What you probably don’t know about being an audio producer is that if you do this professionally, you tend to accumulate a lot of gear. And most of that gear is USB powered, which is unfortunate since your trustworthy computer or laptop has only so many USB ports. So in this article, we’ll tell you about the best USB hub for music production.
Quick answer: there are a ton of USB hubs out there, and there are 15 in this article so understandably that is a lot to comb through. So if you were to choose one, we’d suggest you get the Anker USB 3.0 SuperSpeed 10-Port Hub for being a reasonable price, lots of ports, lightweight, and thousands of happy reviewers.
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Top 14 Best USB Hub for Music Production
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SmartDelux Powered USB Hub – 10-Port
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Sabrent 36W 7-Port USB 3.0 Hub
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Startech ST7300U3M 7-port USB 3.0 Hub Desktop/Wall-mountable
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Sabrent 16-Port USB 3.0 Data HUB
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Startech HB30C5A2CST
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Anker USB 3.0 SuperSpeed 10-Port Hub
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Startech 4-Port USB-C Hub
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Elektron Overhub 7-port USB 3.0 Hub
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ADJ POW-R BAR65 Power Strip and USB Hub
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Startech ST4300PBU3
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Startech ST4202USB 4-Port Compact USB 2.0 Hub
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Startech USB-C Multiport Adapter Travel Dock
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Startech HB30C3A1GE
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Startech ST3300GU3B
Best USB Hub for Music Production Reviews
SmartDelux Powered USB Hub – 10-Port
Pros
- 10 ports
- Surge protection
- 3 fast-charging ports
Cons
- None
See price @ Amazon
This hub offers 7 high-speed USB 3.0 ports and 3 USB fast-charging ports with 2.4A each.
Best features and specs
This hub is built of scratch-resistant aluminum alloy and has built-in surge protection.
User impressions
Users say that this hub is well-built and easy to use. Users note that when 4 or more devices are connected simultaneously, the speed stays the same without any slowdowns or delays.
What we think
This hub is made for connecting a lot of power-hungry devices. And this is exactly what you should do with it.
Bottomline
SmartDelux Powered USB Hub is a great choice for someone who is looking for a very durable USB hub with a lot of ports.
Sabrent 36W 7-Port USB 3.0 Hub
Pros
- 7 ports
- USB 3.0
Cons
- Unstable connection
See price @ Amazon
This hub offers 7 high-speed USB 3.0 ports in a very minimalistic and compact body.
Best features and specs
Each port of this hub has its own “on/off” switch, which helps you to save power.
User impressions
Users like this hub for being durable, versatile, and having an easy-to-clean design. Users say that they find it very convenient that every USB jack has an “on/off” button and indicator lights.
What we think
This hub will be a breath of fresh air for someone who cares about the aesthetics of their working environment.
Bottomline
Sabrent 36W is a great choice for someone who is looking for a well-designed minimalistic USB hub with the ability to switch off individual ports.
Startech ST7300U3M 7-port USB 3.0 Hub Desktop/Wall-mountable
Pros
- 7 ports
- Wall-mountable
Cons
- None
See price @ Amazon / @ Sweetwater
This hub offers you 7 USB 3.0 ports in a wall-mountable full-metal body.
Best features and specs
This hub is very compact and lightweight, which makes it very easy to use on the road.
User impressions
Users say that this hub has a solid build, is well-designed, and is easy to mount. Some users say that having this hub is a must when you’re working with multiple MIDI controllers.
What we think
This hub has backward compatibility with older USB protocols, which is excellent if you’re using older audio equipment.
Bottomline
Startech ST7300U3M is a great choice for someone who is looking for a very durable USB hub that you can mount on the wall or other vertical surfaces.
Sabrent 16-Port USB 3.0 Data HUB
Pros
- 16 ports
Cons
- Slow charge
See price @ Amazon
This hub offers 16 high-speed USB 3.0 ports, each with its own “on/off” switch.
Best features and specs
This hub has backward compatibility with USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 and individual LED indicators for each port.
User impressions
Users like this hub for being extremely easy to use, versatile, and having solid-build. Some users say that a few of these hubs have the same efficiency as a server.
What we think
Although this hub is hardly a compact device, it’s hard to imagine that you ever run out of space to connect your USB peripherals.
Bottomline
Sabrent 16-Port USB 3.0 Data HUB is a great choice for someone who is looking for a well-built USB hub with a large number of fast ports.
Startech HB30C5A2CST
Pros
- 7 ports
- Includes wall-mount bracket
Cons
- No Thunderbolt 3 data transfer
See price @ Amazon / @ Sweetwater
This hub offers you USB-C ports, 5 USB-A ports, and a wall-mount bracket.
Best features and specs
It’s a very compact USB hub with reversible connector ends, which lets you plug in devices easily.
User impressions
Users agree that it is a very well-built hub that works perfectly and smoothly without any lags. The only downside is that USB-C ports are data-only and can’t be used with some of the Apple devices.
What we think
Overall it’s an excellent USB hub, but if you’re an Apple user, you’ll find that it doesn’t allow data transfer through a Thunderbolt 3 port.
Bottomline
Startech HB30C5A2CST is a great choice for someone who is looking for a very durable USB hub with additional USB-C ports.
Anker USB 3.0 SuperSpeed 10-Port Hub
Pros
- 10 ports
- 60 W adapter included
- Ultra-light and compact
Cons
- Not exactly budget-friendly
See price @ Amazon
This hub offers 10 USB 3.0 high-speed ports and a very modern and minimalistic design.
Best features and specs
One of the ports has fast-charging speeds and the device has built-in surge protection and supports hot-swapping.
User impressions
Users are quite impressed with this hub because of its versatility and stylish looks. The feature that users find quite helpful is that this hub supports USB 1.1 & 2.0.
What we think
The best part about this hub is how well it’s designed, which means that it’ll look good on any desk.
Bottomline
Anker USB 3.0 SuperSpeed 10-Port Hub is a great choice for someone who is looking for a USB hub with fast-charging capabilities and very pleasant aesthetics.
Startech 4-Port USB-C Hub
Pros
- 4 ports
Cons
- No Thunderbolt 3 data transfer
See price @ Sweetwater
This hub offers 1 USB-C and 3 USB-A ports with reversible connector ends.
Best features and specs
Each USB port is backward compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1 devices and supports hot-swapping.
User impressions
Users like this hub for being a budget-friendly option, versatile, and having a simple design.
What we think
This hub is very light and portable but might not be exactly for you if you want to connect a larger number of devices.
Bottomline
Startech 4-Port USB-C Hub is a great choice for someone who is looking for a very light and portable USB hub with compatibility with older USB protocols.
Elektron Overhub 7-port USB 3.0 Hub
Pros
- 7 ports
Cons
- Flimsy USB connectors
See price @ Sweetwater
This hub offers 7 high-speed USB-A 3.0 ports with an extremely stable and reliable connection.
Best features and specs
This hub can be powered either passively through the main USB port or through an external adapter, which is sold separately.
User impressions
Users say that this hub works fine till the time when it isn’t. Despite being a powered hub, when it’s plugged into power, it produces a lot of noise across all audio devices.
What we think
This hub is specifically made to compliment Overbridge-enabled hardware such as Elektron Analog Keys and Analog Four.
Bottomline
Elektron Overhub is a great choice for someone who is looking for a durable USB hub with a stable connection and 7 high-speed USB ports.
ADJ POW-R BAR65 Power Strip and USB Hub
Pros
- 6 ports
- Surge protection
Cons
- None that we know of
See price @ Amazon / @ Sweetwater
This hub offers you 6 power surge-protected sockets and 4 USB 3.0 ports.
Best features and specs
This hub is made from heavy-duty metal and has an additional 2.4A USB-A port to fast-charge mobile devices.
User impressions
Users like this hub for being a versatile and mighty beast that has a very compact form factor. Users add that this hub is the go-to for any musician or a DJ.
What we think
The only things that usually are in more deficit than USB ports are electric sockets and this hub solves this problem completely.
Bottomline
ADJ POW-R BAR65 is a great choice for someone who is looking for a well-built USB hub that has 6 surge-protected sockets on top of 4 USB 3.0 ports.
Startech ST4300PBU3
Pros
- 4 ports
- Extra-long cables
- Compatible with USB 1.0 and 2.0
Cons
- Won’t distribute power properly
See price @ Amazon / @ Sweetwater
This hub offers 4 USB 3.0 ports and a build-in 10-inch cable.
Best features and specs
This hub has a very compact design with top-mounted ports and backward compatibility with legacy USB devices.
User impressions
Users say that this hub works exactly as it should be, is versatile, and very compact.
What we think
This hub is great for quick plug-and-play, but if you use more power-hungry devices, this one isn’t really for you.
Bottomline
Startech ST4300PBU3 is a great choice for someone who is looking for a very compact and durable USB hub with a built-in cable.
Startech ST4202USB 4-Port Compact USB 2.0 Hub
Pros
- 4 ports USB 2.0
Cons
- Short lifespan
See price @ Amazon / @ Sweetwater
This hub offers 4 USB 2.0 ports and supports the cascaded installation with a total of 127 connections.
Best features and specs
Its lightweight and compact design make it very portable and it’s also very reasonably priced.
User impressions
Users agree that this hub does its job well, and has a small and compact form factor.
What we think
This hub doesn’t offer you any high-speed connection or other blows and whistles, but for such a low price, it’s a very good USB hub if you’re not looking for anything fancy.
Bottomline
Startech ST4202USB is a great choice for someone who is looking for a very lightweight and compact USB hub that lets you daisy-chain other hubs.
Startech USB-C Multiport Adapter Travel Dock
Pros
- HDMI, Ethernet ports
- SD/MMC Card Slot
- 2 USB-A 3.0, USB-C 3.0
Cons
- Doesn’t work properly with dual monitors
See price @ Sweetwater
This hub offers a 4K HDMI port, 2 USB-A 3.0, 1 USB-C port, SD card slot, and Ethernet port.
Best features and specs
This hub gives you the ability to add another 4k monitor to your setup and use a wired Ethernet connection for better speed.
User impressions
Users agree that this hub is the go-to if your laptop doesn’t have an Ethernet port. Also, this hub has a very small form factor and is really easy to use.
What we think
Thanks to the additional SD card reader, this hub would be perfect if apart from music production you’re also a photo enthusiast or a videographer.
Bottomline
Startech USB-C Multiport Adapter Travel Dock is a great choice for someone who is looking for a well-designed and minimalistic USB hub with an additional HDMI port and a card reader.
Startech HB30C3A1GE
Pros
- 3 ports
- Gigabit Ethernet port
- 2-year warranty
Cons
- macOS driver needed
See price @ Sweetwater
This hub offers 3 USB-A 3.1 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and an additional 5V power supply.
Best features and specs
This hub can be either bus-powered or powered with an included power supply. And, of course, USB 3.1 protocol gives you up-to-date the fastest connection.
User impressions
Users like this hub for being very easy to use and having an Ethernet port. The only downside that some users note is that to perform certain functions, you’ll need to connect this hub to an electric outlet.
What we think
This hub would be perfect for audio producers who value high-speed workflows since with USB 3.1 the data transfer is almost instant.
Bottomline
Startech HB30C3A1GE is a great choice for someone who is looking for a very compact USB hub with an extremely fast connection and the ability to use wired Ethernet.
Startech ST3300GU3B
Pros
- 3 ports
- Gigabit Ethernet
Cons
- macOS driver needed
See price @ Sweetwater
This hub offers you 3 USB-A 3.0 ports and the Gigabit Ethernet port with a standard RJ-45 connector and an integrated USB cable.
Best features and specs
This USB can be powered either by bus or with included power supply and is compatible with nearly every operating system.
User impressions
Users like this hub for having an Ethernet port, having a solid build, and being easy to use.
What we think
This wouldn’t exactly be the best USB hub if you want to use it with a large number of peripherals. But thanks to its compact size and integrated cable, this is a perfect device for a portable audio production rig.
Bottomline
Startech ST3300GU3B is a great choice for someone who is looking for a very portable and durable USB hub that offers you a high-speed connection, both USB and Ethernet, for a fair price.
USB Hub for Music Production Buying Guide
There’re a few things that you may consider while choosing the best USB hub for you specifically.
What is USB hub?
A USB hub is an electronic device that splits a singular USB port on your computer or laptop into the number of ports available on the hub itself.
Why would you need a USB hub?
A lot of devices that are used in modern music production are USB powered. And the number of ports on the computer is pretty limited. So if you want to use an audio interface and at least a couple of MIDI controllers, a USB hub is essential.
Important features
While choosing a USB hub you may want to look at the number of ports available and some quality of life features.
Number of ports
Keep in mind the number of devices you want to keep connected to the hub. For example, if you use external storage, an audio interface, and 3 MIDI controllers, a hub with only 4 ports simply wouldn’t suffice.
Quality of life
You also need to consider if you need fast charging capabilities for your mobile devices or compatibility with legacy USB protocols.
How to choose the right one for you?
To choose the best USB hub for music production, keep in mind how many devices you want to keep connected to the hub. And decide whether you want fast charging and connectivity with older USB protocols.
