The Best Laptops for Music Production in 2023 – our top picks
If you’re on the hunt for the best laptop for music production, we’ve got you covered.
Music production does not require you to have an extremely powerful GPU, as it mainly relies on the CPU and RAM. These days, you can find laptops with some of the most powerful Intel processors, such as the Intel Core i9-13980HX.
Of course, you won’t find such CPUs in budget laptops, but some of the cheap options still feature processors powerful enough to handle CPU-intensive tasks smoothly. On top of that, the latest laptops also come equipped with DDR5 RAM, which contributes a lot to the overall performance. Ideally, the laptop you’re getting should at least have 16GB of RAM.
To help you find the right laptop, we’ve done the homework and have selected a few options we think are the best laptops for music production. We selected these laptops based on the specs they offer and whether they are worth the money or not. After all, we want you to get a laptop that won’t let you down when it comes to performance.
So, without any further delays, let’s take a look at some of the best laptops for music production.
Products at a Glance
How we picked
We’ve used our expertise to find and research the best laptops for music production. We made sure to select laptops that are packed with powerful components and offer the best value for money. We’re also constantly exploring the market for new laptops, so make sure to check back here soon to find more laptops for music production.
The Best Laptops for Music Production in 2023 – our top picks
- M3 Max chip
- Top-tier performance
- Excellent battery life
- Expensive
Apple never disappoints us when it comes to making some of the most powerful laptops in the world, and they’ve done the same with the Apple MacBook Pro 2023 with the M3 Max chip.
It is easily one of the most powerful laptops available in the world, and we think that it is the best Apple laptop for music production. It is powered by the M3 Max chip, which features a 14-core CPU and a 30-core CPU. This makes it something that can run even the most demanding software smoothly. On top of that, it comes equipped with 36GB of RAM, which further improves the overall performance.
For storing data, we have a 1TB SSD, which will be more than sufficient for most users. However, in case you want to transform the laptop into the ultimate machine, you can upgrade the RAM up to 128GB and increase the storage up to 8TB. For the display, just as what you’d expect from a premium laptop, it boasts a stunning 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with a peak brightness of 600 nits, which increases to 1000 nits when viewing HDR content.
Overall, if you’re looking for an Apple laptop for music production with powerful components and an amazing battery life, you won’t find anything better than the Apple MacBook Pro 2023. It is a strong contender for one of the best laptops for working from home.
- Intel Core i9-13980HX processor
- 32GB DDR5 RAM
- OLED Display
- Expensive
We think that the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X is the best Windows laptop for music production. This is because it comes packed with a powerful processor and high RAM, something that makes it an ideal choice for someone who wants to make music.
On the inside, the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X packs in the Intel Core i9-13980HX processor, which belongs to the 13th-gen CPUs offered by Intel. It is one of the fastest processors available in laptops, with 24 cores, 32 threads, and a max Turbo Frequency of 5.60Hz. This processor is designed to handle demanding tasks smoothly, so you won’t face any issues when it comes to performance. To further improve the processing speeds, the laptop features 32GB of DDR5 RAM.
Much like some of the best RTX 4070 gaming laptops, this one also boasts an RTX 4070 GPU, which is not only amazing for gaming but can help greatly in productivity as well. On top of that, there’s a 1TB SSD for storage. As far as the outside of the laptop is concerned, the Vivobook Pro 16X sports a 16-inch OLED display with a 3.2K resolution, which should deliver clear, crisp visuals. It also has a refresh rate of 120Hz.
Overall, the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X is one of the best laptops for music production. It ticks all the boxes of a high-end music production laptop.
- Budget option
- Lightweight
- Bright display
- RAM and storage could've been better
Not everyone can afford to buy an expensive laptop for music production. Thankfully, there are some budget laptops for music production available in the market that won’t become a burden on your bank account, and the Apple MacBook Air 2023 is one of them.
Although the MacBook Air 2023 comes at a low price compared to other laptops available in the market for music production, it still offers great performance. While you can’t expect it to perform as fast as some of the other laptops on our list, it will still get the job done thanks to its M2 chip, which comes with an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. It also comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. These can be upgraded to 24GB of RAM and 2TB of storage, but the price will go up significantly.
On the outside, we have a 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display. The screen is pretty bright, with 500 nits of brightness, something that helps you use the laptop in bright settings. The battery life on this laptop is also excellent, as it can last for up to 18 hours after a single charge. Overall, we think that the MacBook Air 2023 is the best cheap laptop for music production. Much like some of the best lightweight laptops, this one is also portable and easy to carry around.
- Great battery life
- Sleek design
- 16GB RAM
- Storage may be low for some users
We think that the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is the best 2-in-1 laptop for music production. While most of the 2-in-1 laptops aren’t that powerful, this one packs a punch in the performance department.
The Surface Laptop Studio 2 is powered by the Intel Core i5-1235U processor, a 10-core CPU with a max speed of 4.40GHz. While it may not be one of the most powerful processors, it can still handle CPU-intensive tasks pretty well. The laptop pairs this CPU with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM. You’ll also find a 512GB SSD, offering ample storage for your files. If you desire additional power and storage, you can upgrade the RAM to 32 or 64GB and expand the storage up to 2TB.
As far as the display is concerned, we get a 14.3-inch touch display. It has a resolution of 2400 x 1600 and a refresh rate of 120Hz, which should deliver clear and smooth visuals. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 also features a great battery life, which can last up to 18 hours, making it a strong contender for one of the best battery life laptops.
- 18-inch screen
- 24-core Core i9-13950HX processor
- 32GB of RAM
- May be heavy for some users
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 your 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, and is one of the best 18-inch laptops.
How to pick the best laptop for music production
Here are a few points to remember before making your final decision.
CPU and RAM
For music production, you’d want to go for a laptop that has a great CPU paired with high RAM. Software for music production rely mostly on these two components, so they need to be top-of-the-line. Ideally, you’d want to go for an Intel 13th-gen processor if you’re choosing a Windows laptop or the M2 or M3 chip if you’re opting for a Macbook. As for the RAM, while 8GB of RAM is the minimum you’ll need, it will be wise to invest in a laptop that features 16GB or more RAM, as that will offer much better processing speeds. To explore options with 13th-gen processors, check out our top picks for the best Intel 13th-gen laptops.
Display
Go for at least a 15-inch screen. If you’re looking for a portable option, you might have to go for a laptop with smaller screen as it weighs less. But ideally, you’d want a bigger display, preferably above 14-inch. We now even have 18-inch laptops on the market, which offer a wider viewing angle.
Portability
When it comes to portability, there are two things you need to keep in mind – the laptop’s battery and its weight. Some of the best laptops for music production can last up to 12 hours after a single charge. The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro from Apple can even last for up to 18 hours. This, of course, depends on how you use them. Ideally, the laptop you’re getting should last for at least 8 to 10 hours.
As for the weight, if you’re planning to carry it around everywhere with you, it should weigh around 4 to 5 pounds. Otherwise, you will get tired of carrying around a heavy laptop.
Is 16GB RAM enough for music production?
While the minimum amount of RAM you need for music production is 8GB, you’d want to go at least 16GB for faster processing speeds. 16GB will be enough for most applications.
Do you need a powerful laptop to make music?
Ideally, the laptop should have a powerful processor with a higher clock speed and more cores, as such processors are able to run and handle demanding music production software smoothly.
Our Verdict
We think that the Apple MacBook Pro 2023 with the M3 Max chip is the best laptop for music production. It is powered by the M3 Max chip, which is extremely powerful and can handle demanding tasks smoothly. On top of that, it features 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and a gorgeous 14.2-inch Liquid Retina display.