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The list in brief ↴
1. Best overall: MacBook Pro 14 (M2)
2. Best value: MacBook Air M2
3. Best big screen: Dell XPS 17
4. Best small screen: MacBook Pro 13 (M2)
5. Best gaming: ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15
6. Best Windows: Surface Laptop Studio
7. Best big MacBook: MacBook Pro 16 (M2)
8. Best dual screen: ASUS Zenbook Pro Duo 15
9. Best of the rest: LG Gram 17
10. Best of the rest: Surface Laptop 4
11. FAQs
The best laptops for music production may cost a bit more, but you'll save time and money overall because they'll let you work quickly and efficiently, with a minimal chance of being held up by stuttering, freezing or crashing.
Below, you'll find our list of the best laptops for music production for you to choose from. We've curated this list using our expertise, industry contacts and extensive review experience. We've taken into account everything from power and memory to screen size and portability. To learn more about our review process, see our guide to how we test laptops, PCs and workstations.
While these laptops are all great for music production, you might want to compare them with other creative laptops, especially if you’re a jack-of-all-trades. If so, don't miss our guides to the best laptops for video editing, as well as the best laptops for animation. Or, if you want a laptop that transforms into a tablet, try our picks of the best 2-in-1 laptops for creatives.
Quick list
Here, we've summed up the most important bits about our top picks of laptops for music production. Simply click on 'read more below' to get even more information, including links to our reviews.
The MacBook Pro 14 remains our top choice for music production. The M2 model with the 14-inch screen provides the ideal combination of power and compact form factor for musicians and producers alike to record the album of their, and their fans', dreams.
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Not everyone needs all the power of a MacBook Pro, and not everyone has the budget for a MacBook Pro. The solution in both cases is simple: the MacBook Air. The new M2 processor makes sure you have enough oomph to record that guitar riff in the highest possible quality...
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If you prefer a big-screen laptop for your music-production adventures, they don't come much better, or bigger, than the Dell XPS 17. We reviewed the 9710 model and loved it, and things seem to have only improved with the latest iteration, the 9730 version.
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MacBooks are a lot of music producers' favourite for a good reason, they're easy to use and offer lots of power. But if you feel like the options above are a bit too bulky, the 13-inch model of the MacBook Pro offers the exact solution without compromising performance.
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If you're a gamer who likes to pull double duty with some music production, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 offers the best of both worlds. It's a great gaming laptop that also offers portability and a features set that perfectly suits music production. It doesn't look very subtle, but maybe you don't want that anyway.
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Look, not everyone is a fan of MacBooks, or maybe you prefer or need to work within a Windows ecosystem. Those desires are all met and then some with the Surface Laptop Studio from Microsoft, a laptop that combines power, portability and style to suit any music production.
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