Shut up and take our money.
Black Friday is upon us – but what’s on offer for music obsessives? Well, a lot, in short. We rounded up some of the best deals for music fans and creators alike, from cut-price Spotify subscriptions to 50% off synths.
All but one of these deals are available online, so no need to brave the mall or dodge World War Z-style hordes brawling over TVs. Happy shopping!
Frank Ocean Blonde vinyl and air freshener
After dropping his long-awaited Channel Orange follow-up earlier this year, Frank’s Blonde finally gets a vinyl release. The catch? It’s available for one day only from a special Black Friday merch shop that’s also offering T-shirts, posters, magazines and air fresheners. The vinyl is priced at $35.99 and ships on the week commencing December 19.
Three months of Spotify for 99¢/99p
If you’re yet to subscribe to a streaming service, now is the time to try one out. Spotify is offering three months of its premium (ad-free) service for just 99¢/99p until January 1 – a massive saving on the usual $9.99/£9.99 per month. Of course, you’ll be charged the full amount after the time is up, so make sure you set a reminder to cancel the account if you just want to make use of it over Christmas.
$50 off Sonos home speakers
Despite competition from Amazon and Google’s new home speakers, the Sonos Play:1 is still an excellent choice if you want a wireless speaker. The bass packs a decent punch for its tiny size, and it’s the ideal introduction to multi-room audio if you want to fill your entire house with music. Sonos is offering $50/£30 off the Play:1 until November 28, normally priced $199/£169.
30% off Kendrick Lamar towels
To pimp a bath time! Let’s face it, your life is brutally incomplete without a fluffy K.Dot towel. Head to TDE’s shop and enter the code BF2016 for a tidy 30% off all TDE gear, including Kendrick hats, T-shirts and this cool ScHoolboy Q pin.
20% off Ableton Push
Whether you’ve been making music with Ableton Live for years or you’re just getting started, the company’s Push controller is the best device for unlocking the production software’s full potential. You’ll need a copy of Ableton 9.5, but that’s also on offer if you don’t have it. Ableton is offering 20% off the controller until January 11, making it £479, down from £599.
Up to 50% off turntables
There’s a fair few deals on turntables across the internet today, with Amazon’s cheapest model going for just at £49. That model, the ION Audio Max, is not the best bet for audiophiles – it’s the same one now being sold at UK supermarket Lidl and may end up doing more harm than good to your record collection. Instead, take advantage of Curry’s 20% off sale or save hundreds of pounds on a Flexson VinylPlay or the Sony PS-HX500, both of which come recommended.
50% off Native Instruments products
Native Instruments makes some of the best software synthesizers in the world, but they’re expensive. Happily, the company is offering a huge 50% off 140 products until December 5, covering everything from its famous Massive bass synth to sounds that replicate string ensembles. If you make music, there’s bound to be something here you’ll want. Our tip? Errorsmith’s fantastic Razor synth is just £44.50.
Huge discounts on Roland software
If the high cost of vintage synthesizers puts a genuine Roland SH-101 out of reach, you could buy a software version instead. Roland’s “Plug-Out” range is down from $145 to $95 per unit until November 29, and also features classics such as the System-100, Promars and SH-2 synths. If you own a TR-8 drum machine, you can also get discounts on the 7X7 expansion that gives you the sounds of the 707, 727 and 606 models.
25% off AIAIAI modular headphones
Whether you’re a DJ needing a new set of headphones for the club or you’re looking for an upgrade from your shitty Apple earbuds, AIAIAI’s TMA-2 modular headphones both look and sound the part. They’re also modular, so you can create hundreds of different configurations and replace parts easily if they break. AIAIAI is offering 25% off until November 28 with the voucher code “blackfriday 2016”.
Erykah Badu, Lil Yachty and D.R.A.M. vinyl
You’ll have to peel yourself off the couch for this one (or hunt on Discogs later), but the Black Friday batch of Record Store Day vinyl includes three absolute gems: Erykah Badu’s instant classic Drake-baiting 2015 mixtape But You Cain’t Use My Phone, Lil Yachty’s debut mixtape Lil Boat, and most essential of all, D.R.A.M.’s stoopidly massive ‘Broccoli’ on a 7” picture disc shaped like a piece of broccoli and backed with ‘Hotline Bling’ source material ‘Cha Cha’. Not technically a bargain, but very special regardless.
Read next: Which home audio system should I buy? Your ultimate Christmas 2016 guide