As a music producer, you know that the right equipment can make or break a project. While high-end gear isn’t strictly essential, it can certainly make your workflow smoother and more efficient.
At the centre of any great production setup is your monitor. It’s your primary interface for your DAW – visualizing waveforms, editing tracks, and managing complex effects and plugins.
In this updated guide for 2025, we’ll explore the features that make the best monitor for music production, helping you make an informed decision for your studio.
A key factor in choosing the right monitor is resolution. As music production software continues to evolve, a higher-resolution screen has become essential for managing larger projects and intricate visual layouts.
While 4K UHD (3840 x 2160 pixels) is often considered the gold standard (like in our top choice Samsung 32-Inch Odyssey OLED G8 Monitor), it’s not the only option. In fact, both 4K UHD and QHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) monitors are excellent choices for music production, depending on your needs.
4K UHD offers a vast amount of screen real estate and incredible detail, ideal for those who work with complex, multi-layered projects and need to see everything at once.
However, QHD provides a slightly more practical balance of visual clarity and performance. It offers ample screen space without demanding the same level of processing power as 4K, making it a great choice for those who want a smooth, efficient experience without overtaxing their system.
In 2025, both 4K UHD and QHD are highly suitable for music production, and the decision ultimately comes down to your specific workflow. If you need to work with intricate visuals or multi-monitor setups, 4K might be the right fit. But for most producers, QHD strikes the perfect balance of clarity, efficiency, and performance.
Resolution is crucial, but it’s just one part of the equation. In addition to screen resolution, consider other key factors like colour accuracy, refresh rate, and connectivity options. For example, colour accuracy is essential for producers who also work with video and graphic, as it ensures the visual accuracy.
Connectivity is another important feature. Look for monitors with multiple input options, like HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C, so you can easily connect your computer, audio interface, and other devices.
Now that you’ve learn’t the basic, let’s dig in to the our monitor choices for 2025.
Best Monitor For Music Production
- 4K UHD resolution
- Excellent colour accuracy
- High refresh rate
- Risk of burn-in
- Primarily gaming-focused
- Expensive for studios
A household name when it comes to some of the best monitors in the world, the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 is an absolutely beautiful model that would be a fantastic extension for any music production studio.
Featuring a QD-OLED panel, 240Hz refresh rate, low response time, DisplayPort and HDMI connectivity, 4k resolution and 32-inch size. While it’s primarily for gamers, it offers crystal-clear screen quality perfect for long studio sessions.
Furthermore, if you work with photos or videos, it offers deep blacks and colours look extremely vivid. Furthermore, the monitor features a built-in Tizen OS, allowing you to stream media from different platforms – essentially doubling up as a TV.
One important factor to consider is that OLEDs suffer from the risk of permanent burn-in with exposure to the same elements on the screen, so you’ll want to enable a screensaver or turn the screen off when you’re not using it.Â
Best Budget 32" Monitor For Music Production
- 165Hz refresh rate
- Great contrast ratio
- Low input lag
- No local dimming
- Slight motion blur
- Expensive for studios
The LG 32GN650-B is a 32-Inch Monitor, 1440p budget monitor that is the same size as the Samsung but with a sub-$250 price tag.
To no surprise, you’ll be downgrading in some aspects including a VA panel, 165Hz refresh rate and limited connectivity. However, in terms of music production requirements, it ticks all the boxes. Don’t expect it to be the best for video production or gaming.
Best 27" Monitor for Music Production
- Vibrant colours and deep blacks
- 180Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time
- Ergonomic stand with VESA compatibility
- Lower resolution (2K QHD)
- Limited colour gamut compared to higher-end models
- Expensive for studios
For music producers looking for a cost-effective upgrade, the AOC Q27G3XMN 27″ Mini LED offers excellent performance without the premium price tag.
While it doesn’t have the highest resolution, the 2K QHD (2560 x 1440) display with Mini LED backlighting delivers deep blacks and vivid colours, making it perfect for working on DAW software, mixing, and watching content. The 180Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time provide smooth visuals, ensuring no lag or screen tearing during video or fast-paced audio work.
The ergonomic stand with adjustable height, tilt, and swivel ensures a comfortable, customizable setup, while its VESA compatibility allows for multi-monitor configurations.
With multiple connectivity options (2x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4) and a 3-year zero-bright-dot warranty, the AOC Q27G3XMN provides a solid, reliable option for producers who want great visual performance without breaking the bank.
Best Budget 27" Monitor for Music Production
- Respectable 165Hz refresh rate
- Fast response time
- Low input lag
- Not great in low contrast
- Local dimming feature poor
- Motion blur outside of DAW usage (gaming)
In the lower budget of around $150, the Dell G2724D is a decent monitor for music production work. It has HDMI and DisplayPort connectivity, low input lag, a 165Hz refresh rate and looks great in any DAW.
On the downside, it didn’t look great in low light and has limited usage outside music production work and general PC work. However, if that’s primarily what you do on your PC – this is a great choice.
The monitor is often sold out and hard to find. If you’re looking for an alternative, check out the MSI MAG 274QRFW, AOC C27G2Z 27-Inch or Samsung CF396 24-Inch.
I have recently shifted to a 32-inch monitor (SAMSUNG 32-Inch Odyssey OLED G8 Monitor) and believe this is the sweet spot for music production. Once you make the upgrade, you’ll be surprised at how it benefits your workflow. The additional screen real estate in your DAW is noticable.
For some music producers, having a dual screen setup is more beneficial as it allows you to separate certain parts. In general, one screen is used for arrangements and the other for the mixer. It’s entirely personal preference and up to you.
Timeline applications like audio and video editing can greatly benefit from the additional horizontal screen real estate. Curved and ultrawide monitors are great for music production, and most modern DAWs are capable of resizing everything accordingly.
While a higher refresh rate provides smoother visuals, it isn’t a critical factor for music production. It may be more beneficial for video editing or gaming but usually doesn’t affect audio work.
Ensure the monitor has the correct ports for your setup, such as HDMI, DisplayPort, or USB-C. Some monitors also offer additional USB ports and even KVM switches for greater flexibility.
Take a look at the Samsung Odyssey Ark, a 55-inch behemoth.
