Best Laptop For Music Production In 2022

When it comes to buying the best laptop for DJs, there are a few things to consider. Although music creation is not as demanding as video editing or 3D design, it still necessitates specialized equipment, which means that not even the greatest laptops will suffice.

For starters, the best laptop for music production should have a powerful CPU, as DAW (digital audio workstation) software like ProTools and Logic require a lot of power and speed. While a strong graphics card isn’t required, you’ll need enough fast RAM to handle all of those massive audio files and plugins. It’s also crucial to have a lot of storage capacity so you can keep all of those samples and audio files with you without having to carry around extra hard drives.

When looking for the finest laptops for music production, keep in mind your intended degree of use and frequency of use. Are you planning on sketching songs for fun every now and then, or do you intend to put in some significant hours and share your work widely? There’s a strong possibility you’ll wind up diving deeper than you anticipated, so consider investing in a laptop for music creation that you can grow into overtime. If at all possible, this means maxing out the specs.

1. Apple MacBook Pro M1

Our top pick for the best laptop MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) is the finest pick for music creation, given that it also tops lists for best video editing and best photo editing. This M1 Pro or M1 Max-powered laptop elevates the MacBook Pro to new heights, with mind-blowing performance, similarly mind-blowing battery life, and an XDR display with 1600 nits of peak brightness and a wide color gamut. The SD card slot, HDMI port, and three Thunderbolt 4 ports (all of which can stay open thanks to the return of MagSafe charging) are all great features.

SPECIFICATIONS

CPU: Apple M1 Pro 8-core – M1 Max 10-core

Graphics: Integrated 14-core – 32-core GPU

Screen: 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display

Storage: Up to 8TB

PROS

+The best laptop screen

CONS

-Some people may find the screen to be too small

You can head to Apple Website to buy the MacBook Pro M1 or get an amazing deal on trusted stores at Amazon

2. MacBook Air M1

The greatest laptops for music creation may be found at the MacBook Pro level, although those models can be fairly costly, especially if they are fully loaded. A MacBook Air is a more inexpensive option to get a taste of Apple’s music-making world if you’re not ready to make such a large investment, which may easily exceed $2,000. Apple’s unique high-bandwidth, low-latency M1 processor-based architecture, which debuted in 2020, is found in both the Air and Pro variants.

Although their CPU and GPU are similar, there are a few important distinctions that can limit how you operate. The entry-level Air model has 8GB of RAM (half the maximum memory of a Pro) and only 256GB of internal storage, so it won’t be able to run a major digital audio workstation (DAW) to its full potential, but it’ll suffice if you’re not looking to track massive ensemble sessions or route every channel through multiple instances of effects. In addition, the integrated GarageBand program includes virtual instruments, limitless samples, loop packs, and other tools to help you create your own songs and remixes.

On top of that, it has a vibrant 13.3-inch Retina display with a resolution of 2560 by 1600 pixels (all the better for organizing those color-coded samples and channels). When working with delicate microphones, the fanless operation is a huge plus.

SPECIFICATIONS

CPU: System-on-a-Chip (SoC) Apple M1 chip; 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores; up to 8-core GPU; 16-core Neural Engine

RAM: 8GB or 16GB memory

Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1T, or 2T SSD storage

Battery life: Up to 18 hours of battery life

PROS

+MacBook with the lowest price

CONS

-Might heat and affect performance as there’s no active cooling inside

You can head to Apple Website to buy the MacBook Pro M1 or get an amazing deal on trusted stores at Amazon

3. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Alan Walker Special Edition

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Alan Walker Special Edition is as unusual on the outside as it is on the inside. It’s the same fantastic laptop as the normal G14, but with a different color for the chassis and keyboard color options. This partnership with the YouTube DJ, though, is more than just a slap on the wrist. It comes with a box that may be used as a mixing controller or as a synth pad that connects through USB-C and can be utilized with specialized software. Even if you already have specialized controllers, it includes two USB-C and two USB-A connections for connecting them. It also has the adequate processing capability to handle most music production sessions.

SPECIFICATIONS

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS

Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB

Screen: 14-inch, IPS, 2,560 x 1,440, 120Hz

Storage: 1TB Samsung M.2 SSD

PROS

+ Good battery life

CONS

Click here to buy the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Alan Walker Special Edition

4. Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition

The Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition’s 8-core 10th Gen i7 processor, 1TB of blazing-fast PCIe NVMe storage, and 32GB of DDR4-2933MHz RAM are the absolutely strong pick for making music, as are the best gaming laptops’ powerful processors and gobs of memory and storage.

You can produce a sound design for games and play them on the same machine if you’re very ambitious with your composition and gaming endeavors. Premium features such as a 5.1GHz Max Turbo processor, Wi-Fi 6, Thunderbolt 3, a revolutionary liquid cooling system, a Chroma RGB keyboard, and a stunning 4K OLED touchscreen—all housed in a sleek anodized CNC Aluminum case—should keep you from losing your creative mojo. However, these can come at a great cost.

With a price tag that varies between $4,000 and $6,000 depending on whether or not there are any sales going on, it’s a big investment that can put off a lot of casual consumers. After all, MacBook computers, which are normally considered costly, cost less than half as much as the Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition. If Macs aren’t your thing, this is a terrific option—especially if you want the best for both competitive eSports and creating EDM, (psycho)acoustics, and other music.

SPECIFICATIONS

CPU: 8-Core 10th Gen i7-10875H

RAM: 16GB or 32GB memory

Storage: 512GB or 1TB SSD storage

Battery life: Up to 4.5 hours battery life

PROS

+ Slim, sleek aluminum case

+ CPU that is lightning fast.

+ 15-inch 3840 x 2160 screen

CONS

– Even with innovative liquid cooling, it can get exceedingly hot

If you have decided to choose the Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition. Click here to buy

5. Dell XPS 13 (2020)

For years, the Dell XPS 13 (2020) has been a fixture on our best laptops list, and it now gets a well-deserved spot on our best laptops for DJs list as well. From the beautiful and light design to the strong modern components that power it, it retains everything we’ve come to love about Dell’s flagship 13-inch display. The Dell XPS 13 (2020) now has 10th-generation Intel Core i5 or i7 CPUs and a bezel-less ‘Infinity Edge’ display, making it a powerful performance while remaining thin and light. There are numerous customization possibilities available as well.

SPECIFICATIONS

CPU: 10th generation Intel Core i5 – i7

Graphics: Intel Iris Plus

Screen: 13.3-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) – 4k (3840 x 2160)

Storage: 256GB – 2TB SSD

PROS

+Amazing battery life

CONS

-Audio that isn’t up to par

6. Acer Aspire 5

The Acer Aspire is the finest budget laptop for music creation because it’s a quick, well-performing laptop that strikes all the right notes while saving you hundreds of dollars. This budget-friendly choice comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 dual-core processor that runs at up to 4.0 GHz, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD. There are a few small drawbacks to that price tag, but they can be readily overcome. For reference, the typical battery life for this device is five hours, so be sure you have your power cable tether with you whenever you’re on the road (even the 7.5-hour maximum can be no match for many producers when they find themselves deep in the groove). And the money you save can be used to even out the situation. more. Gear!

SPECIFICATIONS

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700U Dual-Core Processor 2

RAM: 4GB, 8GB, 12GB, or 16GB memory

Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1T SSD storage

Battery life: Up to 7.5 hours battery life

PROS

+Storage space is ample

+Fast performance for its price point

CONS

-Less Batter life

-Only 4GB Ram for the base model

7. Microsoft Surface Pro 8

Several artists choose to work with 2-in-1 laptops because they allow them to be tactile on the go with a 13-inch, 2880 x 1920, 120Hz touchscreen, which is useful if you want to literally sketch down different ideas before fleshing them out.

To get the most out of this convertible, simply add the Surface Slim Pen 2 and/or the detachable Signature Keyboard. This incredibly portable, full-featured computer, which runs Windows 11 and is built on the Intel Evo CPU architecture, allows you to execute whatever software you need whenever melodies emerge in your head.

Although integrated systems aren’t as powerful as those constructed with discrete components (and aren’t upgradeable), this workstation has more than enough capacity to run podcasting software through Pro Tools for a solitary artist or content creator. If you’re balancing another career or continuing education with music, the laptop’s predecessor, the Microsoft Surface Pro 7, was named the best laptop for college, so this improved 2-in-1 laptop, which now has up to 16 hours of battery life compared to 10.5 hours in the previous iteration, makes for a good academic and accounting tool. You can stay in touch with managers, booking agents, and social media utilizing Wi-Fi 6, USB-C, and Thunderbolt 4 connectors, as well as mixers, control surfaces, and whatever else you need to enrich your signal channel. Opt for the most specced-out one you can afford, and expect some software problems while upgrading to the most recent version of an operating system.

SPECIFICATIONS

CPU: Intel Evo Platform Core i7

RAM: 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB memory

Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB SSD storage

Battery life: Up to 16 hours battery life

PROS

+Upgraded batter life

+Higher refresh rate

CONS

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