The 5 Best Laptops For Music Production - Spring 2024 Reviews

The best laptop for music production we've tested is the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023). This exceptionally well-built device has plenty of processing power for even the most demanding music production workloads. It also provides a great user experience with its sharp display, spacious keyboard, and gigantic touchpad. Its excellent port selection makes it easy to plug in your production station, keyboard, audio interface, etc. There's even a high-output 3.5mm headphone jack for hard-to-drive cans. Although this laptop has cooling fans, they never get loud, so you don't have to worry about your microphones picking up the noise. The main downside is that you're paying for graphical performance that you don't necessarily need in music production. If you want more screen space and don't mind paying more, get the larger Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3, 2023). It's the same device but with better-sounding speakers.

On the Windows side, we recommend the Dell XPS 15 (2023), a 15.6-inch premium model. It's available with Intel 13th Gen H-series CPUs, which are plenty fast for music production workloads with tons of tracks and plugins. It has a bright FHD+ display (upgradeable to a 3.5k OLED), a large touchpad, and a reasonable number of ports, including three USB-C/Thunderbolt 4s and an SD card reader. Unlike the MacBook Pro, the RAM and storage drive are user-replaceable, so you can add more or upgrade later. The keyboard gets uncomfortably hot under load, but thankfully, the fans remain quiet. Lastly, Dell has released new XPS models in 14- and 16-inch sizes, with the former replacing the 15-inch model. As such, this 15-inch model is often on sale on Dell's website.

If you want something less pricey, check out the M2 Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023). At the time of writing, Apple has already released a newer M3 model, so you can only get this M2 version from 2023 through a marketplace, third-party seller, or Apple's refurbished section. Otherwise, we recommend getting the newer model. It has a few upgrades over its predecessor, including a marginally faster M3 SoC, Wi-Fi 6E, and support for two external displays, although the latter only works with the lid closed.

Performance-wise, the MacBook Air 15 doesn't have as much processing power as the MacBook Pro 14 mentioned above, whether you get the M2 or M3 model, but it's still fast enough to handle music production without too many issues. Plus, this is a fanless device, so you don't need to worry about fan noise ruining your recordings. Unfortunately, its port selection is still limited to two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3s, and none of the components are user-replaceable. We'll have a full review of this model soon.

Our recommendation for Windows users is the Framework Laptop 13 (2023). This 13-inch model is almost the complete opposite of the MacBook Air, as its design makes repairs and upgrades easy. Every component is user-replaceable, and you can even get the parts from Framework. It has a sharp 3:2 display (though it isn't as large, so you don't get as much screen space), a modular port system that lets you swap out the ports on the fly, and a good amount of processing power. Unlike the MacBook Air, this laptop has a cooling fan; it isn't super loud but is audible, nonetheless. You can only get this laptop from Framework.

If you want a more modest mid-range model, check out the Lenovo Yoga 7i 16 (2023), a well-built 16-inch 2-in-1 convertible. It sports a large 16-inch display, giving you plenty of screen real estate to see your tracks, samples, and tools. Additionally, since it's a 2-in-1, you can flip the screen around and use it as a tablet to see your music sheets while playing. There's also pen input support, and the laptop includes a stylus in the box, which is great for those working with music notation software like StaffPad. There's a fingerprint sensor and a facial recognition camera, so you can log in quickly and get to work.

Spec-wise, you can get this laptop with an Intel 13th Gen U- or P-series CPU. We recommend getting a model with a P-series chip, as they have better multi-thread performance to handle demanding workloads. They won't perform as well as the H-series CPUs typically found in mobile workstations or even Apple's M2 Pro/Max SoCs, but they can get the job done. Fan noise is not a problem—it's barely audible under load. Ports include two USB-As, two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4s, an HDMI, and a MicroSD card reader. The battery lasts over 12 hours of light use and charges fairly quickly over USB-C. You can get this laptop directly from Lenovo if you have trouble finding it elsewhere.

The best budget laptop for music production we've tested is the ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605 (2023). Like our mid-range pick, this is a 16-inch model, but it isn't a 2-in-1, so you lose the tablet functionality. You still get a nice keyboard, a large touchpad, and decent performance from its AMD Ryzen CPU. Its fingerprint sensor allows you to log in quickly, and its battery lasts around eight hours of light use. Ports include three USB-As, a USB-C (not Thunderbolt 4 or USB4, sadly), and an HDMI.

As this is a budget model, there are a couple of compromises to know about. First, the display only gets to about 250 cd/m² at full brightness, which is fine for most indoor settings but not for sunny environments or outdoors in broad daylight. Next, the USB-C port doesn't support video output, meaning you can only use the HDMI port to connect an external monitor. Lastly, you can only get 8GB of memory. If you want 16GB, you must upgrade it via the empty SO-DIMM slot.

If you like the 2-in-1 tablet form factor, get the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021). You can detach the keyboard to make it easier to hold as a tablet or save space and pop it back on when you need to type something out. Its 3:2 display looks sharp, gets bright enough to combat glare, and supports pen input. You get an excellent 1080p webcam for video calls and a Windows Hello IR camera for quick logins. The battery is short at seven hours of light use, but luckily, the power adapter is fairly compact, and you can also charge via its USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports. Speaking of ports, expect to get a dock because it only has two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4s, a headphone jack, and a proprietary Surface charging port. Unfortunately, you need to buy the keyboard and stylus separately.

As this is a model from 2021, there's already a newer version, the Surface Pro 9. It's essentially the same device but with faster Intel 12th Gen. processors. The Surface Pro 9 is easier to find, but if you don't need the performance increase, you can save a good chunk of cash with the Surface Pro 8 since it's an older device and often on sale.