Technology Requirements for Entering Students

Hardware

Students entering Berklee College of Music (including students who spend their first year abroad in Spain) must own a MacBook Pro and an audio interface. If you do not already own a laptop and/or an audio interface you will be required to purchase one before the start of your first semester. This requirement does not apply to students entering Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

All incoming vocalists must purchase an XLR microphone. For more details and requirements, see the Voice Department's microphone requirements page.

Students are not able to purchase these hardware items through Berklee. They will need to be purchased though outside retailers. If you need to purchase an Apple laptop, please order it as soon as possible as there may be delays in shipping from Apple.

Software

A charge for the Core Software Package will be automatically added to your student account in the first semester, which includes several leading music technology applications in use at Berklee and in the music industry at large. This requirement does not apply to students entering Boston Conservatory at Berklee or students entering in the Bachelor of Arts in music industry leadership and lnnovation major.

Berklee makes exclusive arrangements with music industry software manufacturers and passes this value along to you. Because this software is offered as a package there are no exemptions even if you already have some of the software included in it. Please refrain from purchasing music software in anticipation of attending Berklee.

Note that any and all contents, components, and pricing listed here are subject to change at any time without notice.

Additional Technology Recommendations: Protecting and Supplementing Your Tools

Laptop Insurance

Berklee strongly recommends that you protect and care for your computer as you would any other valuable resource. Repairs not covered under the AppleCare Protection Plan can be very expensive. If theft, breakage, or other damage occurs (regardless of fault), you are liable for the cost of any and all repairs or replacement. We strongly recommend getting third-party insurance.

External Hard Drives

We recommend you keep and use an external hard drive while attending Berklee. You can use external drives to back up your computer. We also recommend storing software instrument libraries (for example, Komplete) on your external drive to free up space on your own computer. If you don’t get an external hard drive, you run the risk of losing all your information if your computer’s internal drive needs to be replaced, and you also run the risk of filling up your computer’s internal drive quickly if you store all your samples there, greatly reducing your computer’s speed.