth if you want it
“I think that a specific drawback of this guitar could make it unsuitable for regular live use, but it’s still an inspiring acoustic for the home”: Yamaha TransAcoustic TAG3 C review
The second generation of Yamaha’s TransAcoustic flagship debuts looping, delay and Bluetooth features – but is something undermining the practicality for the stage?
