5 Best Laptop Computers for Music Production in 2024

Justin Rogers

in gear / computers / setup Posted on

06/14/2024 11:00 AM

Your computer is essentially the central command station for your entire recording studio. If you already have a laptop or desktop that was purchased within the last few years, you can likely start using it to record your own music. However, if you are looking to purchase a computer, there are many great options available for your home studio.

Contributing factors to your computer of choice will be price, performance, and compatibility with your interface/DAW, amongst others. Although you can get all the gear you need to start your home studio on a pretty low budget, purchasing a computer is the one area that may be a little more costly than any of your other investments.

Recording and mixing music can require a lot of power from your computer. If you are creating large production projects with high track counts, tons of plugins & effects, and virtual instruments, you are going to need more juice than a base model laptop that retails for under $300. A computer like that may be fine for recording small projects such as an acoustic guitar and vocal, but as the demands from your music projects start to increase, so will the requirements from your computer.

The more power you can get, the better.

You may be limited by your budget, and that’s ok! You can still find a usable computer within your ideal price range, even if that means purchasing a certified used or refurbished model. Willing to spend only $100 on a Mac? Yeah, me too. More on that later...

If you’re just starting out and learning the ins and outs of recording, your songs' production will most likely be on the smaller side of things. So just like with your other gear, you can always start simple with your computer and upgrade it as your studio, skills, and budget grow.

Be sure to check the system requirements for your DAW, your interface, and any other software/hardware you may be using, and choose a computer with the most power you can afford that meets or exceeds those requirements.

Processor:

8-core processors or above are most ideal, but smaller processors can still get you started. I have a 2015 MacBook Pro with a dual-core processor that I sometimes use for on-the-go editing. It rarely struggles unless the project has many processor-heavy plugins and/or many virtual instruments running. Even then, it's often a very light struggle on the computer that can be fixed by freezing or disabling a couple of tracks.

Memory:

The more RAM you can get the better. At a bare minimum, 4 GB is what most modern DAWs will require, but 8GB RAM is recommended. This will be fine for basic recording and mixing tasks, but as you increase production and mixing elements, your computer may start to struggle. If you can afford 16 GB of RAM to start, you will be in a much better position.

Storage:

Go for the largest and fastest drive you can afford. SSD drives are best for their fast data transfer and this makes them great for music production. I would recommend a minimum of 256GB or more since all of your recorded files and software can take up a TON of space. If you opt for smaller storage, be sure to have an external drive strictly for recording your music projects.

Connectivity:

Computers today seem to be including fewer and fewer ports, meaning that hubs and adapters have become a new normal. Realistically, how many devices will you need to connect? You may have a keyboard, mouse, interface, MIDI keyboard, licensing dongles, external drives, etc. If you don’t have the required amount of available ports, you will need an additional USB hub (or hubs) to accommodate all of your devices.