- Max Kuehn
If you’re not a musician, the studio’s hard drive sounds strange, but it’s the last stage of a product; you need enough hardware to back up your products.
The machine drive is where you have your programs set up; in addition to your operating systems and items like plugins and other documents, choosing the hard drives is very important.
Let Fidlar help you access our list of the best hard drives on the market today right here in our Best External Hard Drive For Music Production 2023 review and the insurmountable considerations when choosing storage hardware for your studio system.
Best Portable External Hard Drive For Music Production: Things To Consider
Storage Size and Physical Size
External hard drives have significantly improved in the past several decades. Massive amounts of storage used to imply you needed to have a big, hard drive. Now, it is simple to acquire a few TB of storage in a compact apparatus.
You might not require that much, and you will need longer, so storage size is also a significant consideration. If you intend to travel using an external drive, then start looking for a compact apparatus.
If you are only learning music production and do not have lots of projects in the works, you can get by on 1 TB or not. If you operate your studio with numerous projects rolling simultaneously, you might require several or longer to back up that function.
You can access nearly any storage quantity nowadays, but I would suggest getting at least 1TB as that ought to be sufficient for the frequent producer.
Compatibility
You should always be sure the external hard drive you receive functions with your PC. When most versions operate with a vast selection of machines, you have to double-check to prevent running into problems when attempting to store files for the very first time.
Check the manufacturers’ specs before buying to ensure that the drive will work together with the device you wish to pair it with.
Durability
One thing that’s true for nearly any musician is they live a lifetime on the go. Bearing that in mind, you’ll probably take your HDD along with one to some gig, to band practice, or on tour.
You will need something which’s well constructed and durable enough to deal with any abuse which you encounter along the way. Some hard drives are built with reinforced materials, which makes them extra powerful. Should you travel, proceed with these kinds of alternatives.
The 10 Best External Hard Drives For Music Production
1. Samsung T5 Portable SSD
The T5 is the very best hard drive for music production and an undeniable success from Samsung, and that means you have to pay a pretty high cost for it. And don’t forget to Make sure you have compatible hardware to support the SSD’s complete performance levels, of course.
It is made entirely of metal with weighs only 51g and 74 x 57 x 10.5mm; it small and light, which effortless to bring follow during working.
Like the Extreme 900 and G-Drive Slim, the T5 SSD connects through USB-C, matching the Adata SE730 and G-Drive Slim. The T5 SSD comes with USB-C-to-USB-3.0 cables and USB-C-to-USB-C, So it integrates with most desktops and laptops.
The drive is designed in sizes ranging from 250GB to 2TB and includes an ASMedia mSATA-to-USB bridge controller, rather than one of Samsung’s own.
The Samsung T5 is among the best external hard drives for music production, for those looking to the drives can move and bring amounts of data.
The drive will be a three-year warranty, with features and big data. The T5 shows that Samsung is at the top of its game when it comes to NAND technology and producing a quality product.
Pros:
- Small and luxurious.
- It works very fast.
- Great value.
- Uses USB 3.1.
- It comes with a USB-C cable.
- Password protection good.
- SSD
Cons:
- Expensive.
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2. Toshiba Canvio 4TB external hard disk drive
Produced in 2019 by Toshiba, the DTB440 is also known as Canvio Basics 4TB or HDTB440XK3CA. This traditional 2.5-inch external hard drive comes with a USB 3.0 connector and a neat, matte plastic cover with a 1-year warranty. It can say that the very Best external hard drive for Mac.
The Canvio Advance is designed to slim and lightweight, with only 210g for the 3TB and 4TB.
Like 1TB platter technology, The 4TB Advanced still uses the same profile design (109mm-×-78mm-×-19mm).
This version has changed over the years: Toshiba’s Canvio 4TB design remains a simple design. It still uses an anthracite finish, a flat USB Micro-B connector, and a blue status light tucked away in a corner.
The performance scored between 145 and 158MBps on CrystalDiskMark 6.0 and Atto (read and write speeds), with slightly lower numbers recorded on AS SSD. A 10GB file is better than we’d expect; it only took a whole 80 seconds to be transferred.
With us, this is the best external hard drive for recording studio; it is slim, lightweight, offers a large capacity at a price well under what you’d pay for an SSD
Pros:
- Interest design
- Slim and compact
- Different color options
- Affordable Price
- Decent read/write speeds.
- USB powered
Cons:
- No password protection
- No software
3. Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB
The Backup Plus Slim 2TB is released in 2016 by Seagate; it can compete with other pocket-size drives, thanks to its generous space and USB 3.0 interface.
It can copy our standard 1.2GB test folder in just 15 seconds. That’s faster than the Toshiba Canvio Slim II, but it may a bit slower than the G-Technology G-Drive (10 seconds).
The Backup Plus Slim 2TB can work with 1,595 points on the PCMark 7 disk test was better than the Toshiba drive (1,488).
On the Blackmagic disk test, the drive returned respectable 112Mbps write speeds and 114Mbps read, which is slower than the G-Drive. The drive is ideally suited to backup and file-copy duties for most general users.
It is designed to slim and flexibleThat’s almost identical to the Toshiba Canvio Slim II (1TB) and much slimmer than the Seagate Backup Plus Fast. It is well known as the very best hard drive for audio production.
Pros:
- It comes with Mylio Create and Adobe Creative Cloud.
- Two-year warranty
- Three option color
Cons:
- Lacks Universal Storage Module (USM) interface.
- More expensive if you only want storage.
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4. Seagate Barracuda 7,200RPM 3.5″ Desktop Hard Drive
The Seagate BarraCuda 1TB boasts some of the best hard drives for music production on the market. Its 7200 rpm spin speeds and SATA 6GB/s transfer rate, 256MB caches minimize lag and load times while you’re gaming or editing.
With a 1TB HDD, you’re sure to have plenty of space for multiple backups. BarraCuda hard drives have the added advantage of being energy efficient without sacrificing performance.
All Seagate BarraCuda hard drives utilize Multi-Tier Caching Technology (MTC) for rapid performance across a range of applications. Both programs and files load quickly to get a smooth, non-disruptive workflow. Seagate’s technological innovations in the data stream have enormously enhanced read and write times using the BarraCuda 1TB.
Most hard drives these days offer at least 2TB, so if you need a hard drive with less storage space, then the 1TB Seagate Barracuda might be the most economical choice for you.
Although it is not too large compared to the devices on the market today, it will improve the performance of your computer during work.
The Seagate Barracuda 7,200RPM achieved read speed is around 83 megabytes per second and write speeds of almost 80 megabytes per second; it can reach a speed of over 32MBPS to copy data folders from one drive location to another. As you see, these speeds show you that the hard drive is indeed very quick.
Pros:
- Nice price.
- 2 years warranty.
- Fast performance.
Cons:
- Noticeable noise.
5. Samsung 850 EVO SSD
Released on December 8, 2014, the Samsung 850 EVO is the latest in the line of affordable performance SSDs and shows a strategy to accelerate the development of solid-state devices. It comes in 120GB, 250GB, 500GB, and 1TB versions, most of which come with 3-year warranties.
SSD 850 EVO comes with a 3-year warranty, but their lifespan can be much higher from 75 TBW – 100 TBW.
Samsung has a history of price adjustment in a reasonably short period with its drives; for example, SSD 850 Pro sold for $ 70 after being released four months in the market, MSRP sold for about 70 for the dollar, the SSD 840 EVO, which the 850 EVO came out with, replaced previous versions and became one of the most affordable brand names drives you can buy.
When it first came out, the prices for the different capacity versions: SSD 850 EVO – 120GB ($ 99), 250GB ($ 149), and 1TB ($ 499) Samsung brought a quality drive closer to the drive. Popular in the market.
As we will see later in the test, the SSD 850 EVO is the best of even high-performance consumer drives. It is also said to be better than the SSD 850 Pro version of the company itself. It is probably the very best ssd external hard drive for music production.
Pros:
- Speedy performance.
- Good-value.
- Five-year warranty.
Cons:
- Not a giant generational leap.
- Consumer-class SSD.
6. SanDisk Extreme Portable SDD V2
Extreme V2 is designed to weigh only 1.8 ounces and measures 0.4 x 2.1 x 4 inches, smaller than the brand-name Extreme Pro V2; they look very similar in appearance and color.
In terms of performance, the Extreme V2 can operate at speeds of up to 1,050MB / s write, 550MB / s read, and 1,000MB.
Users can rest assured about security with the password option to protect their files and take advantage of built-in 256-bit AES hardware encryption. With a 5-year warranty, the Portable SSD V2 costs around $ 100 (480GB) and $ 160 (1TB).
It can be said that the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD is an excellent solution for designers and consumers who need a super-fast portable hard drive. Based on its performance above and support for USB 3.2 gen2, the SanDisk drive can also be used as extra memory for gamers.
SanDisk’s updated Extreme Portable SSD is also compatible with multiple devices, IP55 rating, 256-bit AES hardware encryption, and up to 2TB capacities. This is the very best external hard drive music production.
Pros:
- Faster than SATA SSDs.
- USB-A + USB-C.
- Lightweight and flexible.
Cons:
- Costly.
7. LaCie Rugged Mini 4TB
LaCie Rugged RAID 4TB is the best external drive for music production; it is designed with 4TB capacity and can be configured in RAID0 or RAID1. The device comes with both USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt connectivity (powered over the bus). LaCie claims a sustained speed of 240MB / s in a RAID 0 configuration and uses a Thunderbolt connection for file transfers.
LaCie Rugged RAID 4TB was created to ensure fast file transfer and performance. The device will function even when dropped from a height of 1.5 meters (5 feet) and can withstand 1 ton of pressure.
Additionally, it is designed to be water and dust-resistant. Customers can fully secure password protection and 256-bit AES encryption, and the RAID1 configuration to protect user data further.
The Rugged Mini offers immense space to store pictures, videos, and loads of other data. LaCie Rugged RAID 4TB, which means you can keep thousands of videos and images without compromising their quality.
This drive transfers many gigabytes of data from your computer to this Mini 4TB drive at the rate of 130MB per second. Flawless transfers and backups are performed with this drive very fast.
LaCie designed the Rugged RAID 4TB for professional consumers who have to save, edit or transfer their work in the field and can’t spend time worrying about the safety of the hard drive.
The device has a built-in Thunderbolt cable for transfer speeds up to 240MB / s as measured by LaCie. And the drive can be configured for RAID0 for increased performance or RAID1 for even more data protection.
Pros:
- It is designed Tough exterior.
- 4TB.
- Portable and flexible.
- It comes with USB-C cable and backup tool.
Cons:
- Pricey.
- Loss of USB port when the cap is on.
8. WD My Cloud Home
The WD My Cloud Home is the best external hard drive for audio production that a personal cloud you can keep at the office or home, use as a multimedia NAS box and synchronize with cloud-stored data.
Western Digital’s My Cloud Home features a simple white and silver design with a diamond pattern on the bottom of the device with a logo on the front and a USB 3.0 port on the back.
A white LED on the front lets you know when My Cloud Home is powered on, and it will also blink if something goes wrong. This hard drive is designed with a height of 7 inches, 5.5 inches wide, and 2 inches thick.
You can connect to My Cloud Home from an iOS device with the My Cloud app for iOS. You can use the app to browse all files you’ve uploaded and upload photos from your iPhone or iPad to My Cloud Home Home.
As follow our testing. Typical reads speed is the 55-60MB/s range over a gigabit link, with write performance at a disappointing 25-32MB/s.
It comes in a range of enormous sizes up to 8TB, and it offers the perfect opportunity to save all those films, songs, books, and photographs from your laptop. With those out of the way, your production machine becomes much leaner and better able to handle recording applications.
Pros:
- Easy setup.
- Strong features.
- Cloud-based security.
- Protected data back-ups.
Cons:
- Single USB-Port.
- Software limitations.
9. Samsung 870 QVO SSD
Samsung is the best brand in the solid-state storage world, and although the company hasn’t been pumping out new solid-state drive (SSD) releases at the same frequency it once did, their products recently enough show their power.
If you’re looking for the best external hard drive for music in terms of value and performance for the money, then Samsung’s SSD 870 QVO, a stellar follow up to its first QLC-based outing.
The 870 QVO is Samsung’s latest QLC (quad-level cell) SSD, and it’s available in 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB, and 8 TB capacities; it is very suitable for those who require high-capacity SSD storage. Compared to the previous generation 860 EVO SSD, the 870 QVO offers improved random access speeds and sustained performance.
You can see the 870 QVO as a refinement of the 860 EVO, thanks to reading speeds of 560 MB/s and write speeds of 530 MB/s.
To connect with the 870 QVO SSD for your personal computer, I would suggest the Startech SATA to USB 3.1 adapter (USB-A, USB-C).
Since SATA SSDs currently have a coating of protective casing, using a port is much more suitable than placing the drive in an enclosure. But if your use case requires maximum security, obtaining a suitable section such as the ADATA ED600 is a fantastic idea.
Pros:
- 8TB of storage.
- The competitive performance is Improved.
- AES 256-bit encryption.
- The excellent price-to-performance ratio for a SATA-based SSD.
- Feature-rich Magician management software.
Cons:
- 3-year warranty.
- Slow write performance after SLC cache fills.
10. Samsung 970 EVO Plus SSD
Samsung released the 970 EVO Plus to replace the version of the 970 EVO that used to be popular as its mainstream NVMe SSD for tech enthusiasts, heavy gamers, and professionals.
The device is equipped with a V5 flash SSD, delivering high performance to 3.5 GB / s sequential read throughput. The drive comes with a 5-year warranty and up to 1,200 TBW of endurance, which is arguably the best external hard drive for music storage on our list.
Compared with the original 970 EVO, the 970 EVO Plus improves performance at all capacities and on all metrics, most notably its write speed and sequential write.
The 1TB model is currently rated for 3.3GB / s write to the SLC cache compared to 2.5GB / s and 1.75GB / s after the cache is full versus 1.25GB / s. Random read speed is improved by about 20%, and sequential read has the minor benefit with increases from 3.4GB / s to 3.5GB / s; The PCIe 3.0 x4 interface is preventing anyone from doing better
You will realize that almost all the SSD 970 EVO Plus parameters are improved better and higher than the 970 EVO version. Samsung’s SSD 970 EVO Plus has released less expensive and better than its predecessor, making it an excellent choice for installing a gaming rig or high-end PC upgrade. It is well known as the very Best external SSD for music production 2020.
Pros:
- Solid overall performance.
- Black PCB.
- Excellent software package.
- Aggressive cost per gigabyte.
- Excellent performance for writing data.
- Multiple capacity options.
- Good reliability rating.
- Great value.
Cons:
- Could use further efficiency optimization.
Why SSDs are Important for Music Production
Before we dive into the recommended outside SSDs for audio creation, let us first discuss why solid-state drives are significant in the first location. From the context of audio output, solid-state pushes are superior to their mechanical HDD counterparts for two chief reasons rate and endurance.
Contemporary music production often necessitates using sample libraries. These sample libraries frequently load the”assault” of their sound files into RAM, but the remainder of the sample is streamed from disk. Since SSDs are quick, there is less chance of sound glitching out because of insufficient bandwidth.
Unlike mechanical discs, SSDs do not have any moving components. This means they are more durable and reliable, particularly for artists and manufacturers who must travel often.
Alright, now let us go through the very Best SSD for music production 2023!
HDD or SDD?
HDDs, or hard-disk drives, are more economical and have more considerable storage capabilities than SDDs. While SDDs are faster and are inclined to be long-lasting due to the simple fact they don’t use moving parts such as their HDD counterparts perform; the cost probably is not worth the difference in efficacy to move music generation documents around.
If you are establishing a high-spec PC, then certainly go to an SDD. For outside storage, we think that HDDs are now superior value for money most of the time. Nevertheless, this is not necessarily true, and that is why we’ve included some SSDs within our listing above.
To capture and play audio files easily, you want a different dedicated hard disk. The eight external hard drives listed above can assist you with your audio production jobs.
Whether you flow many music tracks in real-time or use a lot of effects in your music files, you can lift the load on your system drive with the support of a trusted external hard disk drive.
We’ve got several guides on external hard drives for various applications, like the finest outside HDDs for amateurs and the Best hard drive for music server. Go check these out! Additionally, buyer guides on 500GB external hard drives directly up to 8TB hard drives.
What Size Outside HDD is Ideal for Music Production?
Music manufacturing files may be huge since they contain so much information within them. You will find SSDs and HDDs that could store up to 16TB of data, which might be plenty large enough to get a massive quantity of audio files. Nevertheless, that is probably overkilled for this sort of thing.
Even if you need 16 terabytes worth of storage for your audio files, you would be better off buying lots of smaller hard drives. For instance, you can purchase four hard drives, which every had 4TB of storage.
This provides much greater security to your files and projects if you eliminate a harsh industry, documents become corrupted, or anything similar to that.
Broadly, we would say go no larger than 8TB to your audio generation external HDDs. You’re going to want at least 1TB; however, otherwise, you will quickly run out of space.
Therefore the perfect storage range for this particular action involves 1-8TB, together with 4TB likely being the charming place.
Hopefully, you’ve been able to discover the most influential external hard disk for audio production.
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