ASUS Zenbook UX305UA Laptop Music Production. The ZenBook UX305UA is an eye-catching. We know it’s expensive at $2,400, but if you want what is truly the best laptop for music production, you’ll want to get the 15-inch MacBook Pro released in late 2016.
Your computer is one of the most important pieces of hardware you’ll need if you want to get into music production. Desktop computers are great investments for your home recording studio, but laptops provide more portability if you ever need to hit the road while working on a project or if you constantly perform live.
It goes without saying that if you’re going to get a laptop, you’ll need to go all out and get a reliable one that comes with all the necessary specs that meet your workflow requirements. After all, its quality will affect your performance and efficiency as a music producer.
To help all you budding music producers or sound engineers with your buying decisions, we’ve compiled a list of the best laptops for music production—read on to see which ones made the cut.
8 Best Laptops for Music Production
Apple Macbook Pro 15.4” (Mid 2015)
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When it comes to music production, Macbooks have been known to dominate the market—and this laptop is no exception. From memory to storage, the Macbook Pro 15 provides everything you need to produce music. It’s virtually a plug-and-play laptop that works with almost any audio interface, MIDI controller, and digital audio workstation (DAW). And speaking of DAW, it already has the beginner-friendly Garageband preinstalled to help you get started on producing music or podcasts right away.
This most basic version already comes with a 2.2GHz quad core Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, and 256GB storage, which is good enough for most music production applications. If you have the money to upgrade, you can go with models that have a faster processor (either the 2.5GHz or 2.8GHz) or bigger storage space (512GB or 1TB). Of course, if you want the biggest and fastest, you can get the Macbook Pro 15 () with the 2.8GHz Intel Core i7 and 1TB SSD storage.
You can of course opt for the more recent models like the MacBook Pro 15.4” with Touch Bar () that came out in late 2016, which has roughly the same specs. However, it may not be the most convenient choice due to the fact that it has fewer ports—and when working with music production equipment, you’re definitely going to need a few of those.
Key Specs:
- Processor: 2.2GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 (up to 3.4GHz Turbo Boost)
- Memory: 16GB
- Storage: 256GB
- Graphics: Intel Iris Pro
- Display: 15.4in LED-Backlit with IPS (Retina Display)
- Native Resolution: 2880 x 1800
- Wi-Fi: 802.11AC
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0
- Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 2 / 2x USB 3.0 (up to 5Gbps) / 1x HDMI
- Operating System: MacOS High Sierra
- Battery Life: Up to 8 Hours
Apple Macbook Pro 13” with Touch Bar (2017)
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As we’ve already established, Macbooks are widely considered to be standard laptops for music production. This Macbook Pro 13-inch with Touch Bar is somewhat more expensive, mainly because of the added touch bar feature. However, if your top requirements for a laptop are portability and convenience, this may be a better option than the first MacBook we mentioned.
Music producers who are constantly on the go will usually need something a bit lighter (not everyone needs 15 inches of screen) and thinner, and this model is less than 1 centimeter thick and weighs just a little over three pounds—1.5 pounds lighter than its 15-inch, touch bar-less counterpart. It has a dual-core Intel Core i7 3.5GHz processor, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD, which should give you more than enough space and just the right processing power for producing and storing music.
This Macbook Pro also comes with Garageband, so you’re also killing two birds with one stone. If your budget is a bit more flexible, you can get the Macbook Pro 13” with Touch Bar () to enjoy 1TB storage capacity for all your music.
Key Specs:
- Processor: 3.5GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i7 (Up to 4GHz Turbo Boost)
- Memory: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB
- Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650
- Display: 13.3in LED-Backlit with IPS (Retina Display)
- Native Resolution: 1680 x 1050
- Wi-Fi: 802.11AC
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.2
- Ports: 4x Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type C)
- Operating System: MacOS Sierra
- Battery Life: Up to 10 Hours
Dell Alienware 15 R3
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Laptops from Dell’s Alienware series are designed for hardcore gaming, but for music production, its specs list definitely fits the bill. The Alienware 15 R3 in particular offers 16GB of RAM (with a maximum capacity of up to 32GB) and at least 1TB HDD of storage, giving you more than enough extra space for your sample libraries and tracks. As a Dell laptop, it also features a superior cooling system to greatly reduce the operating temperature when using intense applications.
Moreover, the Alienware 15 provides all the ports you need for connecting your external hardware. You can also choose to go with the Dell Alienware 15 with 1.5TB () to enjoy a slightly faster processing speed of 2.9GHz and additional 512GB SSD storage.
Key Specs:
- Processor: 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7-7700HQ (up to 3.8GHz Max Turbo)
- Memory: 16GB RAM (32GB Max. Upgrade)
- Storage: 1TB Drive
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB GDDR5)
- Display: 15.6in LCD with IPS
- Native Resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Wi-Fi: Dual-Band 802.11AC
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.1
- Ports: 1x Thunderbolt 3 / 1x USB 3.0 Type-C / 2x USB 3.0 Type-A / 1x Docking Port
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 17.3”
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The Lenovo Ideapad Y700 is much more affordably priced, but it doesn’t fall short in terms functionality and performance. It’s equipped with a pretty decent 8GB RAM for standard music production and a large 1TB HDD storage that can accommodate your heavier samples and tracks.
If you’re looking for a laptop with a bigger display (compared to the 15-inch model), the Lenovo Ideapad Y700 has a 17-inch full HD screen for better viewing. Despite being less than $1000, this budget-friendly laptop definitely delivers optimal performance for your basic music production needs.
Key Specs:
- Processor: i5 Intel Core Skylake 14nm 6th Gen (up to 3.2GHz Max Turbo)
- Memory: 8GB
- Storage: 1TB
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M
- Display: 17.3in IPS LCD with LED Backlight (Anti-Glare)
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Wi-Fi: 802.11AC (Wireless LAN)
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0
- Ports: 2x USB 3.0 / 1x USB 2.0 / 1x HDMI
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home
- Battery Life: Up to 4.5 Hours
Microsoft Surface Pro 4
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Touchscreen computers are becoming a popular option for on-the-go music production. The Surface Pro is possibly the best, most versatile laptop-tablet hybrid that you can use on stage, as its 12.3-inch PixelTouch display provides more dynamic use of the computer, compared to a laptop with a trackpad and keyboard.
The all-touch capability enables you to access your apps during live sets quickly and easily, making it a great alternative to analog DJ stations. One more thing we love about the Surface Pro 4 is that its bright and sharp display is great for low light situations, such as clubs and enclosed concert spaces. It also has an impressive battery life (it can last up to 9 hours while watching videos) despite its thin and lightweight body.
Key Specs:
- Processor: 6th Gen Intel Core m3
- Memory: 4GB
- Storage: 128GB SSD
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 515
- Display: 12.3in PixelTouch (with 10-point Multi-Touch)
- Resolution: 2736 x 1824
- Wi-Fi: 802.11AC
- Bluetooth: 4.0
- Ports: 1x USB 3.0 / 1x Mini DisplayPort
- Operating System: Windows 10 Pro
- Battery Life: Up to 9 Hours
Apple Macbook Air 13.3” (2017)
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The 2017 13.3-inch Macbook Air is ideal for music producers who want a reliable computer but prefer an even thinner and lighter device to work with. Fortunately, the lack of bulk means the Air comes at a slightly lower price than the Pro.
It’s the perfect mix of sophistication, performance, and portability. It has the latest dual-core i5 processor with Turbo Boost of up to 2.9GHz, as well as 8GB RAM, which are just enough for you to start making tunes. Surprisingly, it also includes enough ports for at least your audio interface, MIDI controller, and monitor—a definite plus for those who are worried about the Mac not having enough ports.
If you have a bit more cash to spare, you can get the same Macbook Air 13.3” () model with the more powerful 2.2GHz i7 Dual-Core processor.
Key Specs:
- Processor: 1.8GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 (up to 2.9GHz Turbo Boost)
- Memory: 8GB
- Storage: 512GB
- Graphics: Intel HD 6000
- Display: 13.3in LED-Backlit
- Native Resolution: 1440 x 900
- Wi-Fi: 802.11AC
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0
- Ports: 2x USB 3.0 / 1x Thunderbolt 2.0 USB
- Operating System: MacOS Sierra
- Battery Life: Up to 12 Hours
Microsoft Surface Book 2 13.5”
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The Microsoft Surface Book 2 is perfect for big, high-resource recording productions. Its powerful quad-core Intel Core i7 processor has a maximum turbo boost of 4.2GHz and 16GB memory enable music producers to run intensive audio recording operations smoothly.
Its SD card slot and three USB ports are perfectly compatible with most audio interfaces, plus it has a detachable touchscreen monitor that can provide convenience for audio recording applications and other activities that don’t require the use of the bulky keyboard bottom.
Should you need the extra space for all your tracks, you can upgrade to the Microsoft Surface Book 2 15” ($3,195) with 1TB storage.
Key Specs:
- Processor: 8th Gen Quad-Core Intel Core i7-8650U (up to 4.2GHz Max Turbo)
- Memory: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB GDDR5)
- Display: 13.5in PixelSense (with 10-point Multi-Touch)
- Resolution: 3000 x 2000
- Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 A/B/G/N/AC Compatible
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.1
- Ports: 2x USB 3.1 Type-A / 1x USB 3.1 Type-C / 2x Surface Connect Ports
- Operating System: Windows 10 Pro Creators Update
- Battery Life: Up to 17 Hours
5 Important Laptop Specs for Music Production
There’s no point in spending money on the most expensive laptops if they don’t even have the specifications and features you need to be able to efficiently use them for your desired applications. Computer specifications may seem confusing, especially if you’ve never purchased a laptop for intensive applications, but you’ll only really have to check the following:
Processor
The computer’s processor is one of the most important specs to consider for any user who needs a workhorse that can run smoothly and fast even while using several heavy applications at once. When choosing a laptop for music production, check the number of cores its processor has. Four cores are pretty standard with laptops, but if you want something lighter and more compact, you may have to settle for a dual-core processor.
Another thing to consider is clock speed. For music production, it’s best to go with something within the 2.4 to 4.2GHz range. Again, you may have to go a little slower than that if you want a light and portable machine.
RAM
Nobody wants to deal with slow and glitchy programs—it can disrupt your workflow and may even affect the quality of your final product. To ensure that this doesn’t happen, make sure to get a laptop that has enough Random-Access Memory or RAM. Music production requires at least 8GB of RAM to enable you to work smoothly without any issues, but 16GB would be ideal.
Storage Capacity
Working with audio files will require you to have a lot of storage space. Before purchasing your laptop, decide whether you want one that has plenty of built-in storage space, or if you want to simply use an external hard drive to store all your files.
If you do want to store most of your files on the laptop itself, go for at least 1TB of storage.
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You may also want to consider SSD vs. HDD when it comes to your laptop’s built-in storage. SSD reads and writes data much faster, but it’s definitely more expensive (per GB) than HDD. You can also go with a combination of both, similar to the storage setup on the Dell Alienware 15 R3.
Ports
Music production involves the use of several equipment, including microphones, instruments, control surfaces, audio interfaces, and more. With that in mind, one of the most important things to consider is whether a laptop has enough ports to create a seamless and efficient music production setup.
Of course, you can always purchase a USB hub—if you have one, the number of ports on your laptop may not matter as much. However, if you require a more portable setup, keep in mind that this is another added item to your gear list.
Screen Size
Finally, consider the screen size of the laptop you want to get. If you’re monitoring more than 10 tracks, then you’re obviously going to want a bigger screen. This specification is mostly a matter of preference or convenience, as anyone can easily work with whatever screen size they feel comfortable with.
Keep in mind that the more complex your productions are, the better, faster, and bigger these specifications have to be. There are many choices out there that may not have been mentioned here, but hopefully our list can help narrow down your choices.
The Best Apple Computer For Music Production In 2019
It’s not easy to buy a new mac for music production. Many models are just too expensive and many of them are too slow because Apple is still using dual-core CPUs on some of their models.
If you want to produce music without any compromise I would really recommend you at least a mac with a 6 core CPU in 2019. We had 4 core CPUs for the last 6 or 7 years and I think it’s time to step it up. If you analyze Apple’s recent lineup there is a clear winner in terms of price/performance ratio but let’s save that one for later
Let’s start with Apple’s Laptops:
The first model we’re going to look at is the Macbook 12 inch.
If you analyze the specs it offers either a 1.2 GHz dual-core Intel Core m3 or a 1.3 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with only 8GB Ram and a 256GB or 512GB SSD. While this laptop could be a great portable office machine it just won’t be able to keep up with modern DAWs and Plugins. The biggest bottleneck is the dual-core CPU followed by only 8 GB of RAM.
Now let’s look at the MacBook Air
You pretty much have the same problem with the “Air” models because they only have a dual-core CPU and only 8 GB of RAM. I wouldn’t recommend those for music production.
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Let’s move on to the MacBook Pro
Here you need to differentiate between the three different 13-inch models and the two 15 inch models:
The MacBook Pro 13 inch starts with a 2.3 GHz Dual Core model and offers a 2.3 GHz Quad-Core at the top configuration that even can be upgraded to 2.7 GHz which will increase the price to up to $2099. But if you can afford to spend 2k on a laptop I would strongly advise you to get the 15-inch MacBook Pro with the Touch Bar. For only $300 more you get a strong 6 Core CPU, 16GB Of Ram and a 256GB SSD.
Conclusion:
If you want to get yourself an Apple laptop and you want to make music you either can get the MacBook Pro 13 inch with a Quadcore for $1799 or the MacBook Pro 15 Inch with a 6-Core for $2399. I really wouldn’t recommend you to get the MacBook Air or the Macbook 12 Inch. While they’re great and portable machines, they can’t give you the power that you need for music production.
What about the iMacs?
If you want a desktop solution Apple offers their iMac line that combines the processing unit and the display in one single device. My decision is pretty easy here:
The first 21.5 inch model with the dual core is slow. Forget about it. The next model with a 3.6 GHz Quadcore is decent but it costs $1299 while the 6 core iMac starts at $1499. Trust me, invest $200 more for the 6-Core CPU and thank me later. If you decide to get a 27 model, choose any model because they’re all great with 6-Cores. The only upgrade I would recommend is increasing RAM from 8GB to 16GB, especially if you use large Kontakt libraries or plugins like Spectrasonics Omnisphere
iMac Pro:
There is not really much to say about the iMac Pro. Great machine that has its price starting at $4999. You can even configure it with 18 cores. If you have that money you probably don’t need to read my guide here and don’t need my help
Mac Pro:
The Mac Pro is pretty much outdated in 2019 and will be soon replaced with a new model in 2020 (If I believe the rumors) so no need to spend so much money on an outdated model.
Edit: June 22rd, 2019, Apple announced the new Mac Pro starting at $6000. Just like with the iMac Pro if you can afford that machine go for it!
Mac Mini:
This is the most interesting Apple computer for music producers? Why? Because of its great price-performance ratio which makes it the Best Apple Computer For Music Production. For only $799 you already get a Quad-Core 3.6 GHz processor. Add another $300 and you have a 6-Core. You can even upgrade the RAM yourself if you’re careful as Apple uses SO-DIMM sockets in their recent Mac Minis. Another advantage compared to the iMac is that you pretty much get the same computing unit but can pair it up with any monitor you want. Want to connect a 34 inch widescreen Monitor? No Problem! Want to take your Mac Mini with you when traveling to make music in a hotel room? No Problem. Now imagine having an iMac and not being able to take it with you on a trip or to your friend’s music studio. There are even small portable screens available for people who want to be as mobile as possible.
Music producer @theonlydanja is using such a setup that consists of two portable Asus Zenscreens, one Mac Mini, and a UAD Arrow audio interface
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And that’s why I think the Mac Mini is the Best Apple Computer For Music Production in terms of performance, price, and mobility.
Drey Andersson
Music Producer & Founder Of TheMusicProducersBlog
Hi, I’m Drey Andersson, producer, engineer, guitarist and sound designer. Starting out at the age of 18 I always developed new skills and techniques in the audio field. From early youtube remixes back in 2007 that got millions of views, freelance work for indie artists up to 2018 where I won the SAMA Album Of The Year for Shekhina’s “Different” that I produced with my production partner Mae, I am always striving to deliver the best results. This also includes educating fellow producers and engineers about audio with my blog @themusicproducersblog
If you want more there is a free monthly “Bag Of Goodies” that I send out to all of my subscribers. Every month I try to come up with new interesting content for the audio community. For example, the January 2019 edition had an eBook on networking in the music scene written by me just as some new Serum sounds, royalty free melody samples, coupons and more
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