iPad music production has moved far beyond novelty. With Logic Pro, Cubasis, and powerful hardware, is the iPad finally a legitimate production platform?
TL;DR
iPad music production is genuinely viable in 2025. Logic Pro for iPad, Cubasis 3, and GarageBand offer serious DAW capabilities. The M-series chips handle complex projects easily. Best for sketching ideas and mobile production; still limited for professional mixing and mastering.
How iPad Production Has Matured
When Apple launched Logic Pro for iPad in May 2023, it signalled that iPad music production was no longer an experiment — it was a supported, professional workflow. The app brought the full Logic Pro experience to a touchscreen interface, with most of the desktop version's instruments, effects, and features.
The M-series chips that power current iPads provide processing power that exceeds many dedicated music computers. An iPad Air with an M2 chip can handle sessions with dozens of tracks, multiple virtual instruments, and complex effects chains without breaking a sweat.
Third-party apps have matured alongside Apple's offerings. Cubasis 3 provides a full DAW experience with audio and MIDI recording, mixing, and a wide range of built-in instruments. AUM functions as a flexible audio routing tool. Koala Sampler has become a beloved creative tool for quick sample-based production.
What It Does Well
Touch-based production is genuinely intuitive for certain workflows. Playing virtual instruments, manipulating samples, and drawing automation with your fingers feels more musical than mouse-clicking. The directness of touch removes a layer of abstraction between you and the sound.
Portability is the iPad's killer feature. A complete production studio that fits in a bag, runs on battery for hours, and can be used anywhere — the train, the park, a hotel room, backstage at a gig. For capturing ideas when inspiration strikes, nothing beats the iPad's combination of capability and portability.
For sketching, arranging, and experimenting, iPad production is excellent. The constraints of a smaller screen and simplified interfaces can actually enhance creativity by reducing option paralysis.
Where It Falls Short
Professional mixing and mastering remain better suited to desktop environments. The small screen limits the visual precision needed for detailed EQ moves, automation editing, and multi-track organisation. External monitor support helps, but at that point you're essentially recreating a desktop setup.
Plugin ecosystem is limited compared to desktop. While Logic Pro for iPad includes most of Apple's instruments and effects, third-party plugin support (through Audio Units) is growing but not comparable to the desktop market. If your workflow depends on specific plugins, check iPad availability before committing.
File management can be frustrating. Moving projects between iPad and desktop, managing large sample libraries, and backing up sessions requires more deliberate organisation than the seamless file access of a desktop setup.
Our verdict: the iPad is a genuinely capable music production tool in 2025. It's ideal as a companion to a desktop setup — perfect for ideation, mobile production, and creative experimentation. For a complete, professional production workflow, the desktop still has the edge. But the gap is closing fast.