Apple Music is now streaming in major DJ software like Serato DJ Pro. That comes complete with playlists and companion Apple Music curation on desktop and mobile – plus support for some all-in-one Pioneer hardware and even Engine OS-powered Denon decks.
Let’s go over the details, as this will matter to anyone using digital distribution – even if you don’t use Apple Music yourself.
Several components are launching here at once:
- DJ with Apple Music, a new section on Apple Music (in the Music app), including Apple-curated playlists.
- Platform partner features with AlphaTheta (née Pioneer DJ), Serato, RANE (InMusic), and Algoriddim djay, each of whom has its own curated playlists.
- And the important bit – streaming functionality for Apple Music in DJ software (and some hardware), including support for your own playlists.
DJ integration
I’ve been testing Serato DJ Pro 3.3.0 since late last week, using a beta, plus the final release version today. If you use Apple Music to dig for music at all, it’s a huge boon. You can stream any Apple Music from your own playlists you assembled in the Music app on mobile or desktop. You can also create playlists in Apple Music that work the same way as local Serato playlists.
Here’s the menu in Serato DJ Pro 3.3.0, showing playlists and recently added materials:
Note that Apple Music support is on top of these apps’ existing “iTunes” support. (That’s “iTunes” in quotes as the Music app and its library have replaced the original iTunes app.) So you’ll see both your iTunes library (labeled as such) and a new Music tab with the Apple Music logo. In my Serato library, for instance, I could see my iTunes library and playlists, but only the purchased song downloads would appear and play on the Serato side. Now you’ll be able to play back streaming music you’ve selected.
Integration with Serato was easy. In my testing, performance of streaming tracks, even on a relatively slow WiFi network, was close to locally downloaded files in Serato; the two were indistinguishable.
Part of me wishes that Apple was aware that many of their serious DJ customers use the purchase and download functions, though. Imagine if you could use Apple’s platform to buy up those tracks and then have downloaded versions on Rekordbox. Then again, I typically wind up digging anyway, so for me, this is fine for an additional way of browsing/previewing before buying, as with other folks, I imagine.
I’m mainly interested in this to see if it helps people find music, especially as a larger population of people try casual DJing. The fact that this is in tools like djay – and even the Lite version of Serato – could reach a lot of folks. (For myself, I see someone is listening to the random selection of my music that’s on Apple Music, even if some of my music is not!)
What’s compatible
Apple’s millions of tracks (plus thousands of DJ Mixes, which they’ve been gradually expanding since launch) are now available on a variety of platforms:
There’s the split for you. You don’t have streaming on Pioneer DJ (sorry, AlphaTheta) decks like the CDJ series, but you do have it on a handful of Numark decks – if you can find them. Serato DJ Pro support reaches that market, but otherwise I suspect a lot of the users of this will be toying around on mobile platforms – and, hey, why not?
- AlphaTheta: OMNIS-DUO, XDJ-AZ all-in-one hardware, plus Rekordbox software on desktop and mobile (Windows, macOS, and iOS – Android is not supported). Pictured above: Omnis and mobile versions.
- Serato DJ Pro, Lite (both versions, with no limitations in Lite)
- Algoriddim djay – all versions (macOS, Windows, Meta Quest, Android, Vision Pro/VisionOS, iPhone, and iPad)
- InMusic‘s Engine and Engine OS – this means support on some Denon DJ and Numark hardware decks
For hardware, Engine OS supports:
- Numark Mixstream Pro +
- Numark Mixstream Pro Go
- Denon DJ SC LIVE 2
- Denon DJ SC LIVE 4
- Denon DJ PRIME 4+
- Denon DJ PRIME GO+
PS, speaking of Serato – they’ve been busy. Also in this and recent updates:
- AlphaTheta XDJ-AZ support.
- macOS 15 Sequoia support.
- AlphaTheta DDJ-FLX2 support.
- AlphaTheta DDJ-GRV6 support
Music curation and Apple Music
The other side of this is playlists from Apple and its partners. Unlike Spotify, the emphasis is clearly on human curation. On the DJ mixes, which spotlights the DJs, though I’d love to see Apple expand this past some of the smattering of big names.
The closest rival to Apple here is TIDAL, which, via a DJ subscription upgrade, offers compatibility with many of the same tools (Rekordbox, Serato, Denon DJ, Algoriddim djay pro, and VirtualDJ). Apple’s offering is cheaper, which may raise some questions about artist compensation. But I expect many of us are glad to see both Apple and TIDAL compete effectively against Spotify. Apple’s DJ curation here may tend to more mainstream tastes, especially the party playlists. But they’re still thoroughly human-curated, and there are some substantial picks. There’s a chance for first-time DJs to get hooked and then, say, get into this very reasonable Detroit techno playlist. (I’ve got it playing as I write this.)
I’m a huge, huge advocate of buying and downloading tracks. But I do use streaming services to do some digging and for inspiration before handing over to Bandcamp and the like.
And look, when I DJ, I play experimental or techno sets. Then you go over to someone’s house and they ask you to play a particular mood of house. Provided they have WiFi or your mobile phone has signal, you can use this feature to grab tracks and you don’t spoil the summer garden party by breaking out some high-tempo industrial tempo. (I guess this is the adult/DJ equivalent of when your extended family asks you to play something on the piano?)
There are also a ton of DJs in situations (hello, weddings) where you have to handle requests on the fly. So we can talk all we like about carefully curated USB sticks and all-vinyl sets, but you can bet this is a big deal for that crowd.
From Apple:
Fairness advocacy continues on streaming
We do need to keep talking about fairness and payments. Spotify’s abuses are now well documented. But my belief is that no major tech platform, no matter how many artists it says it has onboard or how well intentioned it claims to be, will act in artists’ interests without regulatory intervention. And if you’re interested in that, here’s a great place to look:
You’re reading that dateline right; this is 2025. We’re still talking about this.
That said, I’m sure that we’ll also be looking closely at the European Union for leadership on this – and since, frankly, artists on both sides of the pond share a lot of interests, I’m sure advocates will be comparing notes.
Here’s the American Federation of Musicians on the bill: