1. Quick links
2. Early deals
3. FAQ
4. Shopping tips
5. Last year's highlights
Black Friday and Cyber Monday might seem a long way off, but if my experience of the big weekend is anything to go by, it’ll be here before we know it. With that in mind, I’ve put together a guide to the event so you can prep in advance so you don’t miss out on grabbing a few brilliant bargains.
I’ve been covering Black Friday and Cyber Monday every year since 2019 and together with the wider Louder team, we’ve not only managed to find a bunch of excellent deals on products we’ve reviewed on the site, but we’ve also bought many of the items featured.
While we’re still waiting for the major deals to come through from some of the world’s most popular online shopping destinations including Amazon, Walmart, BestBuy and Etsy, my experience tells me that many cut-price bargains will start to flood in once we get to the Halloween period.
I’ll be keeping my eye on all the best Black Friday deals for music fans in the weeks ahead, throughout the whole sales weekend - and they’re might even be a few top deals to report on even after Cyber Monday closes its door for another year.
Quick links
This year's Black Friday will take place on November 29 with Cyber Monday coming in on December 2. And while we're still some way out, you can explore a bunch of bargains from the sites I’ve picked out below.
- Amazon: Shop all the latest deals
- Best Buy: Audio deals & more
- Bose: Explore the Fall sale
- Converse: Get 40% off right now
- Etsy: Collectibles and hand-made gifts
- Guitar Center: Big instrument savings
- Hot Topic: 20% off across the site
- Marshall: Top speakers & headphones
- Nixon: Home of the Nirvana watch
- Positive Grid: Killer smart amp savings
- Sweetwater: Cut-price Dealzone sales
- Target: Savings on practically everything
- Walmart: Up to 50% off products
- Amazon: Dive into all the big deals
- Andertons: Massive guitar & amp savings
- AO: Tech, gadgets and more
- Argos: Red-hot savings
- Bose: Autumn sale with up to 40% off
- Converse: Shop the footwear sale
- Currys: Electrical deals galore
- Displate: Ultra cool metal designs
- EMP: Up to 70% off rock and metal merch
- Etsy: Collectibles and hand-made gifts
- John Lewis: Up to 30% off AirPods
- Marshall: Iconic headphones & speakers
- Nixon: Home of the Nirvana watch
- Positive Grid: Killer smart amp savings
- Thomann: Instruments and gear for less
- Townsend Music: Vinyl, CDs & merch
Early deals
If you want to get in on some cut-price action ahead of the game, I’ve picked out a handful of deals you can get right now on both sides of the Atlantic. Hopefully you’ll find something you like.
US deals
UK deals
Black Friday FAQ
When do the 2024 Black Friday music deals start?
This year’s Black Friday will take place on Friday, November 29 - the traditional sales day following Thanksgiving in the US. Online retailers are jostling for your attention by reducing the price on a whole load of products.
It’s also worth noting that the music deals won’t come to a sudden stop at midnight on Black Friday, as the sales will continue right through the weekend and into Cyber Monday on December 2. In recent years, we’ve also noticed many top music deals remaining beyond then and in the run-up to Christmas.
What Black Friday deals should I expect?
Over the last five years covering Black Friday and Cyber Monday, I've seen significant savings on tech from the likes of Sony, Marshall, Apple, Amazon, Audio-Technica, Bowers & Wilkins, House Of Marley, Bose, JBL, Victrola and more over the big sales weekend. I fully expect these names to be to the fore again once November rolls around.
As far as products are concerned, I think many online retailers will slash the price of older generations of Apple AirPods in light of the Cupertino giants releasing their brand new Apple AirPods 4 recently. This should be the perfect time to get older models for less – and I'm thinking of getting a new pair for myself.
Sony's headphones, including the foldable WH-1000XM4 and the more recent WH-1000XM5 are bound to be on sale too, and I bought my pair of XM5 on Black Friday last year, so I think further price reductions will be coming down the pipe. Other budget headphones are sure to have their prices discounted too, making it a great time to shop.
House Of Marley have fast become a favourite of mine thanks to their focus on sustainability, and their Stir It Up record player usually gets a price drop around Black Friday – and I'd be very surprised if this didn't happen again in 2024.
Away from tech, I've noticed a growing market for Lego sales over the last 18 months or so, with massive sets like the Star Wars Millennium Falcon getting a hefty price drop for this summer's Prime Day. I expect to see the price tumble once again, so if you've been holding out on grabbing something Lego-shaped before the Christmas rush, I'd say hang around until November before dropping the cash.
There's also sure to be some great booze bargains, two-for-one deals, streaming offers, money off band merch, cut-price music biographies, and more. I'll be locked in on all the best bargains and will bring them to you right here.
Shopping tips
I've been covering Black Friday since 2019 and in that time, I've worked out some ways to help you get a top deal. Here's a few tips you can follow so you're ready to pounce on an excellent discount.
1. Make notes: Take a note of the products you’re interested in and mark down their current price. Once Black Friday and Cyber Monday get under way, you'll be able to see at a glance how much of a saving you're getting. Amazon’s list function is great place to start, just add them to individual folders and you're good to go.
I have 'Black Friday' lists on a few websites, and add to them every time I see something I'm interested in that's not currently onsale.
2. Decide your budget: It’s easy to be tempted to dive right into a great deal when you see it, but keep your budget in mind before flinging your chosen product into the basket. You don’t want to overpay for something you might find cheaper elsewhere. Here at Louder, we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for awesome deals across the internet and posting them right here for you to see.
3. Sell older products in advance: If you’ve got your heart set on on upgrading a bit of kit such as a turntable or Bluetooth speaker, selling your older model now before the Black Friday music deals kick in could net you a decent chunk of change to spend on that shiny new bit of tech when the sales get under way.
4. Sign up to retailers’ mailing lists: One of the quickest ways to get a heads up about what’s going on sale or when the savings are due to begin is to sign up to an online retailer's mailing list. Getting this info early could steer you in the right direction of a top deal on a product you really want quickly. Sure, constant emails after the event can get a bit annoying, but you can always unsubscribe at any time you want. Also, keep this page bookmarked and check back regularly, as we’ll be on top of all the best Black Friday music deals.
How we choose products
Myself, along with the whole Louder team, have reviewed a total of 15,473 items over the years – that includes albums, headphones, turntables, speakers, earplugs, books and more. That’s given us a broad overview of what’s going on across the musical landscape and allows us to compare and contrast products and pick out items that excite us and things we think you’ll like too. That means there's no room for tinny-sounding headphones or speakers that don’t cut the mustard.
Why you can trust our picks
As I've mentioned, this will be my sixth time covering Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but I've also covered other sales events over the years including Amazon Prime Day, Amazon's Big Deal Days, Presidents' Day and Memorial Day.
On top of that, I've reviewed products and look after Louder's dozens of buyer's guides. Myself, along with the wider Louder team, dig deep into the essential specs of a product and also give hands-on information about how it performs, how easy it is to use and if it’s good value for money.
We test headphones, speakers and record players in a real-world environment - our living rooms or out on the streets as we feel this gives a more genuine insight into how you’ll be using the product. If we’re recommending a pair of earplugs for musicians, we test those either in the studio or up on stage to give accurate information.
We also give pros and cons for products in our buyer’s guides, while all our reviews always feature a couple of alternative options to give you as much choice as possible when it comes to choosing something that's going to be right for you.
Last year's highlights
Last year's Black Friday brought a massive range of sales for music fans - and we saw prices slashed on everything from turntables and record players, to booze and collectables. Here are some of last year's Black Friday highlights in both the US and UK.
US
UK
More Black Friday content
- Black Friday vinyl deals: Prepare to spin a box set bargain
- Black Friday CD deals: Classics, remasters & more
- Black Friday record player deals: Spin a top bargain
- Black Friday Marshall deals: Headphones & speakers on sale
- Black Friday streaming deals: Discounts on TV, film & music services
- Black Friday CD player deals: Top bargains on CD players
- Black Friday Lego deals: Build a great deal right now
