Best laptops for music production 2023: Best overall, best battery life, and more (2024)

If you’re looking for a good all-arounder, the Asus VivoBook Pro 16X OLED is a good bet, as it ticks a lot of boxes. For one, the 4K OLED display is superb. Not only does it produce crisp images, but it’s also a good option for those who suffer from eye strain and tension headaches. If you spend endless hours looking at a screen as you edit and mix tracks, you might as well invest in one with a crystal-clear picture. The VivoBook also packs a serious punch when it comes to processing power.

The Ryzen 9 5900HX CPU is plenty fast enough for basic music production needs and everyday use. This laptop is also packing 32GB of memory and a whopping 1TB of PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD storage. That’s plenty for firing up multiple applications and storing audio files. There are a couple drawbacks you should be aware of: The webcam isn’t great (not surprising) and the fingerprint reader can have a mind of its own. Overall, however, the VivoBook Pro is a fantastic machine that any musician or DJ would love.

If you prefer the portability and versatility of a convertible laptop, you may want to pick up the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14. You can prop it up like a painter’s easel or swing the screen around and use the laptop like a tablet. It features 16GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage,and strong battery life. You can also expect reliable performance thanks to the 12th-gen Intel Core i7 processor. It has four performance cores and eight efficiency cores. The more cores, the better, especially if you’re working with multi-track songs.

The 74 watt-hour battery is also surprisingly large for such a slim machine. It lasted 12 hours during our battery rundown benchmark, which is more than a full work day. The speakers are surprisingly punchy, too. This is important if you’re editing a song and aren’t able to plug into external speakers. While this convertible laptop has a lot to offer, we had a few nitpicks with it.

The display’s 16:9 aspect ratio may be a problem, as it makes for a squashed-looking picture. It’s not a deal breaker, but we tend to prefer taller displays. The trackpad is also smaller than we like, which takes time getting used to. The port selection is a bit limited as well. That said, if you don’t mind those small factors, then the Yoga 9i is a fabulous machine worth considering.

The HP Dragonfly Pro comes with all of the attractive design, incredible efficiency, and great performance of a MacBook Pro but in a Windows device. HP partnered with AMD to create this slim laptop that packs the latest-generation Ryzen 7 processor with eight high-performance cores and a robust Radeon 680M graphic card. All of the performance features are great for music production, but as an added bonus, we were incredibly impressed with the quad speakers on this laptop. Everything from loud action movies to intricate electronic music songs sounds crisp and clear without noticeable distortion.

The laptop also has a thin and attractive design, built with a high-quality aluminum and polycarbonate. However, this laptop takes a minimalist approach to ports, which means if you rely on a bunch of plug-in accessories you’ll need to buy a dock. The display is nice enough, but it does have some catching up to do if it hopes to rival Apple’s best. Still, for a laptop that is significantly cheaper than the current line of MacBook Pro models, this Dragonfly Pro laptop from HP is a more than worthy competitor and the high-quality speakers will allow you to continue producing your masterpieces on the go.

1.

How much processing power will I need?

Whether you’re recording multiple tracks or editing songs, you’re going to need a fast processor to keep things running smooth. That’s why we recommend springing for an Intel Core i5 or i7 with six to eight cores. A processor with multiple cores will help better divide the workload. For AMD options, go for a Ryzen 5 or 7. If you need additional power, a Ryzen 9 will do you just fine.

2.

What about memory and storage?

Music production software usually eats up a lot of power, so you’re going to need at least 16GB of RAM. As for storage, it really depends on the size of your project. For more basic needs, 512GB of SSD storage is suitable. If you’re dealing with uncompressed audio tracks, go for a 1TB SSD, as those files can take up a ton of space.

3.

Do I really need a high-end GPU?

You don’t really need a powerful graphics card for music production. A laptop with integrated graphics is more than sufficient. A machine with discrete graphics is more appropriate for gamers or graphic designers.

4.

Does port selection matter?

You’re going to need a wide selection of ports to plug into various amps, microphones, and so on. Variety is key here. You’ll want to look for a laptop that has USB 3.2 Type-C, USB Type-A, Ethernet, and HDMI.

5.

Is portability important?

If you’re a wedding DJ, you’re probably going to need a laptop that’s light enough to take with you. You’ll want a laptop that weighs three pounds or less. The only drawback is that a slimmer laptop means less room for bigger and more powerful components.

6.

How powerful should my speakers be?

Most if not all of the laptops on this roundup produce crisp sound. However, to really hear those mid tones, we’d recommend plugging into external speakers, as laptops aren’t designed to have powerful speakers. (See our roundup of the best budget computer speakers if you want to save some money here.) If you’re unable to plug into external speakers, the laptops with upward-facing speakers tend to be more punchy.

7.

How long should the battery last?

A laptop that lasts anywhere from 10 to 12 hours on a single charge is a good baseline, especially if you’re traveling and there’s no outlet in sight. That’s more than a full work day.