If you’re looking for the best laptop for music production, we understand that your time is valuable. So naturally, you are interested in a solution that takes care of everything for you.
NextbookUSA has created a list of the 8 Best Laptops in 2020 for Music Production, which details top machines such as the ASUS Rog Strix Scar II, Apple Macbook Pro, and Apple Macbook Air.
We have also included some useful features such as speakers, CPU (so you can run vital Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software smoothly), storage capacity (for recordings), and RAM.
Modern music production has seen a transition from traditional recording gear to portable devices. For most musicians and producers, a laptop is crucial.
With our research and testing, we have taken some of that work off your hands. It will provide you with enough information to make an informed decision. We will look at some of the best laptops for music production and why we rate them.
They do not come any better than the Asus ROG Strix Scar II Laptop. A potent Intel Core i7 8750H Hexa core processor. It is built to facilitate multi-tasking. That means that you can simultaneously run several programs powered by 16GB of DDR4 RAM. With the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 8GB GDDR6, you are capable of anything…
- Ninth-generation 6-Core Intel Core i7 Processor
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- 1.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i3
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB SSD
- Intel Iris Plus Graphics
Music Production Laptops – Comparison Table
| Image | Product | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Asus ROG Strix Scar II Laptop, 15.6” 144Hz IPS Type Full HD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, Intel
| 9.7 | Check On Amazon |
| | New Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage)
| 9.5 | Check On Amazon |
| | Apple MacBook Air (13-inch Retina Display, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) – Gold (Previous Model)
| 9.1 | Check On Amazon |
 | Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB)
| 8.8 | Check On Amazon |
 | 2020 HP 15 15.6″ HD Touchscreen Premium Laptop – 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G1, 16GB DDR4, 512GB SSD
| 8.6 | Check On Amazon |
 | Asus ROG Strix G (2019) Laptop, 15.6” IPS Type FHD, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, Intel Core i7-
| 8.2 | Check On Amazon |
 | Razer Blade 15 Laptop: Intel Core i7-8750H 6 Core, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, 15.6″ FHD 144Hz,
| 8 | Check On Amazon |
Best Music Production Laptop – Reviews
1. Asus ROG Strix Scar II – Best Windows Laptop for Music Production
Hardware Specifications
| Processor | Intel Core i7 8750H Hexa core |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 RAM |
| Storage | 512GB PCIe SSD |
| GPU | Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 8GB GDDR6 |
| Display | 15.6” 1920×1080 IPS type display |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Battery Life | Up to 11 hours |
| Weight | 5.29lbs |
Top 3 Features
There are many factors that make the Asus ROG Strix Scar II the music producing titan that it is. The most apparent of these would be the visual side of things. It is easy on the eyes. That is largely down to the way that the manufacturer has used neon colours to good effect.
The hardware is second to none; an Intel Core i7 8750H Hexa core processor makes this device quite the workhorse. It is aided by 16GB of DDR4 RAM to enhance its multitasking capability.
As far as storage goes, you have an incredible 512GB PCIe Nvme SSD. It gives you ample storage for your music as you record. The transfer speed is a bonus.
- The hardware is easy to upgrade
- It has a beautiful display
- It feels solid and sturdily built
- There is 1 year water and electrical damage cover from ASUS
- Offers enhanced Wifi coverage
- The touchpad is quite small
2. Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage) – Best MacBook for Music Production
Hardware Specifications
| Processor | Ninth-generation 6-Core Intel Core i7 Processor |
| RAM | 16GB RAM |
| Storage | 512GB SSD |
| GPU | AMD Radeon Pro 5300M Graphics with GDDR6 memory |
| Display | 16-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Retina display |
| Operating System | Mac OS |
| Battery Life | Up to 11 hours of wireless web surfing |
| Weight | 4.3lbs |
Top 3 Features
With the ninth-generation 6-core Intel Core i7 processor, this Macbook Pro packs a real punch. It has 16GB of RAM, which aids in multitasking some of the most demanding software.
Not only does it come with an SSD, but it provides adequate space for storage and is described a which will give you access to recording devices. Most music producers will use external speakers, but it is worth noting that this Macbook Pro has a six-speaker with force canceling woofers.
Another critical feature to consider is battery life. You get up to 11 hours of use from this laptop, there is also the option to upgrade hardware if you would like to. You can upgrade the processor to an Intel Core i9 and the storage to 8TB of SSD. 64GB is how much further you can push the memory.
- It has a Touchbar and Touch ID
- There is excellent scope for upgrading the hardware
- The processor is impressive
- The basic RAM is adequate for most tasks
- It feels sturdy and well built
- The battery life does not always live up to expectations
- The hardware alone does not justify the price
3. Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage)
Hardware Specifications
| Processor | 1.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i3 |
| RAM | 8GB RAM |
| Storage | 256GB SSD |
| GPU | Intel Iris Plus Graphics |
| Display | 13.3-inch Retina display with True Tone technology |
| Operating System | Mac OS |
| Battery Life | Up to 12 hours of wireless web surfing |
| Weight | 2.8lbs |
Top 3 Features
If weight is important to you, you may want to consider the Macbook Air instead of the Pro. It comes with a smaller screen size which makes it more suited for portability. The screen offers an LED-backlit Retina display.
At first glance, you may be taken aback by the 1.1GHz speed of the processor but you will be pleased to know that it can be turbo boosted up to 3.2GHz. It is a quad-core 10th generation processor. For storage, you have a fast SSD drive that provides you with 256GB storage.
Where battery life is concerned, you can get up to 12 hours of use from a single charge for less demanding tasks. There are two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports that can be used for charging and display.
- It is a lightweight device
- It comes at a lower price than the Macbook Pro
- Set up is exceptionally user friendly
- It has a Touch ID
- The camera is a bit of a letdown
- There are connectivity limitations
4. Samsung Notebook 9 Pro NP940X5N-X01US 15″ FHD
Hardware Specifications
| Processor | 8th Generation Intel Quad-Core i7-8550U Processor (1.8GHz, up to 4GHz with turbo boost, 4MB L3 Cache) |
| RAM | 16GB, 2133MHz DDR4 |
| Storage | 256GB SSD |
| GPU | AMD Radeon 540 graphics driven by 2GB GDDR5 dedicated video memory |
| Display | 15.0″ Full HD touch screen |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Battery Life | Up to 12.5 hours of wireless web surfing |
| Weight | 3.79lbs |
Top 3 Features
If you are after a utility laptop, this is an exciting pick. The Notebook 9 Pro comes with a Touch Screen that gives you the additional option of using this device for your graphics. It also helps that you have a 15” screen to work with.
The versatility is such that you can use this laptop as a tablet if you would like to. Where performance is concerned, you will derive a lot of pleasure from the 8th Generation quad-core Intel Core-i7 processor. It is aided by 16GB of RAM and an equally impressive 256GB SSD.
There are four cells in a 3530mAh Lithium-ion battery. It gives you close to 13 hours of web surfing and similar tasks. For those moments of collaboration, you also have access to a 720p HD webcam that is built-in.
- It is reasonably lightweight for a 15” screen
- It has a touch screen
- The trackpad is of impressive quality
- Comes with a pen for annotating PDFs
- The battery life is reasonably good
- The inbuilt speakers are nothing to write home about
5. Microsoft Surface Pro 6 – Best 2-in-1 Laptop for Music Production
Hardware Specifications
| Processor | Intel Core 8th Gen i7 |
| RAM | 16GB DDR SDRAM |
| Storage | 512GB SSD |
| GPU | Intel UHD Graphics 620 |
| Display | 12.3” PixelSense Display |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Battery Life | Up to 13.5 hours of video playback |
| Weight | 1.7lbs |
Top 3 Features
If the touch screen and accompanying pen are of interest to you, this is another option. This is a tablet that can double as a laptop, courtesy of the ergonomic keyboard and the kickstand.
The kickstand stretches from the center of the device and it can be folded away when you are using the device in its tablet form. Such is the versatility of this device that it is adequately a laptop as it is a tablet. You can benefit from the 8th generation Intel Core processor. There is 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD to maximize its performance potential.
The thickness of the device makes it incredibly portable. It is a surprise that it has enough battery life to last an entire day or close to 14 hours when a video is played on it, which is the battery life that you can expect when using it for work.
- It is incredibly lightweight
- It has an ergonomic design
- The battery life is relatively good
- It is a responsive device
- It is versatile
- Quality control could be improved
- Heats up when stressed
- The keyboard and pen are sold separately
6. 2020 HP 15 15.6″ – Best Touchscreen Laptop for Producing Music
Hardware Specifications
| Processor | 10th Generation Intel(r) Core(tm) i5-1035g1 Processor |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 RAM |
| Storage | 512GB SSD |
| GPU | Intel Graphics_coprocessor UHD Graphics |
| Display | 15.6 inches HD Touchscreen |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Battery Life | Up to 12 hours of wireless web surfing |
| Weight | 4.49lbs |
Top 3 Features
How does a quad-core 10th generation processor sound? Good right? What makes this one even more interesting is that it can be turbo boosted from 1.0GHz to an eye-watering 3.6GHz. That takes your base level performance to another level.
It also benefits from 16GB DDR4 RAM. For storage, the HP 15 comes with a generous 512GB SSD. Not only does that give you plenty of room to store your music, but it is also lightning quick at startup. That may not seem like a big deal, but it counts for a lot over the lifetime of any laptop. Not to mention how much quicker it is when transferring files.
Having an HD Touchscreen is a bonus, it eases tasks that can be monstrous when using a mouse. We are pleased to note while other devices are doing away with the connections that we are accustomed to, this one does not. There are several USB ports as well as a headphone/microphone combo and a memory card reader.
- It is thin and reasonably lightweight
- It comes with large storage space
- Comes with a 1-year warranty as standard
- It is reasonably priced
- It has excellent battery life
- The fan can be loud
- The keyboard is not backlit
7. Asus ROG Strix G (2019) Laptop
Hardware Specifications
| Processor | 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750h Hexa-Core |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 2666MHz RAM |
| Storage | 1TB PCIe SSD |
| GPU | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR5 (base: 1395 MHz, Boost: 1560 MHz; TDP: 50W) |
| Display | 15.6 inches |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Battery Life | Up to 9 hours of wireless web surfing |
| Weight | 5.28lbs |
Top 3 Features
This is another laptop that was designed with gamers in mind. Fortunately, we know that this means the hardware is geared towards the high demands that games have. To facilitate this, it has a 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750h Hexa-Core processor. It is a processor that can perform at a speed of up to 4.5GHz.
There is also a 16GB RAM in place to further enhance the performance of this laptop. With high processing speed and demand often comes heated devices. That is where the Asus ROG Strix G excels.
Allow me to introduce you to the Rog intelligent cooling Thermal system. It has two 12V fans and anti-dust technology which gives you the option to control the fans through adjustable fan modes. Would you like it silent, balanced, or in turbo mode?
Storage woes will be a thing of the past as there is an excellent 1TB SSD in this laptop. To ensure that you get the most out of the screen size, they have a 79.6% screen to body ratio. That also feeds into a lovely keyboard layout designed for precision.
- It comes with a terabyte of storage space
- The cooling system is effective
- Great value for money
- CPU usage can be controlled
- Fans can be controlled
- It is heavier than others on our list
- Screen design and colour precision could be better
8. Razer Blade 15 Laptop: Intel Core i7-8750H 6 Core
Hardware Specifications
| Processor | 8th Gen Intel Core i7 6 Core |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (6GB) |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 2666MHz RAM |
| Storage | 512GB SSD (PCIe) |
| Display | 15.6” 144Hz Full HD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Battery Life | Up to 6 hours (80Wh) |
| Weight | 4.56lbs |
Top 3 Features
Here is one powerful laptop that strikes a perfect balance between work and play. We cannot go further without mentioning its 0.7” thin CNC aluminum unibody.
That is where all of the higher performance hardware is housed. To ensure your music production safety, you can depend on the biometric security features on this laptop. It allows for face unlock through the integrated webcam and IR sensor.
All of this does not come at the cost of the main feature, which is the overall performance. For that, you have the 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H 6 core processor with 4.1GHz turbo to thank. It is accompanied by an equally enthralling 16GB RAM and 512GB of SSD storage.
We are pleased to report that the display is not a letdown either. It has a 144Hz Refresh Rate. There is also room for expansion. The RAM can be expanded to 64GB. Storage can be expanded to 2TB.
- Hardware is easy to upgrade
- The body feels and looks sturdy
- It starts up very quickly
- It has biometric capabilities
- It is reasonably priced
- It does not fare too well at low frequencies
- The sharp edge can be annoying when typing
Buyers Guide to the Best Laptop for Music Production
Found a laptop that you fancy but are not sure if it is the one? That is where the buyer’s guide comes in handy. We will explore some of the things that you must consider when purchasing a laptop for music production. The first of these would be to make sure that the Digital Audio Workstations you want to use are compatible with your laptop’s operating system. For Macbook, you have Pro Tools and Garage Band at the forefront.
Music Production Software
| Software | Requirements | Recommendations | Compatibility |
| Steinberg Cubase Pro 10.5 | Requires at least 4GB of RAM. | You are recommended to have at least 8GB to get the best out of it. You will also need to have 30 GB of storage. Cubase is compatible with both Windows and Mac OS. | Cubase is compatible with both Windows and Mac OS. |
| Logic Pro 10 | Requires at least 6GB of storage space for installation. | You will need 72GB of storage space for the full Sound Library. | You will need at least Mac OS 10.14.6 to run Logic Pro 10. |
| Ableton Live 10 | At least 4GB of RAM is required on both Windows and Mac OS. | You are recommended to have at least 8GB. | Compatible with both Mac OS and Windows. |
Processor/CPU
The processor will determine how well your laptop runs the tasks that each DAW software requires.
Graphics Card/GPU
The graphics card determines the look and visual performance of the laptop. That is an essential feature of DAWs.
RAM
The RAM is critical for the multitasking that is associated with music production. More RAM means better performance.
Screen Size & Resolution
Screen size and resolution allows for a better view of the DAWs. Most software will come with minimum requirements.
Storage
Storage space allows you to retain your working data. Music production is synonymous with large files: the more storage space you have, the better.
Internal Memory/Extension
Most laptops come with internal memory. It is essential for multitasking. You also have the option to purchase extensions that can be connected to it.
OS
The operating system is responsible for running the DAWs. Compatibility is key. Your OS should be compatible with the DAW that you would like to use.
Battery Life
Battery life determines how long you can use your laptop when it is not plugged into a power source. Better battery life means you can make use of it for a longer time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Laptop Should I Buy For Music Production?
Any of the laptops that we reviewed above would make an excellent laptop for music production. We would recommend that you decide whether to go with the Mac OS or a Windows laptop. For Mac OS, we would recommend that you purchase the Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage).
Best Budget Laptop For Music Production?
If money is an object, the 2020 HP 15 15.6″ HD Touchscreen Premium Laptop makes a good laptop for music production. You should also consider the Asus ROG Strix G (2019) Laptop, which offers excellent value for money.
What is the best Mac laptop for music production?
The Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage) is the one that we would recommend. You can consider upgrading some of the hardware to meet any additional requirements that you may have.
What is the best windows laptop for music production?
The Asus ROG Strix Scar II is our top pick for Windows laptops for music production. It has some room for upgrading hardware. We like that it comes with a powerful processor and RAM. There is also a generous amount of storage space to start with.
Conclusion
Producing music, while enthralling, does not have a shortage of challenges. There are various moving parts that the producer and others involved have to keep an eye on. Whatever those may be, having a solid music production laptop as part of your set up makes it a whole lot easier – and we hope our buyers guide and recommended laptops for producing music have saved you time (and money) in your search. Any of the devices that we have recommended above will serve you well.
