Table of Contents
Introduction – What Makes A Good Music Production Laptop?
As you shop for a music production laptop, you’ll need to take a few important things into consideration. Think about the location that you’ll primarily be using your laptop. If you’re mainly using your laptop at home, you may not need to prioritize a long battery life. However, if you plan to use it during a commute or in a shared workspace (for example), you should prioritize the laptop’s portablity, battery life, and speed
In either case, the laptop’s performance is extremely important. Laptops with strong processors can manage the demanding tasks of music production—like an Intel Core i7 or i9 and at least 16GB RAM. Also, if you’ll be using the laptop for video editing, then having a solid processor and large amounts of RAM becomes even more important.
Here are 9 of the best music production laptops that are currently available.
Best Music Production Laptops That Are On The Market
1. Dell XPS 17
The Dell XPS 17 is our top pick for a music production laptop. It’s lightweight, has 64 gigs of RAM, and comes loaded with an Intel Core i9 processor. Whether you’re focusing on producing music or also do some video editing, you’ll be in good hands with the XPS 17, especially if you’re not already in the Apple device ecosystem.
Although it’s an expensive laptop, it’s hardware is customizable and you can select its’ parts according to your budget and needs. You can choose which processor, graphics card, and OS it comes with, as well as choose how much RAM the final build has.
2. Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M2, 2023)
The M2 Apple MacBook Pro was launched in 2023 and is one of the best Mac OS music production laptops available on the market. It is another expensive computer, but it can handle lots of heavy duty use for music production. Side note: I promise that I will include less expensive laptops on this list too, btw.
It uses the a newly-developed M2 Pro processor, which gives this computer access to has 32GB of RAM. This Macbook Pro also has 2TB SSD storage, and a beautiful 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display. It’s lightweight and easy to use on a commute.
3. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga
A hybrid between a laptop and a tablet, the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga is another option worth considering in your search for a great laptop for music production. It provides various connectivity options, having both USB-C and USB-A ports, as well as an HDMI port. The touchscreen display is great to use while you’re traveling, and the Windows operating system runs smoothly and without lag, even while running intensive music mixing tasks.
If you want even more power and performance, you can upgrade the hardware to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, but this will cost you extra, and the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga is quite pricey, even at the base model. But if budget is not a concern and you want a versatile, lightweight, and fast option with a Windows operating system, this is an option worth taking into account.
4. Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro
A flagship launch from Samsung, the Galaxy Book3 Pro is a great option if you’re looking for a worthy alternative to an Apple MacBook Pro. It boasts 16GB of RAM, an Intel Core i7 processor, and a great quality screen. Battery life is quite impressive, as is the performance, which is what you want as a musician who records and produces their own music. Another big plus for the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro is that it features various ports, including two USB-C ports, an USB-A port, an HDMI port, and an audio jack, so you can connect monitors, audio equipment, headphones, and whatever else you’d like, without having to purchase a separate dock.
Connectivity with other Android devices is seamless, so if you already own an Android or Samsung phone, you’ll find it easy to share data and files. It’s still on the pricey end of the spectrum, but you have some options when it comes to customizing your purchase by opting for a smaller memory or a different processor.
5. Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
If you’re an avid Apple fan or already own a bunch of Apple devices and appreciate the seamless connectivity, then the Apple MacBook Air from 2022 is another solid option for music production. This laptop offers amazing value for money for music producers, and it’s significantly cheaper than the MacBook Pro 14, but still packs a lot of the same features. It’s even thinner and lighter than the Pro model, has excellent battery life, and features a similar powerful M2 chip.
It can definitely run the same heavy duty music production tasks as the Pro model, and it can do it all in silence, due to the fact that it’s a fanless laptop. The downside is that it doesn’t feature a lot of connectivity ports, so you might need to invest in a USB or USB-C hub to connect all your external devices. The base model also has lower storage capabilities than the Pro, with just 1TB SSD, but the good news is that it’s expandable.
6. Dell XPS 13 OLED
We’ve already covered the powerful Dell XPS 17, which is our top pick for a non-Apple laptop for music producers, but the smaller Dell XPS 13 is just as good. If you don’t want a big laptop or the biggest screen possible for intense video editing, then the XPS 13 with a sharp OLED display is the next best choice. It boasts a sleek design, an Intel Core i5-1230U processor, and an InfinityEdge Anti-Glare display, which is great to use when you’re outside or traveling.
This laptop is powerful and fast enough to handle all of your music mixing, editing, and producing tasks without even skipping a beat or overheating. Battery life is up to par, so you won’t have to worry about draining it too soon, and you can customize the hardware options depending on your needs. All in all, the Dell XPS laptops are almost as fast and powerful as gaming laptops, so if budget is not a factor and you want best-in-class performance (that’s also not made by Apple), this line is a no-brainer.
7. MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022)
A smaller version of the current MacBook Pro 14-inch, Apple’s Macbook Pro 13-inch is just as powerful, featuring the awesome M2 chip. If portability and ease of use are priorities for you, then you’ll get the most bang for your buck with this lightweight MacBook.
It has incredible battery life, so you can carry it with you wherever you’re going without fear of it dying in the middle of a processing task, and you can easily edit videos or large files, too. It has an 8-core CPU, up to 24 GB of RAM, SSD storage from 256GB to 2TB, and a 13.3-inch, 2560×1600 display. It doesn’t have the Retina display, but with the smaller screen, you won’t really notice a big difference.
8. Apple MacBook Air M1
If you’re looking to get an Apple laptop but don’t have the budget for one of the more recent M2 launches, then you might want to check out the MacBook Air M1 from 2021, which is still one of the best options for music producers on the market today. In the past, if you wanted a powerful laptop that could handle all your resource-intensive music production tasks, you wouldn’t even look at a MacBook Air – Pro would be the only option for such a task.
However, nowadays Apple’s MacBook Air line provides incredible stability and performance, and these lightweight, thin laptops can handle any heavy duty task you might throw their way. With a slim form factor, great battery life, and a powerful M1 chip, the MacBook Air is a sure bet, especially if you travel a lot or are always on the go. Sure, the new M2 Air offers even more speed, but the price tag is also considerably higher, so for many buyers, it won’t be worth the upgrade.
9. Microsoft Surface Pro 9
Another powerful option for music production software is the Microsoft Surface Pro 9. It has a powerful Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD drive, and works with Windows 11.
If you’re traveling, the Surface Pro 9 becomes even better, because it works as both a powerful laptop and a tablet in one. The screen, albeit smaller than some of the others on this list, looks amazing, and has 10-point multi-touch capability for convenient, on-the-go use. One downside is that it only boasts USB-C ports, so you have to make sure your external devices and accessories are compatible, or buy a separate dock to connect everything.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Mac OS vs Windows?
You may be wondering where you should choose MAC OS or Windows for music production. Ultimately, your deicision boils down to your specific needs, your budget, and your preferences. However, here is a comparision between the two.
Apple laptops might be pricier, but they’re durable and adept at handling resource-intensive tasks, especially the high-tier models. They’re also recognized for stability. If you’re already in the Apple ecosystem with devices like iPads or iPhones, integration is smooth.
On the other hand, if you’re well-acquainted with Windows and have devices on this platform, a Windows laptop might be more intuitive for you. It’s worth noting that Windows offers wider compatibility with varied music software, more customization options, and a diverse range of prices and hardware specifications. So, you may want to go with a Windows laptop to ensure that you can access a wider range of programs
SSD vs HDD, Which Is Better For Music Production?
For most people, I recommed choosing a Solid State Drive (SSD) because it is faster than a Hard Disk Drive (HDD). SSD’s have a faster speed for reading and writing date, which makes computers start-up quicker and allows files to load quicker (in general), when compared to an HDD.
While SSD’s are usually more expensive per GB, compared to HDD, SSD’s are less noisy and more energy efficient. So, if you’re looking to buy an external drive (or upgrade your internal storage), I recommed going with an SSD to improve your workflow. You won’t be disappointed with the speed and quietness of SSDs!
How Much RAM Do I Need For A Music Production Laptop?
I recommend at least 16 GB of RAM, bare minimum. But, if you can afford to get a computer with 32 gigs of RAM (or more), I think you should go with that because you would be able to load in more tracks and handle more plugins in the future. However , if needed, you can probably get by with 16 GB in the beginning.
Conclusion
Overall, the evolution of laptops has been instrumental in redefining the boundaries of music production. Each music production laptop’s unique features play a vital role in their suitability for production. Therefore, choosing a laptop for this task requires careful consideration before making your purchase.
Additional Reading
Take some time to check out our other articles:
- Popular Music Industry Careers
- 7 Best Percussion VSTs for Music Producers
- 7 Essential Music Production Tools Under $100
- Comprehensive Guide to the Fundamentals of Music Theory
- 10 Most Popular Music Jobs
Breve Music Studios publishes music to Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music and more. Follow our pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube.
Listen to our ensembles: Breve Orchestra, Breve Music Ensemble, Breve Low Brass Ensemble, Breve Woodwind Ensemble, and Jermaine Harris on Spotify.
No Responses