Serato DJ arrives on iPhone and iPad, with support for 120+ controllers and Spotify
The download is free with basic features. The full version costs $149 as a one-time purchase or comes with a Serato DJ Suite subscription.
Logo: Serato (material de imprensa)
Serato DJ, one of the most widely used programs in club and party DJ booths, now runs on a phone. Serato has launched Serato DJ for iOS, an iPhone and iPad app that is already on the App Store. The download is free, with the essential tools and a limited list of supported hardware; unlocking everything costs money.
What the app does
- Works with more than 120 controllers, turntables and mixers from brands such as AlphaTheta, Pioneer DJ, Rane, Numark, Hercules and Roland, connected via USB-C or Lightning. Bluetooth and CDJ HID mode are not supported.
- Plays music from Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, Beatport and SoundCloud, plus files on the device or a USB drive.
- Splits tracks into stems (vocals, bass, melody and drums), with 60+ effects, performance pads, a sampler, up to 8 cue points per track and key sync.
- Supports DVS, the timecode vinyl system, with compatible sound cards.
- Records your mix on the device in the paid version, but not when streaming tracks are loaded.
If you already use Serato DJ Pro or Lite on a laptop, you can send tracks and crates to your phone over Wi-Fi, AirDrop or cable, with cue points and beatgrids. It is not an automatic sync: transfers happen when you start them. Some features stay laptop-only, such as Serato Video, Flip, custom MIDI mapping and Ableton Link.
How much it costs
On the US App Store, the full version of the app costs $149 as a one-time purchase. The other option is Serato DJ Suite, which bundles DJ Pro with all Expansions, the iOS app and Serato Studio for $14.99 a month, according to Serato's website. The app requires iOS or iPadOS 18.6 or later. There is no Android version “at this stage,” the company says.
Why it matters
Serato was one of the big names still missing from phones. AlphaTheta's rekordbox and Algoriddim's djay already had iPhone apps. With Serato on iOS, DJs who practice at home on software found in many booths can take the same library and cue points to a setup that fits in a backpack: an iPhone and a controller.
