Top 10 Best Laptops for Music Production in 2023

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 a 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 effort, here we have compiled a brief list of the 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 the 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 a limited performance with minimum specifications. Before jumping out and spending your money on a system, we recommend you 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 a 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 describes 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 go for a minimum of 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 16″ MacBook Pro, 512GB SSDBest Mac for Music Production

Apple MacBook Pro 16

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 16-inch thin and lightweight laptop that 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 a 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7 Six-Core processor paired with the 16GB of RAM and a 4GB dedicated AMD Radeon Pro 5300M graphics card that makes it good enough for music production and recording.

For storage, the MacBook Pro 16 comes with 512GB of SSD storage which is good for storing large media files or audio software. It offers 11 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 16″ MacBook Pro, 512GB SSD
Processor 9th-Generation Intel Core i7 6-core Processor 2.6GHz
RAM 16GB 2133MHz LPDDR3
Storage 512GB SSD
Display 16″ FHD LED-backlit Retina (3072×1920) Display
Graphics AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory
Operating System macOS BigSur
Battery Life Up to 11-hours
Weight 4.3 pounds

2. ASUS TUF FX505DU Gaming Laptop

ASUS TUF Gaming Laptop

The ASUS TUF FX505DU 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 15.6-inch laptop with a 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 the AMD Ryzen 7 3750H processor clocked at a 2.2GHz processor. It is also sported 16GB DDR4 RAM making it very snappy for demanding music projects. It comes with the combination of a 1TB hard disk drive and 256GB of SSD which make it one of the most powerful laptops. It also has an Nvidia GTX 1660Ti GPU with 6GB of dedicated memory.

It weighs only 4.8 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 it is one of the best 15-inch laptops for music production you can buy right now.

Hardware Specifications of ASUS TUF FX505DU Gaming Laptop
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 3750H Quad-core Processor (up to 3.9GHz)
RAM 16GB DDR4
Storage 256GB PCIe SSD + 1TB HDD
Display 15.6″ FHD LED-backlit (1920 x 1080) Display
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti 6GB GDDR5
Operating System Windows 10 Home x64
Battery Life Up to 10-hours
Weight 4.85 lbs

3. HP Spectre x360 15t 2-in-1 Laptop

HP Spectre x360No 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 that allows you to use it as a normal laptop or as a tablet.

It sports the latest 10th 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 1TB 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 1650 Ti graphics with Q-Max design which is good for music recording, video editing, or photoshop.

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 13 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 10th Generation Intel Quad-Core i7-10750H Processor (Up to 5GHz)
RAM 16GB DDR4
Storage 1TB PCI NVMe M.2 SSD
Display 15.6″ FHD 4K UHD WLED-backlit (3840 x 2160) Touchscreen Display
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Graphics 4GB GDDR6
Operating System Windows 10 Pro
Battery Life Up to 13-hours
Weight 4.24 lbs

4. Asus ZenBook 14 Ultra-Slim Laptop

Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA

This is another high-performing ASUS ultrabook on our list of best laptops for music production. Based on performance, this laptop gives an excellent performance as of the previously mentioned ASUS laptop. As we’ve already discussed that the Asus ZenBook comes in various different models based on their hardware specifications. Although, all the models are capable and are perfect for audio creation.

The Asus ZenBook 14 UX435EG is a 14” ultra-slim laptop that is packed with an 11th-generation i7 processor which is great for the price. Though featuring 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD, this model offers 2 times less storage than the previously mentioned ASUS laptop. But we can’t ignore its powerful features that give us a reason to include it on our list of top laptops for music production.

Apart from NVIDIA’s latest GeForce MX450 2GB graphics card, it comes with a bunch of other special features like a backlit keyboard with ambient light control that also makes this laptop a gaming monster along with a pro-choice for music production and recording.

Hardware Specifications of Asus ZenBook 14 UX435EG
Processor 10th-generation Intel Core i7-1165G7 Processor, Up to 4.9GHz
RAM 16GB DDR4
Storage 512GB SSD
Display 14″ FHD Anti-Glare IPS 4-way NanoEdge bezel Display
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce MX450 2GB graphics
Operating System Windows 10 Pro
Battery Life Up to 16-hours
Weight 2.62 lbs

You may like to read: Best Gaming Laptops Under $1000

5. Razer Blade 15

Razer Blade 15

If you are looking for a portable and powerful machine, no problem. Because Razer Blade 15 is the best lightweight and budget laptop for music production as well as it seems more suited for a gamer. This Razer Blade laptop comes with a 15.6-inch full HD display with a 10th generation Intel Core i7 processor making it a serious gaming machine. It has a 1080p IPS display to get the audio recording work done.

It sports NVidia GeForce RTX 2070 with a Max-Q design and 8GB of memory. The laptop has 16GB of RAM which is a really fast type of RAM. For storage, the laptop is backed by 512GB of SSD to provide speed and capacity. The laptop comes with a single-zone 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 8 hours of usage, the Razer Blade 15 is an ideal budget laptop for music production as well as for gaming purposes.

Hardware Specifications of Razer Blade 15 Laptop
Processor 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10875H 8-Core Processor (Up to 5.1GHz)
RAM 16GB DDR4
Storage 512GB SSD
Display 15.6″ FHD LED-backlit (1920 x 1080) IPS Display
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q Design VR Ready 8GB GDDR6
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Battery Life Up to 8-hours
Weight 4.48 lbs

6. Lenovo Legion 5

Lenovo Legion 5 Gaming Laptop

Lenovo Legion 5 is an extremely powerful laptop for music production under $1500. It sports a 15.6-inch full HD display with an anti-glare coating for a better viewing experience. It comes with rugged construction with a black color body and white-backlit keyboard giving it a perfect look for a music production laptop.

The laptop is powered by the 10th Generation Intel Core i7 processor paired with a massive 32GB of RAM to smoothly run your games and photo and video-editing applications. For storage, this laptop comes with 1TB of PCIe solid-state drive which is great enough memory for the most crucial software packages.

It comes with 6GB of powerful NVidia GeForce GTX 1660Ti graphics card making it perfect for handling multiple applications for music production as well as for gaming.

Hardware Specifications of Lenovo Legion 5 Laptop
Processor 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10750H 2.60GHz Processor (up to 4.80 GHz)
RAM 32GB DDR4
Storage 1TB PCIe SSD
Display 15.6″ FHD LED-backlit (1920 x 1080) IPS Display
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti 6GB GDDR6
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Battery Life Up to 7-hours
Weight 5.1 lbs

7. Dell XPS 7390 13-Inch

Dell XPS 13 7390 Laptop

Dell XPS series is a famous laptop series for music production and video editing laptops. This newest Dell XPS 13-Inch model is a thin and lightweight ultrabook packed with a high-performance processor and graphics making it one of the best music production laptops you can buy.

It comes with a 10th Generation Intel Core i7 processor and the latest Intel UHD 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 16GB of RAM and a massive 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 7390 is one of the best laptops for music production of 2023.

Hardware Specifications of Dell XPS7390 13-Inch Laptop
Processor 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10710u Processor (Up to 4.6GHz)
RAM 16GB 2133MHz LPDDR3
Storage 512GB PCIe SSD
Display 13.3″ 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) InfinityEdge anti-glare touch display
Graphics Intel UHD Graphics
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Battery Life Up to 8-hours
Weight 2.8 lbs

8. Microsoft Surface Laptop 3, Newest Version

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3If you’re a professional music composer and prefer a Windows-based laptop over MacBook then this ultraportable notebook is best for you. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 is specially designed with high-end features so you can effectively use it for music or audio creation. Here is a variance of Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 available with 512GB of SSD.

It is powered by the latest 10th generation Intel Core i7 processor clocked at 1.8GHz. It sports 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage which is more than enough for seamless multitasking with reliable storage.

For the graphics, the laptop comes with Intel Iris Plus 640 graphics, which boosts up the graphics handling performance of this laptop. If you have a large budget then this would be the best ultrabook for music production you can buy.

Hardware Specifications of Microsoft Surface Laptop 3
Processor 10th Generation Intel Core i7 Processor, 1.8GHz
RAM 16GB 2133MHz LPDDR3
Storage 512GB SSD
Display 13.5″ PixelSense (2256×1504) Display
Graphics Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Battery Life Up to 11.5-hours
Weight 2.79 pounds

9. Lenovo IdeaPad L340

Lenovo Ideapad L340

The Lenovo IdeaPad L340 is a powerful and pocket-friendly music production laptop that offers many high-end specifications. The laptop is powered by the latest 9th Generation Intel Core i7 clocked at 2.6GHz.  With 8GB of RAM, the IdeaPad L340 delivers all the processing power needed for effortless multitasking. It comes with a 15-Inch full HD display having a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and a 45% Color gamut.

It has Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 dedicated graphics which is great for gaming as well as for other high-end applications. It comes with powerful Dolby ATMOS speakers that deliver the loudest, clearest audio possible from a thin and lightweight device making it a complete package for music production.

Overall, the Lenovo IdeaPad L340 a perfect budget all-rounder laptop to get anyone started with music production.

Hardware Specifications of Lenovo IdeaPad L340
Processor 9th Generation IntelCore i7-9750h Processor (Up to 4.5GHz)
RAM 8GB DDR4
Storage 1TB HDD + 256GB NVMe SSD12GB SSD
Display 15.6-inch (1920 x 1080) full HD IPS Display
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 4GB GDDR5
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Battery Life Up to 9-hours
Weight 4.85 lbs

RELATED: Top 10 Best Gaming Laptops Under $800 – Also Good for Video Editing

10. Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Ultra-Slim Laptop for Music Production

Microsoft Surface Pro 7If you are looking for a powerful and portable machine for audio creation and recording then this Microsoft Surface Pro 7 would be a perfect choice for you. It is one of the best-in-class laptops to use in various different modes so you can type, draw, and work more naturally.

Powered by a 10th generation Intel Core i7 processor, clocked up to 1.8GHz, this laptop on the list can rightly be titled as a “Best Budget Music Production Laptop”. The Surface Pro 7 comes with a 12.3-inch PixelSense display with a resolution of 2736×1824. The laptop comes with Intel Iris Plus 640 graphics that make it good for editing 4K videos.

For connectivity, it is equipped with USB-C and USB-A ports that give you more reliability for connecting to displays, and docking stations as well as charging. Although it is a budget-friendly laptop it offers a long-lasting battery of 10.5 hours making it one of the best laptops for music production you can buy under $1500.

Hardware Specifications of Microsoft Surface Pro 7
Processor 10th Generation Intel Core i7 Processor, 1.8GHz
RAM 16GB 2133MHz LPDDR3
Storage 256GB SSD
Display 12.3″ PixelSense (2736 x 1824) Touchscreen Display
Graphics Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Battery Life Up to 11.5-hours
Weight 2.79 pounds

Picking the one ‘best laptop for music production’ would be unviable. It all depends upon your own experience and usage whether a machine is the best fit for you or not. With a premium display, HD graphics, and fast processor, it perfectly sums up what the 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.

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