Serato updates its DJ software to work with macOS Catalina

But some controllers still may not work.

Serato has updated its DJ software to work with Apple’s new macOS 10.15 Catalina, including Serato DJ Pro and DJ Lite.

The updates add support for Apple’s new Music app, the iTunes replacement that’s caused many DJ apps to break due to the removal of support for the XML file format. This change has made it impossible for some apps to export the old iTunes Library file to update playlists.

“Apple’s new ‘Music’ app is also supported which means it will be a seamless transition for DJs,” Serato says in a press release. “Libraries are loaded automatically with no need for manual exporting.”

Serato has also issued a Catalina-compatible version of its Serato Studio production software. Serato Sample and Serato Pitch ‘n Time Pro/LE are not yet compatible, but Serato has confirmed its working on updates for these apps. However, not all DJ hardware is compatible with Serato apps running under Catalina – Serato has a full list of compatible controllers here.

While the introduction of a new macOS usually causes compatibility headaches for musicians, the removal of iTunes in Catalina has proved to be particularly catastrophic for digital DJs. Pioneer DJ’s Rekordbox, which is used by thousands of working DJs to organise their files, is currently incompatible with Catalina. NI’s Traktor software is working with compatible in a new beta version, but the advice from both companies is not to update to Catalina until a fix has been released.