Serato DJ Pro in 2024

Serato has been at the forefront of audio manipulation for over a quarter of a century. The company first rose to prominence in the late 90s with their cutting edge time warping software Pitch ‘n Time which became widely adopted throughout Hollywood.

As the new millenia dawned the company would take their first steps into the world of DJing, and after a series of successful products, they’d go on to release Serato DJ in 2012, which in 2018 would become Serato DJ Pro.

Serato DJ Pro is an all in one piece of DJ software designed to be used in conjunction with a range of controllers. It’s become one of the world’s most popular pieces of DJ software since its release in 2018, but how does it stack up in 2024?

The basics

Perhaps one of Serato DJ Pro’s strongest features is its incredible compatibility. DJ Pro can be controlled by over 90 different pieces of DJ hardware from industry-leading manufacturers like Denon, Pioneer, RANE and Numark.

This means DJ Pro can be used in conjunction with affordable all-in-one controllers, all the way up to expensive, professional setups.

Before you start playing, you can organise your tracks in DJ Pro using “crates”. Crates are essentially playlists, and you can use them to prepare your music however you like. You may choose to separate you tracks by genre, or vibe for example. Alternatively, you could build crates for specific performances, so you have all the tracks you want to play in one place.

You can create infinite crates so the options are truly limitless.

When it comes to mixing, DJ Pro gives you the power to perform exactly as you’d expect. You can mix tracks together with sync, EQ and volume faders, trigger samples with your controller’s pads, and add effects like reverb and delay to your transitions.

The mixing experience with DJ Pro is rock solid and reliable – in my years of mixing I’ve never experienced a crash or error.

Live Stem Splitting

It’s great that DJ Pro does the mixing basics well, but it’s in other areas that this software really pushes boundaries.

I recently reviewed Acon Digital Remix which lets you split tracks into stems in real time in your DAW. DJ Pro takes similar technology and puts it in the hands of DJs.

At the click of a button you can separate any vocal or instrumental from a track loaded on one of your channels. The stem separation is very fast, so you should have no problem using it to isolate vocals or instrumentals while playing in a live context. The separation also sounds fantastic with minimal artefacts and bleed.

Stem separation technology has been around for a while, but real time separation is relatively new. Instant vocal or instrumental splitting makes a lot of sense in a live performance context. If an idea for a mashup hits you, you can make it happen there and then.

This will be a very exciting feature for DJs who like to mix with isolated vocals. Gone are the days of trawling through the internet for decent acapellas or creating your own using a DAW. DJ Pro gives you the power to craft high quality isolated vocal tracks on the fly without having to plan ahead.

Stream tracks directly into DJ Pro

Music streaming has defined the way we listen to music for the past decade or so. Now, it might begin to shift the way you DJ.

Serato DJ Pro allows you to mix tracks from a range of streaming services as if you owned them. This gives you access to millions of tracks anytime you want, so you never have that “I wish I’d downloaded that track” feeling.

Streaming in DJ Pro only works with a select few streaming services: Beatsource, Beatport, Soundcloud Go and Tidal. You’ll need a paid subscription with one of these services to mix with streamed songs, but free trials are available if you want to get a feel for things before you commit.

DJing streamed tracks is a lot of fun. You probably wouldn’t want to rely on streaming when playing a live gig, but for mixing at home and trying songs before you buy them, it’s a welcome addition to the DJ’s workflow.

It has the added benefit of potentially reducing music piracy. It’s no secret that many DJs rip tracks from YouTube or illegally download music in other ways. Streaming could help combat this and ensure producers get some financial compensation for their tracks being used in a mix, even if the streaming revenue is minimal.

A go to workhorse in 2024

Serato DJ Pro is the go to DJ software choice for many touring artists, and it’s easy to see why.

In terms of mixing, DJ Pro provides everything you could want from a laptop based DJ interface. It’s reliable, feature rich, and compatible with an eye-watering array of hardware options from some of the world’s most established manufacturers.

It also offers some polished, modern features which can elevate DJing far beyond its analogue roots of two turntables and a mixer.

Stem separation is a mouth-watering proposition for DJs who enjoy creating mashups on the fly or throwing a pop vocal over a heavy dance beat. Elsewhere, built in streaming unlocks a new way to play, allowing you to discover tracks while mixing rather than having a dedicated crate-digging session before hand.

The only potential downside of Serato DJ Pro is its pricing structure. Like many players in the audio software field, Serato have opted for a subscription model. Whether you like this or not is a question of taste. Personally, I prefer to own my software forever, but subscriptions do offer a lower barrier to entry.

If you already know what you’re doing behind the decks, Serato DJ Pro is an excellent option. For beginners, Serato also offer Serato DJ Lite, a stripped back version for learning to DJ with – if you’re new to mixing I’d recommend you start here and then transition to the Pro version once you feel ready.

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