The Best iPad for Musicians in 2022

The Best iPad for Musicians in 2022

Apple has done a stellar job in developing its iPad to be the most effective, efficient tablet for musicians of all kinds. Whether you are a music educator, singer, instrumentalist, producer, or composer, I strongly believe that the iPad is the best option if you’re in the market for a new machine.

But there’s so many different kinds of iPads, how do you know which one is best for you?

In this post, we will break down the different kinds of iPads and which one is best for you, depending on how you plan to use it.

The Best All-Around iPad

For the majority of musicians, the best option is going to be the iPad Air (5th generation). With this device, you can:

• Read and annotate sheet music
• Download music scores straight to your device
• Create lesson plans for your students and/or classes
• Write notes from masterclasses, 
• Read chord sheets, lead sheets, regular sheet music, and lyric sheets

I recommend this option for:

• Music educators (teachers, professors, directors)
• Rock band performers
• Jazz artists
• Solo Performers
• Music lovers who will also use the iPad for other uses, too

The Best iPad for Students (music majors and below)

Whether you are in high school or college for music, the best iPad is the standard iPad (8th generation). This is a great budget option, and while it doesn’t contain the fancy M1 chip that is taking the world by storm, it still has the powerful A13 Bionic chip. You will be able to do everything you need, and more!

Here are the pros of the standard iPad:

• It is the cheapest option, while still giving you the reliability/creativity/power that Apple packs into all their products
• The size, both in screen and storage, is comparable to the iPad Air with a 10.2 inch screen and up to 256GB of storage
• It is compatible with the Apple Pencil 1st Generation, so you will still be able to annotate scores and take notes on your music

The Best iPad for Producers and Entrepreneurs

If you want an iPad for the monstrous power it can provide, you want the iPad Pro. It can do everything that the iPad Air can do (write/read scores, create lesson plans, etc) while having an entire world of possibilities underneath. 

I have had the iPad Pro (3rd generation) since 2018 and it works just as well as the day I bought it. I use it for all my creative needs – mostly free-form planning, creative designing, video production, and daily lesson planning. I even designed my entire website layout on this iPad. It is great for video production, editing, and recording as well. As an entrepreneur and regularly performing musician, there has yet to be a time when the iPad failed me in the four years I have owned it. 

If you are going to get the iPad Pro, I cannot recommend the 12.9-inch screen highly enough. Seriously, just get it. Especially if you’re going to use the iPad for reading music, it is the size of a sheet of paper which makes a huge difference. I have friends who have the smaller iPad and regret not going with the 12.9. Seriously trust me on this one – you want the larger screen.

Conclusion

There you have it! For the majority of musicians, the iPad Air will be best. For students and those on a budget, the standard iPad is a great option, and for entrepreneurs and producers looking for a little more power, the iPad Pro 12.9inch is the way to go.

Let me know by commenting below which iPad you are going with!

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