It can be difficult to buy a gift for a creative family member or friend looking to either improve their setup or just get started making music, videos, podcasts, or drawing. So while they say it is the thought that counts when it comes to gift giving, you still want to make sure it’s something that will be useful to them or, at the very least, inspiring.

This is why we got the greatest minds at The Verge together to construct our list of gift suggestions for creators. Whether you’re looking for the $119 DJI Osmo Mobile 3 to help with their smartphone films, the $99 intro-level Ableton software to get them started in music production, or some $12 Baum-Kuchen Idea notebooks to help them jot down ideas, we’ve got some excellent picks below.

Baum-Kuchen Idea notebook

Sometimes you just need an analog place to put your ideas. These notebooks are ideally suited for the task with 72 pages of gridded paper. They’re perfect for sketches, diagrams, or written text — whatever helps you get your ideas out. Price: ~$12
Buy on:
Baum-Kuchen

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Anker USB-C to Lightning Cable

If you’ve bought an iPhone in the past few years, it’s probably capable of USB-C fast charging that will charge it way faster than Apple’s awful in-box charger. But you’ll need a USB-C to Lightning cable to do it, which (unless you’ve got the newest and priciest iPhone 11 Pro), Apple won’t include with your new phone. Pick one of these up (along with a USB-C plug), and say goodbye to slow charging. Price: ~$17
Buy on:
Amazon

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DJI Osmo Mobile 3

The Osmo Mobile 3 is perfect for someone who wants to shoot really smooth footage with the camera that’s already in their pocket. It’s lightweight, folds up easily to fit into a bag, and offers 15 hours of battery life at a price that won’t break the bank. Price: ~$119
Buy on:
Amazon
Walmart

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Elgato HD60 S+

Elgato’s HD60 S+ capture card is something you’ll want to invest in if you’re trying to get your streaming side gig (or hobby) off the ground. It connects through HDMI and can stream in 1080p at a smooth 60 frames per second, so your stream will look great. Price: ~$200
Buy on:
Best Buy

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iRig Micro Amp

The iRig Micro Amp is a guitar-friendly amplifier packed into a miniature box with a four-inch speaker that can connect with your phone, iPad, Mac, or PC. It’s got EQ, gain, and volume controls, and it can last for about 15 hours on six AA batteries at 7.5 watts. Use a nine-volt adapter, and it’s bumped up to 15 watts. Price: ~$150
Buy on:
Best Buy
Amazon

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Intro-Level Ableton

Twenty-five years ago, if your kid was into music, you bought them a guitar. Now, you buy Ableton. The intro level doesn’t come with many instruments built in, but there are enough freeware synths out there to keep a person busy for years. Price: ~$99
Buy on:
Ableton

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DJI Spark

DJI’s diminutive drone has been the go-to for anyone looking to get started with a drone since it launched in 2017, and it’s still the best place to start for anyone looking to experiment with flying a drone or shooting drone photography. Price: ~$388
Buy on:
Amazon
Walmart

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Moment Anamorphic Lens

Moment’s Anamorphic lens turns your phone into a cinematic tool, allowing for true widescreen aspect ratios and natural lens flares (none of that fake stuff). You’ll need the companion case to attach the lens (~$30) and the Moment Pro Camera app (~$5) to de-squeeze the anamorphic footage. Or you can import to your favorite video editing program and work your J.J. Abrams-esque magic from there. Price: ~$150
Buy on:
Moment
Amazon

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Rode NT-USB

Add a podcast microphone to your 2020 starter kit. You’re going to need it. This model has everything you need to record yourself, including a pop shield. It’s both iPad and laptop compatible. Price: ~$169
Buy on:
Amazon
Walmart

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Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator 170

Teenage Engineering’s first modular line is loads of fun to assemble, play with, and, perhaps most importantly, it’s approachable for beginners. The 170 is an analog monophonic synthesizer with a programmable sequencer that comes with a 70-page illustrated manual, including several sample patch diagrams to get you started. Price: ~$399
Buy on:
Teenage Engineering

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Wacom Cintiq 16

Wacom’s most affordable display tablet yet, the Cintiq 16 is a great starting point for young creatives and hobbyists who want to make the jump to more professional devices. Price: ~$549
Buy on:
Best Buy
Walmart

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