Using Apple Music streaming in Serato DJ Pro & Lite offers an expansive catalog of streaming music, and if you choose, also allows you to stream your own locally imported music that has been matched or uploaded to your Apple Cloud Music Library.

Before you use Apple Music streaming with Serato, we recommend reading the information below to get the best idea of how the various platforms interact.

Using Apple Music streaming with Serato DJ & Apple Music on the web

If you don't use any of the Apple Music apps on Windows, macOS, iOS, or Android, we recommend this option.

• Creating & editing playlists

Creating and editing playlists can be done via Apple Music on the web (music.apple.com - also known as the Apple Music - web player) in your web browser.

• Synchronization

Anything you create or edit here will automatically appear in Serato DJ software after signing in with your Apple Music streaming account, and any streaming playlists you create or edit in Serato DJ software will appear in Apple Music on the web - synchronization is comprehensive.

Using Apple Music streaming with Serato DJ & Apple's Music desktop app (macOS/Windows)

Apple's Music app on macOS and Windows will ask you to Sync or Merge your Library, to allow both local and Apple Music streaming tracks to be played across any device signed in with a compatible app:

If you haven't already used iTunes Match in the past, or just want to keep local files you've imported in Apple's Music app separate from your Apple Music streaming library, you may not wish to turn this on.

Read on to understand what this means:

Synced / Merged

This is what you'll get if you choose to Turn On Sync Library (on macOS) or Merge/Sync Library (on Windows).

This option is for users who wish to comprehensively sync their Apple Music library across all devices, and want to access both streaming and streamed locally imported music from each of those devices, through the Apple Music streaming library in Serato DJ Pro.

• Creating & editing playlists

Creating and editing playlists can be done with Apple's Music app on macOS or the Apple Music app on Windows, or with Apple Music apps on iOS or Android.

• Synchronization
  

With Sync / Merge turned on, your locally imported files in Apple's Music app on macOS or the Apple Music app on Windows will be uploaded to the Cloud Music Library connected to your Apple account, and a copy of these will be shown in the Apple Music streaming library in Serato DJ software.

If you've used iTunes Match in the past, or already use Apple Music streaming and have turned sync on, this music will also be available by way of the Cloud Music Library.

Playlists that are created or edited in either Serato DJ software, or any of Apple's Music apps that are synced, will be reflected in both places.

With sync on, if you use the Show iTunes Library option in Serato DJ software, you will notice a copy of locally imported files in both the iTunes library section, as well as their streaming counterpart in the Apple Music streaming library. While they may be shown as two copies of the same track, they do not share the same metadata, which, depending on the file type, includes Hot Cues, Loops, Beatgrids, and other Serato data.

Not Synced / Unmerged

This is what you'll get if you choose Not Now in the prompt above, and decline the Sync/Merge option. This will result in Apple's Music / Apple Music apps being used solely for locally imported files, and will not contain or allow you to manage any Apple Music streaming content.

Users who wish to prevent their locally imported files in Apple's Music apps on macOS or Windows from being uploaded or matched with iTunes Match in the Cloud Music Library, may wish to use this option.

• Creating & editing playlists

Creating and editing playlists for Apple Music streaming can be achieved via Apple Music on the web or by using Apple Music on your Android device.

• Synchronization

Streaming playlists created or edited in Serato DJ software will appear in Apple Music on the web, or in Apple Music on your Android device. If you've enabled sync on your iOS device (Settings > Music > Sync Library), they will also appear in Apple Music there:

Music locally imported into Apple Music apps on Windows or macOS will not appear in Serato DJ in the Apple Music streaming library in this configuration.