Gone are the days when people were using different instruments for music production. In this world of advanced technology, to make a song, the most important thing you need is a laptop. You can’t use any laptop though, but you need the best laptop for music production with the right software to create the right music for your listeners.
Music production requires a lot of applications and software to edit and design the music. To fulfill these kinds of requirements you need a laptop with the fast processor, HD graphics, high RAM, high memory and HD display.
Searching for the best laptops for music production is not an easy task as you have to perform immense research while considering all options. To reduce your time and efforts, here we have compiled a brief list of top 10 laptops for music production.
Things to consider before buying a good laptop for music production
When you are looking for a laptop for music production and recording price tag is not enough. There are many things you should consider. There are many budget-friendly laptops are available on the market, but they give the limited performance with minimum specifications. Before jumping out and spending your money on a system, we recommend you to look for a laptop that covers the basic “must have” specifications. Here are some things you should consider before buying a music production laptop:
Processor
As the CPU is the heart of a computer. The performance of your system’s CPU really matters. For audio and music production, get the fastest processor that you can afford. For most recording software, you’ll need a laptop with multi-dual or quad-core processors.
Operating System
You can use both Windows or MacOS for music production but going with MacOS is probably be the best option. Many people in this industry prefer a Mac over PC because they are more stable for this kind of work. If you’re confused between both then we recommend you to read this guide by MacWorld which describe the comparison of macOS High Sierra and Windows 10.
RAM
For music production and recording purpose, you need more RAM. This is important for handling your software. So, we recommend you to go for minimum 8GB or more. If you are going to buy a laptop for audio recording make sure that you’re able to add more RAM in the future if required.
Hard Drive
For music recording, make sure that you get the right type of hard drives. Always choose your hard drive wisely. Give preference to SSD storage instead of the hard disk drive so that it can handle the demands of transferring audio data.
So, without any further ado, here we go…
Top 10 Best Laptops for Music Production
1. Apple 15″ MacBook Pro, 512GB SSD – Best Mac for Music Production
Apple has been known for its high-quality products. When it comes to content creation, Apple MacBook Pro is the first preference for all professionals including music production. It offers high-end technology and features that make it one of the best laptops for music production.
It is a 15-inch thin and lightweight laptop which truly redefines the word portable. With a retina display, it gives you more vibrant colors and brightness that doesn’t strain your eyes as compared to other laptops. The laptop is sported with 2.9 GHz Intel Core i7 Quad-Core processor paired with the 16GB of RAM and 4GB dedicated AMD Radeon Pro 560 graphics card that makes it good enough for music production and recording.
For storage, the MacBook Pro comes with 512GB of SSD storage which is good for storing large media files or audio software. It offers 10 hours of battery life for long usage without needing to be plugged in. If you have a large budget and like the usability of OSX then MacBook Pro is the best ultrabook for music production you can get.
Hardware Specifications of Apple 15″ MacBook Pro, 512GB SSD
Processor 7th-Generation Intel Core i7 Processor 2.9GHz
RAM 16GB 2133MHz LPDDR3
Storage 512GB SSD
Display 15.4″ FHD Retina (2880×1800) Display
Graphics Radeon Pro 560 with 4GB memory
Operating System MacOS Sierra
Battery Life Up to 10-hours
Weight 6.4 pounds
Check Price On Amazon2. CUK ASUS ROG GL703VD
The ASUS ROG GL703VD comes in various different models based on screen size and hardware specifications. This ASUS model is a high-end and powerful laptop that can be pretty handy for music making. This is a 17.3-inch laptop with full HD display having a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It is not only good for music production you can even use it for things like streaming, video editing, etc. It is also one of the best laptops for video production.
The laptop is powered by 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor clocked at the 2.8GHz processor. It is also sported 32GB DDR4 RAM making it very snappy for demanding music projects. It comes with the combination of a 1TB hard disk drive and 512GB of SSD that make it one of the most powerful laptop. It also has a Nvidia GTX 1050 GPU with 4GB of dedicated memory.
It weighs only 6 pounds so, you can easily fit it into your backpack if are a traveling gig musician. Overall, it is very difficult to beat this laptop in terms of hardware specifications and performance as is one of the best 17-inch laptops for music production that you can buy right now.
Hardware Specifications of CUK ASUS ROG GL703VD Laptop
Processor Intel Core i7-7700HQ Quad Core Processor 2.8GHz
RAM 32GB DDR4
Storage 512GB NVMe SSD + 1TB 5400rpm HDD
Display 17.3″ FHD LED-backlit (1920 x 1080) Display
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 4GB GDDR5
Operating System Windows 10 Home x64
Battery Life Up to 10-hours
Weight 6.6 lbs
Check Price On Amazon3. HP Spectre x360 15t 2-in-1 Laptop
No list of laptops would be complete without mentioning at least one HP model. This HP Spectre x360 is a pretty popular pick if you’re not going to buy Mac. This is a 15-inch 2-in-1 laptop with a beautiful and sleek design allow you to use as a normal laptop or as a tablet.
It sports the latest 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor making it ideal to record & produce music. The Spectre also comes with 16GB of DDR4 RAM which is powerful enough to handle multitasking. For storage, the laptop comes with 512GB of fast SSD to store all your applications and software locally on the laptop. The graphics on this laptop is equipped with NVidia GeForce GTX MX150 2GB graphics which is good for music recording, video editing or light photoshoping.
The only down part of this laptop is, it has limited USB ports and you might need to get a USB hub. But, it might not be deal breaking for everyone as there are all other ports and slots available. The Spectre truly shines in terms of battery life. Offering 12-hours of battery life, it is the perfect laptop for users who are looking for a music production laptop.
Hardware Specifications of HP Spectre x360 15t 2-in-1 Laptop
Processor 8th Generation Intel Quad Core i7-8550U Processor (Up to 4.0GHz)
RAM 16GB DDR4
Storage 512GB SSD
Display 15.6″ FHD 4K UHD WLED-backlit (3840 x 2160) Touchscreen Display
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce MX150 Graphics 2 GB GDDR5
Operating System Windows 10 Home 64
Battery Life Up to 12-hours
Weight 4.6 lbs
Check Price On Amazon4. ASUS ROG STRIX GL503VD Best Gaming Laptop
This is the another ASUS ROG STRIX series laptop on our list of best laptops for music production. Based on performance, this laptop gives similar performance as of previously mentioned ASUS 17-inch laptop. As we’ve already discussed that the Asus ROG Strix comes in various different models based on their hardware specifications. Although, all the models are capable ones and are perfect for audio creation.
The ASUS ROG STRIX GL503VD is a 15.6” gaming laptop that is packed with a 7th generation i7 processor which is great for the price. It Though featuring a 16GB of RAM and 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD, this model offers 2 times less storage than the previously mentioned ASUS ROG GL703VD laptop. But we can’t ignore its powerful features that give us a reason to include on our list of top laptops for music production.
With NVIDIA’s latest GeForce GTX 1050 4GB GDDR5 graphics card, it comes with a bunch of other special features like an RGB-color backlit keyboard with an anti-ghost technology that also makes this laptop a gaming monster along with a pro-choice for music production and recording.
Hardware Specifications of ASUS ROG STRIX GL503VD Laptop
Processor 7th-generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ Processor 2.8GHz
RAM 16 GB DDR4
Storage 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD
Display 15.6″ FHD LED-backlit (1920 x 1080) IPS Display
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 4GB graphics
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Battery Life Up to 9-hours
Weight 5.6 lbs
Check Price On AmazonYou may like to read: Best Gaming Laptops Under $1000
5. Acer Aspire VX 15
If you are running on a tight budget, no problem. Because Acer Aspire VX 15 is the best budget laptop for music production as well as it seems more suited for a gamer. This Acer laptop comes with a 15.6-inch full HD display with 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor making it a serious gaming machine. It has 1080p IPS display to get the audio recording works done.
It sports NVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB graphics and 16GB of RAM which is a really fast type of RAM. For storage, the laptop is backed by 256GB of SSD which you can upgrade when needed. The laptop comes with Iron-Red backlit keyboard giving it a solid gaming look. The laptop also offers fast USB Type-C and USB 3.0 ports for transferring applications and other data between your external drive and laptop quickly.
With a battery that offers you up to 6 hours of usage, the Aspire Aspire VX 15 is an ideal budget laptop for music production as well as for gaming purpose.
Hardware Specifications of Acer Aspire VX 15 Laptop
Processor 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ Processor (Up to 3.8GHz)
RAM 16GB DDR4
Storage 256GB SSD
Display 15.6″ FHD LED-backlit (1920 x 1080) IPS Display
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 4 GB GDDR5
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Battery Life Up to 6-hours
Weight 5.51 lbs
Check Price On Amazon6. Lenovo Legion Y520
Lenovo Legion Y520 is an extremely powerful laptop music production under $1000. It sports 15.6-inch full HD display with anti-glare coating for the better viewing experience. It comes with rugged construction with a black color body and red-backlit keyboard giving it a perfect look for a music production laptop.
The laptop is powered by 7th Generation Intel Core i7 processor paired with a massive of 16GB of RAM to handle your software easily. For storage, this laptop comes with 256GB of solid state drive and a massive 2TB of a hard disk drive which is more than enough memory and storage space for the most crucial software packages.
It comes with 4GB of powerful NVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti graphics card make it perfect for handling multiple applications for music production as well as for gaming.
Hardware Specifications of Lenovo Legion Y520 Laptop
Processor 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ Processor (Up to 3.8GHz)
RAM 16GB DDR4
Storage 256GB SSD + 2TB Hard Drive
Display 15.6″ FHD LED-backlit (1920 x 1080) IPS Display
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4 GB GDDR5
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Battery Life Up to 5-hours
Weight 9 lbs
Check Price On Amazon7. Dell XPS9560-7001SLV-PUS 15-Inch
Dell XPS series is a famous laptop series for music production and video editing laptops. This newest Dell XPS 15-Inch model is a thin and lightweight ultrabook packed with a high-performance processor and graphics makes it one of the best music production laptops you can buy.
It comes with 7th Generation Intel Core i7 processor and latest NVidia GeForce GTX 1050 graphics making it a perfect machine for gaming and music production. This is a perfect music production ultrabook for those people who have to travel more often. This Dell laptop comes with the 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage which would be good enough for music production.
Based on its overall specifications including good battery life and lightweight the Dell XPS 9560 one of the best laptops for music production of 2018.
Hardware Specifications of Dell XPS9560-7001SLV-PUS 15-Inch Laptop
Processor 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ Processor (Up to 3.8GHz)
RAM 16GB DDR4
Storage 512GB PCIe SSD
Display 15.6″ 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) InfinityEdge touch display
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 4 GB GDDR5
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Battery Life Up to 5.5-hours
Weight 3.9 lbs
Check Price On Amazon8. Apple 15″ MacBook Pro, 256GB SSD
For a professional music composer, the chances of using MacBook is higher than using a Windows-based laptop. The Apple MacBooks are specially designed with high-end features and they are widely used for music or audio creation. Here is another variance of Apple MacBook Pro available with 256GB of SSD.
Similar to the previously mentioned MacBook pro, it is powered by the latest 7th generation Intel Core i5 processor clocked at 2.8GHz. It sports 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage which is more than enough for seamless multitasking with reliable storage.
For the graphics, the laptop comes with AMD Radeon Pro 555 graphics, which boosts up the graphics handling performance of this laptop. If you have a large budget then this would be the best MacBook for music production you can buy.
Hardware Specifications of Apple 15″ MacBook Pro, 256GB SSD Laptop
Processor 2.8GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor (Up to 3.8GHz)
RAM 16GB 2133MHz LPDDR3
Storage 256GB SSD
Display 15.4″ FHD Retina (2880×1800) Display
Graphics Radeon Pro 555 with 4GB GDDR5
Operating System MacOS Sierra
Battery Life Up to 10-hours
Weight 6.4 pounds
Check Price On Amazon9. ASUS N580VD-DB74T VivoBook Pro 15
The ASUS N580VD is the best pocket-friendly music production laptop which offers 7th Generation Intel Core i7 clocked at 2.8GHz. With 16GB of RAM, the VivoBook Pro 15 delivers all the processing power needed for effortless multitasking. It comes with 15.6-Inch full HD display having a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
It has NVidia GeForce GTX 1050 dedicated graphics which is one of the best graphics cards for gaming laptops as well as for other high-end applications. It comes with powerful Harman Kardon certified speakers deliver the loudest, clearest audio possible from a thin and lightweight device making it a complete package for music production.
Overall, the ASUS N580VD-DB74T a perfect budget all-rounder laptop to get anyone started with music production.
Hardware Specifications of ASUS N580VD-DB74T VivoBook Pro 15
Processor 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ Processor (Up to 3.8GHz)
RAM 16GB DDR4
Storage 512GB M.2 SSD
Display 15.6″ FHD LED-backlit (1920 x 1080) IPS Display
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 4 GB GDDR5
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Battery Life Up to 6-hours
Weight 4.8 lbs
Check Price On AmazonRELATED: Top 10 Best Gaming Laptops Under $800 – Also Good for Video Editing
10. Acer Aspire R 15 Best Budget Laptop for Music Production
If you are on the tight budget and want to buy a powerful machine for audio creation and recording then this Acer Aspire R 15 would be a perfect choice for you. It is one of the best convertible laptops you can use in four different modes including normal laptop, to a tablet mode, display mode or tent mode with 360° hinge.
Powered by a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor, clocked up to 3.5GHz, this laptop on the list can rightly be titled as a “Best Budget Music Production Laptop”. It comes with 15.6-Inch IPS touch display with a resolution of 1080p. It comes with Nvidia GTX 960M graphic card with 2GB GDDR5 memory, makes this laptop good for editing 4K videos.
Although it is a budget-friendly laptop it offers a long-lasting battery of 9 hours making it one of the best laptops for music production under $800 you can buy.
Hardware Specifications of Acer Aspire R 15 Convertible Laptop
Processor 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7500U Processor (Up to 3.5GHz)
RAM 12GB DDR4
Storage 256GB SSD
Display 15.6″ FHD LED-backlit (1920 x 1080) IPS Touch Display
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce 940MX Graphics with 2GB GDDR5
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Battery Life Up to 9-hours
Weight 4.74 lbs
Check Price On AmazonPicking the one ‘best laptop for music production’ would be unviable. It all depends upon your own experience and usage whether a machine is best fit for you or not. With a premium display, HD graphics, fast processor, it perfectly sums up what best laptops for music productions should offer.
We think our short review of music production laptops will help you to find the best machine. If you still need any suggestions or guidance related to the laptops, feel free to ask and leave a comment below.
