Today we’re looking for the best computer for music production and recording. So you have the music production gear; keyboards, speakers, microphones, and most importantly, the ideas storming around in your brain. But what about the actual computer to act as the backbone of your entire digital music production setup? When it comes to a music making computer, we want to settle some anxiety you may have right off the bat: it isn’t too big of deal which one you get. When we say that, we mean what kind, type, brand, etc. You will want to follow our checklists for musts so you ensure you have a computer that can actually handle the modern-day digital music production setup; however, there is a vast majority of models to choose from that will work perfectly fine.
Key Features to Look for in Voice Recording Software Most of the voice recording programs in our comparison come bundled with all the required tools and features needed to perform several tasks, including audio input, editing and output. The Audio Production and Recording category contains programs developed to let users edit, record, mix, tweak, encode, and compose digital audio files, including applications that convert MP3 files.
How to choose your computer for music production
- Your budget – As perhaps assumed, this is our first and foremost the biggest deciding factor. Although you don’t necessarily have to drop thousands of dollars on your music making computer, the higher you go, the better overall quality your work flow will be. Many reading this article may be just starting to build a home studio, so keep in mind what other gear you need to balance your money out. To have a fast and easy setup however shouldn’t take more than a thousand bucks (and lower). If you’re a starter musician buying your beginners music gear, you may want to save some money and grab a more budget-friendly computer to get going (read our beginners music computer guide for that). However, we do recommend saving up as much cash and being as patient as you can, since computers will be a long-term investment for the next 5 or so years. As stated previously, they’re also the backbone of a home studio — without a solid music computer, your other gear won’t even work properly and will be useless.
- Mac vs. PC? Uh oh, we’re not going to get into this debate. When it comes to music production, this debacle is quite overplayed. You need to understand that in the end both are merely just computers. There is not a preferred “brand” of computer for music making! The only deciding factor for using a Mac or PC (in our opinion) is explained in the next bullet point (or if you’re loyal to a certain route, but that’s not our business). However, you can also read our PC or Mac for music making article for more detail into this popular argument before you continue on.
- What DAW are you using? Do you have your digital audio workstation picked out yet? If so, this may steer you towards a specific Mac or PC choice. We would only go with Mac if you’re planning on using Pro Tools (they do have a Windows version out now), Garageband or Logic since they are Mac-only. Otherwise, both can work, but double-check on your preferred software’s compatibility.
- Laptop vs. desktop – Here’s another debate when it comes to computers for music. Nowadays, I’ve heard of producers using laptops at home considering how powerful and capable they’ve become in recent years. One of the biggest deciding factors for a laptop vs. desktop choice is if you’re planning on traveling or performing live. If this is so, we’d grab a laptop since it’ll work amazing for these purposes as well as can hold its own while you’re at homein the studio making some tunes in between gigs (you can read our music production laptops guide as well). Otherwise, grabbing a powerful desktop PCMac has a lot of potential. We have mostly desktop below, so read our guide we’ve just linked in case you’re in need of a laptop — we did sprinkle a few below, too.
- These are all pre-built – We know many computer junkies out there who frown at those who buy computers that already have their insides picked out. We wanted to mention this last since it won’t pertain to everybody. If you’re in the mood to just get going on making some tunes, pre-built is the way to go. Creating your own music computer does give you some flexibility when it comes to doing a little more work and researching the best RAM, hard drive and processor you’d like to mix and match with (which can probably save you a few bucks in the long run as well); however, many pre-built PC’s in the market are still amazing for recording and producing music, so if you aren’t into learning how to make your own computer right now, it’s no worries. We’ll leave that up to you. If you are indeed into making your own music computer, read our article for an in-depth guide.
Our checklist for computers for making music
In order to get a feel for what specifications we actually need in our computers, let’s first compare and contrast with some of the most popular music software out there and what minimum system requirements they ask for. We can then use this as a guide to see what the absolute minimum is. Going above is always a good idea since a lot of software out there update quite frequently and sometimes increase their requirements, and you want to be set for the long-term, not just the “minimum”.
Let’s review the three most popular software out there right now in Pro Tools, Ableton and Logic. Pro Tools is by far the most demanding software, so if you aren’t using it but still want a computer that supports it, you’ll be in the clear for literally anything else out there.
Pro Tools:
You should buy a computer that you can dedicate solely to recording audio, because running other types of applications (home finance software, word processors, or video games) can cause problems with your audio applications and reduce the stability of your system. Although MacOS isn’t always the only platform for great software, when it comes to free recording applications, it has the best of the bunch. Not because it does voice recording better, it’s just the “best” software out there that also happens to do voice recording. Other software like Adobe Audition, REAPER, Apple Logic, Garageband, Audacity, etc. All make voice recordings just as well as ProTools. Best Mac for musicians on a budget: Mac mini If funds are low, the Mac mini is a reasonably good choice for making music. It’s small, quiet, and has similar connectivity to the iMac, along with an additional audio-in port (although musicians typically prefer using USB audio interfaces). Nov 30, 2017 Easy Hi-Q Recorder is one of the most cost effective software on our list of best audio recording software. This music recording software has several audio-in options, which makes it easy for the users to make variety of audio recordings.
- Operating System: Windows 8.1 or higher, Mac OS X 10.11.6 or higher
- Processor: Intel Core i7
- RAM: 16 GB (32 GB ‘recommended’)
- Hard Drive: 15 GB (installation only)
- PCle slot for HDX or HD native cards
Ableton Live 10
- Operating System: Windows 7 or higher, Mac OS X 10.11.6 or higher
- Processor: Intel Core i5
- RAM: 4 GB (8 GB ‘recommended’)
- Hard Drive: At least 10 GB
Logic Pro X
- Operating System: macOS 10.12 or higher
- Processor: Intel Core i5
- RAM: 4 GB
- Hard Drive: 6 GB for installation, 63 GB for full Sound Library installation
- Graphics: OpenCL-capable, Intel 3000 or later
Now that we’ve analyzed the “minimum requirements”, and key word here is “minimum”, let’s organize it al into a checklist for you to use when shopping for the best music production and recording computer.
- Processors – This is a tough one because a 3.0 GHz processor is a huge difference if it’s let’s say dual core or quad-core. Processor is extremely important (besides RAM or an SSD drive listed below), because it allows us to work in a quicker, more fluid manner, as well as merely to handle the “processes” we need while we make our music. In our opinion, the faster you can work, the more ideas you can get out of your head and into your music canvas. You also don’t want your computer clogging up during a crucial moment of creation, especially if you’re recording and there’s a blip in your track and you have to re-do it all! We would go with at least a 3.0 processor that is at least a quad-core — more specifically, an Intel Core i5 or AMD equivalent.
- There must be at least 16 GB of RAM. Any higher you go in the RAM department is always a plus, so be our guest. For this year we’ve just increased this from 8 to 16 because Pro Tools now has a minimum requirement of 16 GB! RAM is short for Random Access Memory, which is responsible for storing temporary data to act as the “working memory” of our computer. This is important because just like our processor, music software needs to constantly “work” with each action you partake in, calling for not only “enough” working memory but fast enough so we don’t experience any glitches or lag.
- At least 500 GB of hard drive capacity– This is up to you, as some say 1TB at least; however, 500 GB is pretty hefty if you aren’t downloading sounds and storing them on the computer or using the device for anything else (such as work, school, images and videos). Keep in mind however a lot of VST software plug-ins and effects are very demanding in regards to hard drive space. We actually use both our internal hard drives as well as an extra external hard drive with about 2 more TB on it (we have thousands of VST’s and samples).
- Make sure at least some of your hard-drive is SSD (Solid-State Drive)! This is very important because SSD helps process data and requests much faster than regular HDD. Read more about SSD vs. HDD here.
- A big enough screen to work with (15″ and up), but that really comes down to your personal preference and whether or not you’re on a laptop or desktop computer. We personally couldn’t imagine making music without two for a dual-monitor setup. But that’s your call.
- We don’t think video cards matter at all unless you’re editing videos on the side. The stock card in most pre-built computers are feasible, since nowadays most computers will come with some great video cards that support most types of video work or video games.
The top 10 best computers for music production and recording
The following list is our recommended 10 best computers for production currently in the market. We made sure to choose a wide range of types. Also understand that there are new models of computers coming out almost weekly now, so don’t let the “this one is new!” label get too into your head. We feel the following models are solid because of user reviews, specs, and overall reputation. Let us know if you have any questions or comments!
Apple iMac
Check price of Apple iMac: US | UK
If you’re planning on being a “studio only” producer (whether you’re home, semi or even professional), here’s the best Mac computer to buy. If you grab one of these, you can use their Mac-specific DAWs, such as Logic, Garageband, and of course Pro Tools. Even if you don’t plan on using Pro Tools right away, you can always upgrade in a few years (we think this will last you at least 5+ years if you purchase a model with a decent specification list). So don’t forget to keep the future (long-term of course) in mind when investing in a computer for music production, considering it’s what holds the entire setup together. If you want a Mac, grab either this or the laptop we first presented and don’t look back, we wouldn’t bother reading on.
We link you to a broad search page because there are many iMac versions available and are continued to be released to this day. This is also first due to this — we have options to pertain to our budgets and can mix and match certain specs we need or don’t. Of course, be sure to use our checklist above when finding the right Apple iMac for you. This is by far the safest pick as the best music making computer in the market today.
Lenovo ThinkServer
View price for the Lenovo ThinkServer: US | UK
We’ve done a lot of research and talking to our friends who make music for a living, and when it comes to a PC that isn’t Mac, the name Lenovo continued to come up. Although it really doesn’t matter (really, it doesn’t) which brand you grab, there are a few aspects to take into consideration: user reviews, reports on longevity, brand support, and stats on the quality of internal parts they use. That’s why we feel as compared to some other PC brands like HP, Acer or Dell (although mentioned later), it’s safe to grab one we’ve analyzed and have used personally. Therefore, this is our (our recommendation) choice for Windows PC for producing music. Lenovo builds tanks, and the word among the internet supports that. This may be a bit excessive for some, but can more than handle any process you throw at it to act as the best music recording and production computer out there if you need a Windows machine. Enter the Lenovo ThinkServer.
Acer Aspire
See prices for the Acer Aspire: US | UK
When it comes to the best music making and recording desktop PC, we have a few options. The Acer Aspire is one we couldn’t ignore as another one of the best music production computers due to the reviews backing up its overall quality and build. Depending on which model you grab, there will be very feasible specifications to get your music making going out of the box. You have numerous USB ports for your interfaces and other external pieces of gear, ability to have multiple screens (oh yes, this helps tremendously), a decent weight (it’s a desktop, so in our opinion the heavier the more sturdy), and a wonderful Acer community out there if you need any help. Here’s a great pick for a desktop PC to run Windows with your music making endeavors, and you get some great options to customize to your price-point on top of it all.
Apple MacBook Pro
Check price for the MacBook Pro: US | UK
Here’s the consensus when it comes to the best laptop for music making and recording — The Apple MacBook Pro. Talk to many producers who have a laptop in their setup and they’ll swear by it (if they’re “Mac people” of course). In fact, there will probably be people who scoff at the thought of making music anything but this. You all can have your opinions; however, if you don’t have a strong belief yet and if you want a computer for making music that you’re confident others use, this is one to grab. There are many specification combinations available to fit within your budget range, too (such as screen size, memory capacity, processor speed (for a price) and more).
Another big reason we recommend the Apple MacBook Pro first for a laptop-seeker aside from Mac’s obvious reputation is the flat-out performance of these things — they’re sturdy, last a while, come with feasible internal builds (that you can’t customize, though) and more. Lastly, some music software come as mac only, while others both — it’s more likely software and gear are mac-only as opposed to windows-only — something to think about. MacWorld’s article loves the MacBook Pro for music making.
PC Audio Labs Rok Box
Flying under the radar at times (unfortunately) due to the lack of heavily marketed brand names, PC Audio Labs brings us computers literally made for the tough processes of music production. We were unfamiliar with what they brought to the table until a few years ago, but after heavy research and asking around with other producers what their thoughts were, many had zero complaints and actually scoffed at the fact that we recommended any other music production computer aside from these guys.
Perhaps labeled as ‘expensive’ by others (you’ll get what you pay for, trust us), especially compared to dinkier machines, their Rok Box series in particular brings us many solutions in not only the personal computer department but laptops as well. They have quite a few models to choose from depending on budget — you can up go to a few thousands to grab a tank, or perhaps just under a thousand for a decent budget-friendly workstation for beginners. They also allow for add-ons for your PC’s internal parts, such as RAM, hard drive and more. Praised by many professional musicians around the world, we’re glad this takes a place relatively early in our best recording and production computer guide. They also have tons and of how-to’s and support videos on their website to help you through out your music journey.
Dell Inspiron
Check pricing for the Dell Inspiron: US | UK
We’ve had Dell around our entire lives, and although they had mixed reviews back in the day when it came to quality, the Inspiron series as a whole has been recommended quite a few times when it comes to overall effectiveness, especially for music considering the specs are up there. If you aren’t a fan of Mac and don’t recognize the Lenovo name, we’d grab this one and check out the reviews for yourself. The Dell Inspiron is a highly reviewed and reputable desktop PC for music production. They have decent user support if you ever need (we suppose is a plus), and it doesn’t hurt to have a brand name you’re familiar with. Dell Inspiron help is always available, too.
HP Pavilion
Read reviewspricing of the HP Pavilion: US | UK
The HP Pavilion is another popular and highly reviewed pre-built computer series in the market right now that brings us great specs and power for handling music production tasks. Widely praised for their compatibility with ‘gaming’, this also gives us confidence music software is viable as well. Again, this is a pre-built ‘series’ (yes, they have laptops as well if you’re a big HP fan), so you can choose a particular model that fits not only your budget but music software’s needs as well. Of course, we require going a bit higher than the ‘minimum’ (a few of the higher models have more than enough, or you can always add-on let’s say some more RAM or hard drive memory later down the road as well). Just another decent computer series here that can act as the best music recording computer if you want a known brand and Windows desktop.
Lenovo ThinkPad
View price for Lenovo ThinkPad: US | UK
These things are tanks. Lenovo is a heavy hitter in the quality department of both laptops and PC’s (we have a few of their models in this article for a reason). The overall build is extremely sturdy (which is one of the main reasons we recommend Lenovo’s to our readers) and they’ll last you for quite a while if you’re looking to invest in a laptop that will be around for a while. Additionally, a lot of these come with SSD (Solid State Drives) which as we’ve stated previously, is a must and a huge plus for convenience and speed (SSD’s are basically less affected by impacts, load apps and your computer quicker, and lower failure rates).
What’s even better are the options they give you; you can go as high as you’d like in the RAM and processor department. We’ve again linked you to a broad page to see the many different types of ThinkPad’s out there if you wanted one of the best laptops that uses Windows (in our opinion) — we recommend sticking in the middle price-point, fulfilling our checklist above; however, if you can go higher, we’d say go for it if you have the cash. We’re typing on a Lenovo ThinkPad right now.
Acer Predator
View price of the Acer Predator: US | UK
This Acer Predator is considered by many as a “gaming desktop computer”, and although obviously by the video card it is, the processor, RAM and overall quality of the machine works quite well as the best computer for music making, too. We put this in here because it’s just another option — although the PC’s listed first are more suited (and perhaps a bit cheaper) when it comes to music production (since video cards aren’t necessary with recording or producing), the Acer Predator is a PC to keep in mind while you shop if you indeed plan on perhaps playing games, making videos or other activities on a computer. I mean, it’s not like you’re buying a PC just to make music with (perhaps some of you are), so purchasing a computer that is more of an all-around type may be in your interest.
Lenovo ThinkCentre
Check price of the ThinkCentre: US | UK
This is Lenovo’s bit of a mix between a laptop and PC. The Lenovo ThinkCentre is considered a “tiny” desktop due to the size, and when it comes to price it’s relatively cheap as compared to many models we’ve listed in here. It’s just another option; you may be looking for an in-the-middle price point and something that fits snug into your existing studio setup. It’s also great for traveling if you plan on setting up a desktop at a friends or stage. Although we do recommend spending the extra few bucks on a computer we’ve previously listed, the ThinkCentre still brings what we feel are requirements for the “best music production computer” specifications, is by a reliable brand on top of it.
More gear reviews and guides in the realm...
Screen Recording Software for Mac is designed to capture all screen activities while you work on the Mac display. The best screen recording software should be able to capture videos in HD quality that is critical for coding tutorial and game demonstration videos. There are several paid and free Mac screen recording software available in the market, and the basic features can be found on free screen recorder apps.
Here we listed some basic Mac screen recorder software for free and a couple of paid recorder apps that has some extended features best for professional use.
When you go for Mac free screen recorder, please keep in mind, many of them will come with time-limited recording, or some features will be missing. But these apps will be a good choice for those who don’t want to spend money on these apps.
QuickTime Player
Mac users know that Quick Time Player is the default video player on Mac. QuickTime can also be used for the playing different media files present on the system and support a wide range of video formats. Despite being a video player it can also perform screen recording software easily and you can choose the entire desktop or the selected area for recording. There is an optional feature to show the mouse and add microphone audio in the recording video.
Download from Apple
Related: 10 Best Video & Photo Editing Software for Mac Professionals
Monosnap
Monosnap is a free Mac screen recording software coming with the option of turning on your webcam, mic and system’s audio all before the recording. You can your Mac’s inbuilt camera or an external camera for the recordings on the software. MonoSnap records the screen in 60fps to ensure an ultra-smooth playback to meet the need in the demanding situations. For screenshots, Monosnap can capture full or part of the screen delayed screen capture and hotkey setup to trigger the screenshot.
The video recording support to capture screencasts, blur private information from the screen and also let you highlight the important information with text, marker or arrows. This Mac Screen Recorder is ideal for students and professionals with its integration with the cloud. You can connect the cloud drives such as Dropbox, CloudApp, Yandex.Disk, Box.com, Google Drive or FTPs to upload screen recorded videos and screenshots to share with other PCs and smartphones. Monosnap is mainly good for one-off recordings that are short and can be shared quickly.
Download from Apple Store
Icecream Screen Recorder
You can easily use Icecream Screen Recorder to capture any area of the screen. Capture as well as save the area in the form of a screenshot or video file over your system. Record your games, webinars and Skype video calls in HD quality in a quick and simple manner.
Record the screen in a window as well as in full-screen mode to display the content in the best possible manner. You can easily add your own watermark while capturing the screen of your desktop or laptop. Set your video quality output and record the entire screen in that manner.
Download from Website
OBS Studio
OBS Studio is an open source and free software for video recording and live streaming for Windows, MAC & Linux. You can get high-performance real-time video/audio capturing and mixing, with unlimited scenes. The additional filters available for video sources such as image masking, color correction, chroma/color keying, and more. The built-in audio mixer is coming with filter functions such as noise gate, noise suppression, and gain.
Download from Website
Jing
Jing is an interesting free screen capture application from TechSmith, different from all other screen-capture software. The captured video can be saved in SWF format or stored in the screencast. Coming with a five-minute video recording with the option of using the mic while recording, it is a good option for narrating the steps to solve a problem.
Download from Website
Screen Recorder Robot Lite
This is one of the simplest tool presents for screencasting and edits the recorded video to perfection. Unlike many free recording tools it doesn’t include any watermark on the video and every mouse click can be detected easily with the tool. The videos recorded through the tool can be a minimum of 200 seconds and maximum of 600 seconds. You can record over and over then edit the video to make a big video.
Download from Apple Store
Recordit: Instant Screencasts
Recordit allows you to make a quick video of yourself doing something interesting on your Mac. You can easily turn the recorded video into a GIF and share them instantly without any trouble encountered. From the software, you can record the screen for 5 minutes and create a GIF from the recorded video. The screencast is uploaded to the software’s servers from where it can be shared to other platforms.
Download from Apple Store
Apowersoft Screen Recorder
Apowersoft Screen Recorder is a great professional tool for screen recording. The program is quite rich in features and gives more control to the user during the screen recording process. Create a vivid tutorial that includes your feelings along with the recording.
Record in the best possible manner with the three recording modes as well as use different audio inputs for recording. Configure the mouse style for recording the screen in the manner that you find suitable for yourself.
Download from Mac App Store
Record it
Record it is a good and professional tool that allows you to record your screen for displaying the software as well as giving video tutorials. You can capture the screen for iOS devices with the tool through Airplay / Wi-Fi. Access the custom recorder feature of the tool to capture the videos at full screen or any size.
You can easily export the screen video to other online sharing platforms and also export it as a GIF. The one-click feature of the tool makes the screen recording process quite simple for the beginners. The interface is smooth allowing the people to have more control over the screen recording process.
Download from Mac App Store
As you know, the paid Mac screen recorder apps are good for customer support and packed with a lot of features as well as no restriction for maximum recording time.
Snagit
Another great Mac screen recording software from TechSmith, Snagit is premium screen recorder software which can download at a one-time cost of $49.95. Combining some of the best editing features; it is an easy to use software to record desktop.
The recorded video is saved in MP4 format and comes with a large 1 GB file limit. After doing the recording, you can send the video to any suitable application service offering a great level of reliability.
Download from Website
Camtasia
Camtasia 2 is one of the most famous and professional screen recording software for Mac OS and is offered for a price of $99. With the extensive layout, the user can make smooth editing and mix on the recorded video.
Add titles, annotations, transitions and panning animations on the recorded movie to increase the effect of the video. The tools of the software are huge time savers for the people who record screen regularly.
Download from Apple Store
Screen Record Studio HD
It is a professional screen recording software that can be purchased for $4.99. Screen Record Studio supplies some good text and image logos along with screen recording feature. The people can mix two audio sources and add mouse click animation along with the click count. You can record for a particular time by setting a timer for recording. The software can only record for only 120 seconds.
Download from Apple Store
AV Recorder & Screen Capture
AV Recorder & Screen Capture allows you to capture everything and anything on your screen. It offers a max resolution of 2800 by 1800 for recording video. Make gameplay tutorial with its perfect FPS option and auto stop recording at a fixed time. If you want to shorten the recording then you can trim the video easily from the software. The recording software is offered to people at a cost of $9.99. The sharing of videos can be done online with ease.
Download from Apple Store
Capto Screen Capture
Bring out the creativity present in you by capturing informative and compelling videos with Capto Screen Capture. Record your entire screen or selected portions in Full HD at 60 FPS with clear audio. You can also record your emotions during the screen recording process with system’s camera or through an external recording device.
The powerful video editing suite of the tool gives you all the features to make the recorded video better. The file manager of the tool offers easy storage as well as retrieval of the projects. Just sort the recorded videos in efficiently labeled folders that are customizable in every manner.
Best Music Recording Software For Mac Free
Download from Mac App Store
Screen Recorder Movavi
Get the unique possibility for capturing the screen in high quality with Movavi Screen Recorder. You can easily capture the gameplay, video as well as audio streams through the tool available for the purpose. Capture the movement of the mouse along with the keyboard actions for recording a tutorial or how to do video in a better way.
Coming with automatic monitor area, the recorder can be adjusted into any specific manner preferred by you. You can add system alerts, keyboard types, cursors types as well as custom sounds on clicks. The tool also comes with a timer allowing you to add a timer and relax on your chair, while recording is going on its own.
Download from Mac App Store
Screen Recorder Pro
Record the screen of your Mac at 30 frames to 60 frames per second with optimum performance result through Screen Recorder Pro. Choose to record the computer audio or record it from the internet, app or any game. With custom scaling, you can easily scale down the recorded video to get the necessary result in the video.
Compress the video after the recording process to make it small for uploading on social networking sites. Record the screen with no time limit and save the file in MOV or MP4 format. With the tool, you can add mouse click animation with your logo as well as your signature to the recorded video.
Download from Mac App Store
Best Home Recording Software
Related: Best Wireless Headphones for iPhone 7 to Replace Apple Airpods
Perhaps the most prominent use of Mac Screen Recording Software is for showing off the solution to a system problem and upload on Youtube. When you use the screen recorder software for Mac, rather than just recording the screen, you may have a bunch of features that will improve the productivity.
These features include audio recording, selected window recording etc. The screen recorder software available in different names ‘screen capturing’ or ‘screen recording’ or ‘desktop recording,’ they all are doing the same job with some additional features like point zooming, area highlighting, video subtitle, etc.
With these top pick Mac Screen Recorder software, you can easily make screencast videos, make tutorials more explanative and clear. You can choose the best screen recorder from the paid or free ones in order to have the features as well as the characteristics needed to make a great tutorial video.