Best Budget Tablet For Music Sheets Under $600 In 2024

Music papers falling off your stand or blowing away in the wind. Does that sound familiar? If yes, then I think it’s time to switch to digital sheet music. On this list, you will find the best budget tablet for music sheets that any musician needs. Let’s dive in!

The free tutorials and articles from Learning Music Skills are supported by music lovers just like you. When you purchase through links on my website I may earn an affiliate commission while it doesn’t cost you more. For example, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

I’m sure you’ve seen people loading sheet music and reading their scores from their tablets before. Ten years ago it was rare, but nowadays I think a musician cannot do without it. Here are some benefits:

• Your music papers will not fly all over the place
• You don’t have to carry stacks of paper anymore
• you can do page turns with a handy pedal or with a quick tap or swipe.

In general, for sheet music apps you don’t need a very powerful and expensive tablet. So any cheaper or budget option might be ok. You’ve come to the right place if you want to find a cheap tablet for sheet music.

What I find most important is screen size, since we will use it for reading notes. But if you want to do more advanced stuff like producing music or heavier multi-media things then you should consider upgrading to a more high-performance tablet.

The Options For The Best Budget Tablet For Music Sheets Under $600

Best All-Rounder

SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab S7 FE

The SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab S7 FE is a trustworthy companion for your sheet music. With a comfortable screen size of 12.4-inch, you can fit your pages nicely. With 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage, this is a nice tablet to start with. An added plus is that the styles is included, so you can start making annotations from the beginning.

Read more below

Check Price

Best Windows Two-In-One

Microsoft Surface Pro 6

Microsoft Surface Pro 6 combines the best of both worlds. You get the power of a laptop and the feel of a tablet. For anybody who does not want to switch from Windows, this is most likely for you. With a 12.3-inch screen size, an Intel quad-core i7 processor, and an option to upgrade your RAM, this is perfect for the musician on the road.

Read more below

Check Price

Most Affordable iPad Pro

Apple 2020 iPad Pro (2nd Generation)

The Apple iPad series doesn't need any extra introduction. Anybody who has experience with Apple products will be able to testify. With an 11-inch screen size and 6 GB of RAM, you will be able to navigate your scores without any problems.

Read more below

Check Price

Best Budget Choice

Lenovo Tab P11 (2nd Gen)

The Lenovo Tab p11 2nd Gen supports Android 12 and has a comfortable 11.5-inch screen size. What's amazing is that the storage is expandable to 1 TB. Unlike many other tablets, it still has an audio out for headphones. This might come in handy.

Read more below

Check Price

Powerful Amazon Tablet

Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet

The Amazon Fire Max 11 is a very good tablet with some amazing features for the price. Just like the Kindle E-readers, quality is not an issue. The sturdy aluminium shell feels great. Before purchase check if your applications are supported.

Read more below

Check Price

SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab S7 FE

A perfect and affordable tablet for anybody looking to start exploring the world of SAMSUNG tablets and playing digital sheet music.

When it comes to phones and tablets the brands SAMSUNG and Apple have been in the game for very long. With the Galaxy Tab S7 FE’s 12.4-inch screen size, it has the largest screen of any tablet on this list. So for any music performer, this should be an absolute joy to read sheet music from. With Wifi, Bluetooth and USB as connectivity options you will be able to connect external hardware like a page-turning pedal or speakers that can connect via USB.

And whenever you are not performing or practising, then you can enjoy your apps and entertainment with this tablet. Just keep in mind that heavy gaming will not be possible.

Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Intel i7)

This is much more than a tablet. For musicians, songwriters, and performers looking for the Windows experience, checking out the Surface Pro line is recommended.

The Microsoft Surface line of laptops/tablets has been very popular since the beginning. And rightfully so. With this hybrid solution, you get the best of both worlds. You can use your familiar Windows setup, the power of a light laptop, and the portability of a tablet. The 12.3-inch screen looks beautiful and you will get better than HD quality out of it. If the standard 8 GB of RAM, and the 256 GB of storage is not enough then you can expand it when you purchase to 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage.

I recommend that you also purchase a Stylus and keyboard case for optimal experience. The processor is more than up to any music sheet task and you can even push the limits a bit further. To all musicians who are not into Apple, keep this one on your radar.

Apple 2020 iPad Pro 2nd Generation

The quality of the iPad Pro doesn’t need any further explanation. Here is an affordable one to get started with your live performances.

You will not find many Apple products on a budget option list like this. So if you are looking for an iPad Pro for sheet music you need to keep in mind that it might cost a bit more. But the iPad Pro 2020 2nd Generation is an outstanding tablet with a beautiful retina display. The screen size is 11 inches and this is quite comfortable for any musician looking to go digital with their sheet music.

Of course, what’s a big plus for many is that the iPad will integrate easily into your entire Apple ecosystem. If you have multiple Apple products that is. The A12Z processor is still very capable today and has great performance. Basically, it is an eight-core processor, matching four high-power cores with four low-power ones. This approach is comparable to the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 12-inch with M1 chips. It offers a high level of power.

Lenovo Tab P11 (2nd Gen)

This is the little sibling of the great Lenovo Tab P11 Pro. It’s a medium-large tablet for a decent price.

I am a big fan of Lenovo products, so I might be slightly biased. But the Lenovo Tab P11 (2nd Gen) is a very capable tablet for a fine price. You could say that it is a perfect cheap tablet for sheet music. The screen size is 11.5 inches and this is more than enough for any musician performing from music sheets. The viewing angles are very stable, so this means that you can also sit off-centre from your tablet and still be able to read what you should be playing.

The Lenovo Tab P11 2nd Gen has Android 12L installed out of the box, which I think is super. The processor performs better than the Galaxy Tab S6 and the expandable storage can be a life-saver if you need the extra space.

Amazon Fire Max 11

If you are into Amazon products then the Fire Max tablets probably have caught your eye already. It’s the best Amazon tablet so far.

The Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet is a good option for anybody who is a fan of the Amazon universe. With its aluminium shell, this tablet has a premium feel to it. It has plenty of connectivity options for anybody who wants to do some basic tasks and the storage options of 64 GB or 128 GB should be enough for most people. Especially if you don’t plan on downloading heavy games or other apps.

Overall this really is an upgrade compared to the other Amazon tablets. It is a leap forward, but for anybody who relies on Android apps this tablet might be problematic. So check if the apps that you want to use are compatible.

Music Sheet Tablet Buyers Guide

Portability

To be honest I don’t think portability is a problem with any tablet. Yes, there is of course a difference between screen sizes and how much your tablet weighs. But if you want to have a tablet that is future-proof and will be comfortable for reading sheet music then portability is not your first worry. Any tablet will fit in a good backpack, suitcase, or any other normal-sized bag.

Stylus and Annotation

Not all Stylus pens are made equal. Generally, you will be using your fingers when interacting with your tablet. But sometimes you need more precision. Something capable of smooth annotations. This is where the stylus pens come in handy. It will allow you to write, swipe, and draw.

The S Pen from SAMSUNG and the Apple Pencil are considered to be the best stylus pens. So if smooth writing in your music scores is very important then this is something to keep in mind when making your buying choice.

Storage

Nowadays storage is not that much of a problem, because many people use cloud services to store their files. So technically speaking you will not need a tablet with loads of storage room. but you do want to be able to work comfortably and not have to worry that you need to transfer other files for new ones to fit on your tablet. Therefore I recommend a minimum of 64 GB, but actually, I think 128 would even be better.

Audio

Audio is always very important for musicians. Especially when you are practising or if you need to listen back to something you recorded and played. Not all tablets have great speakers and not all tablets have headphone outputs. So keep this in mind when you are going to buy your tablet for music sheets. You want to be able to quickly look something up on YouTube or Spotify to listen to how something should be played.

Connectivity

Wifi and Bluetooth are a must together with a suitable USB connection. Bluetooth is important for connecting your page-turning pedal. And Wifi is important for transferring files with other people or downloading music, apps, etc. The USB connection is of course necessary for charging and file transfers. Something that I would also like to see is a separate slot for an SD card so that you can upgrade your storage

Tablet Battery Life

Battery life is something that you can easily miss or wrongly calculate. But as a musician, it is of vital importance that your tablet does not die on you in the middle of a gig. The horror! Your tablet should have at least 8 hours of battery life if you ask me. Then at least you can play two gigs a day without charging.

Operating System and App Compatibility

Anything that supports Android or has iPad OS is suitable. When it comes to windows you will also be ok. Just check if the apps that you want to use are compatible. At the moment of writing, I would suggest Android 11 or higher.

The Display

If you want to compare a sheet of A4 paper or letter paper to a tablet screen, then you will need to search for a tablet of 12 inches and above. Anything under 11 inches is too small if you want to be able to read sheet music easily.

Frequently Asked Questions