The Best Laptops For Music Production in 2023
So, you’ve got a copy of your favored DAW and you need a workhorse to make that MIDI keyboard and studio-quality speakers worth your while. Finding the best laptop for music production can be a tough decision, especially when there are so many options. The highest-performing laptops for music production aren’t always cheap. However, we’re including some more affordable options for users on a tighter budget. Here’s our pick of the best laptops for music production in 2023.
Products at a Glance
What To Look For In The Best Laptop For Music Production
1: CPU
Your potential laptop will be heavily using its CPU (Central Processing Unit) during music production. Think of a processor as the brain of your laptop, processing audio conversions, compressions, and other heavy-lifting tasks. Intel and AMD currently rule the CPU battlefield, with Apple’s M1 SoC (System on a chip) creeping in with the audio, video, and central processing being done on a single chip.
For Intel-based systems, quad-core i7 is recommended. AMD Ryzen Zen 3 processors are good value for money but can be hard to get ahold of in laptops. Anything with a Ryzen 5 5600X, Ryzen 9 5950X, or equivalent would also be a great shout.
2: RAM
RAM is also an important factor to consider when shopping for the best laptop for music production. RAM stands for Random Access Memory, which is used to store data before a task is executed such as audio playback. Having decent RAM is the difference between having a silky smooth audio environment and R2-D2 round for a cup of tea and a chat.
At Least 8GB DDR4 RAM is recommended as it stands, with 16GB being perfect for extra headroom during multi-track projects. Double Data Rate Fourth Generation (DDR4) RAM cuts back voltage by 40% and boosts performance and bandwidth by 50% as compared to DDR3. Honestly? For the kind of laptops, we’ll be looking at, DDR4 is pretty much standard across the board.
3: Screen Size
Anything under 14” for editing and add-on management when working with your favorite DAW is going to be hard work. The more workspace available the better, but we don’t really need to worry about things such as color gamut, refresh rates, response times, and resolutions. All our recommended laptops are at least 1080P, with the best laptops for music production having this feature as standard.
4: Storage
SSDs (Solid State Drives) have slowly been creeping into the laptop market over the past couple of years and are thankfully becoming more affordable. SSD’s enjoy much faster speeds and less maintenance than SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) which was more or less a sophisticated spinning disk (which also ran poorly in laptops).
Users of SSD’s will see lightning-fast control over assets when loading and transferring. Again, this feature is present in every laptop in this guide today alongside most $500 and up laptops.
5: Inputs
USB-C/Thunderbolt/USB 3.0 are all needed in the best laptop for music production. Thunderbolt isn’t really a focus for non-Apple laptops, with Windows-based systems rocking USB-C as a universal connectivity standard. USB-C and Thunderbolt ports look the same, but the horsepower between them differs with Thunderbolt winning out on power and data transfer speeds.
It’s not too much of a worry if your chosen laptop doesn’t have enough ports, USB splitters and adaptors can be purchased on the cheap to help users adapt to their setups.
How We Choose The Best Laptop For Music Production
Whilst we haven’t really considered budget options for this particular guide due to the hardware needed to run the average DAW, although there’s a couple of surprisingly affordable options included. We’ve managed to stick to the guidelines above whilst giving various options when it comes to price, size, and target audience.
The Best Laptops For Music Production in 2023
- New M2 Max Chip
- Up to 96GB Unified Memory
- Expensive
The brand new MacBook Pro 16″ M2 Max model is Apple’s new top; of the range laptop. Apple hardware has been the industry standard for music production for a long time now. The 16″ M2 Max model is holding up this standard with 12 CPU cores, up to 38 GPU cores, and up to 96GB of unified memory. Apple Macs are compatible with Apple’s Logic Pro X – a leading music production software in the industry. However for users of other software, like Ableton, FL Studio, and Reason (the list goes on) – the MacBook Pro 16″ M2 Max still provides the highest performance currently seen in a laptop.
Whilst the computing power of the MacBook Pro 16″ M2 Max is incredibly well suited for music production, the new 16″ features great external features to maximize workflow. Alongside Apple’s Liquid Retina XDR display, the MacBook Pro 16″ M2 Max also comes with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port, an SDXC card slot, a headphone jack, and the new MagSafe 3 port. The MacBook Pro 16″ M2 Max is by far the best laptop for music production in 2023.
- i7 Processor, 16GB RAM and SSD can handle all current DAW
- 1TB of internal storage
- Expensive
The Razer Blade 18 is the brand-new, incredibly powerful new laptop at the top of Razer’s ‘Blade’ range. Its specifications are incredibly high scoring, with 24-core Core i9-13950HX, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, 1TB of storage, and the RTX 4080 graphics card. In many ways, this laptop is optimized for gaming, and therefore could be considered overkill for music production. However, this all depends on the level of sound processing users may require. If you’re production consists of large projects with loads of automation, live tracking, and multitrack recording – then the processing power on this laptop may be necessary.
The Razer Blade 18 features a gorgeous display that’s the largest to date at 18 inches. Producers who want larger displays may enjoy the Razer Blade 18’s screen, however, this comes at the sacrifice of a certain amount of portability. Aesthetically, the Balde 18 is very gamer-esque – with loads of multicolored flashing lights everywhere. Producers may find this distracting since DAWs tend to be more static on screen than video games. Regardless, the Razer Blade 18 is an incredibly powerful laptop, more than well-suited for music production.
- High specs perfect for music production and other demanding tasks
- 1TB SSD, great for storing multiple tracks/projects locally
- Aimed at gamers
First up is an all-around multi-use laptop that’s primarily aimed at gamers. Anyone who knows anything about the best laptops for music production will tell you that gaming rigs and laptops focus on similar specifications needed for both high-definition gaming and multiple-task management such as music production.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar is jam-packed with impressive specs for its price of just under $2,000. When comparing this with Notebook and MacBook pro figures, it knocks them out of the water whilst staying in the same roundabout price range. ASUS Armoury crate is a brilliant piece of built-in software that takes care of RGB lighting, image adjustment, fans, and overclocking.
Selecting ‘Turbo Mode’ will knock the i7 CPU from 2.3Ghz to a massive 5.1Ghz, which is ideal when taking on bigger projects but it is easily switched off when performing lighter duties. Managing CPU clock speeds on the fly like this will ensure it’s only working harder when it needs to, this ensures your laptop will stay in great condition and perform, for longer.
- i7 Processor, 16GB RAM and SSD can handle all current DAW
- Sleek design
- Expensive
For those who are a fan of Apple’s sleek and simple design philosophy but prefer Windows over macOS, the Samsung Galaxy Book Ion is a great alternative for the best laptop for music production. Yes, you can get more value for specification in a gaming laptop, but this product is focused on performance crammed into a 15.6” device weighing in at just under 3.5 pounds.
Its quad-core i7 combined with 16GB of DDR4 RAM should be able to tackle most DAW projects, with a 512GB SSD for quick asset loading for a speedy workspace. This laptop is for music production enthusiasts who are on the move who also want to make a statement with their gear without giving themselves an aching shoulder carrying around a chunky gaming laptop.
Samsung has gone on record to state the 15.6” QLED Galaxy Book Ion model sports 21 hours of battery life also, which only adds to the status of this laptop. Also, power sources can be quite scarce when it comes to live environments such as DJ sets. Having nearly a full days worth of battery power is exactly what gigging users need.
As previously mentioned, there’s little point in going for a budget laptop when it comes to music production. It makes for a sluggish experience that doesn’t allow for fine-tuning and efficient editing, although some sub-$1000 laptops can handle less demanding DAWs and smaller projects. For anything that requires any form of conversion and a handful of tracks, it’s worth investing in the best laptops for music production and yourself.
What is a DAW?
What is a DAW?: DAW stands for ‘digital audio workstation’. For example, Logic Pro and Ableton Live would be classed as DAWs.
Should I buy a laptop for music production?
Yes. Laptops that are powerful enough to run DAWs are a great choice over desktop computers if you want to produce music on the go. However for studio use – a fixed desktop computer may be more desirable.
Do I need more RAM for music production?
You don’t necessarily a lot of RAM for music production, but if you’re buying a laptop that you’ll be using for work, we’d suggest something with 16 – 32GB of RAM if your budget allows for it. This may land you above $1000, so we’d suggest looking at the best laptops under $1000 for top picks that still pack a punch.
Our Verdict
The brand new MacBook Pro 16″ M2 Max is simply perfect for Music production. If you’re comfortable with the Mac OS or enjoy using Logic Pro, the MacBook Pro 16″ M2 Max is your best option. Having said that, it may break the bank, although you probably wont regret it.