Computers

Do you need some extra storage space for all those video and audio files you keep creating?

There are many different options for external storage, but we’re going to focus on external SSDs (solid-state drives) here.

They are fast, small, and secure.

A spinning HDD (hard disk drive) is typically much slower and can be broken easily if dropped or dented.

An SSD does not have any moving parts, making it much more rugged and portable as well.

Even if you don’t need to travel with it, their speed makes them an excellent option to expand your storage capabilities at home with a desktop or laptop.

Before we get into the recommendations, I just want to let you know that brand matters. Cheaper knock-off or no-name brands tend to fail sooner and have much less quality control (if any).

I’m just going to recommend brand-name external SSDs here:

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We’re going to take a look at the best desktop computers for music production and recording. We have a separate article specifically highlighting the best laptops for music production if you want something portable.

Did you know that processing audio is one of the most CPU-intensive tasks that people do on computers today?

When processing audio, most signal and effect chains have to happen sequentially. Basically what that means is that you want a processor (CPU) with fast single core performance. DAWs still take advance of multiple cores (i.e. Intel Quad Core) though. 8th generation Intel i7 processors are the best, but 7th gen versions aren’t far behind.

As for RAM, don’t go less than 8GB. I highly recommend getting configurations with at least 16GB though.

For the most part, these will be Windows-based PC’s, but there will be a couple great options from Apple.

Keep in mind that the better the specs you get now, the longer your computer will last. Think of getting a desktop or all-in-one computer as an investment.

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Updated in January 2020.

So you want to get serious about music production or podcasting? You’ll need a good laptop that can handle everything you throw at it.

There is a good chance you’ll have lots of programs and tabs open at the same time and you will need the ability to add at least 1 extra screen (many people use 2 or 3). These usage requirements use a lot of RAM and graphic power, respectively. I recommend getting at least 16GB RAM if at all possible.

Most important for audio processing is a CPU with fast single-core performance. This will allow you to get your mixes into a single file much quicker and process effects and chains without the CPU needing to wait, among many other benefits. 8th generation Intel i7 processors are the best, followed by Intel i5. 7th generation processors are also excellent.

We’re just going to focus on the best laptops for music production and podcasting. There are many more options for desktop and all-in-one computers that work well for audio recording and podcast recording, but the flexibility and portability of a laptop makes it a must-have.

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