By , Tod Marks
Published October 27, 2016
Good things may come in small packages, but the best presents don’t necessarily come in a box.
If someone on your list loves live events but you’re not sure whether he or she prefers Metallica or Mozart, consider a gift card from Ticketmaster, which sells tickets to plays, concerts, comedy shows, and more nationwide. Cards in denominations of $25 to $250 can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, via the Ticketmaster app, by phone (800-745-3000), or at any Ticketmaster location. The cards don’t expire but are not replaceable if lost or stolen.
Annual memberships to institutions such as New York’s American Museum of Natural History, the Art Institute of Chicago, and Los Angeles’ Griffith Observatory can start at less than $100. They usually include museum admission, free or discounted tickets to special exhibitions, a subscription to the institution’s publication, and gift-shop and restaurant discounts. Most or all of the membership fee is tax-deductible, which is like giving a gift to yourself.
Subscriptions to streaming music services let music fans listen to commercial-free entertainment on their devices. Spotify Premium costs $10 per month for high-quality streaming and downloads (spotify.com). Apple Music also costs $10 per month, but with an Apple Music gift card (apple.com/itunes/gifts), you get 12 months for the price of 10. People with long car commutes will appreciate SiriusXM satellite radio, which has more than 175 commercial-free music, sports, news, and entertainment channels. Prepaid service cards are available in $30 and $50 denominations at Best Buy and siriusxm.com. Book lovers will appreciate Audible (audible.com; $15/month or $150/year), which offers audiobooks of more than 180,000 best sellers, new releases, and more. (Note that most services auto-renew, so the recipient will be charged if he or she doesn’t cancel.)
Editor's Note: This article also appeared in the December 2016 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
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