11 Best Laptop for Music Production in 2023 - Make Great Music!
The best laptops for music production in 2023 are:
- Apple MacBook Pro
- Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Alan Walker Edition
- Dell XPS 13 Laptop
- ZenBook Pro Duo UX581
- XPS 17 by Dell
- Razer Blade Pro 17
- MSI GE76 Raider
- Lenovo IdeaPad 3
- HP ZBook 15 G5
- Dell Precision 7730
So, you must be one of those on the lookout for the best laptop for music production.
See, we know music fanatics are raging all over the world jumping from one genre to another. They jump from country to EDM within seconds. They’ll be listening to Hip-hop music one second and Jazz another. They are hungry for more. They want to discover more complex, more convoluted tunes.
If you’re here, you are someone who wants to create good music. We know you are passionate about music. So, we want to ensure that we help you find the right device.
We’ll find you a laptop for recording music with the best audio interface that supports the digital audio workstation of your choice.
So, rest assured, your search for a music production laptop ends here. We have listed a bunch of the best laptops for here for you. And even if you are looking for the best laptop for audio production and podcasting, one of these will be good enough for you.
Look no more, get confused no more for we are here!
Check out the top 10 best laptops we have chosen for you. And while scrolling through, you’ll find a bonus too!
Table Of Contents
- Best laptop for music production
- Apple MacBook Pro
- Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Alan Walker Edition
- Dell XPS 13 Laptop
- ZenBook Pro Duo UX581
- XPS 17 by Dell
- Razer Blade Pro 17
- MSI GE76 Raider
- Lenovo IdeaPad 3
- HP ZBook 15 G5
- Dell Precision 7730
- Bonus for you- The best laptop for music production
- FAQs- Best laptop for music production
- Conclusion
Best laptop for music production
You know, music production is neither an art nor a hobby anymore. It is an education, it is a science. It is something you need to build a skill for. And, you of course cannot build this skill with a good laptop.
But, not any laptop! It has to be one with the capacity to support the Digital Audio Workstation of your liking.
So, here are 10 of the best laptops for music production and recording for you to take a pick.
DAWs like Cubase, FL Studio, Logic Pro, etc. all work fine on these laptops. :)
1. Apple MacBook Pro- Best Audio Interface
If you’ve used the Apple MacBook Pro models in the past, you’ll be conscious of the striking industrial design. It has an excellent Retina screen.
But the best and most important is its optimised in-house hardware and software combined to create the best laptop for music production. So, yes, you can absolutely use the MacBook Pro for music production.
Making use of the most recent M1 Pro or M1 Max chips, the 14” model now has enough processing power and cutting-edge performance to suit even the foremost demands of creative professionals. Configurable to incorporate some frankly crazy specifications, like up to 64GB of RAM and 8TB of SSD storage, this can be your pick.
The new Apple MacBook Pro 14” released in 2023 did not have any major external transformations. Yes, it doesn’t have a flashy new design or a vastly upgraded screen.
Yes it's expensive, the website shows that you'll be paying around 6,000 pounds for the very best specification version. But, to be real, in terms of laptop music production, this machine offers the best performance there is. Given the heavy-handed nature of music production, good performance can mean everything. You'll be able to read the total results of our testing within the review, linked below.
While having a robust machine is one part of the equation, you're also reliant on the hardware playing nicely with the software packages you use for work.
Logic Pro X and Garageband users are pretty lucky as they can make the most of all this extra optimization immediately. As of now users of Live, Cubase, Pro Tools etc. might not find MacBook suitable. Although they can expect full support soon.
If Apple's big promises over performance are kept and many users claim they are and also typically, they're – then this might be a revolutionary machine. It offers the best audio interface.
Try using a MacBook Pro for music production and I bet you will fall in love with it.
Specifications:
Buy Apple Macbook Pro on Amazon
|
CPU |
M1 Pro |
|
Display |
Device available in 13, 14, and 16 inches |
|
Memory |
8 - 64 GB |
|
Storage Capacity |
256GB - 8TB |
|
Weight |
1.3 - 2.2 kilograms |
|
Battery Life |
17 - 21 hours |
Why we believe the Macbook Pro is the best laptop for music production:
- It has an SD card reader as well as HDMI.
- The refresh rate is up to 120Hz and with an IPS-based Liquid Retina XDR display this laptop is absolutely brilliant.
- MagSafe 3 supports lightning-fast charging.
- The MacBook Pro performs admirably.
- The device has long battery life.
What could have been better:
- For some users or applications, the camera notch may be too prominent.
- Despite the presence of a notch, the device lacks facial recognition.
- Apple devices do not support memory or storage expansion, and the entry-level model does not include the faster-charging plug.
- This level of performance comes at a high cost and a simple comparison with other high end laptops will show you this.
Apple also have great laptops for artists, which you might want to checkout.
Not a fan of Apple laptops? No worries, we have more laptops for recording music for you. Maybe a Samsung laptop or some Dell laptops too!
2. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Alan Walker-Best Laptop for Recording Music
Wondering if this is the best music production laptop? The box this beautiful special edition comes with is used as a controller for mixing or as a synth pad that connects through USB-C to use with a frenzied app. You can find a good enough 16GB RAM laptop of this model. It tops the chart of laptops for recording music.
Whether or not you have already got your own dedicated controllers, it comes with two USB-C and two USB-A ports to attach them. And, it comes with enough power to handle most music production sessions. As a dedicated music production laptop, it is one of the finer choices for beginners.
Trust me the Alan Walker Edition is unique, inside out. This beats all Acer gaming laptops.
It packs the performance of its brother Asus ROG Strix laptop. It’s still the identical great laptop that the regular G14 is but includes a replacement colour for the chassis and colourways for the keyboard. But, this collaboration with the YouTube DJ is not over just a paint job. Trust me it is one of the best Asus computers. Asus also makes great laptops for architects, which you might want to check out.
Still, if you are crazy about Dell laptops, the next one will blow your mind.
Specifications:
Buy Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 on Amazon
|
CPU |
AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS |
|
Graphics |
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB |
|
RAM |
16GB DDR4 |
|
Screen |
14-inch |
|
Storage |
1TB Samsung SSD |
What makes this the best laptop for streaming:
- It has an awesome performance in a light and compact size.
- It has a sweet and gorgeous display to provide a premium user experience.
- The build is sturdy which also makes the laptop very stylish.
What could have been better:
- Webcam does not operate properly.
- The fingerprint scanner can be a pain to use.
- For a gaming system, display response times are slower.
- The keyboard backlighting is inadequate.
3. Dell XPS 13 Laptop
From our selection of best laptops for music production, this tops the chart. Dell is known for providing a good deal on reliable laptops. As a result, the XPS models are designed to perform well. It is one of the finest Dell laptop computers that come in handy while recording music.
As a result, the XPS 13 is a fantastic option. Dell's premium offering is the XPS 13 line of laptops. It is the most effective Dell laptop for working in music production. It is one of the better Dell laptop computers you can rely on. If you are not keen on using a Apple laptops, you can give this a go. If you work on your music remotely and are looking for thebest laptops for working from home, you can check out our collection on the same.
I don’t know why a lot of people wonder, “Are dell laptops good?” So, here is our response.
The Dell XPS 13 is made with high-quality components. This makes it a high-end notebook. The Intel Core i7-1185 G7 processor powers this laptop. The 13.4-inch infinity-edge display may be the icing on the cake. It has an HD+ LED screen.
You may also receive cutting-edge technology such as Bluetooth 5 and WIFI 6. FL Studio runs like butter on this laptop. It is a perfectly good laptop for music production.
The display also promises glare reduction thanks to an anti-reflective coating and Dolby Vision. It will outperform your current Acer gaming laptop. (If you own one)
As a result, you get a high-quality display showcase and incredible graphics.
Specifications:
Buy Dell XPS 13 on Amazon
|
CPU |
Intel Core i7-1065G7 |
|
RAM |
16GB |
|
Storage |
512 GB SSD |
|
Display |
13.4-inch, 1080p |
|
Weight |
1.32 kilograms |
Why is this the best laptop for working from music production:
- XPS 13 has incredible battery life. You can work for long hours without being bothered by the need to charge.
- The laptop is thin, easy to carry and light.
- It has a powerful Intel Core processor.
- It has two Thunderbolt 3 ports to offer.
- The laptop boasts a fast Wi-Fi 6.
What could have been better:
- The webcam is pretty mediocre.
- It is more expensive than its predecessor laptops.
- There’s a limited port selection on this laptop.
4. ZenBook Pro Duo UX581 by ASUS
The Asus Zenbook Pro Duo is an absurdly priced computer, but it is also one of the most innovative, advanced, and useful laptops ever produced.
Its 16 GB of memory, 1 TB of storage capacity, and processing power make it ideal for music mixing, midi production, podcasting, and audio recording. Again, the Acer gaming laptop bites the dust when a ZenBook comes out.
Some music producers advise against creating work on your laptop's screen and instead recommend purchasing a separate LED for nuanced detail. But all you need is an incredible machine. A machine with an outstanding dual display, dazzling 4K resolution, and a pen with high sensitivity.
Specifications:
Buy Zenbook Pro Duo UX581 on Amazon
|
CPU |
Intel Core i9 |
|
Graphics |
NVIDIA RTX 2060 |
|
RAM |
16 GB DDR |
|
Screen |
15.6 inch |
|
Storage |
1TB PCle SSD |
What makes this the best laptop for music production:
- The main 4K OLED display looks pretty good.
- It has an attractive and well-implemented second screen just above the keyboard.
- For a dual-screen laptop, it is fairly thin and appealing.
What could have been improved:
- Its design puts external devices and ports at risk.
- It provides inadequate wrist support.
- It has a 2nd matte display in addition to the OLED above.
- The battery life is poor and that's with the second display off.
5. XPS 17 by Dell
We highly recommend this lightweight, large-screen desktop replacement laptop. Acer gaming laptop may not even be able to provide you with a competitive advantage in terms of performance, but this guy will.
Dell chose to release the 17-inch Dell XPS 17 9700 in order to remain competitive. The combination of the 10th Generation Intel Core i9 CPU and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics tends to make the XPS 17 9700 one of the world's top PC replacement laptops on the market.
The XPS 17 9700, the most recent addition to the high-end XPS series, outperforms the MacBook Pro and its competitors. It is aimed at specialists who are willing to spend a lot of money on difficult requirements.
Its excellent build quality and performance, as well as the large 17-inch display, are reminiscent of the MacBook Pro and its 15-inch forerunner, the XPS 15.
It has a battery life of almost 24 hours and is powerful enough to handle design tasks, intense 3D gaming, music production media, and much more.
Specifications:
Buy Dell XPS 17 on Amazon
|
CPU |
10th Generation Intel Core |
|
Graphics |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 |
|
RAM |
16GB |
|
Storage |
1 TB |
|
Display |
17.0″ UHD |
This is the best laptop for music production because:
- The laptop renders great latency
- It has a light carbon fibre interior.
- The device comes with a vapour chamber.
What could have been better:
- The web camera is subpar.
- The refresh rate of 60Hz is relatively low.
6. Razer Blade Pro 17
The Razer Blade Pro's system is compatible with the brand's most recent technologies, allowing it to withstand the rigours of multiplayer gaming and demanding visual work. This in turn makes it a premium option in the arena of best laptops for music production.
Gaming laptops are not only popular with gamers, but they are also considered to be among the top performers in music-making. Razer's Blade Pro 17 is a new gaming laptop from the company that has long been a leader in gaming computers and accessories.
The vapour chamber cooling technology improves the laptop's thermal performance while remaining quiet under heavy workloads. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Graphics-powered 17" QHD 165Hz screen ensures a quick response and a fluent display for both design output and gaming.
And if you want an R blade 15in laptop, even that will serve as the best laptop for recording music.
Specifications:
Buy Razer Blade Pro 17 on Amazon
|
CPU |
Intel Core i7-12800H |
|
GPU |
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti |
|
RAM |
32GB |
|
Device Storage |
1TB SSD |
|
Display |
17-inch, 1080p, 360Hz display |
|
Size |
15.55 x 10.2 x 0.8 inches |
|
Weight |
6.1 pounds |
This is the best laptop for music production because:
- Razer Blade has a premium chassis and a sleek IPS display
- The speakers are adequately loud and well-placed.
- Blade Pro 17 has an improved layout for its keyboard. The trackpad is also excellent.
- The laptop presents a fast display with a high refresh rate of 300 Hz.
What could have been better:
- The laptop is slightly expensive and low on storage.
- This laptop neither has Optimus nor G-Sync.
- It might run hot and become noisy while gaming or running heavy software.
- This laptop has a 70Wh battery which renders a short battery life
7. MSI GE76 Raider
The MSI GE76 Raider, known to many, is arguably the best MSI laptop for music production. Raider's 17.3" FHD screen, with a refresh rate of 144Hz, is ideal for immersive gaming as well as demanding visualisation works such as high-quality video and image projection. Now, as a result, you can totally rely on this device when looking for the best laptops for recording music.
MSI music production machines are quite superior, and so is this one. It can easily run graphics-intensive apps thanks to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, plenty of RAM, as well as an SSD with capacities ranging from 64GB to 4TB.
The GE76 Raider is powered by an Intel® CoreTM i9 processor & NVIDIA® GeForce RTXTM 30 series graphics. The newly updated GeForce RTXTM 30 series graphics strive for perfection in order to achieve the incredible results of real-time ray tracing. It is the top performer used for recording music.
Acer gaming laptop cannot perform better than ever before with the Raider, which offers unrivalled gameplay. The Mystic Light Bar gives the system a distinct gaming style. Because of its aesthetics and performance, this could be one of the best laptops for music production.
This MSI computer, GE76 Raider has a distinctive obliquely slanted shape that is both solid and durable while also representing a spacecraft swerving across the universe.
Specifications:
Buy MSI GE76 Raider on Amazon
|
Processor |
Intel Core i9-11980HK |
|
RAM |
32 GB |
|
Device Storage |
1 TB SSD |
|
Screen Size |
16 inches |
|
Graphics Processor |
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU |
|
Graphics Memory |
16 GB |
|
Device Weight |
2.49 kg |
This is the best laptop for music production because:
- The laptop has good speakers and connectivity.
- It has an excellent 1080p webcam.
- Quiet fans, which are present on this laptop, are required for a gaming laptop.
- This device's PCI Express Gen 4 SSDs are fast.
What could have been better:
- This laptop's performance isn't world-class and could have been better.
- The screen is very dimly lit.
8. Lenovo IdeaPad 3
This is another good laptop for music production. A laptop is a low-cost option with a powerful AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Mobile Processor and discrete AMD Radeon graphics. It allows you to work quickly and multitask without experiencing lags.
But, what makes it deserve to be on the list of good music production laptops? Here it is. Lenovo offers low-cost touchscreen alternatives with a nice FHD 15.6" screen. Lenovo's IdeaPad 3 was released on May 19, 2020, and it remains one of the best laptops for music production.
On either Windows 10/11 music production/Pro, you can work safely with up to 36GB RAM and 1TB SSD. With the new WFH culture in mind, the HD camera with a privacy shutter was designed to be even more useful.
The IdeaPad 3 features Intel's Iris Xe Graphics and an 11th Generation i5-1135G7 processor.
Because of Intel's Willow Cove CPU micro-music production, which is only used on i5s and higher, the efficiency of 11th Gen CPUs has been greatly improved over previous generations, and Intel HD graphics also makes it an amazing experience.
Specifications:
Buy Lenovo IdeaPad 3 on Amazon
|
CPU |
Core i3-10110U |
|
GPU |
Iris Xe Graphics |
|
RAM |
8 GB |
|
Device Storage |
256 GB |
|
Display |
15.6 Inches |
|
Size |
21 x 13 x 2.75 inches |
|
Weight |
5.29 pounds |
This is the best laptop for music production because:
- The webcam on this laptop is quite clear and has a privacy shutter.
- In case you want to increase the device memory and storage you can upgrade the RAM and SSD.
What could have been better:
- The laptop does not have a USB-C port
- Wi-Fi 6 is absent on this laptop.
- It has a plastic chassis which makes it inappropriately flexible.
9. HP ZBook 15 G5
The ZBook G5 15 is one of the finest laptops for music production, whether it's for running 4K+ gaming resolution, performing intensive production work, or incorporating changes to existing audio clips. It is possibly one of the best computers for music production. For a variety of reasons, the laptop is the preferable model for many users.
First and foremost, its super duper CPU chip is part of one of HP Intel's strongest CPU series. The iCore 78850H processor features 12 threads and a basic clock speed of 2.6 GHz. This is ahead of every other laptop on our list of fine laptops for music production.
Another plus aspect is the maximum turbo speed of 4.3 GHz, which helps to eliminate superfluous trash files from your system cache memory. It may be difficult for a user to remove superfluous garbage files from the system cache on ordinary laptops. With this your search for a music production laptop can finally come to an end.
In contrast, with the ZBook G515, that is never a possibility. Under no circumstances will the cache files be allowed to clog up your memory space by the smart, dynamic CPU. It tops the chart of laptops for recording music. Within seconds of exiting a resource-intensive application, it clears the temporary trash file cache memory.
The 9MB L3 cache increases processor memory by speeding up the CPU processor, and the ability to run your system's heavy Exe file applications at breakneck speed. This model has outperformed other laptop models in its class in terms of storage systems.
With a 2400MHz RAM speed, the 32GB DDR4 RAM can collect essential data and files. The 2.6GHz base clock speed allows you to easily access the software apps in your system.
Even today, the graphics processor of HP is something that all other laptop-producing brands envy. Getting a laptop with such a multi-tasking capability at the pricing range that HP is giving is a real pain.
Specifications:
Buy HP ZBook 15 G5 on Amazon
|
CPU |
Intel Core i7-8850H |
|---|---|
|
GPU |
Nvidia Quadro P2000 |
|
RAM |
32 GB |
|
Device Storage |
512 GB SSD |
|
Display |
15.6 inches |
|
Size |
1 by 14.8 by 10.4 inches |
|
Weight |
5.8 lbs |
This is the best laptop for music production because:
- In case you want to upgrade the SSD this device has2 slots.
- It offers several screen choices which include 4K DreamColor and 1080p with a privacy filter.
- The laptop has a great processing speed.
- The product is light weighted and quite portable.
What could have been better:
- The battery drains too quickly when watching 4K videos.
- This product's fans occasionally draw attention to themselves.
- This product's build quality could have been better.
- This laptop's cooling system is inadequate.
10. Dell Precision 7730
According to Dell, the Precision Series is the nation's leading 17-inch workstation. This device is a true powerhouse capable of handling even the most demanding applications with ease.
If funds aren't a concern and you just want raw strength and excellent build quality, this is really the laptop, arguably one of the top laptops for music production for the task.
This one has a breathtaking presentation. The resolution is 4K and very precise, giving the impression of being in a movie theatre.
The Intel Core i9-8950HK CPU has six cores and can handle extremely demanding apps such as video transcoding and rendering, providing plenty of processing power for professionals and music production students alike.
The Precision 7730 has several bottom-mounted loudspeakers that can be heard even from the furthermost corners of a large room. Regretfully, the device does not have a long life. The battery on a laptop usually dies after about 4 hours of continuous use at moderate brightness. However, if speakers are your primary need, this one's amazing. You can also check out our list of laptops with the best speakers here.
Specifications:
Buy Dell Precision 7730 on Amazon
|
CPU |
Intel Core i7-8850H |
|
GPU |
NVIDIA Quadro P3200 |
|
RAM |
16 GB |
|
Device Storage |
512 GB SSD |
|
Display |
15.6 inches |
|
Size |
9.2 x 14.1 x 0.95 inches |
|
Weight |
7.38 pounds |
This is the best laptop for music production because:
- The GPU performance is exquisite.
- It is one of the Dell laptop computers that can bear all DAWs.
- It has a delicate build.
What could have been better:
- We have to mention that this laptop has a shoddy battery.
- It is way heavier than most laptops which makes it a tool if you want to move it around.
- Its size can make travelling inconvenient.
Bonus - The best laptop for music production
All these are good laptops for music production. Yet, as promised, we have a surprise for you.
Samsung Notebook 9
If you are impressed with the performance of Samsung laptops and wonder if they can even hold a candle to other laptops in the field of music production, get this. Samsung laptops have the best audio interface.
The Samsung Notebook laptop 9 comes in just under 3lbs. It also has a simple 0.61 inches thick screen, making it a perfectly compact and lightweight 15-inch laptops ever.
If you are not an Apple laptop lover, you can most certainly get this one. The touchpad is coated in glass and offers up superb palm rejection in that it did not once trigger mouse movements while typing.
It is a top performer and the best laptop for podcasting. Meanwhile, the fingerprint sensor is a quick few seconds set up and once set works well and is very responsive in action. It tops the chart of laptops for recording music.
With comparatively more horsepower than the near perfect MacBook Pro, this Samsung laptop in now ways plays among the small league. The sleek style and design although might look too fancy compared to Apple's sensible and chique take, still has loads of performance.
Specifications:
Buy Samsung Notebook 9 on Amazon
|
CPU |
Intel i7-8550U |
|
Graphics |
Nvidia GeForce MX150 |
|
RAM |
8GB-16GB |
|
Screen |
15-inch 1,920 x 1,080 LED |
|
Storage |
256-512GB SSD |
FAQs- Best laptop for music production
1. Typically, how much RAM is required for a music production project?
Surprisingly, a 8GB RAM size laptop works perfectly well for a small project and can run music production software well, including running multiple tracks. But, if your project is component heavy than preferably a 16GB RAM size laptop will work best for you.
2. What's the best OS for music production?
In general, macOS is thought to be superior to Windows for music production because it includes features for audio production, editing, mixing, podcasting, and so on. However, Windows laptops perform well as well, and if you are looking for a budget laptop, you can choose a Windows laptop. We also have a more extensive collection of the best laptops for music production under $300 here.
When it comes to music production, laptop performance is extremely important. The operating system of the laptop is also important in this context.
3. General factors to consider while buying a laptop.
Processor, Overall Battery life, Total RAM, Connectivity, and Storage are the most basic factors everyone should consider while buying a laptop.
4. Which kind of storage works best for audio production?
For audio applications, take a glance at laptops with SSD storage because they are faster and more reliable. HDD storage is also useful, but because it contains moving parts, it can slow down the overall process. You can also choose a laptop with a small SSD and a large HDD to get the best of both worlds.
5. Which laptop has the best resolution?
Dell Inspiron 13 5310 13.3 Inch QHD Laptop is the laptop with the best resolution.
6. Which laptop is the best for music production?
Choosing the best laptop for music production is not an easy task. However, you can select a laptop based on your specific requirements. If you want a solid laptop with plenty of storage and high performance, consider the Dell Inspiron 3000 Touch Screen Laptop.
However, if you require a laptop with the highest specifications, speed, and power, the Apple MacBook Pro with M1 Chip is ideal for you. So it's best to choose a laptop depending on your exact needs. Of course, you can consider laptops that aren't mentioned in this list, too - like the Apple macbook air or the Microsoft surface laptop.
Conclusion
There are many laptops available from various brands that can be used for music production, and we have listed a couple of them in this article. We hope it will assist you in deciding on the best computer for your sound application.
Music production is a difficult and complex task that necessitates the use of high-quality processors and high-performance laptops. Music production can be challenging without high-quality laptops.