Black Friday music deals 2023: the biggest deals that are still out there for musicians, in one place

MacBook Pro M3 14": $1,599 now $1,449
Apple's new MacBook Pro M3 features an 8-core processor, 10-core GPU, and supports up to 24GB of unified memory. It's got a tasty $150 discount over at Best Buy, and you can get an extra $50 off with a membership. Up to 35 percent faster than the first-generation M1 chip, this is a powerhouse production tool for those who need to run loads of VSTs and plugins without any dropouts or latency.

Price check: Amazon $1,449

Focal Listen Professional: Was $299, now $254
Monitoring expert, Focal, delivers for tracking and mixing with these closed-back, comfortable and non-fatiguing studio headphones. They’re our best studio headphones overall in the market, and here you can bag yourself $45 off at Sweetwater.

Price check: Guitar Center $254 | Amazon $254

Yamaha HS5 studio monitors: $199, now $149 (each)
Inheriting their aesthetic from Yamaha’s classic NS10 monitors, the comparisons should end there. That’s because the Yamaha HS5 are designed to be trustworthy reference speakers. They feature highly in our best studio monitors buyers guide, and here you can save $50 on each speaker (that’s a $100 saving if you buy a pair).

Price check: Amazon $149.99 | Sweetwater $149.99

M-Audio Oxygen Pro 25-key controller: $199, now $127
Sometimes, a space-saving, portable controller is exactly what’s needed. But that doesn’t mean it has to lack functionality. M-Audio’s Oxygen Pro 25 has a two-octave keyboard (with aftertouch), 16 pads, 8 rotaries and pitch/expression wheels. You’ll also receive a collection of synth, piano, drum machine and organ plugins. With just over $70 off at Amazon, it’s a bargain.

Price check: Guitar Center $129 | Sweetwater $129

Roland FP-30X: Was $799.99, now $699.99
Roland's FP range is one of our favourites when it comes to affordable beginner-friendly instruments, so naturally, we get very excited when we see one with a healthy discount. Right now you can save $100 at Guitar Center.

Price check: Sweetwater $699.99 | Amazon $699.99

Kawai CN29: Was $1,699, now $999
The Kawai CN29 is a truly stunning home piano. From its superb sounds, effortless playability, charming good look and Bluetooth features this piano offers players a whole lot for a very modest price - and it's even better with $700 slashed off the price at Sweetwater!

Price check: Sam Ash $999

Focusrite Scarlett 18i8: $449.99, now $399.99
If you’re looking to upgrade your ins and outs for your home studio the Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 is a great choice. We've used the 2i2 for a long time and can attest to the build quality and excellent sounding preamps these interfaces possess. This version has loads more inputs making it great for getting started recording drums or more complex multi-micing.

Price check: Sweetwater $399.99 | Musician's Friend $399.99

Yamaha DTX6K3-X: Was $1,899.99, now $1,429.99
There are rarely Yamaha discounts on Black Friday so this is a big deal... literally! We loved this kit when we reviewed it for the excellent sounds, tweakable module and the fantastic TCS pads. Today you can save a huge $470 at Sweetwater.

Price check: Musician's Friend $1,429.99 | Amazon $1,429.99

Alesis Nitro Mesh SE: Was $449, now $299
This special edition Alesis Nitro Mesh proves that it's possible for great e-kits to be affordable. You get tunable mesh heads here instead of cheap-feeling rubber, which feel closer to playing an acoustic drum set, while keeping the noise down to a minimum. This already affordable e-kit had $150 off right now at Guitar Center. 

Price check: Musician's Friend $299.99

Fender Player Strat HSS Plus Top: $859.99, $649.99
Fender’s Player series guitar remains eminently popular thanks to its mix of fantastic build quality, timeless sound, and excellent price point. As far as we’re concerned you’ll be hard pushed to get as much bang for your buck with anything else - and now you can get this awesome HSS Strat with flame maple top at a huge reduction of $210.

Price check: Sweetwater $859.99

Total Studio 4 MAX: Was €799, now €349
Get all the plugins you need to take your music from a spark of inspiration, all the way to a finished, mastered release with IK Multimedia Total Studio 4 Max. With 170 instruments, more than 500 FX and over 640 gigabytes of sample data, it’s a complete solution for composition, mixing and mastering your music with a combined total value of over €14,000. At this price, why are you still reading this article?

MacBook Pro M3 14": $1,599 now $1,449
Apple's new MacBook Pro M3 features an 8-core processor, 10-core GPU, and supports up to 24GB of unified memory. It's got a tasty $150 discount over at Best Buy, and you can get an extra $50 off with a membership. Up to 35 percent faster than the first-generation M1 chip, this is a powerhouse production tool for those who need to run loads of VSTs and plugins without any dropouts or latency.

MacBook Air M1 13": Was $999.99 now $749.99
The 2020 Apple MacBook Air with an M1 chip may seem like old news now but it's still one of the best music production laptops ever made. Best Buy now has it for a record-low price thanks to a huge $250 discount. Our MacBook Air M1 review awarded the device 4.5 stars out of five, and we love it for its rapid performance, affordability, and it's portability.

MacBook Pro M1 14": Was $1,999 now $1,879
This 2021 MacBook Pro sports Apple's M1 Pro CPU, which delivers 8 more GPU cores for impressive performance. The display is stunning and it's got three Thunderbolt 4 ports so plenty of connectivity for your audio interface and other bits of gear. With a $120 discount at Amazon, it's a super saving on one of the most powerful production laptops you can buy.

MacBook Air M2 13": Was $1,099 now $949
The MacBook Air M2 is one of our most recommended laptops for music thanks to its lightweight design, incredible display, and speedy processing speeds. It's not got a tasty $150 reduction at Best Buy at the moment, bringing the price down below the $1,000 mark. In our MacBook Air M2 review, we were delighted with how quietly it operated and its portability makes it perfect for the musician making music on the go.

MacBook Pro M2 13": Was $1,299 now $1,099
This 13-inch MacBook Pro has the powerful M2 chip for close to its lowest price ever at Best Buy. It's a tough sell at full price as it's not a revolutionary upgrade over the previous model, but with this discount, you'll be raving over it just like we were in our MacBook Pro M2 review. It delivered exceptional performance when running over 50 instances of synth VSTs concurrently and hundreds of reverb plugins simultaneously. 

Positive Grid Spark 40: Was $299, now $229
The Positive Grid Spark 40 might just be the ultimate at-home amp - and it's even better with a $70 discount today. The tones are great, and the smart tech is indeed smart. Auto Chord and Smart Jam are incredible practice and learning tools, and a lot of fun, too.

Walrus Audio Slöer Reverb: $70 off at Sweetwater

We are surprised to see this deal – an impressive $70 off a recently-released reverb pedal that we scored 5/5 in our review? This is the kind of saving that Black Friday is all about! Choose between the black and blue finish options of this pedal and get lost in a world of wonderful reverb.

Walrus Audio Eons 5-state Fuzz: $50 off at Sweetwater

The most versatile fuzz pedal on the market right now? Five modes with silicon, LED and germanium clipping suggest so. Get wide open or spluttery with a selectable voltage mode and powerful EQ it's hard to imagine what isn't covered here. And it's now an even better deal. 

Squier Limited Edition Classic Vibe '60s Jaguar: $287.99

This is a great choice for beginner players with a HUGE 40% off the usual $479.99 at the Fender US site. The Jaguar has a shorter 24" scale length which makes it easier to play for smaller hands… and anyone else too! It's in a classic limited edition Fender Shell Pink with Indian Laurel 'board that we actually prefer the darker look of to the more expensive Fender pau ferro equivalent. A stunning-looking deal. 

Fender Player Strat HSS Plus Top: $859.99, $649.99
Fender’s Player series guitar remains eminently popular thanks to its mix of fantastic build quality, timeless sound, and excellent price point. As far as we’re concerned you’ll be hard pushed to get as much bang for your buck with anything else - and now you can get this awesome HSS Strat with flame maple top at a huge reduction of $210.

Buy a Taylor, get a Baby Taylor BT1/GS Mini for free
Thomann has a vast range of eligible guitars in this promo, so a good look on the site is a must. Generally speaking, spend from around £1,000 to £2,000 on an eligible guitar and Thomann will bundle a Baby Taylor BT1 - with a £319/€359 value - for free. Or, spend from around £2,000 upwards on an eligible Taylor and you’ll receive a GS Mini Sapele - worth £425/€485 - for free. Either of these cute little guitars would make a wonderful addition to your collection, or give one away to a loved-one this holiday season.

Get a Taylor, Gift a Taylor: Travel guitars from $99
Buy any Taylor 200 series or higher model from Guitar Center and add an acoustic Baby Taylor BT1 for $99 or an acoustic GS Mini Sapele for $199. The saving on the RRP is a generous $300 and the promotion runs until 15 January 2024. So, buy your dream Taylor and get a second guitar to take on vacation or give away to a loved one this holiday season.

Squier Classic Vibe Late '50s Precision Bass: $281.99

All guitarists need a bass – for recording, for timing, for the joy of the low end! Now you've got the perfect excuse with a 40% saving on the design that has proved the biggest influence on bass guitar ever. For good reason: the P Bass is a work of design genius and here it's available in 2-color sunburst and White Blonde. The only difficult decision here is choosing between them!    

MESA/Boogie Mini Rectifier 25 Tube head:
Was $1,699, now $1,359
If a full-size Dual Rectifier is likely to cause you problems with your neighbours, this mini-MESA/Boogie is your answer. All the tone of the 90s classic is scaled-down into a 25-watt tone machine that will work great for at home, in the studio and on stage. Especially at this price - $330 off at Guitar Center.

Blackstar HT Club 40 MKII tube combo: $899, now $599
One of the most dependable, portable gigging tube-driven combos has had $300 knocked off its price at Sweetwater. With two channels, reverb and Blackstar’s ISF control, you’ll have classic Brit and US tones covered in a manoeuvrable, stylish 1X12 40-watt combo amp.

Epiphone PR-150 acoustic: Was $179.99, now $129.99
Epiphone’s PR-150 sticks to the traditional blueprint of a spruce top with mahogany back and sides to deliver a textbook all-round acoustic guitar. It’s got a rosewood fingerboard and sturdy Epiphone tuners, so you can focus on learning to play with a trusted brand for under $130. That’s a saving of $50.

Guild D-240E acoustic electric: Was $439, now $299
We wouldn’t normally class Guild’s D-240E as a beginner acoustic, but with $140 scratched off the price tag, it sits into the upper end of the market. Not only does it have a solid top and Guild’s archback, mahogany body design, but it’s equipped with electronics too! Get this, and you’ll have a studio or gig-ready acoustic from the off!

UAFX Orion Tape Echo Pedal: $50 off at Sweetwater
The best EP-III tape echo pedal for the money is now priced irresistibly. Whether as an always-on, subtle echo or huge vibe machine, the buffered Orion offers the bonus of being able to switch on a great emulation of the fabled EP-III preamp as a tone booster. 

MXR Duke Of Tone: 17% off at Thomann
A rare saving on a must-have overdrive/boost/distortion pedal with serious pedigree – this is the closest you'll get to the Analogman King Of Tone for the money, and without the five-year waiting list. And it really is close – we'd say indistinguishable. A great buy. 

Squier Classic Vibe Custom '60s Esquire: save $180

This is a huge saving on an underrated, dark horse guitar with the stunning bound 3-colour Sunburst pickup. The limited edition Esquire has one pickup but don't be fooled: there are a lot of tones in there thanks to three selectable modes including a fixed treble roll-off. For just $269.99, is this the best-looking Squier for the money right now? We think it's right up there.  

Pedaltrain Novo 18 SC: Was $149.99, now $119.99
Pedaltrain has long been the go-to for reliable, portable pedalboards. The Novo 18 measures 18”x14.5”, with a five-rail design. It’s made of ultra-lightweight aircraft aluminium and comes with its own fitted gig bag. They’ve even thrown in 90” of hook-and-loop tape, as well as zip ties for you to fasten your pedals. Save $30 today at Sweetwater.

Neural Quad Cortex: Free plugin and GigCase w/$280
We don’t need to tell you how good the Neural DSP Quad Cortex is. The price has recently dropped on this cutting-edge modeller/multi-FX unit, but here you can get even better value with a Neural DSP plugin bundled in (worth $159.99) as well as a Neural GigCase worth $119.99.

UAFX Dream '65: $110/€110/£66 off at Thomann
The greatest showcase of what digital emulation can offer for classic tube amp tones, the Universal UAFX Dream offers incredible flexibility for your pedalboard in recording, live and home use. Now it's hit its lowest price ever at Thomann. 

Boss GT-1000 multi-FX: Was $1,099, now $899
With hundreds of Boss amp, effect and speaker models, plus loads of tactile controls, foot switches and an expression pedal, the GT-1000 puts the Boss tones you know and love at your feet. It’s got a looper, plenty of connectivity, and for a limited time only, $200 off at Guitar Center!

UAFX pedals: Up to $80 off Universal Audio pedals
Bag amazing savings on almost the entire range of UAFX guitar pedals, with prices slashed by between $50 and $80 on our top picks and more, right through until November 16.

XVIVE U4 wireless system: Was $229, now $183
If you want to go wireless with your guitar, XVIVE’s U4 system gives you everything you need for long-lasting, rock solid transmission. In this Guitar Center deal you’ll receive one transmitter and one receiver. Just hook up your in-ear monitors and you’ll be enjoying pristine, cable-free sound in no time. Check out more options in our best guitar wireless systems guide.

Waves Silk Vocal: Free for Black Friday!
This year's Waves Black Friday freebie is a must for anyone who wants a fast route to vocal perfection. It's a smart EQ and dynamics processor that will regularly retail for $79, but is free for this weekend only.

Total Studio 4 MAX: Was €799, now €349
Get all the plugins you need to take your music from a spark of inspiration, all the way to a finished, mastered release with IK Multimedia Total Studio 4 Max. With 170 instruments, more than 500 FX and over 640 gigabytes of sample data, it’s a complete solution for composition, mixing and mastering your music with a combined total value of over €14,000. At this price, why are you still reading this article?

Komplete 14 Select: Was £179, now £89.50
Komplete 14 Select is a fantastic range of top music production software. You get a total of 19 instruments and effects and 15,000 sounds. As NI says, it's everything you need to make music, and more. The instrument highlights are Massive, one of the biggest-sounding and most enduring softsynths. There's also the classic virtual analogue softsynth Monark, and more vintage synth goodness in Retro Machines Mark 2. Traditional instruments are also catered for with The Gentleman upright piano, Drumlab drums, Scarbee Rickenbacker Bass and Vintage Organs. Komplete 14 Select covers pretty much every instrument, then, and also comes with a fabulous suite of effects (including a delay, phaser and reverb) plus nine expansion packs. That's a huge range of software titles at half price!

Artist Subscription: £1/month for first two months
With a Loopcloud Artist Subscription you get access to a huge library of over four million samples, 5GB of cloud storage, a huge 1GB welcome pack of samples, and 100 points a month to spend on more sounds. You can upgrade at any time to Loopcloud Studio or Professional for additional sounds, storage and up to 600 credits to spend a month. Now is the time to experience the future of sampling for just £1 a month for the first two months. Usually you would pay £5.99/month.

Amplitube 5 Max: Was $299.99, now $79.99
Save big on Amplitube 5 Max from IK Multimedia this Black Friday. For a limited time, you can score a whopping over 70% off its original price! 

UA Capitol Mastering Compressor: $349, now $99
If you need a sprinkle of magic dust on your mixes, then one of Universal Audio's newest plugins delivers the pro sound of one of the rarest pieces of studio gear. Capitol Mastering Compressor is an emulation of Capitol Studio’s CM5511 tube compressor, of which only four were built. This compressor plugin can be used to add presence to elements in your mix, or as a more dramatic effect to add colour to drums and other instruments. But its best use is as a mix lifter - it will add a pro sheen to any song and is packed with quality presets to do just that, and it's now half price! Read our full review of this amazing plugin here.

Waves Scheps 73: Was $199, now $27.99
This is an emulation of the preamp and EQ from the iconic Neve 1073, a processor that has been featured on top recordings since the 1970s. You can use this plugin to add a rich analogue warmth to any recording, and it also features settings as used by the Grammy-winning mixing engineer Andrew Scheps, who has worked with Adele, Metallica, and Jay Z among others. With 86% off the original price you can get more reductions if you buy more plugins.

Waves Smack Attack: Was $79, now $29.99
Waves Smack Attack enables boosting or cutting of the attack and release parts of the transients in audio - a drum hit or string pluck, for example - to give them much more impact. Smack Attack is a fantastically useful plugin and does a great job on all sounds with transient components, and particularly well on basses, pianos, guitars and synth plucks. Read our Smack Attack review here.

Waves Infected Mushroom Pusher: $79, now $29.99
Infected Mushroom Pusher is one of Waves' more unusual signature plugins, this time a collaboration with Israeli dance and electronica duo Infected Mushroom. The plugin is an enhancer and limiter/clipper that is designed to improve the sound of pretty much anything - single channels, busses and even full mixes - and it does the job well and in a natural, classy fashion. Basses are bolstered magnificently, mid-range sounds benefit from extra presence, and top-end material is treated to a fabulous sheen. Read our Waves Infected Mushroom Pusher review here.

AKG C414 XLII: Was $1,319, now $1,119
With its 9 switchable polar patterns, sensitivity options, and four-stage low-end roll-off there are few tasks this awesome condenser mic can’t handle. It also comes with a rugged case, shock mount, and pop filter so if you’ve only got the budget for one microphone, this would be our pick as a do-it-all studio workhorse.

Shure Beta mics: Up to $150 off
Built for robust performance with excellent noise rejection qualities, Shure Beta mics are excellent value whether you need a live vocal mic or a small diaphragm condenser for studio duties. There's a huge selection of Beta mics on sale at Sweetwater at the moment, with up to $150 off select mics and discounts on popular models like the Beta 58A vocal mic, Beta 87A handheld condenser, and the Beta 52A kick drum mic.

Lewitt Condenser Mics: Up to $200 off
We're big fans of the Lewitt mics here at MusicRadar, and recently gave the Lewitt LCT 540 four and a half stars out of five and the Lewitt LCT 640 received the same score. There are three mics with up to $200 off at the moment, so it's a great opportunity to add a quality addition to your mic locker.

Yamaha P-145 B: Was £399, now £359
Yamaha's P-45 was most definitely one of the most popular beginner pianos on the market, and the latest iteration builds on the previous generation but manages to shrink the model to an even more compact size, making it more portable. This unit is still firmly new, so we are surprised to see it discount for Black Friday. Read our full Yamaha P-145 review.

Roland FP-30X: Was $799.99, now $699
Roland's FP range is one of our favourites when it comes to affordable beginner-friendly instruments, so naturally, we get very excited when we see one with a healthy discount. Right now you can save $100 at Guitar Center. 

Vox Continental: Was $1,599.99, now $999.99
The original Vox Continental is a classic. Used by the likes of the The Beatles and The Doors this organ was one of defining sounds of the '60s. This modern version looks to deliver the sound and vibe of the original, but with modern playability and features - and better yet, you can save $600 at Sweetwater!

Kawai CN29: Was $1,699, now $999
The Kawai CN29 is a truly stunning home piano. From its superb sounds, effortless playability, charming good look and Bluetooth features this piano offers players a whole lot for a very modest price - and it's even better with $700 slashed off the price at Sweetwater!

Akai Pro MPK249 49-key controller: Was $469, $329
The Akai MPK249 is bursting with features: 2x expression wheels, 16x drum pads, 8 rotary controls, 8 buttons, and 8 sliders (all assignable) plus a built-in arpeggiator. It’s loaded with functions borrowed from the MPC too, such as Note Repeat and Swing, and the 49 keys also have aftertouch! With $149 off at Sweetwater, this is your controller needs sorted for years to come.

M-Audio Oxygen Pro 25-key controller: $199, now $129
Sometimes, a space-saving, portable controller is exactly what’s needed. But that doesn’t mean it has to lack functionality. M-Audio’s Oxygen Pro 25 has a two-octave keyboard (with aftertouch), 16 pads, 8 rotaries and pitch/expression wheels. You’ll also receive a collection of synth, piano, drum machine and organ plugins. With $70 off it’s a bargain.

Yamaha HS5 studio monitors: $199, now $149
Inheriting their aesthetic from Yamaha’s classic NS10 monitors, the comparisons should end there. That’s because the Yamaha HS5 are designed to be trustworthy reference speakers. They feature highly in our best studio monitors buyers guide, and here you can save $50 on each speaker (that’s a $100 saving if you buy a pair).

Focal Shape 65 6.5” powered monitors: $899, now $809
We love the Focal Shape 65 for its workhorse, dependable performance that you can rely on time and time again. Plus, where else will you get a walnut veneer with $90 off? Do your mixes a favour and buy them while they’re cheap at Guitar Center.

Focusrite Scarlett 18i8: $449.99, now $399.99
If you’re looking to upgrade your ins and outs for your home studio the Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 is a great choice. We've used the 2i2 for a long time and can attest to the build quality and excellent sounding preamps these interfaces possess. This version has loads more inputs making it great for getting started recording drums or more complex multi-micing.

Universal Audio Volt 476: Was $369, now $319
You now don’t have to spend shedloads of cash to get into the UA ecosystem. The Universal Audio Volt 476 comes highly rated as a mid-level audio interface with four inputs, preset compressors, and ‘vintage’ modes. The tube-emulated inputs deliver superb sound and having a one-button compressor can make the difference in a pinch. You also get a great selection of plugins included with it too. 

Save up to $100 on AIAIAI's headphones at Sweetwater
AIAIAI is offering big discounts on all its TMA-2 headphones this Cyber Weekend and, happily, the biggest is on the flagship TMA-2 Studio Wireless+, which is down from $350 to $250. If you want some wireless headphones that have low enough latency that you can actually make music with them rather than just listen, hit that buy button.

Focal Listen Professional: Was $299, now $254
Monitoring expert, Focal, delivers for tracking and mixing with these closed-back, comfortable and non-fatiguing studio headphones. They’re our best studio headphones overall in the market, and here you can bag yourself $45 off at Sweetwater.

Shure SRH1540: Was $499, now $399
These premium-level closed back monitor headphones from Shure will serve you indispensably for recording and mixing purposes. The Alcantara cups are like a pillow for your ear, there’s loads of adjustment, and most importantly you’ll get a transparent sound you can trust. Get them now with $100 off at Sweetwater.

Shure SRH840A headphones: Was $149, now $119
A studio faithful, the Shure SRH840A studio headphones do a brilliant job as monitoring cans for studio work and occasional lunchtime electronic drum kit jams. They’re closed back so provide great isolation for drummers and vocalists alike during tracking and we’ve found them really comfortable for long sessions laying down endless guitar takes.

Shure SE846 in-ears: Was $899, now $809
The Shure SE846s are one our highest-recommended, best all-around in-ears for live use and feature high up in our best in-ear monitors guide). You’ll get audiophile-quality combined with excellent sound isolation, making sure you’ll hear everything you want to and none of the stuff you don’t.

Alesis Nitro Mesh SE: Was $449, now $299
This special edition Alesis Nitro Mesh proves that it's possible for great e-kits to be affordable. You get tunable mesh heads here instead of cheap-feeling rubber, which feel closer to playing an acoustic drum set, while keeping the noise down to a minimum. This already affordable e-kit had $150 off right now at Guitar Center.