When you start cover songs or home recording, many people wonder, “How powerful a computer do I need?” So we compared the system requirements that the main DAWs (software for recording, composing and mixing) publish on their official sites, focusing on CPU, memory and storage. System requirements change with software updates. The contents of this article were checked on each official page on October 17, 2026. Before you buy, be sure to look at the latest official pages too.
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. Prices are as of the date we checked them and can change.
Summary: treat “8 GB of memory” as the minimum line, and allow extra margin yourself
- Among the DAWs we could check, Cubase 15, Ableton Live 12 and Fender Studio Pro 8 list a minimum memory (RAM) of 8 GB. FL Studio’s minimum is 4 GB, and its recommendation is 8 to 16 GB.
- Storage (the space to keep files) is small for the software itself, but grows large if you install all the bundled instruments and sounds. For Cubase 15 it is 84 GB with everything installed, and for Ableton Live 12 up to 76 GB of additional sound content is listed.
- For the CPU, Cubase 15 says 4 or more cores (the parts that do the processing). For the others, the guides are things like Intel Core i3 or i5 or better.
- The official numbers are “the minimum line to run it”. None of the makers states a guideline for using lots of plugins on cover songs.
Comparing the DAWs’ official system requirements
The table organizes what is written on each maker’s official page as it is. Items that are “not stated” are marked “Not stated” rather than left blank.
| DAW | Supported OS | CPU | Memory (RAM) | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cubase 15 (common to Pro, Artist, Elements, AI and LE) | Windows 10 22H2 or later, Windows 11 24H2 or later, macOS 14 / 15 / 26 | Windows: Intel Core i5 (8th generation), AMD Ryzen 3000 series, or Windows on Arm. Mac: Intel Core i5 (late 2018 or later) or Apple silicon. 4 or more cores | Minimum 8 GB | 1.5 GB for the software alone, 84 GB with everything installed |
| Ableton Live 12 | Windows 10 (22H2), Windows 11 (22H2 or later), macOS 11 Big Sur or later | Windows: 5th-generation Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen (AVX2 supported). Mac: Intel Core i5 or Apple silicon | 8 GB | For the basic installation, about 5.7 GB on Windows (8 GB of free space recommended) and about 8 GB on Mac. Sound content up to 76 GB |
| Logic Pro (Mac) | macOS 15.4 or later | An Apple silicon Mac is required | Not stated | Minimum installation 6 GB, 44 GB or more for the whole sound library (Mac App Store) |
| Fender Studio Pro 8 | Windows 10 22H2 (64-bit), Windows 11 22H2 or later, macOS 13.5 or later, Ubuntu 24.04 or later | Mac: Intel Core i3 or Apple M1 or better. Windows: Intel Core i3 / AMD A10 / Snapdragon X or better | Minimum 8 GB | 40 GB of free hard drive space |
| FL Studio | Windows 10 and 11, macOS 10.15 or later | Windows: 2 GHz processor with SSE2 support (4 cores recommended). Mac: Apple silicon or Intel. ARM versions of Windows are stated as not supported | Minimum 4 GB (recommended 8 to 16 GB) | 4 GB of free space (SSD recommended) |
| REAPER | Windows XP through 11, macOS 10.5 through 26, Linux | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Here are a few notes on the table.
- Logic Pro is Mac only. The required macOS and Apple silicon conditions are in Apple’s guidance, and the storage figures are on the Mac App Store page.
- The Fender Studio Pro 8 official page says that support for Windows 10 22H2 and macOS 13 ends on December 31, 2026.
- FL Studio’s official download page lists both the minimum and a “recommended” configuration, and the recommendation is “a 4-core CPU, 8 to 16 GB of memory and an SSD”. The other DAWs state only the minimum.
- REAPER’s official page gives the range of supported operating systems, but does not list numbers for CPU, memory or storage. Its top page introduces efficient operation and fast startup as features. The table shows “Not stated”.
- We included only DAWs whose numbers we could confirm on official pages, so Bitwig Studio and others are not in the table. For how to choose a DAW itself, see How to choose a DAW.
Sources: official pages of Steinberg, Ableton, Apple, Fender, Image-Line and Cockos (checked October 17, 2026)
What to look at for cover songs
1. Memory (RAM): 8 GB is the official minimum
Memory is where the computer holds what it is working on at the same time. If it is short, things get sluggish. In this table, Cubase 15, Ableton Live 12 and Fender Studio Pro 8 give 8 GB as the minimum. FL Studio’s minimum is 4 GB, but it recommends 8 to 16 GB. For cover songs you layer the backing track, vocals, backing vocals and plugins, so having more headroom than the bare minimum would let you work with more peace of mind.
2. CPU: not too old, and the number of cores
The CPU is the computer’s brain. Cubase 15 says Intel Core i5 (8th generation) or AMD Ryzen 3000 series or better, with 4 or more cores. Ableton Live 12 on Windows says a 5th-generation Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen (AVX2 supported). When you choose a used or older model, check whether the CPU generation meets the official conditions. On Mac, both Cubase 15 and Live 12 support Apple silicon, and Logic Pro requires it.
3. Storage: free space, and whether it is an SSD
Storage is where software and recording data are kept. The DAW itself is small, but it grows large when you install the bundled instruments and sounds. For Cubase 15 it is 1.5 GB for the software alone and 84 GB with everything installed. For Logic Pro the minimum is 6 GB and the whole sound library is 44 GB or more. Vocal recording data and plugins will also keep growing, so choosing a capacity with room to spare would be reassuring. FL Studio lists an SSD in its recommended configuration.
4. Compatibility with the OS: check before buying the computer
Each DAW has set OS versions that it supports. For example, Cubase 15 needs Windows 10 22H2 or later, Windows 11 24H2 or later, and macOS 14 or later. Logic Pro needs macOS 15.4 or later. A new computer will be fine to begin with, but if you keep using an old one, check the OS version.
5. Screen size
The screen resolution is easy to overlook. Cubase 15 lists 1440 x 900, Live 12 lists 1366 x 768 on Windows and 1280 x 800 on Mac, and Fender Studio Pro lists 1280 x 768 as the minimum. On a small laptop, the screen may feel cramped.
6. Compatibility with your audio interface
You also use an audio interface for recording. Cubase 15 and Live 12 recommend “ASIO-compatible audio hardware” on their official pages. The delay while recording (latency) is covered in Fixing the delay while recording (latency).
Caution: the official numbers are a “minimum”, not necessarily “comfortable”
- Each maker’s numbers are the conditions for the DAW to run. How much you need when you stack many plugins is not in the official system requirements.
- Makers like FL Studio that give a “recommended” configuration are easier to use as a guideline.
- The plugins you want to use have their own system requirements too. Check the official pages of both the DAW and the plugins.
- When a DAW’s version gets newer, its system requirements change too. Look at the latest official page before you buy.
Steps for choosing
- Decide which DAW you want to use (see How to choose a DAW and Free DAWs for candidates).
- On that DAW’s official system requirements page, check the OS, CPU, memory and storage.
- Compare it with the computer you have. For only the items that fall short, consider replacing or upgrading.
- For memory, avoid the bare minimum and pick a capacity with room to spare.
- For gear other than the computer, check What you need to start DTM.
Frequently asked questions
Q. Is 8 GB of memory enough for cover songs?
Many DAWs have an official minimum of 8 GB, so you can run them. However, it changes with the number of plugins you use and the software you have open at the same time, and the makers’ system requirements do not give figures for comfort. When you want more headroom, some makers, such as FL Studio, give 8 to 16 GB as a recommendation, so use that as a reference.
Q. Windows or Mac, which is better?
Many DAWs support both. Only Logic Pro is Mac only. The differences between the DAWs available on Windows and on Mac are summarized in How to choose a DAW.
Q. Is a laptop okay?
The official pages we checked do not split the system requirements into desktop and laptop. Check model by model whether the CPU, memory, storage and screen resolution meet the conditions.
Q. What is a CPU “core”?
It is the number of parts inside the CPU that do the processing. Cubase 15 says on its official page that it needs 4 or more.
Q. How much storage is enough?
It differs by DAW. As the table shows, the software alone may be a few GB, but some need around 40 to 80 GB if you install all the bundled sounds. Allow separately for your recording data and plugins too.
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