The Cyber Monday MacBook deals haven't arrived just yet, with the big day set to unfold on December 2nd this year. Just like last year I'm expecting another huge day of sales action, and it might end up being one of the last chances of the year to bag yourself a deal on one of the most powerful laptops for music production.
Last year I saw some incredible deals on MacBooks, including $250 off a MacBook Air M1 at Best Buy, which made Apple's most affordable machine even more accessible. The MacBook Pro M2 also got a $200 discount at Best Buy, taking it to just above the $1k mark.
This year, I'm hoping to see deals on the full range of MacBooks, but particularly the MacBook Pro M3 16-inch, which is on my shopping list as I finally switch over from Windows. Will we see discounts on the brand-new M4? I'm not sure, but I definitely expect to see the MacBook Air M1 get a reduction. As the most affordable of the MacBook line, yet still powerful enough for the majority of music production tasks, it's a great entry point into the Mac ecosystem for musicians.
Alongside the MusicRadar team, I'll be keeping track of all the major retailers across Cyber Monday to ensure you get the best deals possible. Below you'll find a section of quick links that feature our trusted retailers where you can buy MacBooks, and further down than that you'll find some early deals you can get your hands on right now.
Today's US deals
- Amazon: Lowest price MacBooks
- Best Buy: Extra Air/Pro savings
- B&H Photo: Bag an older model
- Newegg: Save on refurbed
- Walmart: Big MacBook savings
Today's UK deals
- Amazon: Up to 14% off
- Argos: Same-day delivery
- Currys: Excellent early deals
- Ebuyer: Save over £200
- John Lewis: 2-year guarantee
- Laptops Direct: Over £400 off
- Very: Over £300 off MacBooks
How to choose a MacBook for music production
We discuss the specs - the memory, connections, hard drive and screen size - you need for music production below. Once you have decided on these, it's a straight slug out between the cost and power of a Pro or the portability and more reasonable price of an Air. Here then, we have three top choices to cover those options.
From: $1,299/£1,349 | Screen size: 13, 14 or 16-inch | CPU: Apple M2, M2 Pro, M2 Max | Connector: 3 x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, (2 x 13"), an HDMI output and SDXC card slot, 3.5mm headphone out
The clue is in the name! The latest MacBook Pros deliver everything a musician could ever ask for. They have a choice of the fastest processors, but unless you are running multiple projects simultaneously, even the entry-level M2 will cover your needs. Spec these up to the max and they can empty any bank account, though, so read our advice below for what you really need in a MacBook for music.
Read our full MacBook Pro M2 review
Starting price: $1,099/£1,149 | Screen size: 13 or 15-inch | CPU: Apple M2 | Connector: 2 x Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, 3.5mm headphone out
The sleek MacBook Air M2 is a silent but powerful laptop. It will run pretty much everything you throw at it, although we do recommend spec'ing it up to 16GB RAM. The Air doesn't give you all the Pro's bells and whistles but is a great mid-priced (for an Apple anyway) MacBook music option.
Read our full MacBook Air M2 here
Starting price: $999/£999 | Screen size: 13-inch | CPU: Apple M1 | Connector: Thunderbolt 3, USB 3, USB 4, 3.5mm headphone out
The cheapest and lightest Air is still the perfect entry point into MacBook music production. While we'd still recommend upgrading to a 16GB machine over the standard 8GB, the M1 processor is more than adequate, being between just 8-13% less powerful than the latest M2 in our tests.
Read our full Apple MacBook Air M1 review
FAQ
What do I need to know about the latest Apple MacBooks?
There are two main MacBook types: the Air and Pro. The main differences are that the Air machines are lighter, cheaper and smaller, while the Pros add more connections, and can include more powerful processors.
All MacBooks have at least two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports which are great for adding keyboards and audio interfaces for external speakers. While the speakers on MacBooks are good, we would recommend external speakers or studio monitors for proper music mixing.
Each model in the MacBook Air and Pro ranges can have different screen sizes, memory or hard drive upgrades. The bigger you go on all these, the more the cost ramps up, so what specs do you need for music production?
For memory, the 8GB that comes with the basic MacBook Air will suffice for many producers, especially with Apple's latest Silicon M-Range chips installed. However, we always like to recommend future-proofing yourself, and adding memory is the easiest way to buy yourself extra power. Also, it's not possible to upgrade the memory on the latest MacBooks after you initially purchase them, so if you can afford the 16GB upgrade now then we'd recommend going for it. (Many MacBook Pros come with 16GB as standard so you don't need to upgrade this.)
In terms of hard drive space, we'd recommend going for a 512GB option. There are options to go beyond this on many MacBooks, but do keep in mind that external third party storage devices can be cheaper and provide all the transfer speed you need for music production.
What makes MacBooks great for musicians?
Apple's MacBooks can easily be the centre of a pro music studio. As we have seen they have the power you need - easily matching most desktop machines - but also the portability which means you can make music anywhere and any time.
In terms of the laptop size, you can go truly portable with an amazingly sleek 13-inch Air, or go for the top-end Pro and get a more usable 16-inch screen. The bigger the machine, the less portable, obviously, but we have found that using our 13-inch Air M2 has been a little restrictive on occasion, particularly with VST instruments where you can't adjust the size.
Otherwise, every MacBook will deliver a fantastic music production experience. You can opt for Logic as your main Digital Audio Workstation, a Mac only DAW which gives more bang for buck than any other music application out there. Or you can use pretty much every other DAW or software instrument - most music applications are Mac compatible and run very smoothly on MacBooks.
Is Cyber Monday a good time to buy a MacBook?
Apple discounts are notoriously rare but Cyber Monday should see some great deals on MacBooks. In the past we have seen Black Friday discounts on both new and refurbished MacBooks that should help you start your music making journey for less.
We’ve rounded up all the best MacBook bargains here, from stores like Walmart, Amazon and Best Buy in the US, and Currys, Very, Amazon and Argos in the UK.
Are there any models or specs that I should avoid?
All Apple's MacBooks are great buys for music production, but as we have seen, you need to weigh up the specs of each.
There is an argument that you should go for the latest M2 (or M3 if you can find a good deal) chips when buying a MacBook, because when it comes to music-making, the more power you have, the better. But that would exclude the M1 Air, which we still believe to be a great option. And as we say in our tests, you don't get a massive uplift between the M1 and M2 processors for many music tasks.
In terms of other specs, do consider that you are paying a lot extra for the larger 16-inch MacBook Pro and you will lose some portability with this option. Extra memory and hard drive costs across all MacBooks can soon mount up too, so do follow our advice above on these upgrades - 16GB of RAM and a 512GB hard drive (with cheap external options) should be adequate for most music production tasks.
