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Black Friday plugin deals 2025 LIVE: my pick of today's best music software sales at Plugin Boutique, Native Instruments, UA and more – plus, the freebies to blag right now

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Black Friday plugin deals

Native Instruments Kontakt on the screen of an Apple laptop

(Image credit: Native Instruments/Apple)

1. Quick links
2. Editor's picks
3. LIVE: latest updates

The biggest sale of the year is here and the Black Friday plugin deals are in full swing. Whether you want to save on utility plugins like EQs and compressors, or more creative outlets like reverb and modulation, I've found a huge array of discounts on plugins from all manufacturers – and I'll be keeping you up-to-date on all the latest savings live on this page.

I’ve been covering Black Friday for the last three years now (as well as reviewing all the latest music production software and hardware throughout 2025). Alongside my colleagues at MusicRadar I’ll be ensuring you know about all the best deals, as they happen. I'll also be sharing my best shopping tips and personal purchases.

If you want to check out the best place to shop right now, I'd suggest you head straight for Plugin Boutique, which has one of the biggest plugin sales going right now, with discounts up to a massive 96% off.

As is typically the case with Black Friday, more and more plugin deals will land as we move through Cyber Weekend, and I’ll let you know about them as soon as they happen with my live coverage below. Until then, check out some of the deals that are floating my boat right now.

Bookmark this page and stay tuned for all the best deals as they appear!

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Simon Truss author profile image
Si Truss

I'm MusicRadar's Managing Editor looking after our music technology coverage. Prior to joining the MR team I was Editor in Chief of Future Music and Computer Music magazines for more than a decade, so I've been kicking about the world of music technology for a while now.

I've spent the past 15+ years reviewing music making gear, interviewing musicians and producers in the studio and trying (and usually failing) to make some half decent music of my own.

Editor's picks: Today's best Black Friday plugin deals

UAD Mixtape: 10 plugins for $99
Incredible value
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UAD Mixtape: 10 plugins for $99
This bundle deal lets you pick ten of your most wanted Universal Audio plugins, all for the low price of just $99. It includes some amazing plugins like the Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor, API Vision Channel Strip, SSL 4000 G Bus Compressor, Manley Massive Passive EQ, and loads more, so if you need to stock up, this is the place to do it.

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FabFilter Pro-Q 4
The ultimate EQ
Save 25% ($49)
FabFilter Pro-Q 4: was $199 now $150 at Plugin Boutique
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The one plugin I've seen in every professional studio I've been to, FabFilter's Pro-Q 4 is the industry standard for EQ. Ultra versatile with a fantastic UI and loads of clever features, it allows you to sculpt your tones exactly to your liking. A $49 discount at Plugin Boutique makes this a must-have for your surgical EQ needs.

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Synchro Arts Vocalign 6 Pro
Get better vocals
Save 40% ($80)
Synchro Arts Vocalign 6 Pro: was $199 now $119 at Plugin Boutique
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Vocalign is on my shopping list this year, having recently used the trial. It's great for making your vocal editing more efficient, allowing you to quickly and easily synchronize vocal doubles and harmonies to get a really professional sound. It's currently got a hefty $80 discount at Plugin Boutique, and you can use it on other instruments too, making it an amazing tool for speeding up the editing of your productions.

Read more: Synchro Arts Vocalign Ultra review

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Universal Audio: Free plugin
Free plugin
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Universal Audio: Free plugin
Choose from one of ten different plugins free of charge with this amazing deal over at the Universal Audio website. From classic compressors to tape saturation, there’s something for everyone here, but you’ll need to act fast because they’re only available from November 27 to December 1.

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Waves plugins: 5 for $99
Bundle deal
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Waves plugins: 5 for $99
Waves plugins are some of the most popular plugins of all time, making them a great place to start your plugin collection or stock it up. With an excellent selection of plugins available including 2 for $49.99, or 5 for $99.99, this Black Friday sale is a great way to get more for your money.

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Toontrack Superior Drummer 3
The best drums
Save 33% ($130)
Toontrack Superior Drummer 3: was $399 now $269 at Sweetwater Sound
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The ultimate drum software just got a massive $130 discount over at Sweetwater. Packed full of ultra-realistic drum tones with endless tweakability, whether you're recording entirely in the box you're looking to sample replace, or backup real-world drum recordings, Superior 3's offering is unparalleled.

Read more: Toontrack Superior Drummer 3 review

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FabFilter Creative Bundle
Incredible value
Save 25% ($97)
FabFilter Creative Bundle: was $389 now $292 at Plugin Boutique
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Includes Timeless 3, Saturn 2, Twin 3 and Volcano 3. This bundle is great for ambient, electronic or cinematic work, and far more flexible than buying each separately.

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Universal Audio API 500 Series EQ
Powerful EQ
Save 67% ($100)
Universal Audio API 500 Series EQ: was $149 now $49 at uaudio.com
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The API 500 series is one of my favourite bits of outboard in the studio I work in, so when I’m at home the EQ plugin is one of my top choices. An engineer friend of mine described it as ‘revealing’ and I can’t put it any better than that. Even when you start getting into boosting frequencies in the realm of 12dB it still somehow manages to sound good, and despite being initially confusing, I find the two-tiered knobs really quick and easy to use once you get used to them.

Read more: Universal Audio API 500 Series EQ review

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LIVE: latest updates

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bitwig

(Image credit: Bitwig)

On a similar front, there’s some solid discounts out there on Bitwig Studio. Again, it's not that uncommon to see discounts on Bitwig, but this is still a great opportunity to get a truly excellent piece of music making software at a good price.

Bitwig's modulation system – which lets users add an unlimited amount of LFOs, sequencers, processors and expression tools to any device – is truly innovative, as is its Eurorack-inspired modular synth, The Grid.

It makes a great secondary DAW. I regularly switch between Ableton Live and Bitwig Studio in order to find some fresh inspiration in one when I’ve hit a creative block with the other. It’s particularly great for experimental, ambient and generative music.

The deals below are on the current version – Bitwig Studio 5.3 – but will also get you access to Bitwig Studio 6, which is currently in beta.

Hi all. I'm Si, MusicRadar's managing editor looking after all things music technology.

I'm kicking off our live coverage of Black Friday plugin and music software deals. I'll be here for the next few hours to guide you through the best discounts and offers as I find them. (After which one of my illustrious colleagues will take over).

I'll be totally honest from the off – I'm pretty sceptical about a lot of Black Friday deals, particularly when it comes to software. There's usually quite a few offers out there jumping on the Cyber Weekend bandwagon that aren't all that special. Equally though, some brands do go all-in, and if you've been waiting to restock your hard drive or you just fancy something cool and new to play with, there are some great offers to be had.

I've been reviewing hardware and software around these parts for more than 15 years, so I'm not short on opinions on what is, and isn't worth your time.

Let's kick things off with a few big names...

First up, Ableton Live. I've been a Live user for more than 20 years and it's come on in leaps and bounds in that time. Live 12 and its recent 'point' releases are some of the best updates the DAW has had in decades. The generative MIDI tools and Roar distortion are particular highlights.

Live offers aren't exactly rare, but this is definitely a good time to buy if you've been holding off. The best deals I've seen are on Live Suite, which you'll find below. If you're an existing users, check out the Ableton site for update prices.