Best Music Laptop

Music Production On Chromebook

Music Production On Chromebook

With Chromebooks rising in popularity, you may be wondering if you can use a chromebook for music production. So in this article, we’ll be covering all the different aspects of producing music on a Chromebook.

USB Microphone Chromebook

music recording microphoneA microphone is obviously an essential tool for music production, and a USB microphone will be the cheapest, easiest, way to connect a high-quality microphone to your computer.

So, if you are going to be producing music on a Chromebook, you will probably want to be able to use a USB Microphone with it. Fortunately, most USB Microphones are compatible with Chromebooks and connecting them is fairly straightforward.

When purchasing a USB Microphone to use with your Chromebook, just make sure that it says something like “plug and play” or “no additional drivers required”, if it does require additional software, it won’t work on a Chromebook because Chrome OS can’t run it.

It is a good idea to purchase one from amazon.com as they have a great return policy in case it doesn’t work with your chromebook.

Some USB Microphones we recommend are The Blue Snowball, the Samson Meteorite, or, if you want an impressive looking kit with carry case included, check out this USB mic from Maono.

How to Connect a USB Microphone to a Chromebook

To connect a USB Microphone to your Chromebook, plug it into the USB port. (If your Chromebook doesn’t have one take a look at our recommended USB-C Hub for Chromebook. For more information on USB-C hubs for music production jump to the blog article we wrote on this.)

Then click in the bottom right corner of the screen to bring up the menu.

Then click on the audio button as shown below.

USB Mic Chromebook

Then under audio in, choose the USB Microphone as shown below.

usb microphone chromebook

Now, assuming your USB Microphone is compatible with Chrome Os, your Chromebook should be working with your USB Microphone.

If you'd prefer to watch a video tutorial on connecting a USB microphone to a chromebook, you can watch this great video from Tech Time With Timmy.

Audio Interface For Chromebook

So whilst a USB microphone is a much cheaper and easier way to go and can end up producing great results.

A more professional music production setup will include an XLR microphone which will need to be connected to your Chromebook with an audio interface.

There are also other benefits to an audio interface like the ability to do zero-latency monitoring, adjust levels, and easily record instruments like an electric guitar. But the main reason you’ll want an audio interface will be the ability to connect an XLR microphone.

You can connect an audio interface to a Chromebook, but only specific models will work with Chrome OS and there are several potential issues you’ll want to consider.

So if you do want to get an audio interface for your Chromebook, read this other article I wrote specifically about using an audio interface on a Chromebook to learn more about it and find out which models are compatible. And then come back here to finish reading this one.

Music Software For Chromebook

Hands down, the most important thing you need for music production is a DAW software (digital audio workstation).

This may be one of the trickiest aspects of recording music on a Chromebook, because Chromebooks don’t run traditional software like Windows or Mac OS computers do.

Fortunately, there are some web based options that run in Google Chrome, or (if your Chromebook supports it) Android Apps.

Music Production Web Apps For Chromebook

Web apps are like using software on your computer, except they run in your web browser. There’s no need to download or install extra software, you just visit a website and it all runs in the browser.

Below is a list of good Music Recording Software that runs in your web browser, some offer free plans and some have a small monthly fee.

  1. AudioTool
  2. Soundation
  3. BandLab
  4. Soundtrap

Music Production Apps For Chromebook

Android apps are quite different to web apps, Android apps are predominantly intended for use on Android Smartphones and Tablets, but a few years ago, Chromebooks gained the ability to run Android apps.

Most Chromebooks these days can run Android apps, but if yours is more than a few years old, there’s a chance it might not.

Not all Android apps work on Chromebooks yet, and some of the ones that do aren’t fully optimized to be used with a keyboard and mouse, but there are some android apps available that work very well for music production on a laptop.

Probably the biggest benefit of using Android apps instead of web apps, is that Android apps can be used without an internet connection which can be very handy if you want to be able to work on your tracks while offline.

Below is a list of good music recording apps that work well on a Chromebook, some have free versions, but most require a small one time fee.

  1. Cubasis 3
  2. Caustic 3
  3. FL Studio Mobile
  4. BandLab
  5. Music Maker JAM
  6. Walk Band

While all the options listed above are useable on a Chromebook, my favorite is Cubasis 3. It does cost a bit more than the others, but it has a nice interface with really all the features you could possibly want.

And possibly the best part about it is that this app has actually been optimized to run on a Chromebook so unlike a lot of Android apps, the interface actually feels like it belongs on a big laptop screen and works perfectly with a keyboard and mouse.

And there’s a free trial edition of the app available here that allows you to test it out for 30 minutes at a time so you can make sure it will work perfectly on your Chromebook and see if you like it.

Chromebook MIDI Keyboard

chromebook midi keyboardA MIDI controller is not really necessary for music production, but it does make it so much easier and more enjoyable.

In short, a MIDI Controller looks like a keyboard and it can act like a keyboard. MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface – this is music industry terminology that has been around for over 20 years.

With the use of your DAW, you can simulate different sounds and control certain parts of the DAW software.

If you want to use a MIDI Controller with your Chromebook, it is possible, but there are some things you should consider.

  1. You’ll want to make sure you get a MIDI Controller that connects via USB so that you can easily plug it into your Chromebook.

  2. You’ll also need to make sure the music recording software you choose works with MIDI Controllers because not all web based and Android apps do.

Chromebook Web Apps That Work With MIDI Controllers

MIDI Controllers will work with all the web apps we listed above, just plug the controller into a USB port of your Chromebook, and configure it in the web app of your choice.

Keep in mind that Soundation only supports MIDI Controllers in the paid version, so if you don’t want to be paying an ongoing subscription, Soundation might not be your best option.

  1. AudioTool
  2. SoundationPaid Version Only
  3. BandLab
  4. Soundtrap

Android Apps That Work With MIDI Controllers

If you want to use a MIDI controller with an Android app on your Chromebook, your options are going to be a bit more limited.

In fact, at the time of writing this article, the only fully fledged music production app that supports the use of MIDI controllers on a Chromebook is Cubasis 3.

Best Chromebook For Music Production

Now that you know how to produce music on a Chromebook, you’re obviously going to need a Chromebook. Click here to read my full article on the best Chromebook for music production.

So there you have it, all the different aspects of recording music on a Chromebook. There are a few drawbacks, but on the whole, recording music on a Chromebook is very much possible and can certainly be an excellent option if you’re on a tight budget.

9 thoughts on “Music Production On Chromebook”

  1. HI Everyone!!! I have a chromebook, and am running Soundtrap. I am experiencing terrible latency on playback. what can I do??

    1. Hi Aron,

      Latency can often be affected by the performance of your computer.

      You can try some things to free up resources on your Chromebook such as:

      1. Close all the other tabs you have open in Google Chrome.

      2. Temporarily disable any Chrome extensions you have installed by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, Hovering over “More tools” and clicking “Extensions”, you will then be able to toggle on and off any Chrome extensions that you don’t need right at that moment.

      3. Close any Android or Linux Application you have open.

      If you have done all this and it’s no help, there are also some settings in Soundtrap you can try:

      1. Click on “Settings” in the top menu and change the “Sound quality” to “Low”, this will not affect the quality of the end result but will just reduce the quality of the playback while you are working on it.

      2. Click on the dot-dot-dot menu in the track header and choose “Freeze track (free up CPU)”, This will temporarily “freeze” the track from editing, but it will reduce the CPU usage a whole lot. If you want to edit that track later on, you can easily “unfreeze” it using the same process.

      Hopefully, some of these tips help you to reduce the latency.

    2. Hi. Latency with a chromebook will continue to be an issue unless you use a USB interface and set it on monitor direct. I use a scarlett simple two input interface that costs between 100 and 150 bucks. I also use a DAW that’s available in the play store called N Track 9, and it’s pretty awesome. There is a basic free version or you can pay for more features. Also, I’ve encountered gear that was supposedly incompatible with a chromebook only to find out that it IS in fact compatible with chromebook. Anyway, any usb interface with a monitor direct setting will solve your latency issue. They range in price from 50 dollars to astronomical.

    1. Hi Oskar,

      You can get FL Studio mobile on a Chromebook if it supports Android apps, but the full version is only available for Windows and Mac computers.

      If you want to get a cheap Windows laptop to run the full FL Studio, check out this article:
      https://bestmusiclaptop.com/best-laptop-for-music-production-under-500/

      It has a rundown of good music production laptops for under $500, any of the laptops on this list should run the full desktop version FL Studio just fine.

      Hope this helps,
      Bob

  2. Enjoying this article very much, thank you!

    I truly loath having to be contrary or to say anything negative… However, when I read “MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface – this is music industry terminology that has been around for over 20 years” I was a little taken aback; as it’s much closer to 40 years.

    Still, thank you writing and posting such great content, Bob!

  3. Do you know if Pianoteq for Linux works on a Chromebook and a midi keyboard will work with it?

    Before I buy all the equipment, I’d like to see if it even works.

    1. Hi Pablo,

      I’ve done some Googleing and testing and I was unfortunately unable to install Pianoteq on my Chromebook. So if you want to use Pianoteq, I would suggest getting a Windows or Mac computer.

      In answer to the MIDI keyboard question, MIDI keyboards currently don’t seem to work with Linux apps on a Chromebook. Perhaps in the future MIDI keyboards will work with Linux apps, but currently to use a MIDI keyboard with a Chromebook you need to be using a web or Android app.

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