Black Friday plugin deals 2025: Today’s top audio plugin deals live right now
Unbeatable savings on the standout plugins I'd recommend to every producer
1. Quick links
2. Editor's picks
3. Vocals
4. EQ
5. Compression
6. Delay
7. Reverb
8. Saturation
9. Guitars
10. Drums
11. DAWs
12. Subscriptions
13. Free plugins
If like me you've been saving for the Black Friday plugin deals, then you're in the right place. Cyber Weekend might officially start on November 28, but the deals are already live and kicking, and I've already saved myself hundreds buying some of my most wanted plugins like FabFilter Pro-Q 4 and Vocalign 6.
This will be my fourth year covering the Black Friday deals, and for plugins it doesn't tend to change all that much from year to year. My top sale for the past few years has been over at Plugin Boutique, mainly because there's just so much choice on offer. There are only a few plugin manufacturers that don't list their plugins there, and with discounts reaching all the way up to a ginormous 96% off, it's absolutely the place to start your shopping.
For those UA fans like myself, the 12 days of UAD sale has officially begun, with some ginormous discounts of up to 85% off. There are some great value bundle deals, such as picking 10 plugins for $99, buy-one-get-one-free offers, or you can pick up a selection of plugins at just $29 each. New deals are being added every day too, so it's well worth checking back if you don't find what you're looking for right away.
Below, I've picked out some of my favorite plugin deals from Fabfilter, Oeksound, Soundtoys, Universal Audio, Waves, Neural DSP and loads more. You'll also find links to all the biggest sales where you can pick up cheap plugins, no matter where you are.
Black Friday plugin deals: Quick links
If you want a quick link to the hottest plugin deals right now, here's what I recommend you go check out:
- FabFilter Pro-Q 4: Save 24%
- Soundtoys 5.5: Massive $360 off
- UAD Mixtape: 10 plugins just $99
- Superior Drummer 3: $130 off
- Ableton Live 12 Suite: $187 reduction
- Oeksound Soothe 2:
$199, $139 - Melodyne 5: Better vocals 74% off
- Vocalign Pro: 40% discount
- Neural DSP Tone King: Half price amp sim
- Waves Platinum: 67 plugins just $199
- Plugin Boutique Bundle:
$1,820.97, $69 - BFD Drums: Huge $160 off
- ShaperBox 3: Get $241 off
If you already know what you're looking for, here are some links to all the Black Friday sales that are live right now:
- Plugin Boutique: Up to 96% off
- Waves: 5 plugins just $99.99
- Universal Audio: 10 plugins for $99
- Native Instruments: Up to $173 off
- IK Multimedia: Buy 1 get 31
- Loopcloud: 40% off annual
- Loopmasters: 50% off samples
- Guitar Center: Up to 40% Black Friday sale
- Sweetwater: Huge up to 80% off sale
- Thomann: Up to 70% off Cyber Week sale
Black Friday plugin deals: Editor's picks
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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
🎤 Vocal plugin deals
For a lot of working producers, Melodyne will be amongst their most used plugins. Pretty much every vocal nowadays is tuned, to the point that most big live shows you go to will have some form of tuning on the vocal. I use Melodyne all the time, and I love its straightforward workflow that enables me to speedily tune vocal takes and get to the important stuff more quickly. With a massive $74 off at Plugin Boutique, this is one Black Friday plugin buy I guarantee will improve the quality of your music.
Another bit of outboard gear I’m very familiar with, the Avalon BT-737 Tube Channel Strip can be characterised with a single word - clean. Seemingly no matter how hard you push it them the preamps still remain incredibly transparent, delivering a glossy sheen to whatever signals you feed it. With preamp, opto-compressor, and EQ I use it a lot for vocals, but it’s versatile enough to take a shine to pretty much any instrument.
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
An AI-driven noise removal tool built for vocal isolation and cleanup. It strips background noise while keeping the voice intact, making it valuable for producers who rely on samples, field recordings or less-than-ideal takes. A genuine time saver for anyone handling spoken or sung audio.
A specialist tool that automatically removes or reduces breaths in vocal recordings. Perfect for podcasters, narration producers and vocal-heavy mixes where cleanup usually eats time. Set it, fine tune it, move on. Not glamorous, but absolutely essential once you’ve used it.
Antares Auto-Tune Pro: 60% off subscription
Probably the most famous vocal plugin of all time, Antares has slashed a massive 50% off Auto-Tune subscriptions for the all-encompassing tuning software. Nearly every modern record uses vocal tuning in one form or another, and so should yours.
🎛️ EQ plugin deals
One of my must-have plugins for Black Friday, Soothe 2 has quietly taken the music production world by storm thanks to its ingenious resonance suppression. It looks like an EQ, yet operates partly like a compressor, making it an initially confusing plugin. What you need to know is that it tames harsh, edgy resonances in your mix and despite appearing complex, is incredibly easy to use and see results with. It's got a huge $70 discount over at Sweetwater at the moment, making it perfect timing to get your hands on it - you'll thank me later.
Read more: Oeksound Soothe 2 review
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.
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
Gullfoss is an intelligent EQ plugin that forensically diagnoses what's going wrong in your mixes - and can correct those issues at will. It's a recommended pick-up.
Read more: Soundtheory Gullfoss review
I've used the Scheps Omni Channel on pretty much every instrument at some point, whether adding a light touch of vibe or totally transforming the properties of an audio source. It's a 5-module channel strip that features preamp, EQ, de-essing, compressor, and gating, making it a proper Swiss-army knife tool for your productions. There are loads of great presets built into it that make a good starting point for beginners, and if you know your stuff, plenty of options to tweak and shape your sounds.
Another unmissable deal on perhaps the ultimate EQ control room. With parameters for fine-tuning your frequencies beyond most other plugins on the market. You shouldn't miss this one.
A fantastic deal on an intelligent and easy-to-use EQ that will point out where you're going wrong, and fix your problems without breaking a sweat. Sonnox has a wealth of experience in this field and Claro is built on their expert knowledge.
📉 Compression plugin deals
While I don’t have an actual one of these to use, it doesn’t stop me from putting the SSL 4000 G Bus Compressor on pretty much all of my productions. It works amazingly on a drum bus for adding punch, as well as on the master bus for helping add that final touch of cohesion in the mix-down phase. I love how it’s really easy to get a good sound out of it, and the built-in presets give you a strong starting point even if you’re not an expert in compression.
One of the all-time classic compressor plugins, Waves CLA-76 is many producers' go-to for drum busses. It can add a specific character that will make your drums sound like they're being hit harder, without drastically increasing your peak levels. It's not just viable on drums, though; it really is a Swiss-army style comp that can do the job on guitars, vocals, pianos, and pretty much anything else, so well worth picking up at this bargain price point.
Even if you already own a 76-style compressor plugin, this is one of the best Black Friday plugin deals I've ever seen. Normally retailing at $299 it's got a humongous 90% discount, taking the price down to less than your average family takeaway. Capturing all the characteristics of the original hardware units, I reach for these plugins a lot when I'm mixing.
If you want to instantly amp up your home recording efforts, you should buy this plugin right now. It's got a huge $199 reduction over at Plugin Boutique and is designed to be placed at the very end of your mix bus. The Sonnox Oxford Limiter will hugely increase the loudness and clarity of your mix without clipping. We've just bought one ourselves, and it's had an instant effect on our mixes, helping bring our tracks to life at the mixdown stage.
🔁 Delay plugin deals
This vintage-inspired tape delay is one I actually reach for ahead of some of the more guitar-friendly alternatives in my arsenal. It’s full of warmth, flexible modulation, filter sweeps and true stereo delay. At this price, it’s a no-brainer if you want lush echoes or experimental textures.
With its excellent selection of analog-flavored delay tones, Baby Audio's Comeback Kid is a great choice if you're in the market for a delay plugin. It's already pretty cheap by plugin standards, but a $40 discount at Plugin Boutique has brought it down to just $29, an absolute steal.
Read more: Baby Audio Comeback Kid review
Probably my all-time favorite delay plugin, Soundtoys EchoBoy has been used at one point or another on pretty much all of my productions, and I regularly see it appearing in professional studios too. Packed full of lush analogue delay tones and with unparalleled flexibility in tweaking, with $150 off at Plugin Boutique it's a must-have for your plugin folder.
Read more: Soundtoys 5.5 review
🌌 Reverb plugin deals
I already own UAD Sound City Studios and it's quickly become one of my most used plugins. I use it to liven up drum room sounds, add space to guitar tracks recorded via plugins, and give a sense of space to vocals. It's already cheaper than it was last year, so well worth picking up if you want to add better depth to your mixes.
Expanding hugely on the original Pro-R, the mark II version of FabFilter's reverb plugin significantly ups its game. Available with a tasty $49 discount at Plugin Boutique, like FabFilter's other plugins you get loads of versatility in how you shape your tones with ducking, auto-gate, saturation, and freeze controls all built-in directly.
A hybrid reverb with deep editing, modulation, advanced damping control and sophisticated shaping tools. It fits cleanly into everything from cinematic tails to tight mix spaces. Ideal for producers who want tweakable ambience instead of the usual set-and-forget algorithmic wash.
This reverb goes beyond stereo and has been tailor-made for 3D and spatial mixing. With support for up to 7.1.6 channels, this particular reverb/space-shaper is a real boon for making those mixes sound even bigger.
📼 Saturation plugin deals
I love using the Thermionic Culture Vulture on my bass guitar tracks, but it’s a versatile saturation plugin that can be easily utilized across the full depth and breadth of your productions. It can do everything from subtle to thickening to full-on sonic destruction, and the plugin includes some features you don’t get on the hardware, including a mix knob and stereo link function.
Read more: Universal Audio Thermionic Culture Vulture review
If you've got an instrument track that just isn't quite sitting right, or you want to add some extra texture to the whole mix, Waves Kramer Master Tape is a fantastic analogue tape emulation. It adds a really punchy sound and is based on a machine that has featured on loads of classic records. There are plenty of controls for tweaking it to your exact specifications, which makes it super versatile in the mix.
Another plugin I use on pretty much everything, the Oxide Tape Recorder is a regular customer on my drum bus, adding punch and low end warmth to the overall kit sound. It’s super easy to use unlike an actual tape machine, meaning you can apply it effectively with a minimum of fuss. It’s great for getting that final bit of warmth onto any instrument, and is really effective used on buses to help glue everything together.
If the thought of a plugin with a million options on it brings you out in a sweat, you'll love Baby Audio's Super VHS. Simple, yet powerful, it's capable of subtle character changes right through to all-out mangling of whatever sound you want to feed it. Down to just $9.99 from $69, you're saving yourself a hefty $60, brilliant value.
One of the most popular saturation plugins in the industry, Soundtoys Decapitator is a standard in studios across the globe. Versatile enough to cover a light dusting of vibe all the way through to all-out sonic destruction, this is one plugin that should be in every producer's arsenal. A $150 discount over at Plugin Boutique makes it a fantastic early deal to take advantage of.
Ultra-affordable yet incredibly realistic, Aberrant DSPs SketCassette II is honestly one of the best cassette emulators I've ever used. Even at full price it's an absolute bargain, but an extra $12 saving doesn't hurt. Perfect for lo-fi lovers or those who just want some extra character on a boring sound.
🎸 Guitar plugin deals
If you're not so much into the heavier side of guitar playing, the Neural DSP Tone King plugin is the one you should go for. It models the boutique tones of the Tone King Imperial MKII tube guitar amplifier, giving you clean and dirty tones that not only sound incredibly realistic, but inspiring too. I own a lot of Neural plugins, and this is the one that gets the most use from me as I primarily play rock, punk, indie, and other, softer styles.
Containing stunningly accurate recreations of the holy trinity of guitar amp tone in the Fender Deluxe Reverb, the Marshall Plexi, and the Vox AC30, this guitar bundle is great if you want iconic tube tones from the comfort of your DAW. I use these regularly to back up recorded guitar tones from the studio, and they do a scarily convincing job of replicating the real thing. It now also contains the Woodrow 55 amp, which while lesser known is still a great tone to have in your arsenal.
A complete virtual guitar rig with amps, cabs, stomps and routing options. It delivers fast workflows and versatile tones without fuss. Whether you track guitars daily or just need a reliable all-rounder for writing, GTR3 covers a surprising range for the price.
🥁 Drum plugin deals
If you want to add realistic drum sounds to your productions for less, this awesome deal on BFD 3.5 at Plugin Boutique is well worth a look. With a massive $160 reduction, you're getting quality drum sounds straight into your DAW for well below $50. With a massive 51 kits there's plenty to get stuck into, and if you like tweaking your drum sounds then you'll love the depth of offer here.
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
An ultra-powerful way to increase the punchiness of your drum recordings - or replace them entirely - Steven Slate Drums Trigger 2 is used by many pro engineers to augment their drum tracks. It's incredibly accurate bleed suppression needs to be heard to be believed, and it comes loaded with loads of great samples too. A $70 discount at Sweetwater makes it a must-have if you want to add some pro sheen to your drums.
🖥️ DAWs
Avid Pro Tools: Up to 40% off
It may get a lot of flak online, but it doesn't change the fact that most professional studios run on Pro Tools. If you want to work in real world studios, this is the DAW you need to know. Right now at Avid, you can bag yourself up to 40% off annual subscriptions, saving yourself up to $208 versus the regular pricing.
The most comprehensive version of Ableton has got a gigantic $187.25 reduction over at Sweetwater. Jam-packed with 20 software instruments, 58 effects, and over 71GB of content, this is the ultimate DAW for the music maker who likes to do things differently.
Read more: Ableton Live 12 Suite review
🖊️ Subscriptions
Universal Audio Spark gives you access to a full 60 different UAD plugins, and more are being added all the time. It's a great value way to jump into the UAD ecosystem, or just try out a huge range of their plugins to pick out the ones you love. With everything from EQs, compressors, saturation, reverb, delay, and even amp modellers, this is an all encompassing subscription that will cover all of your needs and then some.
Containing a humongous 240+ plugins, this subscription to Waves Ultimate has every plugin you'll ever need and then some. It includes plugin updates, regularly added plugins, Waves Stream remote collaboration, premium mixing courses, and plenty more.
🆓 Free plugins
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.
Waves Black Friday: Free plugin
We can reveal that Waves will be giving away a brand new free plugin this Black Friday, so if you want to be the first in line to get yours you can sign up right now. Last year they gave away IDX Intelligent Dynamics, a plugin designed to improve the overall sound of your mix by applying frequency-dependent compression. It retails for $79 now, so it's well worth signing up to this years offer, because who doesn't love free gear?
Antelope Audio MG4+: Free plugin
Based on the Maag Audio EQ4, this EQ plugin from Antelope Audio is available completely free of charge until November 30. It may look like any other EQ, but the MG4+ does a really neat trick that very few other EQs have in their locker. The 'sky' band allows you to add a high frequency shelf to the 30k and beyond band, which can have a marked effect on your mix or on your vocal tracks. While most humans can't hear beyond 20k, adding this air band gives a perceptible lift to your tracks, and for nothing it's well worth adding to your tone locker.
Valhalla DSP Supermassive: Free
Once you've used Valhalla's Supermassive reverb plugin it's honestly difficult to believe it's free. Packed with larger-than-life sounds it is perfect when you want to add some ultra-spacious tones to your recordings. I regularly use it on ambient tones in my recordings, and it's great for vocals too.
Black Friday plugin deals FAQ
What day is Black Friday 2025?
Black Friday isn't 'officially' until Friday 28 November, but last year things kicked off much earlier than that, so it pays to be prepared. Waves got the wheels in motion with a sneak peek at the deals they planned on launching in November, followed by a natural segue into their Early Bird Black Friday plugin deals at the start of November.
Will we see more plugin deals sooner than the day itself in 2025? Judging by previous years, that's a strong horse to back. Whether we see more brands than just Waves jumping on the early doors bandwagon remains to be seen.
You can also expect the deals to continue through the weekend after Black Friday - aka Cyber Weekend - before transforming into Cyber Monday plugin deals three days after Black Friday.
If you're using Black Friday to save money on Christmas gifts, our guide to the best Christmas gifts for musicians is great for inspiration.
What deals should I expect?
Loads of music software sites will be taking part in the Black Friday plugins bonanza, so we'd recommend signing up to mailing lists of your favourite retailers now to get the jump on the best deals when they do come around.
Of course, if you'd rather not deal with the stress of searching through endless deals yourself, as we get closer to the event our experts will be pulling all-nighters to uncover the very best Black Friday plugin deals and publishing them on this page.
We’d recommend bookmarking this page - as well as our main Black Friday music deals hub page - so you can keep checking back as more deals are added.
So we know there will be deals. But what should you be looking out for? We've covered enough of these events to know a thing or two about what to expect. Seeing as plugins are downloads rather than physical products, they won’t sell out. A more realistic consideration is that some of these deals might be time-limited to just a day or two, or perhaps only a few hours, so we’d recommend you don’t ponder a purchase for too long.
Discounts can range from a few $/£ off a cool sample pack to massive percentage discounts off huge swathes of music production software.
Great deals come in all shapes and sizes. There are a few key types to look out for:
- Single item - A single product or plugin with a great discount
- Site-wide discounts - A single discount percentage on a large range of products across a site
- Discount codes - Load your basket to a certain value and redeem a discount code for money off your basket contents
- Added value deals - These include multi-buy discounts, or additional products or software for free when you buy certain items
Whichever deals you go for, you can guarantee there will be a lot of noise during the weekend, so if you’re planning on updating your studio or adding to your collection to boost your music production set-up, it’s well worth marking your diary for this year's Black Friday plugin deals.
Can I get free plugins on Black Friday?
Yes! Many sites offer a free plugin to celebrate Black Friday and as a way to tempt you into their ecosystem, so you could feasibly take advantage of the Black Friday hysteria without spending a thing.
Once again, Waves is a sure bet when it comes to free stuff. Last year they gave customers Waves IDX Intelligent Dynamics completely free, a brand new plugin that normally retails at $79. Usually, all you have to do is provide them with an email address to get your freebie.
Which sites are best for software deals on Black Friday?
We have personal experience shopping software at a varity of retailers and we know the ones we trust and where we've had a great experience. These are the places we will always recommend first.
Developers we trust include Waves, IK Multimedia, Universal Audio, and Native Instruments. They all run great sales and we know they're above board. Buying software from them is a breeze and they all offer fantastic customer service.
Special shout out to Plugin Boutique who sell plugins from hundreds of fantastic brands, and has regular sales throughout the year. They've got pretty much any plugin you can think of so are a great place to start shopping during Cyber Weekend.
Specialist online music retailers have become better on the software front, too. Where you used to only be able to buy physical copies of DAWs, it's now easy to access direct digital downloads at places like Sweetwater, Guitar Center and Thomann of all your favourite plugin brands. And the best thing is that, because software is a download rather than a physical product that needs shipping, you can go for the seller that has the best price!
Plugin shopping tips for Black Friday
1. Make note of the prices - Once you've found your favourite plugins, keep track of how much they are when they're not on sale. This will help you determine whether or not it's actually a good deal, as some retailers are fond of relisting products at the RRP, which makes the discount look larger than it actually is.
2. Consider your music production goals - What do you want to achieve with your music production goals for the next 12 months or so? Is there software that will help you hit them? Or do you have an unfinished track that needs some extra sauce? We know that shiny new AI-powered plugin looks amazing, but you should always be buying plugins that are going to improve your compositions, mixes, and mastering.
3. Clear some space - Something else you should consider ahead of time is whether you have enough space on your machine to account for all these additional downloads! Get rid of any unnecessary bloat on your laptop or PC now, or you might want to consider picking up an external hard drive. Focusing your plugin selection is also a great way to work better, so think about how long it was since you last used that EQ, and if you can't even remember what it looks like or does - get rid.
4. Create a wishlist early - The most sensible way to take advantage of this year's Black Friday plugin deals is to know in advance what you’re looking for. This will make searching much easier, rather than having to trawl through loads of deals you don’t want to find the ones you do, or pondering things you don't need.
5. Sign up for mailing lists - Pretty much every retailer and manufacturer will be sending emails during Cyber Weekend. Signing up for your favorites can help you get the lowdown on when a deal becomes available straight away. Many will also give you a sign-up discount, although be careful here as it often doesn't apply to already discounted products.
How we choose the best Black Friday plugin deals
The team at MusicRadar is made up of real-life musicians who are ultra-passionate about music and music-making. We're all creating music in our spare time, whether that's solo EDM projects or touring in bands. That means we write with our own needs and experience in mind, so you can rest assured that our picks come from the heart.
We're not interested in trying to sell musicians stuff they don't need, and if you look at the buying advice we always advise getting things you need rather than buying superfluously.
For us to recommend a plugin to buy, it has to be a truly great piece of software, solve a common problem, or sound fantastic in our own productions. We'll never recommend something just because a manufacturer wants us to, and its all our own opinions that inform our product selection.
Meet the experts
MusicRadar's got your back

Matt is a Junior Deals Writer here at MusicRadar. He regularly tests and reviews music gear with a focus on audio interfaces, studio headphones, studio monitors, and pretty much anything else home recording-related. Matt worked in music retail for 5 years at Dawsons Music and Northwest Guitars and has written for various music sites including Guitar World, Guitar Player, Guitar.com, Ultimate Guitar, and Thomann’s t.blog. He's also an alumnus of Spirit Studios, where he studied studio engineering and music production.

I have a massive passion for anything that makes a sound, particularly guitars, pianos, and recording equipment. In a previous life, I worked in music retail, giving advice on all aspects of music creation and selling everything from digital pianos to electric guitars, entire PA systems, and ukuleles. I'm also a fully qualified sound engineer who holds a first-class Bachelor's degree in Creative Sound Production from the University of Abertay, and I have plenty of experience working in various venues around Scotland.

I'm MusicRadar's eCommerce Editor. In addition to testing the latest music gear, with a particular focus on electronic drums, it's my job to manage the 300+ buyer's guides on MusicRadar and help musicians find the right gear for them at the best prices. I dabble with guitar, but my main instrument is the drums, which I have been playing for 24 years. I've been a part of the music gear industry for 20 years, including 7 years as Editor of the UK's best-selling drum magazine Rhythm, and 5 years as a freelance music writer, during which time I worked with the world's biggest instrument brands including Roland, Boss, Laney and Natal.

I'm MusicRadar's Tech Editor, working across everything from product news and gear-focused features to artist interviews and tech tutorials. I love electronic music and I'm perpetually fascinated by the tools we use to make it.

I'm the Managing Editor of Music Technology at MusicRadar and former Editor-in-Chief of Future Music, Computer Music and Electronic Musician. I've been messing around with music tech in various forms for over two decades. I've also spent the last 10 years forgetting how to play guitar. Find me in the chillout room at raves complaining that it's past my bedtime.

I take care of the reviews on MusicRadar and Future Music magazine, though can sometimes be spotted in front of a camera talking little sense in the presence of real musicians. For the past 30 years, I have been unable to decide on which instrument to master, so haven't bothered. Currently, a lover of all things high-gain in the guitar stakes and never one to resist churning out sub-standard funky breaks, the likes of which you'll never hear.

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.

Andy has been writing about music production and technology for 30 years having started out on Music Technology magazine back in 1992. He has edited the magazines Future Music, Keyboard Review, MusicTech and Computer Music, which he helped launch back in 1998. He owns way too many synthesizers.
Why you can trust us
We spend a lot of our time scouring software retailers for fantastic deals on our favorite plugins. Not only is it our job to research and recommend the best gear in our buyer’s guides and reviews, but we’re also dedicated to helping musicians get the best deals on the stuff they need, too. After all, the only thing better than New Gear Day is a hearty discount.
We cover a lot of the big sales events throughout the year, including Memorial Day, 4th of July sales, and Amazon Prime Day, and we have a good view of which products are likely to receive the biggest discounts and when, the prices they’ve been in the past and which deals are genuinely worth a look.
Our industry expertise combined with our passion for music makes us well positioned to help our fellow music-makers. It's why we do this job in the first place, to help spread the word of all the great music and music gear that's out there.
Last year's Black Friday plugin deals
Take a look at a few of the deals that caught our attention during Black Friday last year:

One of my must-have plugins for Black Friday, Soothe 2 has quietly taken the music production world by storm thanks to its ingenious resonance suppression. It looks like an EQ, yet operates partly like a compressor, making it an initially confusing plugin. What you need to know is that it tames harsh, edgy resonances in your mix and despite appearing complex, is incredibly easy to use and see results with. It's got a huge $70 discount over at Sweetwater at the moment, making it perfect timing to get your hands on it - you'll thank me later.

The one plugin I've seen in every professional studio I've been to, FabFilter's Pro-Q 3 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 $45 discount at Plugin Boutique makes this a must-have.

Probably the greatest collection of soft synths ever amassed, Arturia's V Collection X has got a phenomenal $200 discount at the moment at Plugin Boutique. Packed full of useful presets, synths, instruments, and samplers, this is the ultimate collection of software instruments for home producers, professionals, and sound designers.

The ultimate drum software just got a massive $100 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.

One of the most popular saturation plugins in the industry, Soundtoys Decapitator is a standard in studios across the globe. Versatile enough to cover a light dusting of vibe all the way through to all-out sonic destruction, this is one plugin that should be in every producer's arsenal. A $61 discount over at Plugin Boutique makes it a fantastic early deal to take advantage of.

This MPE-leaning, expressive synth can be picked up with 40% off the standard price. Morphing and shaping kinetic synth pads, leads and atmospheric textures are the order of the day with Equator2. Though the company is best known for its extraordinary range of Seaboard MPE instruments, its their ultra-flexible soft-synth that we tend to reach for most frequently.

Native Instruments recently gave its DJ software a long-needed overhaul. New features include AI stem separation, flexible beat grids and a fun mini drum machine. Overall, v4 has a well-rounded feature set and smart-looking interface. Its best feature, however, is that unlike many DJ apps, there’s no subscription or paid add-ons involved. You can pick the software up for the thoroughly reasonable discounted price of £90 and have access to everything Traktor has to offer. For home DJs or simple pro setups, it’s a good deal.

If you want to instantly amp up your home recording efforts, you should buy this plugin right now. It's got a huge $206 reduction over at Plugin Boutique and is designed to be placed at the very end of your mix bus. The Sonnox Oxford Limiter will hugely increase the loudness and clarity of your mix without clipping. We've just bought one ourselves, and it's had an instant effect on our mixes, helping bring our tracks to life at the mixdown stage.

An all-encompassing software that will cover off all of your music-making needs, IK Multimedia's Total Studio 4 Max has got a gigantic $450 discount on their official site. Comprising thousands of instruments, a huge selection of plugins, and countless effects, it's an all-in-one solution for making music at an unbelievable price.

NI’s longstanding software bundle series has really benefited from the company’s merger with iZotope and Plugin Alliance. The combination of NI big hitters Kontakt 8, Massive X and Guitar Rig 7, alongside iZotope’s excellent Ozone 11 mastering suite, plus a generous crop of effects and sampled instruments, makes for a really well-rounded package that’s very tempting given the massive discount.

Probably my all-time favorite delay plugin, Soundtoys EchoBoy has been used at one point or another on pretty much all of my productions, and I regularly see it appearing in professional studios too. Packed full of lush analogue delay tones and with unparalleled flexibility in tweaking, with $150 off at Plugin Boutique it's a must-have for your plugin folder.

The excellent 3D granular effects tool Dust from SoundMorph is a go-to creative paintbrush of ours, with its uniquely intuitive interface offering up vast sonic scope. Sound can be spawned by the plugin’s own library of samples, triggered by MIDI or sequencer, or – if used as an insert effect – via your track’s audio and then processed via its particle-based ecosystem.

This incredibly realistic, physically modelled virtual piano suite's Standard or Pro versions are reduced this weekend over at Sweetwater. It's one of the best piano suites around, and allows users to explore a range of officially endorsed piano models from the likes of Steinway, Bechstein, Petrof and more. Plus, with version 8, Modartt have thrown in classical guitar and a salvo of percussion instruments
Want all the hottest music and gear news, reviews, deals, features and more, direct to your inbox? Sign up here.

Matt is a Junior Deals Writer here at MusicRadar. He regularly tests and reviews music gear with a focus on audio interfaces, studio headphones, studio monitors, and pretty much anything else recording-related. Matt worked in music retail for 5 years at Dawsons Music and Northwest Guitars and has written for various music sites including Guitar World, Guitar Player, Guitar.com, Ultimate Guitar, and Thomann’s t.blog. A regularly gigging guitarist with over 20 years of experience playing live and producing bands, he's also an alumnus of Spirit Studios, where he studied studio engineering and music production.
- Chris Barnes
- Si Truss
- Ben RogersonDeputy Editor
- Andy Jones
- Simon ArblasterVideo Producer & Reviews Editor
- Matt MullenTech Editor
- Daryl RobertsonSenior Deals Writer














































