Learn production, DJing and songwriting from pros like Fraser T Smith, Carl Cox, Skream and Joe Goddard with Whatclass
Whatclass also offers a personalized music feedback service that gives you the chance to have your music critiqued by top artists
Artists
Learn production, DJing and songwriting from pros like Fraser T Smith, Carl Cox, Skream and Joe Goddard with Whatclass
Whatclass also offers a personalized music feedback service that gives you the chance to have your music critiqued by top artists
Why Trent Reznor turned down Richie Kotzen for Nine Inch Nails
But Stanley Clarke “didn’t give a shit” what band he was in
“If you've got one follower or 10 million, that doesn't matter”: Dr Dubplate on "gatekeeper mentality"
We sat down with the fast-rising DJ and label head in ec2a's Bristol HQ to talk inclusivity and reflect on the label's fifth anniversary
Who Wants To Live Forever? The composer still creating music from beyond the grave
Alvin Lucier’s lab-grown artificial ‘brain’ is creating sound four years after he died
"The look on their faces said, 'We’re in trouble, boys'": the making of All I Need Is A Miracle
There was a weird moment when, in the US Top 20, there was a Gabriel song, a Collins song, a Genesis song and a Mechanics song
Trump’s tariffs: What’s the real cost to music and how come K-Pop is weathering the storm?
When cash dries up, musical luxuries such as streaming services and gig tickets are among the first to feel the bite
“He always had this contemptuous smirk on his face”: White Lotus creator Mike White on the show’s composer
“I just don’t think he respected me,” says White when discussing Cristobal Tapia de Veer. “He wants people to know that he’s edgy and dark and I’m, I don’t know, like, I watch reality TV”
Music Tech
NI's Kontrol S MK3 MIDI keyboards just added several features that DAWless music producers have been asking for
You now have an arpeggiator in standalone mode and you can use the USB and 5-pin MIDI ports simultaneously
“A high-quality solution for capturing your drums”: Sennheiser MD 421 Kompakt review
A drum and instrument studio classic gets the scaled-down treatment
Cre8audio releases two super-affordable, modular-friendly bits of gear in one day: the Boom Chick analogue drum machine and Assembler mixer
Boom Chick and Assembler can both be used standalone or integrated into a Eurorack set-up
“We were able to fire up a bass sound that was indistinguishable from the flavour of New Order’s Blue Monday in seconds”: EastWest Sounds Iconic review
A haul of vintage synths have been mined for all their gold in EastWest’s most pop-angled pack to date
Aphex Twin's MIDI-modded Yamaha GX-1 goes up for sale for almost £100,000
Fewer than 100 of these ultra-rare analogue behemoths were ever made - and this one was owned by Richard D. James himself
“Entrance Song is a massive 808 sub and a 909 kick. Those two shouldn’t work together - I’m not sure they were even in key”: Eats Everything on his ever-changing approach to production and DJing
We visit Dan Pearce in the studio to hear about his new project We Lost Ourselves and Found a Family and dig deep into the studio techniques behind some of his biggest tracks
"An already incredibly capable product that keeps on finding ways to surprise us at every turn": Roland SP-404 MKII review
UPDATED: read our thoughts on the latest v5.0 OS update of this modern cult classic
“Stealing the work, art and livelihoods of songwriters”: Suno AI warned over its ‘lyrics generator’
ReMi tool regurgitates lyrics to existing copyrighted songs
SampleRadar: 267 free deep house samples
Beats, synths and basslines deeper than the Mariana Trench
Roland’s JC-120 Software Effect puts the pristine tones of the legendary Jazz Chorus amplifier in your DAW
The JC-120 plugin delivers an unmatched fusion of warmth, presence and clarity that enhances any signal
Super-producer Benny Blanco reveals the surprising reason why most of his early hits are at the same tempo
Kesha's Tik Tok, Katy Perry's Teenage Dream and Taio Cruz's Dynamite are all at 120bpm
MusicRadar deals of the week: Score an impressive £150 off PRS guitars and £180 off Blackstar amps, as well as sizable discounts on a host of keyboards and pianos
We've uncovered the very best offers on a range of music-making gear from the likes of Positive Grid, PRS, Blackstar, Universal Audio and more
Guitars
Jackson and Lee Malia unveil the LM-87, a shreddable but versatile Surfcaster-style offset electric
The LM-87 is fashionably offset, super versatile, high-performance and it is officially here
“The destruct button really sets it apart”: Fender unveils the Mike Campbell Red Dog Telecaster
The Red Dog is one crazy beast, with an SHH pickup configuration, a Bigsby, and a Destroy circuit that applies a whopping boost
Tone King offers up boutique tube amp tones for your pedalboard with the Imperial Preamp pedal
The tones of a Tone King Imperial MKII at your feet
“I thought I was going to die”: Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus on surviving cancer and his band’s resurrection
Bassist was diagnosed with B-cell lymphona
“A beautiful, well-executed Les Paul”: Gibson Les Paul Standard ‘50s Double Trouble review
Looking for a collectible Gibson electric without the Murphy Lab price tag? This limited edition model is a compelling twist on the current Les Paul Standard with the subtle whiff of vintage mojo
![James Hetfield [left] and Kirk Hammett harmonise solos as they perform live with Metallica in 1988. Hammett plays a Jackson Rhodes, Hetfield has his trusty white Explorer.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mpZgd7e7YSCLwb7LuqPpbi-840-80.jpg.webp)
How Metallica wrote the ultimate metal ballad and took thrash into the mainstream with One
The sound of Metallica in full command, One would prove to be the ultimate thrash metal power ballad
MusicRadar deals of the week: Score an impressive £150 off PRS guitars and £180 off Blackstar amps, as well as sizable discounts on a host of keyboards and pianos
We've uncovered the very best offers on a range of music-making gear from the likes of Positive Grid, PRS, Blackstar, Universal Audio and more
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
30 essential acoustic guitar chords, with charts
Massively expand your musical vocabulary and songwriting options with these beautiful acoustic guitar chords
"You owe your guitar the chance to be its best": How to clean and polish your guitar frets a better way
We take a look at two different products that can help you get your frets gleaming and your guitar back to its best for smoother bends and clearer vibrato
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
Latest Tuition
Fantastic (free) plugins and how to use them: Newfangled Audio Pendulate
This free mono synth plugin is creative, chaotic and fun to use. It’s time to go West (Coast)
"You owe your guitar the chance to be its best": How to clean and polish your guitar frets a better way
We take a look at two different products that can help you get your frets gleaming and your guitar back to its best for smoother bends and clearer vibrato
“If you don’t have an idea, go mow the lawn": Follow Neil Young’s lead to demolish those frustrating songwriting barriers
It’s true, sometimes working relentlessly on perfecting a song or track that you’re just not feeling can do more harm than good
“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
Latest reviews
“A high-quality solution for capturing your drums”: Sennheiser MD 421 Kompakt review
A drum and instrument studio classic gets the scaled-down treatment
“A beautiful, well-executed Les Paul”: Gibson Les Paul Standard ‘50s Double Trouble review
Looking for a collectible Gibson electric without the Murphy Lab price tag? This limited edition model is a compelling twist on the current Les Paul Standard with the subtle whiff of vintage mojo
“We were able to fire up a bass sound that was indistinguishable from the flavour of New Order’s Blue Monday in seconds”: EastWest Sounds Iconic review
A haul of vintage synths have been mined for all their gold in EastWest’s most pop-angled pack to date
"An already incredibly capable product that keeps on finding ways to surprise us at every turn": Roland SP-404 MKII review
UPDATED: read our thoughts on the latest v5.0 OS update of this modern cult classic
“The Ditto 2 is an evolution, not a revolution”: TC Electronic Ditto 2 Looper review
The original Ditto redefined both bang for buck and 'board space. So what's new with the Ditto 2?
“This is the only tremolo pedal in the world that lets you plot your own waveform shapes using controls you first got to grips with as a child”: SoundLad Sketchy review
Don’t let the fun Etch A Sketch-inspired retro design fool you, this is a serious tremolo with serious capabilities
"Once set up to taste, its utility is astounding": TC Electronic Plethora X1 review
Is it a delay, reverb, modulation, harmoniser or compressor? Well, yes, to all the above
J Rockett PXO Review
J Rockett teams up with the Bon Jovi ace to bring us a no-frills, but premium pedal that boasts something of an original tone whilst still serving classic sounds
