Photo by James Stamler on Unsplash
In this blog post we are going to talk about the best forums for guitarists and musicians you can join right now. If you're new to the idea of forums, you might think it's a waste of time. But is it? Are forums a dead medium?
Not even close. In fact, one of the world's top forums, Reddit, grew its user base by 44% from 2020 to 2021. 1 in 4 adults in the US uses Reddit. That's an incredible statistic.
So much so does Reddit dominate the forum landscape, that 5 of Feedspot's top 35 music forums are subreddits.
Joining music forums gives you the chance to share your music, find like-minded musicians, and grow your community.
So, besides Reddit, where should you start? Here are 5 guitar forums worth joining in 2022.
1: The Gear Page Music Forum
The Gear Page boasts more than 1.5 million users every month. Musicians from all across the globe meet there to discuss topics ranging from "Recording/Live Sound" to ""Vintage" Instruments."
Their general music discussion forum "The Sound Hound Lounge," has nearly 100 thousand threads, and 3 million messages.
Not only is it one of the liveliest music forums on the web, it's one of the most user-friendly. Search by topic, latest activity, trending and media.
The incredibly lively "Introductions" thread gives you the chance to get to know other new members joining the forum. Head to "Member Video and Sound Clips," to share your links to your performance videos and recordings. "Gig Alert," lets you post fliers and info for your future gigs. With such a wide readership, you may very well meet some other locals.
There is an incredible array of gear-specific Q and A's, as well as gear reviews and demos.
It's easy to join, and it has a beautiful community of engaged, passionate musicians.
2: The Singular Sound Gear Forum
If you haven't seen it before, Singular Sound actually has a bustling user forum. If you own one of our products, or are considering getting one, join in to get insight and tips from other musicians.
Not only can you find user-written tutorials and how-to's, you'll be the first to get the details on the latest Singular Sound firmware updates and MIDI expansions.
Naturally, we have threads for discussion on each one of our products with color-coded topics. However, for new members of the community, we have the General Discussion, where you can get info on anything you want, whether it's Singular Sound related or not.
Access more than 30 topics, and search by different categories and tags to get what you're looking for, fast.
Singular Sound is a forum for musicians first. That's the backbone of our work, and it's what we're passionate about. We'd love to see where your passion takes you.
3: Music Banter Forum for Musicians
Great music forums are simple. Music Banter isn't specific to guitarists or gear. It's a lively forum where all aspects of music, both producing and consuming it, are discussed.
In a clean format, Music Banter combines blogs and forums into one place. You can go to "The Music Forums," separated by genre, explore "The MB Reader," where you can find the latest album reviews and "create your own music journal."
The Community Center is where you'll introduce yourself and get to know fellow musicians. There are threads to discuss your hobbies, interests, even a place to talk about Philosophy.
Music Banter boasts more than 70,000 registered members, and over 1 million posts. Once you register you can customize all of your messaging and browsing options, and connect instant messaging mediums like Yahoo Messenger, AIM and Skype.
Sound old school? We like it that way. Update your profile with a biography, location, interests, and musical preferences. Find likeminded musicians and gearheads in your area.
It's free, and takes less than a minute to join.
4: SoundonSound Gear and Technique Forum
Sound on Sound (SOS) is more than a forum. It's a magazine and a repository for recording and business advice. On top of that, it's the go-to spot for learning guitar techniques.
Sound on Sound averages more than 1.7 million page views a month, and over 1 million monthly visitors. Interestingly, US readers only make up about 34% of visitors. Sound on Sound has become a unique, cosmopolitan network of musicians and sound techs.
Here are a few handy features that make S.O.S. such a good community:
- A detailed glossary of technical music terms, so you don't get left in the dark.
- Technique tutorials, podcasts, and articles to learn more about your instrument and home studio.
- The "Sound Advice" section," with dozens of categories and Q and A's from Technical Editors
- Reviews of new and vintage gear from experienced users, ranging from DJ Gear to Drum Machines.
That's just scratching the surface. Sound on Sound's magazine is detailed, authoritative, and up-to-date.
It's one of the best communities you can join at any step in your musical journey.
5: Ultimate Guitar Forum for Guitarists
Recently, we did a blog post on the best apps for guitarists. Among them was the Ultimate Guitar phone and iPad app, which offered thousands of editable guitar tabs for all genres and styles.
There's more to UG than guitar tabs. There's also a huge community of guitarists and bassists discussing everything from technique to band promotion.
The "World's largest community of guitar enthusiasts" averages more than 5,000 users online at any given time. It maxed out back in June of 2018 with more than 50,000 of its members online at the same time.
Follow "Hot Discussions," or register and head to the "New Members' Sandbox," containing an FAQ and rules for new members.
Of all the forums we've discussed, this one might be the most diverse. If you can't find a song tab you were looking for, you can go into the "Tab Requests" thread, where you can "vote for requests. . .or create a new one."
Share your music, lyrics, or poetry. Hit the "Classifieds" to seek out new band members or find gear.
Our personal favorite? The Gear Building & Customizing thread, where over 700,000 posts have been created of musicians sharing their custom amp, guitar and pedal builds.
Ready to Join?
Guitar forums are more than just gear talk and promotion. Meeting and developing relationships with fellow musicians is incredibly rewarding, and its those lasting experiences which make your musical journey what it is.
Joining and participating in a forum means getting the insights you never would have if you didn't.
We're incredibly proud of the Singular Sound community that our forum has developed. We hope you want to join us.
Hey, maybe we'll see you on there soon. In the meantime, follow our blog for useful, up-to-date music content, and sign up for our email newsletter to get deals and discounts before anyone else.
Find us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. We're always updating our content, and taking suggestions from customers for updates.
Thanks for reading, and keep rockin'
Leave a comment
All comments are moderated before being published.
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.