Here's something worth considering before you decide between iPad Pro and iPad Air: for most musicians using their iPad primarily for sheet music, the differences between these models matter less than you might think.
I've been using an iPad Pro 13" (M4) professionally for years, and I've watched countless musicians debate this exact question. The truth is, reading sheet music with forScore doesn't require much processing power. PDFs are lightweight files, and forScore runs smoothly even on iPads that are several years old.
That said, not all musicians use their iPads the same way. The iPad Pro vs iPad Air question isn't about which is objectively better—it's about matching the right tool to your specific needs.
For a classical violinist reading dense orchestral parts under stage lights, the iPad Pro's nano-texture display option (which reduces glare dramatically) might be worth every penny. For a jazz guitarist using lead sheets at outdoor gigs, that same feature could be a game-changer. But for a student practicing in their bedroom or a church musician playing in consistent lighting? The iPad Air does the exact same job for considerably less money.
The gap widens when we look beyond sheet music. If you're producing music, running notation software, or using your iPad to replace a laptop for light office work between gigs, suddenly the Pro's extra power and features start to justify the price difference.
In this guide, I'll walk you through what actually matters for different types of musicians. We'll look at screen size, display quality, performance, battery life, and real-world scenarios to help you make the right choice for your situation—without spending more than you need to.
Understanding what musicians actually need from an iPad
Before we dive into comparisons, let's talk about the three main ways musicians use iPads. Your primary use case will determine which iPad makes the most sense.
The sheet music reader: This is the most common use case. You're using apps like forScore, reading PDFs, maybe annotating with an Apple Pencil, and turning pages with a Bluetooth pedal. The iPad sits on a music stand during practice, rehearsals, and performances. Storage needs are minimal—PDFs are tiny files, and even a massive library of thousands of scores takes up less space than a few high-resolution photos.
The music producer: You're running GarageBand, recording demos, using MIDI controllers, or working with music production apps. These apps can be more demanding, especially when you're layering multiple tracks or using processor-intensive effects. You might also be using the iPad for music notation software or video editing.
The laptop replacement: You're a freelance musician who needs to handle emails, contracts, invoicing, schedule management, and other administrative tasks on the go. You're using your iPad with a keyboard case, jumping between multiple apps, and occasionally doing some light photo or video work for social media.
Most musicians fall primarily into one category but occasionally dabble in the others. The key is to buy for your primary use case, not for the occasional tasks.
Last updated on 2025-09-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The key differences that actually matter
Let's focus on what genuinely impacts your experience as a musician, not every technical specification.
Display: where the biggest difference lives
The iPad Pro features an Ultra Retina XDR OLED display, while the iPad Air has a Liquid Retina LCD display. Both are excellent for reading sheet music—text is crisp and clear on both models.
For sheet music reading specifically: You won't notice much practical difference between the displays. Both show black notes on white backgrounds beautifully. The Pro's OLED gives you deeper blacks and more vibrant colors, which looks stunning—but doesn't make notes any easier to read.
The critical difference: The iPad Pro offers an optional nano-texture display (only on 1TB and 2TB models). This is genuinely valuable if you perform outdoors, play under harsh stage lighting, or deal with glare regularly. The nano-texture significantly reduces reflections without the drawbacks of a stick-on screen protector. For musicians in challenging lighting conditions—outdoor wedding performers, theater pit musicians, church musicians under bright sanctuary lights—this feature alone might justify the Pro.
Brightness: The Pro is noticeably brighter (1000 nits standard, 1600 nits HDR) compared to the Air (500 nits for 11-inch, 600 nits for 13-inch). This matters outdoors or in very bright environments, even without nano-texture.
ProMotion (120Hz): The Pro's 120Hz refresh rate makes scrolling smoother, but most musicians use page-turning pedals anyway, so this is more noticeable in general iPad use than in music applications.
Performance: overkill vs plenty
iPad Pro: M4 chip with more processing cores and up to 16GB RAM (in higher storage models)
iPad Air: M3 chip with 8GB RAM across all models
For sheet music: You wouldn't notice any difference. Both handle PDFs instantly, both turn pages without lag, both let you annotate smoothly with Apple Pencil.
For music production: The M4 Pro offers more headroom for complex GarageBand or Logic Pro projects with dozens of tracks and intensive plugins. For most music apps—even fairly demanding ones—the M3 is more than capable.
For multitasking: The extra RAM in high-end Pro models helps if you're running multiple apps simultaneously. For most musicians, 8GB is sufficient.
Screen size: this matters more than Pro vs Air
Both models come in 11-inch and 13-inch versions. Screen size impacts your experience far more than whether you choose Pro or Air.
The 13-inch models are the sweet spot for most musicians—nearly the size of actual sheet music, comfortable to read without zooming. The 11-inch models work well for lead sheets and chord charts but can feel cramped with dense orchestral parts.
Battery life and storage
Both models offer up to 10 hours of battery life—enough to get through even the longest gig without charging. In practice, both easily last through a full day of rehearsals and performances.
Storage needs for sheet music: Even 128GB is generous if you're primarily using forScore. A typical PDF score is 1-5MB. You could store thousands of pieces easily. Upgrade storage based on music production, photos, or videos—not sheet music alone.
When iPad Air is all you need
Let's be direct: if you're primarily using your iPad for digital sheet music, the iPad Air is the smarter choice for most musicians.
- WHY IPAD AIR — iPad Air is powerful, versatile, and comes in a choice of two sizes. Featuring the incredible performance of the M3 chip built for Apple Intelligence and a stunning Liquid Retina display along with Touch ID, advanced cameras, blazing-fast Wi-Fi 6E, and a USB-C connector.
- APPLE INTELLIGENCE — Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly.* With groundbreaking privacy protections integrated into the core of iPad, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — M3 is a powerful chip built for Apple Intelligence that brings amazing performance for advanced creative and product tasks, graphic-intensive games, and smooth multitasking. And with all-day battery life, you can keep working and playing wherever you go.* Choose up to 1TB of storage depending on the room you need for apps, music, movies, and more.*
Last updated on 2025-09-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The 13-inch iPad Air excels for sheet music because:
- Excellent screen clarity for reading notation
- Smooth page-turning performance
- Full Apple Pencil support for annotations
- Compatible with all Bluetooth page turner pedals
- All-day battery life for long rehearsals
- Significantly lower cost than the Pro
The Air handles light music production beautifully—GarageBand demos, simple recordings, basic notation apps. It also serves well as a secondary computer for emails, documents, and administrative tasks.
Who should choose the iPad Air:
- Classical performers reading sheet music in controlled lighting
- Church musicians and music educators
- Students needing digital sheet music on a budget
- Jazz and pop musicians using lead sheets and chord charts
- Freelance musicians handling basic administrative work
When iPad Pro makes sense
The iPad Pro pulls ahead in specific scenarios where its advantages provide tangible benefits.
- WHY IPAD PRO — iPad Pro is the ultimate iPad experience in an impossibly thin and light design. Featuring the breakthrough Ultra Retina XDR display, outrageous performance from the M4 chip, superfast wireless connectivity,* and compatibility with Apple Pencil Pro.* Plus powerful productivity features in iPadOS.
- BUILT FOR APPLE INTELLIGENCE—Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data—not even Apple.*
- 13-INCH ULTRA RETINA XDR DISPLAY — Ultra Retina XDR delivers extreme brightness and contrast and exceptional color accuracy and features advanced technologies like ProMotion, P3 wide color, and True Tone.* Plus a nano-texture display glass option is available in 1TB and 2TB configurations.
Last updated on 2025-09-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Choose the iPad Pro if you:
Perform in challenging lighting: Outdoor gigs, theater pits, venues with harsh stage lighting. The nano-texture display (1TB/2TB models) solves glare problems that make reading difficult. This is the Pro's killer feature for performing musicians.
Serious about music production: Creating albums, mixing tracks professionally, running complex Logic Pro projects. The extra processing power and RAM provide better performance with demanding plugins and large sample libraries.
Need a laptop replacement: Heavy multitasking between music apps, video editing for YouTube, managing complex business workflows. The Pro's extra power and superior display make intensive work more pleasant.
Value future-proofing: Keep devices for 5-7 years and want extra performance headroom as apps become more demanding.
Screen size recommendations
Get the 13-inch if: You primarily read classical music, orchestral parts, choral music, or any dense notation. The larger screen significantly improves comfort during long rehearsals. This applies to both Pro and Air—screen size matters more than which model you choose.
- WHY IPAD AIR — iPad Air is powerful, versatile, and comes in a choice of two sizes. Featuring the incredible performance of the M3 chip built for Apple Intelligence and a stunning Liquid Retina display along with Touch ID, advanced cameras, blazing-fast Wi-Fi 6E, and a USB-C connector.
Last updated on 2025-09-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The 11-inch works if: You mainly use lead sheets, chord charts, or simpler music. You need maximum portability for crowded music stands. You're on a tight budget and primarily working with less dense notation.
Essential accessories for musicians
Whichever iPad you choose, factor in these accessories:
Must-have:
- Apple Pencil: Apple Pencil Pro for iPad Pro, or Apple Pencil USB-C for iPad Air (more affordable and works great)
- Bluetooth page turner: A quality foot pedal transforms your performance experience
- Music stand mount: A proper iPad holder keeps your device secure
Recommended:
- Protective case: Essential if you're transporting your iPad to gigs
- Keyboard case: If using your iPad for administrative work
- Matte screen protector: Reduces glare if you're not getting nano-texture (though not as effective)
When you factor in accessories, a complete setup typically costs several hundred dollars beyond the iPad itself. Budget accordingly.
What about older models?
Here's good news for budget-conscious musicians: older iPad models still work excellently for sheet music. An iPad Pro from 2020-2021 (M1 chip) or an iPad Air from 2022 (M1) runs forScore just as smoothly as the latest models.
Last updated on 2025-09-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
PDFs haven't become more demanding. If you find a good deal on a refurbished or previous-generation iPad, you're not sacrificing anything meaningful for sheet music reading. If you already own an iPad—even one that's a few years old—it likely works perfectly fine for forScore.
Apple typically supports iPads with software updates for 5-7 years before they reach end-of-life, meaning even older models remain secure and functional for quite a while. For sheet music reading specifically, an iPad that's no longer receiving the latest iPadOS updates will still read PDFs perfectly fine—the core functionality doesn't require cutting-edge software.
However, once an iPad stops receiving security updates entirely, it becomes vulnerable to security risks, so it's generally not recommended for browsing the web or handling sensitive information, even if it still works well for offline sheet music reading.
The bottom line
For 80% of musicians, the iPad Air 13-inch is the right choice. It provides excellent screen size for reading sheet music, runs forScore flawlessly, handles light music production, and serves as a capable secondary computer. The money you save compared to the Pro can be invested in quality accessories or other gear.
The iPad Pro makes sense in specific scenarios: You perform in challenging lighting where nano-texture solves real problems, you're serious about music production and need extra power, or you're using the iPad as a true laptop replacement with demanding workflows.
Screen size matters more than the model: Get the 13-inch version if your budget allows. The larger screen makes reading music significantly more comfortable. The 11-inch works well for simpler music or maximum portability, but most musicians find the 13-inch worth the increase.
Be honest about how you'll actually use the device. If you're primarily reading sheet music, the Air gives you 95% of the experience at significantly less cost. If you have specific needs that benefit from the Pro's advantages—nano-texture for challenging lighting, more power for production work, better performance for heavy use—then the premium is justified.
Either way, both iPads represent a huge upgrade over managing physical sheet music. No more lugging binders to gigs, searching for lost pages, or dealing with inadequate lighting. Digital sheet music has transformed how musicians practice and perform, and both of these iPads deliver that transformation beautifully.