With a starting price of $599 (R12,839 in South Africa on Takealot, which is not much of a premium over US retailers like we are used to), it’s one of the most affordable Macs on the market right now and features insane bang-for-buck performance.
Whether you’re a newbie to the music production world or an experienced musician who has powerhouse requirements, the Mac Mini M4 might just be the perfect solution for most studios.
Specifications & Design
One of the first things you’ll notice when watching videos or seeing the device in person is just how small the Mac Mini M4 is. Weighing only 670 grams and with dimensions of 12.7 cm x 12.7 cm x 5.08 cm, small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. They’ve completely redesigned the form factor in comparison to previous editions, and it can quietly sit on the edge of your desk in the music studio.
Despite its small size, there’s still some serious power under the hood, with the base model featuring a 4.4GHz M4 (4 performance cores, 6 efficiency cores), 16GB of RAM and 256GB SSD.
In today’s age, this amount of storage is criminally low, however, it can be bumped up with more expensive models or you can expand your storage with an external SSD. I have personally added a Samsung T9 Portable Thunderbolt SSD, which can be purchased for under $200.
This time, Apple has made the internal SSD removable, which means you might be able to upgrade the storage if you’re willing to open your new machine and potentially void the warranty.
One of the other important features is its near-silent operation. Even when under load in DAW software, I barely noticed any audible noise from the machine, which is a big deal for music producers who don’t want any background noise creeping into recordings or disruptions when making music.
In terms of external ports, the Mac Mini M4 includes three Thunderbolt 4 ports and two USB-C ports, a benefit for music producers who need fast data transfer for audio interfaces, hard drives and other external peripherals.
Having said that, the Mac Mini M4 does miss the mark by omitting traditional USB-A ports, which could be a bit of a hassle if you’ve got older MIDI controllers, audio interfaces, or other gear that still uses the older standard. You can get around this with adapters or Thunderbolt-compatible devices, but that adds some extra cost to your setup.
Performance
When it comes to performance, the Mac Mini M4 is a real powerhouse for its size. Thanks to Apple’s M4 chip, the M Mini’s performance outshines many higher-end models, including the M2 Pro and some of the latest Intel and AMD processors.
But what does this mean in the real world? You can expect faster loading times in your DAW, minimal latency when working on projects and smooth playback when listening.
The M4 chip also excels in single-threaded performance, which is especially important for running DAWs (digital audio workstations) where most tasks rely on this type of processing power since they don’t take advantage of multi-threaded performance.
For the vast majority of music production tasks — whether you’re tracking, mixing, or running multiple virtual instruments and plugins — the Mac Mini M4 has more than enough muscle to keep everything running smoothly.
While the base model includes 16GB of RAM, which is plenty for most projects, it’s worth noting that the upgrades come at quite a premium ($999 for 24GB of RAM and 512GB SSD), so if you’re doing super-heavy work, you might feel slightly bottlenecked.
Is the Mac Mini Good for Music Production?
The shorter and sweet: Most definitely! If you’re a music producer or content creator looking for something compact, powerful, and relatively affordable, the Mac Mini M4 should be added to your cart right now.
Its small size and quiet operation make it a great fit for home and professional studios alike, and its performance is more than enough to handle most DAWs and music production workflows.
The M4 chip is particularly well-suited for single-threaded tasks, which is important when you’re recording, editing, or mixing. You can expect smooth performance even with several tracks running and multiple plugins processing at once.
A benefit of owning any Apple machine is that you receive GarageBand for free – Apple’s very own Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software. It offers a great introduction to the world of music production without having to factor in the additional costs of software, a massive benefit for newbies.
I’m personally using Logic X Pro loaded with plugins like Spectrasonics Omnisphere and Superior Drummer. Some of my projects have a ton of MIDI and audio tracks. In the week that I’ve used the Mac Mini M4, I haven’t encountered any issues and it’s been a breeze to use. I also loaded up Cubase to see how it ran and the experience was positive too. I expect DAW software to release updates in the forthcoming months that will optimize performance for the M4 even further.
However, if you’re relying on older USB-A peripherals (like MIDI controllers or audio interfaces), the lack of USB-A ports is something you’ll need to consider. Thankfully, there are workarounds with adapters, but it’s a bit of a hassle. Also, the 256GB of internal storage might fill up quickly if you have a large music library, so you’ll probably want to invest in an external SSD — which is a more cost-effective way to add storage without paying the premium Apple charges for internal upgrades.
Is the Mac Mini M4 Worth Buying?
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly but high-performance desktop that won’t take up much space in the studio, the Mac Mini M4 is a great option for music production.
At its $599 price point, it offers impressive power — especially considering how it handles most DAWs and music production tasks without breaking a sweat. Thunderbolt 4 ports for fast data transfer and quiet fans are also big selling points for music producers.
But don’t forget to consider the lack of USB-A ports and relatively small base storage, which might require additional investment – either by purchasing a higher-specced model or extending the storage with an external SSD or more ports with adapters.
What’s even better, Amazon is currently running a pre-Black Friday special, which means you can get the Mac Mini M4 for $549, which is a 10% saving on its launch price just last week.
Conclusion
If you’re wondering if you should add a Mac Mini M4 to your shopping cart or make it a wish with Santa this year, it’s an irrefutable yes. This latest generation Mac Mini offers great value for money and packs a punch, especially for its small form factor size. This comes from someone who has used Windows computers their entire life.
While it’s not without its drawbacks — the lack of USB-A ports and the steep cost of storage upgrades — it remains an excellent choice for music producers who want a sleek, powerful, and budget-friendly desktop that sits quietly at the corner of their music studio desk.
If you can work with the ports and storage limitations, the Mac Mini M4 is an affordable, no-fuss option that will serve you well for years to come. Right now, this is the best mini PC for music production – hands down.
