Songwriters, producers, and audio engineers looking to upgrade their MacBook may be wondering if it’s worth investing in Apple’s latest MacBook Pro with the M4 chip or whether previous models offer sufficient performance for typical audio production needs. With that question in mind, let’s take a brief look at what the new MacBook Pro is capable of and who it is ideally designed for. And for those focusing on song production, scoring, and typical sound design projects, we’ll also explore some M3 Pro versions that may be sufficient for your workflow needs.
Do You Need the M4 Pro?
The truth is that the last-gen MacBook Pro with the M3 chip is already a powerhouse for music production. It’s more than capable of running substantial DAW sessions and handling a bunch of plugins without stalling or giving you a headache. Of course, the M4 chip is a step up in performance. But unless you’re diving into particularly intense projects that include obscenely enormous orchestral libraries, heavy video editing, or complex sound design work, you probably won’t notice much difference. And generally, unless you’re working with more than 60 effects-heavy tracks, the M3 should have you covered.
Picking the Right MacBook Pro
So, what kind of specs should you consider when looking for a MacBook Pro that’s suitable for audio production?
RAM & CPU
These two factors are perhaps the most important to consider before investing in your new MacBook Pro. RAM and CPU dictate the processing power and efficiency of your Mac. If you’re going to stick with the M3 Pro, and you’re primarily working with songs or film scoring, about 36GB of RAM should be plenty to keep your DAW session running smoothly. For example, this MacBook Pro which sports 12-Core CPU and 36GB of RAM, and it should allow you to take on big projects that need to support sizeable instrument libraries, effects plugins and loads of tracks.
Storage
Storage is another fundamental component to think about. Even if you plan on keeping your instrument libraries on an external hard drive, you may quickly find yourself running out of space over the course of a few years if you only have 512 GB of storage, for instance. Your DAW alone will likely be a space-hungry software. Apple’s Logic Pro 11, for example, requires 72GB of storage when you include its full sound library installation. Then, if you take into account future operating system updates and all the other junk that will accumulate on your hard drive over time, it becomes clear that you’ll want at least 1TB of storage to keep you safe.
Screen Size
Screen size may only be important if don’t use external monitors for your work. Certainly, given all the windows that can accumulate in your DAW sessions, maximum screen size will make things a lot easier. If you’re working away from a desktop setting, we recommend buying a 16” MacBook Pro. But if portability is of paramount importance and you want to keep things light, then, of course, going with a 14” MacBook Pro is also sensible, especially if you can rely on external monitors when necessary.
Is GPU Important?
GPU relates to graphics performance. So unless you’re also working with graphic design or video editing, a Mac that features 18-Core GPU, for instance, already provides great processing capability and is more than sufficient for audio production.
M3 vs. M4 Port Selection
The M4 MacBook Pro has added a third Thunderbolt 4 port, while the M3 only has two. This will give more options with external monitors, which we’ll talk about below. But besides that difference, the port selection on the M4 remains the same as the M3.
What About the M4 Pro or M4 Max?
As a musician or music producer, there still may be a few main reasons to opt for the MacBook Pro M4, though these reasons may be less than paramount to your workflow.
If you tend to burn the midnight oil and you hate relying on wires, the MacBook Pro M4 will provide around 24 hours of battery life before having to plug into a wall. And if you use your computer for musical performance, this may be a reason to want more battery life as well.
Also, perhaps you have an aversion to external hard drives. If you’re adamant about keeping your extensive library of virtual instruments and effects on the computer itself, then the M4 Pro will give you the option of up to 4TB of storage if you’re willing to throw down more cash. (And you can get up to 8TB of storage with the M4 Max)
The other draw for music producers may be the improved built-in six-speaker system. And if, for some reason, you need to work with more than two monitors, the MacBook Pro M4 Max will allow you to have up to four external displays with incredible resolution.
Finally, if you tend to do audio production work in less-than ideal light settings, the M4 Pro’s optional nano-texture display will remove any glare or annoying sparkle that can wear out the eyes or decrease visibility. It will also make your screen less susceptible to smudging.
So, yes, there are several impressive upgrades featured in the MacBook Pro M4, from the more advanced camera and optimization for Apple Intelligence to the immense graphics performance that may be appreciated by musicians who are also gamers. But in terms of the additional advantages that it offers to music producers and sound engineers, anything else about the M4 Pro is gravy. And at the end of the day, there’s nothing wrong with wanting the absolute latest and best that technology has to offer.
For more information about the MacBook Pros listed in this article, including additional features, specs, and highlights, be sure to check out the detailed product pages. Or drop us a line below, and we’ll do our best to answer all your comments and questions.
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