2024 iPad Air 13 inch and iPad Pro 13 inch Models for Musicians

Apple just released their new iPad Air 13 inch and iPad Pro 13 inch models, and they look so cool! Let’s talk about the pros and cons of buying one of these tablets for sheet music reading.

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iPads for Musicians

So many musicians now use iPads to read sheet music at gigs, rehearsals, and for teaching. I love my 4th generation iPad Pro and use it every single workday!

If you’re considering using a tablet for sheet music reading, you’ll want one with a large screen, pen capabilities, and likely something that’s easy to transport.

Apple just announced and released new 13 inch models of their popular iPad Pro and iPad Air line. I’m so excited to see these get into the hands of musicians, but for now, let’s discuss the pros and cons of each of these models for musicians.

iPad Air 13 inch Model

The new iPad Air 13 inch model is what I’m most excited about!

Previously, most musicians shopping for an iPad would have to buy the 12.9 inch Pro model to have a screen comparable to the size of paper sheet music. The screen size was great, but the iPad Pro is expensive and is full of extra features that musicians using the tablet mostly for sheet music reading don’t really need.

Now, having an iPad Air with a large screen size is going to be such a great tool for musicians, as you can now get that large screen for a smaller price tag.

The new 13 inch iPad Air uses the M2 chip, which was first used in 2022 for MacBooks, Macs, the Vision Pro, and iPad Pro. The new iPad Air uses the popular LED Liquid Retina display, which is a high quality screen, although maybe not quite as nice as OLED screens.

This new iPad Air supports Wifi 6E and 5G on the cellular model, and they’ve moved the front-facing camera to the right side of the screen (near where the Apple Pencil goes) to make video calls in landscape mode easier.

I personally think the new iPad Air 13 inch display is going to be the top choice for musicians hunting for an iPad for sheet music reading. It has a perfectly sized screen, a good display, and all the features you need to for reading and annotating sheet music.

iPad Pro 13 inch Model

The new iPad Pro 13 inch model is Apple’s thinnest product ever, which is going to be great for portability. If you’re planning to take your iPad around campus or town, the light, thin display will be so helpful!

This iPad Pro uses Apple’s Ultra Retina XDR (OLED) display. They’re actually using two layers of OLED lights to create the screen, which helps boost it up to 1,000 nits of brightness. The extra brightness will be very helpful for anyone playing gigs or just using their iPad outside.

A very exciting feature of the new iPad Pro is the optional nano-texture glass display. This is only available on the 1 and 2TB models, and costs $100 extra. This is a matte display that helps refract light. Colors might not be as true to life as they are on the standard display, but you’ll get less of a glare on your screen from sunlight or stage lights.

This feature does cost extra, and it’s permanent. To buy an iPad with this option, you’ll need to spend at least $1700 – a huge price, in my opinion!!

If you don’t have a large budget but would like a matte display, I’d recommend buying the iPad Air 13 inch with a matte screen protector. See how well the screen protector refracts light; there are lots of options out there, all much cheaper than what you’d have to spend to get Apple’s nano-texture glass!

Apple says the iPad Pro has two “studio quality” microphones. I haven’t tested them, and I haven’t seen any reviews mentioning the microphones, but if you’re hoping to make high quality recordings, you’ll want to buy external microphones. Check out my guide to recording at home if this is something you’re interested in!

Along with the mics, the new iPad Pro has four speakers. I’ve heard from some YouTubers that the speakers are a great quality, but a musician shared in a Facebook group that the speakers are awful, and that he’s returning the iPad because of it. If the speaker quality is very important to you, I’d recommend looking into this deeper, and trying out the iPad in person if at all possible to hear what the speakers sound like yourself.

The iPad Pro has a great chip and is capable of so many things; things that maybe aren’t needed for musicians looking for a tablet to read sheet music off of. If you have the budget and want the nicest tech and maybe that nano-texture display, then the iPad Pro would be worth it. Otherwise, I think the new iPad Air 13 inch model is going to be a real game changer for musicians!

iPad Air 13 inch vs. iPad Pro 13 inch Specs

Apple Pencil Pro

Along with the new iPads, Apple announced the Apple Pencil Pro.

Let’s go over the history of the Apple Pencil:

The first Apple Pencil was released in 2015, and was a great first pencil product. This had a detachable cap underneath that revealed a lightning charger. To charge this pencil, you had to stick the lightning connector into the lightning port on the iPad. I used to see so many fellow students playing with their iPad upside down on their stand, with the pencil sticking up vertically. It was always so silly!

Apple updated the pencil with the Apple Pencil 2 in 2018. This is the pencil I use with my 4th generation iPad Pro, and it works great. This pencil charges magnetically on the side of the iPad, and has a flat side that you can tap to change input settings, like switching between a pen and an eraser.

In 2023, Apple released the Apple Pencil USB-C, a more basic, entry-level pencil that charges via USB-C when you slide its cap down. This pencil does not have touch-sensitivity.

Now, the new Apple Pencil Pro is most comparable to the Apple Pencil 2. It charges magnetically, and only works with the newest iPad models. When you squeeze this pencil, it brings up a menu of pencil tools. By rolling the pencil, you can change the direction of the tool you’re using, and haptic feedback provides a life-like feeling when you’re using these features.

Compatibility

The new 2024 iPads are compatible with just the Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil USB-C. You cannot use the original or 2nd gen Apple Pencil with these products.

What to Buy

When I first started making today’s video, I thought the Apple Pencil Pro was overkill for musicians just looking for a reliable tool to mark up their sheet music. However, the Pro model is the same price as my 2nd gen pencil, and the USB-C model loses a lot of features that I find to be very helpful when marking up my sheet music and writing notes.

I would recommend buying the Pro model if you can, but if you’re on a tight budget, the USB-C pencil will still do the basics, and do them well.

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While I think these iPads are super cool, I’m still very happy with my 2020 model, and it does everything I want it to. If I had the budget, I would love to buy one of these iPads to show it on my channel, but that just isn’t realistic for me. For now, I’ll just enjoy watching others review them!

What do you think of the new iPads? Will you get one? Please let me know your thoughts down in the comments!