TechJunkie Expert Recommendations
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Whether you’re a music producer, a DJ, or if you simply have a home music studio, you need a powerful laptop that can meet all your demands. After all, your laptop is an essential tool that you will use for work daily. Picking the right one can make or break your career in music.
There are countless specifications you need to take into consideration when choosing the ideal laptop. If you are always on the go, your laptop should have a strong battery life, and it shouldn’t be too heavy. You also need high-speed performance, lots of storage, and a CPU that can support all your music-making software. The list goes on and on.
In this guide, we’ll go through a comprehensive list of high-quality laptops that are ideal for the music industry. These are some of the best laptops for music editing, music production, and recording.
It’s no surprise that Apple’s MacBook is first on our list. After all, Apple’s products are well-known for their quality and high-speed performance, and the MacBook Pro is no exception. Below, we’ll talk about the 13-inch MacBook Pro, which is ideal for music editing for a couple of reasons.
The MacBook Pro comes in 13-inch and 16-inch sizes. Since it is lightweight (3 pounds), the 13-inch version is much more convenient for people who are always on the go. Not to mention that it has a battery life of almost 10 hours. Storage is another important factor for music-making and editing software. That’s why the MacBook Pro 13 has 32GB of computer memory, more than enough internal storage for all of your music files.
Along with the RAM storage, its high-speed performance allows you to launch multiple apps and programs at the same time and keep dozens of tabs open without having to worry about the device crashing. Some other features the MacBook Pro 13 has to offer are a 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, a fantastic retina display, and high-fidelity audio options. With all of these impressive characteristics, this laptop can definitely take your music to the next level.
Dell’s XPS series contains high-quality laptops that have long been customer favorites. Specifically, the Dell XPS 13, which features high on our list as well. This model is particularly well-suited for beginners who have just started their journey in the music production industry.
The Dell XPS 13 is technically considered a gaming laptop due to its ultra-fast 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processor. Keep in mind that ideal gaming laptops and music-editing laptops usually require the same powerful features. There are other aspects of the Dell XPS 13 that make it a great music-editing laptop, such as its compact size, memory speed of 2133 MHz, and a 13.3-inch Infinity Edge touch display, which allow for a user-friendly experience.
Other features that make this laptop a hit among music producers include long-lasting battery life, high-quality stereo speakers, various high-definition audio options, and two ports, including the Thunderbolt 3. On the other hand, the Dell XPS 13 only has 8GB of RAM, which might not be sufficient for all your music-editing programs and various music files. If you’re a novice music producer, then the Dell XPS 13 is the ideal option for you. In terms of pricing, the cost can vary. But no matter the price, this laptop is definitely a game-changer.
The Razer Blade 15 is a well-known laptop in the gaming world, and it also happens to have a lot of specifications that can meet all your music-editing requirements. It’s also known as one of the most powerful laptops on the market, which is ideal for music-making software.
Its 10th gen Intel Core i7 processor allows for the ultimate performance, which means that you can have as many programs running as you like. The device can support all of your apps and software flawlessly. This laptop also has 16GB of RAM space and 256 GB of SSD storage, which is more than plenty.
The Razer Blade 15 comes in two versions: the base model and the advanced model. Their key differences include storage (512GB PCIe NVM and 1TB PCIe NVMe), processors (6-Core 10th gen i7-10750H and 8-Core 10th gen i7-10875H), and size (4.7 pounds and 4.9 pounds). Due to the many powerful features and high-speed performance this laptop offers, it’s pricier than most laptops on this list. It also has a weak battery life of only six hours. While the Dell XPS 13 is better suited for beginner music producers, the Razer Blade 15 is the best option for professionals.
The Asus Rog Strix is another powerful laptop that can meet all of your requirements. Some of the most useful features this laptop has to offer includes the 7th gen Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor, an Aura RGB lighting keyboard, a 15.6-inch display, and four USB ports.
Considering it weighs 5.6 pounds, it’s convenient when you have to work on the fly. Another handy feature is its built-in duo-copper cooling system, which maximizes CPU and GPU performance, and makes your laptop quieter. The best part is that most of its features can be upgraded easily.
This laptop is a great choice for audio production due to its 16GB of storage and long-lasting battery life. If you’re looking for a laptop with a certified high-performance ability, then this might be the right option for you.
If you want a more affordable alternative to the MacBook Pro, then the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro is the laptop for you. Not only can this laptop match all the features of a MacBook Pro, but it has much more horsepower and an 8-hour battery life to go with it.
One of the reasons this laptop is a favorite is because it can flip into a tablet, making it even more convenient for people who are always on the move. Apart from tablet mode, it also comes with an intuitive S Pen, which can speed up your work and improve your user experience.
With 16GB of computer memory size and a hard disk of 256GB, there’s no limit to what you can do with this device. Its 7th gen Intel Core i7 processor will let you multitask to your heart’s content. The Samsung Notebook 9 Pro also comes with a USB 3.0 and USB Type-C, an SD Card reader, and an HDMI port so that you can connect your device to docking stations, monitors, and lots of other devices. Therefore, this laptop is a great option for anyone working in the music production business.
While the Microsoft Surface Pro series includes a lot of high-quality laptops, such as Microsoft Surface Pro 2, Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Microsoft Surface Pro 6, we recommend the Microsoft Surface Pro 7. The reason the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is ideal for music editing is because of its 10th gen Intel Core processor, making it much faster than all the previous versions.
Due to its compact size, it has a 12.3-inch touchscreen. Its slim design and lightweight make it easily portable and convenient for those not working from home. The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 can be rotated in studio mode or tablet mode, so it can quickly adapt to the way you work.
To make it even better, this laptop has an impressive battery life of 10.5 hours. In addition to the laptop, you can buy the Surface Pen, which can enhance your performance and productivity to a great extent. The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is an excellent option for music producers or DJs who often work in different places.
What makes the Asus ZenBook 15 different from all our other options is the intuitive screen pad. This 5.65-inch touchscreen works as a second display, where you can add and open multiple apps. You can even write down notes on the screen pad and switch between the two screens. All of which makes this laptop is an excellent choice for multitasking.
The Asus ZenBook 15 offers some other useful features: the 9th gen Intel Core i7 processor, which allows for high-speed productivity and performance, 16GB of computer memory size, and 512GB of hard disk storage. Its 15.6-inch display allows you to see everything in full HD. This laptop also has a 4-Core CPU and a dedicated GPU.
The Asus ZenBook 15 also comes with a stylish design, while its compact size and lightweight enable you to carry it anywhere with you. Not to mention that this device has a strong battery life, so you can use it for work without having to worry about it switching off. Among other things, this laptop is great for music editing because of its excellent audio quality, which will let you hear each tone clearly.
The Lenovo Yoga Book is a creative and quick option that might work for you. Even though it’s more suited for songwriters than producers, there are plenty of ways you can use this device to your advantage.
Since the Lenovo Yoga Book has a flip-and-fold rotating display, it can be used both as a laptop and a graphic tablet that comes with a stylus. Due to its convenient size and 10-inch display, it’s great for people who are always on the go.
It can also be used as a replacement for your PC that you can briefly use when working in the field. Even though this device has only 4GB of RAM, its internal memory has 64GB that can be expanded with a system boot. Apart from all other laptops on this list, which either have a Mac or Windows operating system, this device runs on an Android OS. Despite some of its limited capabilities, the Lenovo Yoga Book has surprisingly high performance and long battery life. It’s also an affordable alternative to a pricy laptop.
The Acer Swift 3 is an affordable laptop that is another great option for music editing. With a Ryzen 7 4700U CPU and an Octa-Core processor, it’s ideal for handling various apps and music-making software all at the same time.
Its ultra-thin and lightweight design makes it easily portable and even more convenient when you are always on the go. What’s more, the Acer Swift 3 comes with a long-lasting battery life of 11.5 hours, more than enough for a whole day of work without having to stop to charge the battery. This laptop comes with 8GB of RAM storage for all your music files and programs.
When it comes to external features, the Acer Swift 3 comes with USB 2.0, a USB 3.0, and a USB-C Thunderbolt 3 port, as well as an HDMI port and headphone or mic jack. Having a sufficient number of ports allows you to plug in various wires and connect with different devices. If you are looking for a more affordable version of the Dell XPS 13, which has the same high-speed performance, then this is definitely the right laptop for you.
The newest version of the MacBook Air contains a lot of improved and up-to-date features compared with previous versions. It’s also Apple’s thinnest notebook, making it ideal for traveling music producers. Its CPU and GPU allow for amazing speed that is five times faster than the previous models. That’s why this device is ideal for high-performance apps and games that include intense graphics. It even holds the record for Apple’s longest battery life, which can even go to 18 hours.
Some other features this laptop has to offer include thermal efficiency, up to 2TB of SSD storage, a high-quality built-in microphone, a beautiful 13.3-inch display, and many more features that make this laptop worth every penny. Its new 10th gen Intel processor allows for ultra-fast performance.
It allows you to run multiple music-making programs at the same time without the device slowing down. If you are looking to invest in an excellent laptop for music editing, then the MacBook Air is the right option for you.
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