Music production takes a lot of time and hard work. Getting the right notes and music elements together is not child’s play. Knowing the music notes, investing in the right instruments, devices, and more makes the perfect mix of tunes. This is what keeps listeners engaged.
But, what if there was a crash or discrepancy during this process? This concern always leads to figuring out how much storage capacity one should go for when it comes to music production. If you’re thinking of starting your music production journey, having room for errors is undoubtedly not on your list.
To mitigate this risk, it’s essential to have the right amount of RAM storage.
What is RAM storage exactly, and how much is it needed for music production? The answers can all be found here in this article. To learn the answers to your questions, read ahead. By the end of it, you’ll be at knowing exactly what you have to do and where to make the investment.
What is RAM?
RAM is an abbreviated version for Random Access Memory. This is the operating hardware inside a computer responsible for storing data. This data can then be changed and read. The most common way to measure RAM is by counting it in gigabytes, i.e., GB or megabytes, i.e., MB.
For instance, when you open any application on your laptop or computer, the RAM helps provide space for you to work. If there is not enough space, the application is prone to crash and close down. This is why, for music producers, having the right amount of RAM is important. Especially if they are working on a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), it is recommended that for every GB of RAM, an extra GB is required to support the plugins on the DAW.
In addition, the RAM’s clock speed also affects the music being produced. The amount of RAM present directly impacts the time you take to store and find data. This speed is generally measured in MHz, i.e., megahertz. The higher the figure is for the MHz, the faster your PC will operate.
How Much Ram Do I Need For Music Production?
Knowing your goals and preferences is essential to understand how much RAM is needed for music production. As a beginner, having access to RAM at a lower capacity should suffice. This should work pretty well for those who wish to experiment with music production. Having 8GB of RAM for this is what most experts would recommend. That can help produce basic tasks with minimal disruptions and disturbances.
On the other hand, having a higher GB is critical if you are mid-way through your music production journey or are on your way to making it to the top. This is an essential element required for producing complex music, and such productions rely on greater data storage and sound processing. Therefore, the baseline would be a RAM of anywhere between 16 GB to 32GB. Even music producers who perform live or have a goal of producing an album in mind invest in RAM storage of above 16 GB. Some even invest in 64 GB of RAM to allow access to music production techniques that are complex and multifaceted.
Here is a breakdown of the various levels of RAM capacity and their usage.
8 GB – For Beginners
Musicians who have just started their music journey and play in small bands or as a hobby can invest in RAM having 8 GB. With this amount of GB, music recording, mixing, and handling up to 30 tracks simultaneously is possible.
16 GB – For Mid Level Music Producers
Intermediate-level music composers, bands, and home recorders usually go for 16 GB of Ram. This offers the same features and access to music composition as the 16 GB, except it can support orchestral compositions, sample the library use, and handle up to 60 tracks simultaneously.
32 GB and Above – For Professionals
Film producers and music engineers go for this RAM storage capacity. It helps them record multiple instruments, compose orchestral music, sample libraries, and handle over 100 tracks at one time. Mixing music and tracks and heavy plug-in use with 32 GB + RAM is also a given.
The answer is quite simple: having a RAM of 8GB is sufficient for music production. However, if you are a professional producer who requires a lot of high-end plugins, then investing in a higher RAM would be a good decision. This will help prevent your RAM from crashing or running low on memory storage. Also, if you can afford to get higher RAM, then the better that is for your music production journey. It indeed leads to better performance of your system – and this is exactly what you want to become a renowned music producer one day.