Cyber Monday music deals 2023: All the deals that are still live
The Cyber Monday musical instrument deal are officially over, but if you're a guitarist, producer, drummer or DJ, there are still some opportunities to save
1. Quick links
2. Editor's picks
3. Laptop deals
4. Guitar deals
5. Software deals
6. Microphone deals
7. Keys deals
8. Studio monitor deals
9. Audio interface deals
10. Headphones/IEM deals
11. Drum deals
12. Music deals FAQ
The Cyber Monday music deals are over for another year! We've enjoyed a few days of fantastic deals for musicians across Cyber Weekend, but some of the biggest deals we rate are still live today and could be up for grabs for a limited time longer. So, if you're still on the hunt for a bargain, you can definitely find some of the best ones on this page.
We can confidently say this has been one of the best years ever for the scale and variety of deals. We've picked some highlights below, but if you want to have a shop around yourself, Sweetwater's Cyber Week sale is still going strong, promising up to 80% off a huge range of gear - this level of discount is unmatched anywhere else right now. We're not sure when this sale will end, but we predict it will stay live until at least Friday.
The Guitar Center Cyber Monday sale is also still in full swing with up to 40% off, from guitars to audio interfaces. That will carry on through to 29 November. They're also offering a coupon to get you 15% off orders over $199.
And the Waves official Cyber Monday sale has been extended too, with discounts off every single plugin and bundle on the site, plus multi-buy discounts.
We've been tracking and covering Cyber Monday deals for many years now, we know all the best places to shop and which deals represent genuine value for money for music makers, so if it's on this page you know it's passed muster with us first. Happy shopping.
Cyber Monday music deals: Quick links
These are the sales you still shop:
- Amazon: Shop today's best deals
- Antares: Get 50% off Auto-Tune
- Cable Guys: ShaperBox down to just $89
- Fender Play: 50% off a one-year sub
- Fender store: Up to 50% off guitar deals
- Guitar Center: Epic 40% off savings
- IK Multimedia: Total Studio 4 Max deal
- Loopmasters: Huge 50% off CM deals
- Musician's Friend: Up to 50% off for CM
- Plugin Boutique: Cyber Week sale is live
- Positive Grid: 60% off Spark, 50% off BIAS
- Sweetwater: Massive up to 80% off sale
- Waves: Discounts on everything!
- Amazon: Shop all of today's deals
- Andertons: Fender & PRS bargains
- Antares: Get 50% off Auto-Tune
- Cable Guys: ShaperBox down to just $89
- Fender Play: 50% off a one-year sub
- Gear4Music: Guitars, keys, drums, slashed
- IK Multimedia: Total Studio 4 Max deal
- Loopmasters: Huge 50% off CM deals
- Plugin Boutique: UAD, Sonnox & more
- Positive Grid: 60% off Spark, 50% off BIAS
- PMT: Up to 70% off Cyber deals
- Thomann: Explore all Hot Deals
- Waves: Discounts on everything!
Cyber Monday Music deals: Editor's picks
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 $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 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 $1,299.99
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 $400 slashed off the price at Sweetwater!
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 Cyber Monday 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
Line 6 HX Stomp: $100 off + free bag at Sweetwater
Featuring all the amp and effects modelling power of the full-sized Helix, the HX Stomp can be a powerhouse rig or take your existing pedalboard to a whole new level. Line 6 is constantly improving upon its excellence with free firmware updates of more amps and effects to download and the rare chance to get $100 off the stunning Stormtrooper White edition is the standout Helix deal right now.
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?
Laptop deals
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.
Guitar deals
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.
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!
Positive Grid Spark 40: Was $299, now $239
The Positive Grid Spark 40 might just be the ultimate at-home amp - and it's even better with a $60 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.
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, $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.
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.
Walrus Audio Eons 5-state Fuzz: $50 off @ 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.
Neural Quad Cortex: Save up to $280 at Sweetwater
A benchmark amp and effects modeller just became an unmissable deal with the official Neural Quad Cortex GigCase worth $119.99 and a free Neural DSP plugin of your choice worth up to $159.99. This is the best deal there's been on the Quad Cortex ever – and you can get the limited edition Black & Gold Sparkle version too!
Line 6 HX Stomp: $100 off + free bag at Sweetwater
Featuring all the amp and effects modelling power of the full-sized Helix, the HX Stomp can be a powerhouse rig or take your existing pedalboard to a whole new level. Line 6 is constantly improving upon its excellence with free firmware updates of more amps and effects to download and the rare chance to get $100 off the stunning Stormtrooper White edition is the standout Helix deal right now.
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.
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.
Software deals
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 Cyber Monday. For a limited time, you can score a whopping over 70% off its original price!
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.
Mic deals
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.
Keys deals
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 $1,299.99
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 $400 slashed off the price!
Roland RP30: Was $899.99, now $699
The stylish RP30 is one of our favourite beginner home digital pianos. Featuring Roland's stand-out build quality, superb sounds and excellent feel, this is a total bargain at only $699.99 - save $200 at Sweetwater.
Casio Privia PX-870: Was $1,199, now $999
With Casio's multi-dimensional AiR processing, 88 scaled hammer action keys, 19 additional tones and a very accessible playing action, this is a superb option for beginners and with $200 off, you really can't go wrong.
Yamaha PSR-E373: Was $219.99, now $179.99
When it comes to recommendations for beginner-friendly keyboards, we will always go straight for Yamaha. These keyboards are well-made, durable and most importantly sound great! Right now you can score 40% off the fabulous PSR-E373 at Guitar Center.
M-Audio Oxygen Pro 25-key controller: $199, $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.
Roland FANTOM-07: Was $2,079, now $1,499
This complete music workstation from Roland is designed to streamline your music creation and play the part of a performance keyboard all in one. It's got a huge $589 discount in the Musician's Friend Cyber Monday sale and even includes cables, a stand, an expression pedal, and a sustain pedal as part of the package.
Studio monitors
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, $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.
Interface deals
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.
Headphones deals
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.
Drum deals
Yamaha DTX6K3-X: Was $1,899.99, now $1,429.99
There are rarely Yamaha discounts on Cyber Monday 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.
Roland VAD504: Was £4,299.99, now £3,999.99
Roland make some of the best electronic drum sets available today, but the quality and the name comes at a premium price, which is why we love to see e-kit deals on Roland gear, particularly the top-end models. The VAD504 comes complete with full size drum pads (20" kick, 14" snare, 10" and 14" toms, plus ultra dynamic digital hi-hats and ride, all powered by the TD-27 module.
Alesis Strike amp 12: Was $399, now $299
There's a chunky $100 saving on this powerful e-kit amp at Sweetwater right now. If you're sick of wearing headphones when you practice, or you want to jam with friends, this 2,000 watt powerhouse is the solution. It's also compact enough that it won't dominate a small space.
Cyber Monday music deals FAQ
When do the Cyber Monday music deals start?
For 2023, the Cyber Monday music deals will officially arrive on Monday November 27, 3 days after Black Friday. This is less than a month before Christmas Day, making it the ideal event to pick up Christmas pressies for the music makers in your life (we have more options in our guide to the best Christmas gifts for musicians), or to finally land that new piece of kit you've been lusting after all year.
Previous experience tells us that the deals won't be isolated to this day alone. Many of the best Cyber Monday music deals will kick in on Cyber Monday itself, but extend to at least the rest of the week, and possibly beyond, well into December.
Deals are launched at all sorts of random times - sometimes in the middle of the night - so savvy shoppers will need to keep a close eye on their favourite retailers to ensure they grab the bargains they're after. Some Cyber Monday music deals may stick around, while others may only be live for a matter of hours, or could be stock-limited. So, if you're looking for a bargain, you need to be ready to pull the trigger.
What deals should I expect?
MusicRadar's got your back
There are definitely some key retailers to watch in the lead up to Cyber Monday and we’ll be keeping a close eye on them throughout October and November. Based on last year's evidence, the Guitar Center Cyber Monday deals, Sweetwater Cyber Monday sales, and Musician's Friend Cyber Monday deals will be the ones to watch - these sites are particularly good for savings on guitar gear, electronic drums and home studio equipment.
When it comes to laptops for music production, this time of year is a great opportunity to pick up a Cyber Monday laptop deal for the home studio. Last year we spotted discounts on Apple M1 and M2 MacBook Pro and Air laptops - mostly at Amazon - plus significant money off Dell laptops and older but still well-specced MacBooks. We're confident this year will be the ideal time to grab a chunky discount on your next laptop.
If you're a sucker for software, we're excited to see what the likes of Waves Audio and Plugin Boutique deliver across the event. You'll want to keep a close eye on our Cyber Monday plugin deals page for the very best offers this year. We'd recommend making a beeline for price cuts on software bundles - these are a great value way to pick up a whole raft of essential production tools for just a few dollars each.
For drummers itching to pick up a great electronic drum set, we’re looking forward to seeing price-slashing on some of the year's most popular models, including Roland's TD-07 range and the new TD-02 series. Yamaha deals were thin on the ground last year, so it would be a welcome surprise to see money off Yamaha's formidable DTX series drums. The Alesis Nitro Mesh e-kit has been a big winner when it comes to Cyber Monday drum deals, with the beginner electronic drum set seeing sizeable discounts, as well as ace bundle packages available over the last couple of years.
The Cyber Monday music deals aren't all about individual product discounts, either. Some retailers prefer to offer discounts overall on a range of product categories. Usually this comes in the form of a code that you enter at checkout to redeem your discount.
To give you an example, last year Sweetwater was offering up to 70% off a range of guitars, drums, recording gear, software, headphones and so much more from the big brands. Elsewhere, Guitar Center and Musician's Friend were both offering 15% off select products.
This is a great way to shop and can end up saving you more when you have multiple items you're looking to purchase.
Great deals come in all shapes and sizes. There are the main types to look out for:
- Single item - A single product 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
Are Cyber Monday deals worth it?
On the whole our experience of covering deals year-round tells us that Cyber Monday is the best time of year to find genuinely good offers on the top brands, the best gear and the widest range of offers. It's a very lucrative time for the big online retailers, so they save their best deals for this time of year.
We only cover deals that we know are decent and represent the best prices of the year, so if you're drowning in options and don't know which offers are genuinely worth your hard-earned cash, if we've not covered it on MusicRadar then it's probably a hard pass.
Can I get free stuff on Cyber Monday?
If you know where to look, the answer is yes! Freebies mostly come in the form of music software, with many sites offering a free plugin to celebrate Cyber Monday and as a way to tempt you onto their sites. So, you could feasibly take advantage of the Cyber Monday hysteria without spending a thing.
Waves is a sure bet when it comes to free stuff and last year they gave customers the Lil Tube Saturator plugin completely free. Usually all you have to do is provide them with an email address to get your freebie.
In the past we've also seen offers where you buy a product and get something free bundled in, for example free online lessons when you purchase a drum kit, or free strings and a cable with a new electric guitar.
So, Cyber Monday isn't just about saving money, it's about adding value to your purchase too.
Cyber Monday music deals: Shopping tips
Got your eye on a few things and wondering whether Cyber Monday is the time to buy? Here's a few tips from our personal experience that will ensure you're ready to strike if the gear you want is up for grabs:
1. Create a wishlist early - The most sensible way to take advantage of this year's Cyber Monday music 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. To help you create your dream shopping list, take the time to explore our expert and up-to-date buying guides and reviews.
2. Work out what you actually need - Check out your favourite brands, see what you need and will genuinely use - don’t waste your cash and fill your basket with stuff that will never truly see any action.
3. Consider your music goals - What do you want to achieve with your music over the next 12 months or so? Do you want to gig more? Learn a new instrument? Or finally record your songs? Now could be the time to invest in gear that helps you fulfil your musical aspirations.
4. Streamline your current gear - Something else you should consider ahead of time is whether you have enough space in your collection for new gear. Could you offload some gear you don't use to make room and generate funds for some new gear?
5. Sign up to mailing lists - In addition to bookmarking this page, 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.
What else can I buy on Cyber Monday?
That's a pretty huge question. It would be far easier to list the things you can't buy on Cyber Monday. You’ll find loads of bargains on great tech like noise-cancelling headphones, iPads and Amazon Echos – and you can even pick up groceries, pet food and dishwasher tablets – but it’s the Cyber Monday music deals we’ll be looking out for.
How we choose which deals to cover
Here at MusicRadar, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything music-making, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products we recommend.
First and foremost, we are players and creators, and we want to match like-minded folk with the right products for them, at the best prices.
For us to recommend a deal on music gear it has to be a product we rate that’s a genuinely great price or part of a truly fantastic bundle. It’s also important that we only recommend retailers where you will have a positive shopping experience.
Why you can trust our choices
We spend a lot of our time scouring music retailers for fantastic deals on our favorite music gear. 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 on 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.
Neural Quad Cortex: Save up to $280 at Sweetwater
A benchmark amp and effects modeller just became an unmissable deal with the official Neural Quad Cortex GigCase worth $119.99 and a free Neural DSP plugin of your choice worth up to $159.99. This is the best deal there's been on the Quad Cortex ever – and you can get the limited edition Black & Gold Sparkle version too!
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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.
- Matt McCrackenJunior Deals Writer
- Ben RogersonDeputy Editor
- Will GrovesEditor-in-chief
- Simon ArblasterVideo Producer & Reviews Editor
- Matt MullenTech Editor
- Daryl RobertsonSenior Deals Writer
- Rob LaingReviews Editor, GuitarWorld.com and MusicRadar guitars