The equipment and the enormous amount of work required by professional studios in the past made recording and producing music difficult and expensive.
Podcast production can now be done at home with limited investment in equipment; computers are now crucial to the process, but they need to be powerful enough.
In general, podcasting is better done with a PC, but some people prefer to use laptops for various reasons.
What is the best laptop for podcast production?
It goes without saying that we can “play it safe” with certain models and brands, but the truth is that frequently much less can be sufficient for podcasting.
Different laptops offer different features, so we should take time to know the ones to suit our needs. This will allow us to choose a product which is suitable for our use.
Here, we will explore the best laptops for podcasting and how they will impact our podcasting productions.
If budget is not an issue, we recommend you consider the Apple MacBook Pro 15″.
It’s the best MacBook for video editing and perfect for those who need to make podcasts with their device, it offers a 2.6GHz 8th Gen Intel Core i7 6-Core processor, 32 GB DDR4 RAM and the ports present are 4 Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) with a choice of 256GB or 512GB SSD storage model.
The color can also be chosen between silver and space gray. The touch bar turns out to be one of the most popular innovations! You can save shortcuts and easily access what interests you most.
Graphics are also excellent, with Intel UHD Graphics 630; Retina display with True Tone technology is also spectacular. Weight? Less than 2 kg and a thickness of 15.5 mm.
Very similar to the MacBook Pro 15″ – offers excellent performance. In this case, we find a quad-core Intel Core i5 processor at 2.3 GHz. The weight is less than a kilo and a half and the hard drive is an SSD.
In this model you can choose between silver or space gray, Retina screen offers excellent images and the battery has an autonomy of 10 hours.
The Touch Bar model is also available in 256GB or 512GB and comes with an 8th generation processor, an Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 graphics card, and four Thunderbolt ports.
Apple does not offer an infinity of products, but only a few with specific characteristics, so you should only choose the model with the characteristics that best suit your needs and your wallet.
Asus Vivobook Pro N580GD-E4087T
Design made of durable aluminum, a weight of about 2 kg, and a 19.2 mm thick profile are just the first features that we find in the Asus VivoBook PRO 15 15 N580GD-E4087T.
The processor is a powerful Intel Core i7-8750H (1.8 GHz to 4 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, 8 MB cache, 4 cores). It comes with 4GB Nvidia GTX 1050 DDR5 graphics card along with 15.6 inches FHD screen and 1920 x 1080 pixels.
Asus is packed with 16 GB DDR4 RAM which is 33% faster than DDR3 memory. The hard drive consists of a 1TB HDD and a 512GB SSD, while the installed operating system is Windows 10.
Regarding the connections, we find a USB 3.1 Gen 1 port, a USB 3.1 port, two USB 2.0, an HDMI 1.4 input, the mini-jack input for headphones or mini PC speakers, space to insert an SD Card, the LAN port, and finally the input for the power supply.
We also remember the backlit keyboard for excellent view even in rooms with an impregnated atmosphere.
We stay in the “world of Windows”, this time with the Dell XPS 13 9370, a 13.3 “FHD screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 Pixels. The processor is an Intel Core i7-8550U (quad-core), with 16 GB of PDDR3-SDRAM RAM, 512 GB of SSD storage, and Windows 10 Pro operating system.
The cooling system of this model is advanced: it has GORE thermal insulation capable of providing levels of thermal conductivity lower than that of air in a thin and flexible format to prevent overheating.
This understated design laptop is precision machined from a single block of aluminum: this offers added strength. If you want a light and slim product, then you should know that this laptop weighs only 1.21kg.
Even the HP brand cannot be missing! In this case, we have chosen the HP ProBook 470 G5. It offers an excellent value for money, with its Intel Core i7 8550U processor, 16GB DDR4 RAM and 512GB SSD.
The IPS screen is 17.3 “, larger than the rest of the products analyzed, with an anti-glare and FHD resolution of 1920 x 1080. The graphics card is an NVidia GeForce 930MX with DDR3 SDRAM memory.
The color of the device is natural silver and the dimensions and weight correspond to 27.6 x 41.4 x 2.3 cm for 2.5 kg. The average battery life is about 15 hours. The design is ultra-thin, elegant and above all resistant!
The connections are a USB-C port, a USB 3.1 Gen 1, another powered USB 3.1 Gen 1, an HDMI input, a VGA, an SD card slot, and the inevitable mini-jack input, input for the power supply and an RJ -Four. Five.
This model has been designed to be docked, making it ideal for those who plan to use it in different places: ideal to take on the go, but also to connect it to all the peripherals in the office or at home.
Lenovo 81F400Y2IX Ideapad Laptop
Here is the Lenovo IdeaPad 81F400Y2IX, with a 14” HD display and Windows 10 Home.
If your needs are limited, you don’t use tons of plugins, and you plan on working mostly with midi files and recording some audio tracks, a similar product may be more than enough.
This laptop has all the minimum necessary features: 8GB RAM, an Intel i5-8250U (quad-core) processor and a 256GB SSD.
In addition, fast recharging allows you to get up to 2 hours of battery life with just 15 minutes of connection (with the computer turned off).
Thin and light, it offers a sober and elegant design. The weight is 1.67 kg and the connections are three USB 3.0, an HDMI, and an SD card slot.
Lenovo covers usage, technical, or common usage issues that may occur during the warranty period however, the warranty does not include damage caused by the user, such as damage due to leaks, spills, or overloads.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are laptops good to opt for podcast productions?
The advantage of a laptop is undoubtedly its portability and ability to be used anywhere.
In general, a laptop is definitely more convenient and more practical for those who need to record or dial away from home often: all of the equipment related to recordings, such as mics and sound cards can move with the laptop.
It saves you a great deal of work and weight to keep your entire laptop in a small, lightweight bag.
Should I need a sound card?
Instead of buying a laptop with a mediocre built-in sound card and we should purchase a better sound card that will be useful to us.
Should you buy a MacBook or Windows laptop for podcast production?
Most people are asking how to choose between a Mac or a PC when buying a computer for podcasting, music, and video production.
The next generation of MacBook Pros is known for its reliability and cost, but there are some Windows laptops with excellent features for a lower price.
It is therefore important to know the compatibility of components; This is the reason we have laid out core points to take into consideration before buying a laptop for podcasting, it can always be helpful to check its compatibility with your needs.
Buying Guide
What to consider before buying a laptop for podcast production?
First, we should understand what to look for in a laptop for podcasting with the right features, as well as above the basic requirements. This will help you use the device longer.
Processor
When buying a new laptop, choose one with a Quad-core or Hexa-core processor. Although Intel’s i7-core processor looks like it would be the best choice, since everyone has a limited budget, you can go for the quad-core i5 processor instead, which is decent but not the best.
RAM
8GB RAM may be enough for some simple productions and recordings that include a few tracks, but if you use a lot of plug-ins and your sessions consist of many simultaneous tracks, choose 16 or 32 GB.
Storage – SSD
SSD drives are quiet and extremely fast, both in reading and writing.
GPU
A good graphics card is not essential, but suffices to have one that allows you to make simple use of applications, edit, modify the equalization, insert plug-ins, and so on; Of course, the focus is on the music, but keep in mind that you also use your eyes; The best graphics card is not a must, but it is important to have a decent one that allows you to make use of your applications, edit, insert plug-ins, etc.
Screen size
While you can connect your computer to an external display of any size at home, the laptop screen must be large enough to enable you to work comfortably.
Mobility
Additionally, you must take into consideration other mobility factors; for example, if you must work on a ride or in an open space without electricity, you must select a device with long battery life and replace it when the battery begins to drain.
Speakers and Audio headphones
In order to hear the audio of a video while you are away from home without a sound card or anything else, you must use an external sound card; The sound quality of integrated cards is not great for podcast productions.
