The 6 Best tablet for sheet music

The Best tablet for Sheet Music will make it possible to check and view your sheet music library no matter where you are. The portability and convenience on the tablet will be the first step towards a totally paperless sheet music experience.

This will help you reduce printing costs and paper wastage. A large storage space will ensure that you can save hundreds of scores in one device.

You therefore need to choose a device with a large storage space. Luckily, some tablets will allow you to expand your storage using an external MicroSD card.

You want a tablet that is versatile and can be used for many other different tasks such as gaming or listening to music. For this, choose one with a powerful processor and large RAM. It will save your sheet files on only a single quick click. Additionally, you will easily be able to Multitask.

For the best sheet music reading experience, you will need to consider the the zoom, easy bookmarking and annotate. This article will help you choose the best one for you.

If you are looking for the best tablet for your music listening, you need to go for one with a reasonably large screen size, a 3.5 mm audio jack to attach audio devices, a good built-in microphone and speakers plus reliable processing power.

Check out our post for top Laptops for FL Studio.

Choosing the Right Tablet For Sheet Music

When choosing your device be keen to consider your needs. Consider your regular accessories that you use such as a stylus, stand and keyboard. If you need them, check whether the tablet you choose is compatible with the accessory and whether it is available on purchase.

If the accessory is not available on purchase, check its overall price when bought separately. The tablet price is another consideration. Generally, you can find good tablets ranging between 100$ and $1000. Consider your budget range and balance with the table’s specs. More expensive tablets feature better specifications than cheaper ones.

Sometimes you will need to play without charging your tablet as regular. Therefore, you need to choose a tablet with a long battery life and fast charging.

The screen display and resolution is another important consideration. A larger screen with high resolution will provide the best user experience when reading sheet music. If you read in high environmental light set ups or outdoors, you need a tablet with high brightness levels and a matte finished screen to avoid parallax.

What is the Best Tablet for Sheet Music?

1. Apple iPad Pro 13 Inch 2024: Best Screen Tablet
2. Apple iPad Pro – Best Tablet Performance
3. Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 – Best tablet for portability
4. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ – Best Value for Money
5. Microsoft Surface Pro 8 – Best Power Tablet
6. Lenovo Tab M8: Best Budget

Apple iPad Pro 13 2024: Best Screen Tablet

1. Screen size: 13 inches
2. Resolution: 2752 x 2064 pixels
3. Chip: Apple M4
4. RAM: 8 GB or 16 GB
5. Storage: 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, non-expandable
6. Weight: 1.28 pounds
7. Rear Camera: 12MP Wide
8. Front Camera: 12 MP Ultra Wide with Center Stage
9. Audio: Four speakers, four studio-quality microphones
10. Battery Life: Up to 10 hours 
11. Connectivity: USB-C (Thunderbolt or USB 4), Wi-Fi 6E
12. Security: Face ID

The new 13-inch iPad Pro (2024) the best tablet for reading sheet music. It features a new OLED screen display. This size is almost as big as an A4 sheet of paper making it perfect for reading music. It features a high 2,752 x 2,064 pixels resolution that is crisp and clear for a variety of tasks.

Screen brightness and refresh rate is ideal for both indoor and outdoor use with up to 1000 nits and 120 Hz refresh rate just like the iPad Pro 12.9. This means you can use it to play complex graphic games with no lags.

Apple iPad Pro 13 2024 is compatible with Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Max Pencil. You have to buy them separately since they do not come wit the tablet. This adds to the price of the already expensive tablet.

You will not regret spending on this tablet because of its modern and powerful features that make it useful for many different tasks.

For a comparison between Apple iPad Pro 13 2024 vs iPad Pro 12.9 inches, check out our last post.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9 – Best Tablet Performance

1. Screen Size: 12.9 inches
2. Resolution: 2732 x 2048 pixels
3. Refresh Rate: 120 Hz
4. Brightness: 1000 nits (1600 nits peak brightness)
5. Stylus: Apple Pencil, 2nd Gen
6. Processor: Apple M2 Processor
7. RAM: 8 / 16 GB
8. Storage Options: 128 GB to 2 TB Non expandable
9. Operating System: iOS
10. Security: Face ID
11. Stereo: Stereo with 4 speakers

The Apple iPad Pro is by far one of the most reliable tablets ever made. It is not surprising therefore that it takes the spot for the Best tablet for reading music. 

First, it has a unique display at 13 inches in size and a 2732 x 2048 pixels screen resolution. Its unique liquid Retina Display technology and high 1000 nits brightness levels make it clear and ideal even for high light situations.

For beginners, the tablet will allow easy music reading on the screen while for seasoned music professionals, the tablet comes with 4 quality speakers that you can easily read music by ear.

For sound recording, the iPad comes with a set of clear studio-grade microphones. The Apple iPad has a sleek and modern look that is both sturdy and durable. It is however slightly heavier compared to other sheet music tablets weighing in at 1.5 pounds.

Connectivity for a music tablet is very important. The iPad Pro has fast and perfect connectivity thanks to the Wi-Fi 6, Thunderbolt 4 port, and Bluetooth 5 connection options. Unfortunately, the iPad Pro does not come with a 3.5mm audio Jack.

The iPad is also compatible with the wireless Apple Pencil 2 which is an industry standard. Unfortunately, you will have to buy it separately, which may be costly.

When it comes to battery life, the iPad Pro scores well with up to 10 hours of battery life on continuous use.

Finally, the Apple M2 chip processor found on the iPad Pro is one of the fastest processors available in the market today. When you combine this with 8 GB RAM you have a very powerful music tablet free of any lags.

You also have 16 and 32 GB RAM options to choose from if you prefer more power.

If you like storing files on your tablet, the iPad Pro comes with a wide range of storage space from 256 GB to 2 TB. 

You will however not be able to buy a low storage option and upgrade. The only way is to buy another iPad. To scan your traditional chord charts and save them as PDF documents the iPad comes with a clear 12 Megapixel rear camera and 12 Megapixel webcam camera on the front.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A8

1. Screen Size: 10.5 inches
2. Resolution: 1200×1920 pixels
3. Processor: Unisoc T618
4. RAM: 3 GB, 4 GB
5. Battery Life: 7.5 hours
6. Storage Space: 32 GB, 64 GB, 128 GB (Expandable via MicroSD)
7. Rear Camera: 8 MP Auto focus but No Flash
8. Front Camera: 5 MP
9. Weight: 508 g
10. Stylus Support: No
11. Operating System: Android 11

The Apple iPad Pro is a great tablet but it loses some points because of the price and lack of a 3.5 mm audio Jack.  Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 is a very budget-friendly tablet that is not only economical but also comes with an audio jack.

Although the power, screen, and performance do not match up to the iPad Pro, it has all that you need to run sheet music applications without issues.

The screen is large enough at 10.5 inches and has a 16:10 aspect ratio that allows it to be used comfortably in both landscape and portrait orientation.

The overall display is clean and clear at Full HD 1920×1200 pixels resolution. For power and performance, this tablet comes with a  Unisoc Tiger chipset and 4 GB RAM that will be capable of running sheet music easily.

To save your files you have 128 GB storage space which is not enough but is upgradable to 512 GB through a MicroSD card. 512 GB is more space than you need.

For portability, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 weighs only 1.12 pounds and has an overall size of only 9.72 x 6.37 x 0.27 inches. Additionally, up to 15 hours of battery life means you can easily carry it around without power issues.

Connectivity stands out for this tablet with a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm audio jack available.

For Wireless connections, the tablet comes with Wi-Fi 5 plus Bluetooth 5.0, which you can use to connect to wireless accessories.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+

1. Screen Size: 12.4 inches
2. Resolution: 2800 x 1752 pixels
3. Display Type: Super AMOLED
4. Refresh Rate: 120 Hz
5. Processor: Snapdragon 865
6. RAM: 6 GB
7. Storage Space: 128 GB (Expandable via MicroSD up to 1 TB)
8. Rear Camera: 13 MP
9. Front Camera: 5 MP
10. Battery Life: 15 hours
11. Build: Slim and sturdy metal build
12. Audio: Quad-speaker system supported by Dolby Atmos
13. Microphones: Studio-level built-in microphones
14. Stylus: Samsung S-pen included
15. Operating System: Android
16. Ports: No 3.5 mm Audio jack

If you prefer an Android system, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ is the Best Android Tablet for Sheet Music. After the  S7+, Samsung has introduced a new S8 Ultra and S9+ that are great.

However, they are both more expensive and the S7+ gives a perfect balance for value and money especially if you want a tablet for sheet music only.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ is one of the slimmest tablets that you can buy. Despite this, the overall metal build makes it sturdy and durable. 

A very long battery life, up to 15 hours, and a lightweight build make the tablet easily portable and usable on the go. 

The screen is large at 12.4 inches and has a clean and crisp high-resolution display at 2800 x 1752 pixels. 

Additionally, the screen features reduced bezels that make the screen seem even bigger and provide a larger view area for your music.

This super AMOLED screen provides a good reading space for your music and offers a fast 120Hz response rate to its very good Samsung S-pen that is available in the box on purchase.

If you prefer reading music by ear, the tablet comes with a powerful Dolby Atoms-supported quad-speaker system. Additionally, you will have studio-level microphones built into your tablet.

When it comes to power and performance, this tablet will seamlessly run all your Android-based sheet music applications such as Mobile Sheets and Songbook.

This is made possible by a powerful Snapdragon 865 processor and 6 GB RAM that make multitasking possible.

To save your files, you will have 128 GB space which is honestly low. However, it is possible to expand the memory using a micro SD card up to 1 TB. 

You can scan your traditional chord charts and save them as PDF documents thanks to a good 13 MP rear camera and 5 MP webcam on the front. Just like the iPad Pro, however, this tablet does not come with a 3.5 mm Audio jack.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8

1. Screen Size: 13 inches
2. Resolution: 2880 x 1920 pixels
3. Refresh Rate: 120 Hz
4. Brightness: 450 nits
5. Type: 2-in-1 laptop/tablet
6. Speakers: Dolby Atmos-powered stereo
7. Processor: Intel Core i5
8. RAM: 8 GB
9. Weight: 1.91 pounds
10. Battery Life: 16 hours
11. Audio Jack: 3.5 mm

If you prefer a Windows System, then the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is your best option. This is a multipurpose tablet and will surely do more for you than only reading music.

First, it comes with a large 13-inch screen with a massive 2880 x 1920 pixels resolution display. 

Just like the Samsung Galaxy S7+, the screen features a fast full touch 120 Hz response rate that will have no delays even when running sheet music software.

The brightness levels are slightly low compared to an iPad Pro with only 450 nits. This may pose a challenge when used in high light or outdoor conditions.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is a 2 in 1 laptop tablet. This means that you can easily use it as a tablet or laptop by connecting it to a keyboard and a mouse.

This versatility makes it perfect for both beginner and pro musicians who want to incorporate a tablet and laptop into their workflow.

Surface Pro 8 comes with powerful stereo speakers that are Dolby Atmos-powered. Additionally, high-quality studio-grade speakers will allow perfect audio recording. For processing power, the tablet comes with a powerful Intel core i5 processor and 8 GB RAM.

If you like using your tablet away from the office this tablet is easily portable thanks to an overall 1.91 pounds weight and very long 16 hours battery life. It has by far the longest battery life of all tablets in this review.

Unlike the iPad Pro and Samsung Galaxy S7+, this tablet comes with a 3.5 mm Audio Jack that is good for connecting audio devices.

Lenovo Tab M8: Best Budget

• Screen size: 8 inch
• Resolution: 1280 x 800 pixels
• 2 GHz Quad-Core Processor
• Full Metal Cover body
• Long Battery Life
• Operating System: Android 10 Pie
• Storage: 32GB
• Weight: 305g

If you are on a budget but still need a good compact tablet, we recommend the Lenovo Tab M8. Like many other Lenovo Tablets, it features a slim design with thin bezels to make the small screen seem large enough. However, most musicians prefer the larger Lenovo M10 for a better user experience.

When compared, the Lenovo Tab M8 features a smaller 8 inch screen with lower 1280 x 800 pixels resolution. This is decent but you obviously have a better 10 inch screen size with Full HD resolution.

The Lenovo M8 features a smaller RAM and weaker processor that will be slower to render PDFs compared to the Lenovo M10. If you are however regularly on the move, the light weight 305 grams on this tablet makes it easy to carry around and use out of office.

Conclusion

The Apple iPad Pro is the best tablet you can use for Sheet Music. Its large screen, powerful processor and RAM among other features will render sheet music pdfs very fast and project them on the large high resolution screen.

It offers the most powerful specifications on a tablet only overshadowed by the new Apple iPad Pro 13 2024 with an M4 Chip. Unfortunately, such premium tablets do not come cheap. Also unlike Android tablets, you must buy any accessories you need like the Apple Pencil 2 at an additional fee.

Top Tablet Options for Sheet Music