“It was my first lead vocal. I was nervous. I sang it lying on my back”: How a great rock guitarist finally proved himself as a singer
And he did it with a song about his own near-death experience!
Artists
“It was my first lead vocal. I was nervous. I sang it lying on my back”: How a great rock guitarist finally proved himself as a singer
And he did it with a song about his own near-death experience!
Apple and Bono team up for new 8K Spatial Audio ‘immersive’ documentary
Stories Of Surrender was recorded on his 2023 book tour
Classic MTV Unplugged episodes are now available to stream on Paramount+
Many have not been seen for over two decades
Mark King: "The standard of musicianship amongst young musicians is higher now than it's ever been”
“You see somebody do something, and it makes sense,” he says. “And you think, ‘Oh, yeah, I can do that.’ That's the wonderful thing about, say YouTube now”
"It's the cleanest, greenest festival event ever staged": Massive Attack breaks world record with battery-powered, 100% vegan concert
A new report by climate scientists found that the event generated 98% less emissions than comparable shows
“4 of Drake’s shows in Australia and New Zealand will be postponed:” Drake quits his Down Under tour early
The Anita Max Win Tour just left town for good with Drake choosing to make good on an undisclosed “scheduling conflict” instead
“The statements are defamatory of the claimant at common law”: Roger Waters case will now proceed to trial
His comment about “cheerleading” genocide was a statement of fact, not opinion
Music Tech
If you own any of these MIDI controllers from Akai, Korg, Novation, Nektar and M-Audio, you can have Native Instruments Komplete 15 Select for free
Native Instruments' NKS Hardware Partner Program launches today, bringing NKS compatibility to owners of a handful of its competitors' MIDI controllers
Mark King: "The standard of musicianship amongst young musicians is higher now than it's ever been”
“You see somebody do something, and it makes sense,” he says. “And you think, ‘Oh, yeah, I can do that.’ That's the wonderful thing about, say YouTube now”
How Beyoncé’s clipped vocal recordings ended up on the Queens Remix of Break My Soul
“She probably did it real quick and it was like, ‘oh, cool. It doesn’t sound bad,’” says engineer Stuart White
U2 send message of support to Ukraine with poem read over piano backing
Bono reads out poem by Ukrainian writer Taras Shevchenko
“In the music of the future, will our voices go unheard?”: Kate Bush and more release silent AI protest album
Is This What We Want? includes ‘contributions’ by Bush, Damon Albarn and Hans Zimmer
The Toni Basil influence on Bruno Mars and Rosé’s APT was accidental, says its co-producer
“When Bruno gets involved in something, he’s not just a feature, he becomes a part of it”
Is Eternal Engine's Mars the world's first polyphonic vacuum tube synth?
Vintage meets contemporary in this DAW-controllable hybrid synth that blends digital oscillators with a tube-based audio path
British artists have disappeared from the global Top Ten singles and albums chart
Not even Charli XCX makes an appearance
“People think that these are terrible machines but I’m gonna prove that they’re great”: St. Vincent on the retro Roland groovebox she used on All Born Screaming
Reverb visited the Grammy-winning artist and producer in the studio to hear about her production ethos and shoot a spontaneous synth jam
Teenage Engineering celebrates 10 years of the Pocket Operator, the "world’s most affordable and accessible music machine"
In recognition of the PO's 10th birthday, Teenage Engineering is giving you the chance to take home the entire range in its #PO10DIY contest
Guitars
Mark King: "The standard of musicianship amongst young musicians is higher now than it's ever been”
“You see somebody do something, and it makes sense,” he says. “And you think, ‘Oh, yeah, I can do that.’ That's the wonderful thing about, say YouTube now”
Origin Effects unveils Cali76 Stacked Compressor, promising studio-quality dual-stage compression
The latest Urei 1176-inspired compressor from Origin ups the internal voltage from 9V to 24V and features a pair of FET compression stages each with its own controls
“A frankly ludicrous pedal that stakes itself as the ultimate octave funhouse”: Electro-Harmonix POG 3 review
EHX’s incredibly fun reincarnation of the POG aims to let you get weird with your tones, but does it justify that gigantic asking price?
Joe Bonamassa and Gibson’s Tom Murphy join pro panel for video showing how to spot a fake Les Paul
Robert Baker puts a lot of guitar knowledge in one room to run the rule over a cheap and nasty counterfeit Gibson
Ken Lawrence on how he became James Hetfield's luthier and made some of his most iconic guitars
How did a specialist in custom-built bass guitars end up making some of the Metallica frontman's most-famous electrics? As it turns out, with a twist of fate and his Mesa/Boogie connection
"For some guitarists this could be the smartest $199 they spend all year": Positive Grid Neo wireless guitar headphone amp review
The modelling amp disruptor has brought the Spark concept to wireless headphones – is this its strongest showing yet?
MusicRadar deals of the week: Score an impressive £487 off a Fender Jazzmaster, as well as hundreds off recording gear from Beyerdynamic and Universal Audio
We've uncovered the very best offers on a range of music-making gear from the likes of Beyerdynamic, PRS, Fender, and more
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
Play like Jimmy Page! Exclusive video lesson
Key techniques guitar players can learn from the Led Zeppelin legend
How learning and understanding chord symbols can prove a major benefit for sharing your musical ideas
Chord hieroglyphics can take several forms. We unravel the mysteries of one of the most symbolic and common examples
What are the best online guitar lessons in 2025? I review guitar gear for a living and these are my favourite lessons platforms
My pick of the best online guitar courses will get your playing up to speed from the comfort of your own home, whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player
Fingerboard care basics: 6 things you need you need know about how to clean and condition your guitar fretboard
A string change is the ideal opportunity to get your 'board back to its best
Proggy pentatonic! How to use the good ol’ pentatonic scale in cool new ways
Get strumming: The 22 essential beginner, blues and folk guitar chords every guitarist should learn first
Inspiration for every skill level
30 essential acoustic guitar chords, with charts
Massively expand your musical vocabulary and songwriting options with these beautiful acoustic guitar chords
Latest Tuition
“It’s tougher and faster than ever”: Jump aboard the modern hardgroove train and learn to build a club-ready beat
Putting together the elements you need to craft a beat that just won't let up
Play like Jimmy Page! Exclusive video lesson
Key techniques guitar players can learn from the Led Zeppelin legend
Don't know where to start with virtual instruments? We're here to help
In today's world of music production, pretty much everything you can dream of will have a virtual counterpart. Let's explore
How learning and understanding chord symbols can prove a major benefit for sharing your musical ideas
Chord hieroglyphics can take several forms. We unravel the mysteries of one of the most symbolic and common examples
UA is giving away its 1176 plugin as a Valentine's gift – here's how to get it and use it!
Forget flowers, chocolates or champagne – give your loved one a free vintage compressor plugin instead! Better still, just get it for yourself…
Are all interpretations of songs correct? Kate Bush certainly thinks so
It’s easy to get precious about the true meaning of our creative endeavours, but how much authority do songwriters really have to own the definitive reading of their work?
How Aphex Twin fought the temptation to continually refine, and how we can learn from his example
It’s easy to carry on fiddling with our tracks, but as Richard D. James knows all too well, that urge to keep going can prove a problem
“Maybe I’ll write out five or six chords, then discipline myself to write something only with those chords involved”: Why David Bowie’s restrictive songwriting strategies provide a lesson for us all
Sometimes imposing rules can force us out of our creative comfort zones. It's a tactic David Bowie used to birth some of his most celebrated songs.
“It’s a favourite with jazz and funk players, but it's just at home in hits by artists such as Jessie Ware”: Expand your chordal colours with 9ths
Building an extension to a chord doesn’t require planning permission, but it might require a degree of design. We add 9ths to our extension palette
“If you're listening to amazing gear through terrible monitors, you've wasted your cash”: Why monitors are the most important part of your studio
Don't know where to begin with buying and using studio monitor speakers? Listen up
“The net result of this process is a progression which sounds smoother, calmer and more musical”: The value of adding chord inversions
If your chord progressions sound a little clunky, try approaching your harmony in an inverse way.
How to connect your audio interface to your computer – for both PC and Mac users
My guide to hooking up your audio interface to a laptop or computer, step-by-step
“When used in conjunction with other unextended chords, it will sound amazing”: How to enhance your songwriting with major sevenths
From bossanovas to Carole King and even James Bond villains, the major seventh can completely change your song’s mood.
How to connect a MIDI keyboard to your audio interface
Learn how to hook up your MIDI keyboard to your audio interface - no matter how complex your setup
“Learning how to mix is almost as important as hitting on your original musical idea”: New to the mixing process? Start here
Don't let a brilliant song be swallowed up in a bad mix by following our guide to the central principles of the process
How to connect your audio interface to your iPhone or iPad
My expert guide to hooking up a mobile music-making rig using an iPhone or iPad
“Let's go back to the mid-'80s where dance music began”: Your guide to creating a classic house track from scratch
Produce an authentic-sounding house track with a dose of acid in 10 easy steps
How to make 8-bit video game sounds in your DAW with a free synth
It's relatively easy to brew some authentic Nintendo console-esque sounds with modern software. Here's how to rustle up some chiptune seasoning
Latest reviews
“Boasts an array of features above its relatively low price”: Millenium MPS-850 E-Drum set review
An affordable e-kit with a few surprising tricks up its sleeve
“A frankly ludicrous pedal that stakes itself as the ultimate octave funhouse”: Electro-Harmonix POG 3 review
EHX’s incredibly fun reincarnation of the POG aims to let you get weird with your tones, but does it justify that gigantic asking price?
"For some guitarists this could be the smartest $199 they spend all year": Positive Grid Neo wireless guitar headphone amp review
The modelling amp disruptor has brought the Spark concept to wireless headphones – is this its strongest showing yet?
“It’s a mighty emulation of an emulation of an emulation”: GForce Novation Bass Station review
Fancy some 16-voice 303 acid lines? Of course you do
"An excellent stomp box compressor that’s equally at home across a stereo mix": Polyend Press review
Combining a stomp box compressor and stereo mix compressor in one unit may seem slightly odd, but that’s exactly what this latest design does
"An upgrade that’s all about creativity": PreSonus Studio One Pro 7 review
Splice integration, stem separation, clip launching, sort-of-new instruments and more on the test bench
"A painstaking facsimile of the original in software form": Waldorf Microwave 1 Plugin
Described as the ‘return of a legend’ in software, we reheat some wavetables with Waldorf’s reincarnated classic
"An enormous amount of fun with a side helping of inspiration": Kiviak Instruments WoFi review
Start saving for some instant sonic mayhem…
