Ultimately, your workflow and the nature of your tasks will determine which MacBook is ideal for your music production. It’s also in your best interest to keep your Mac running smoothly for as long as possible. If you want your new laptop to last you for years, you need to consider the configuration you choose.
The Macbook Pro is the best option, but if you’re on a tighter budget, consider the MacBook Air instead; just be aware that it doesn’t have the magic touch bar.
The Macbook Pro 13 and 16-inch models are favorites among music industry pros due to the convenience of the additional buttons that allow for intuitive editing rather than the need to memorize keyboard shortcuts (on Logic Pro X).
In this article, I’ll discuss the various Macbook Pro models, how they were tested, and which proved superior for making music. I’ll also review several other Mac applications you may use to make music.
Best Macbook For Music Production
MacBook Pro
The only Apple notebook that is truly deserving of consideration for use in the creation of music is the MacBook Pro. This is especially true for musicians who are always on the road. There is a selection of MacBook Pro models available, and each one serves a somewhat different purpose. However, the choice that is most suitable for you will depend on the requirements that you have in mind.
The two types of 13-inch MacBook Pro both feature Apple’s M1 processors, although they are somewhat limited by the fact that they come with only 8GB of RAM as standard (even though it is possible to upgrade this to 16GB at the moment of sale). Additionally, there are only two Thunderbolt connections available. If, on the other hand, you are not planning to connect a large number of additional controllers or storage devices to the device, it should still prove to be a reliable worker.
MacBook Pro 14-inch
If you’re looking for the most excellent laptop for making music, our recommendation is still the 14-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 Pro and M1 Max processor options make this machine a competent laptop capable of handling even the most demanding tasks with relative ease.
Many music-production apps are available for the operating system that comes standard on the MacBook Pro 14-inch, which is one reason why many music producers and artists prefer Apple devices.
Read Also: Razer Blade 14 vs. MacBook Pro 14
It boasts a great selection of connections and some of the most excellent built-in speakers we’ve seen in a laptop. A further remarkable feature is the battery life. The best laptop money can buy, but it’s costly.
Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
In terms of cost-effectiveness, the MacBook Air in 2020 is outstanding. It’s a lot less expensive than the MacBook Pro 14 I mentioned above and a lot less costly than many Windows-based competitors while maintaining a sleek, lightweight design and good performance owing to the M1 chip.
It’s been discounted even further because it’s two years old, and Apple has just introduced the new 2022 M2 MacBook Air. However, don’t let its age deter you; this is still a great laptop for music creation and can run any application the more costly MacBook Pro can.
The absence of a fan is yet another perk of the MacBook Air. This means it produces no audible noise when in operation, which is very useful when recording audio. The number of ports is very low, so consider purchasing a dock.
MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021)
The MacBook Pro 14-inch is the best laptop for music production due to its compact and portable size. However, if you prefer a larger screen, the MacBook Pro 16-inch offers virtually the exact specifications as its 14-inch sibling, and it also has a battery life that is marginally improved. Some individuals believe that working on a larger screen is more comfortable, mainly when working on numerous tracks simultaneously.
This is another outstanding laptop for music creation, and much like the MacBook Pro 14 that came in at number one, it ought to be able to deal with even the most difficult of tasks and endeavors. It has a microphone and speakers of high quality, in addition to a significant number of port options. However, the price is significantly higher than that of the 14-inch model.
Other best laptops for music production
Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360
The Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360’s long battery life and convertible form factor make it an excellent choice for the touring musician. This laptop lasted 14 hours and 30 minutes on our battery drain test. Wow, that’s awesome, right? The battery life is fantastic, but you need more than that. The 15.6-inch OLED screen has excellent contrast, and the 12th-generation Intel Core i7-1260P processor makes everything run smoothly and quickly. Our test unit has 16 GB of RAM and a 1 TB solid-state drive. That’s more than enough to handle uncompressed audio files and many programs simultaneously. However, we found the benefits to be greater than the drawbacks, especially in terms of performance and battery life, even though the keyboard and webcam underwhelmed us.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 is an excellent choice if you need a powerful but portable laptop. In the ultraportable category, it weighs just over three pounds. The AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS processor is lightning fast and highly impressive. You also get a whopping 32GB of DDR5 RAM and 1TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD space. That’s a legendary team-up for creating professional-quality music. However, the keyboard needs to be better. The texture could be more mushy, and the illumination at the back could be more impressive. As a result, the Zephyrus G14 is an excellent choice if you need a portable computer with dependable performance.
Asus VivoBook Pro 16X OLED
The Asus VivoBook Pro 16X OLED is a solid choice if you need a versatile laptop that can handle various tasks. First of all, the 4K OLED screen looks fantastic. It’s an excellent choice for people who frequently experience headaches and eye fatigue because it reduces both symptoms while producing sharp images. If you’re staring at a screen for hours on end as you edit and mix recordings, you might as well get one with a high-definition display. When it comes to computational power, the VivoBook is just as formidable.
Read Also: MacBook Air 2022 vs MacBook Pro 2022
F.A.Q
Is MacBook air enough for music production?
Yes. The new MacBook Air M1 is an excellent laptop for creating and editing music, and its speed should be more than adequate for these tasks. Even 128 gigabytes will do the trick if that’s all you can afford, but 256 gigabytes is recommended for optimal performance.
How much RAM do I need for music production?
It is suggested to have 16 gigabytes of random access memory (RAM) for music production and audio engineering; however, the bare minimum required to ensure sufficient headroom for all applications is 8 gigabytes of RAM. When you upgrade the performance of your central processing unit (CPU), you can increase the amount of RAM in your high-end system to 32 or 64 gigabytes.
Why do musicians prefer Mac?
One of the reasons is that Macs are incredibly straightforward to operate, so artists don’t waste time configuring their equipment or troubleshooting issues. They are powerful, often beating Intel-equipped PC equivalents thanks to the recent addition of the M1 family of CPUs, which indicates that they have been added.
