Once you have a track playing, the next step is to find your next track and load it to the other deck.
Finding the next track
Tap ‘Tap to load song’ in the deck header, or tap the album artwork, to open your library.
Tap the Search field to search your library, or tap Sort to change the order of the track list. You can sort by Artist, BPM, BPM & Key, Custom, Date Added, Key, Length or Song. Tapping Sort Order in the same menu reverses the direction.
Sorting by BPM is useful for finding a track with a similar tempo to the one you are playing.
NOTE: Your sort choice is shared by every crate and is remembered between sessions.
Loading it to the deck
Tap a track in the track list to load it to the selected deck.
You can also drag a track from the list onto a virtual platter. A blue ring appears around the deck you are about to drop onto:
If you are using a DJ controller, use the track load buttons on your hardware instead.
NOTE: Serato DJ for iOS uses two decks. This includes when you connect hardware with three or four decks.
Playback Controls
The playback controls sit below each virtual platter.
Play — Starts and pauses playback of the loaded track.
Sync — Tap to match this deck's tempo to the other deck. Tap again to re-sync. Press and hold to turn Sync off.
Loop — Tap to turn the loop on or off. Press and hold to open the loop size selector, then tap a size to set it.
VOL / BPM — Switches the fader beside the platter between volume and tempo. In VOL, the - and + nudge controls appear below the fader. In BPM, the Key Lock and tempo range controls appear below it.
You can also move the playhead by pressing the virtual platter and moving your finger around its edge. The ring around the platter shows how far through the track you are, and flashes when 20 seconds or less remain.
NOTE: Autoplay is in the Quick Settings menu, under the cog icon in the top right.
NOTE: If your hardware supports reverse playback, the Play button shows when a deck is playing in reverse.
Adjusting a Track's Tempo
Tap VOL / BPM to switch the fader beside the virtual platter to BPM. Moving the fader speeds the track up or slows it down.
Below the fader is the tempo range control. Tap it to cycle between +/- 8%, 16% and 50%.
Use the - and + nudge controls, in the VOL view of the fader, to shift the tempo momentarily.
NOTE: The tempo fader and tempo range control are hidden when you connect a DJ controller — use the pitch/tempo slider on your hardware instead. They remain available for a DVS deck set to Internal (INT) mode.
NOTE: Your VOL / BPM choice is kept for each deck, including when you disconnect your hardware.
Getting the Tracks in Time
Moving the tempo fader will slow the track down or speed the track up. This lets you match the tempo of the track you are bringing into the track already playing.
The adjusted BPM and the pitch percentage are both shown in the track information above each waveform.
By repeatedly playing from the temp cue point and fine tuning the tempo fader, you can get the tracks playing at exactly the same speed.
NOTE: Serato DJ for iOS plays music at a wide range of speeds, with Keylock on or off.
NOTE: In portrait orientation the BPM is rounded while the virtual decks are visible, and shown to one decimal place when they are not. The pitch percentage is replaced by an ellipsis (…) when there is not enough room to display it.
Keylock
Enabling Keylock means the song will keep its key when the tempo of the song is changed.
Tap VOL / BPM to switch the fader beside the virtual platter to BPM. The Key Lock control appears below the fader.
Slip Mode
Slip Mode is available on connected DJ hardware. There is no on-screen Slip control in Serato DJ for iOS.
When Slip Mode is activated you can manipulate the audio as normal — scratching, looping, triggering cue points — however, once you have finished, playback position is returned to where it would be if you had not manipulated the audio.
NOTE: Slip Mode will automatically be disabled when another track is loaded to the deck.
NOTE: Slip Mode and Slip Release require a Serato DJ Suite subscription. In Free Mode, pressing Slip on your hardware shows a locked feature message and the deck is unaffected.
Censor
Censor is available on connected DJ hardware. There is no on-screen Censor control in Serato DJ for iOS.
Censor reverses the track while held down. When Censor is released, the track will continue as if Censor had not been pressed. It is most often used to mask explicit language.
NOTE: Censor is not available when a DVS deck is in Absolute (ABS) mode.
Using a DJ Controller
When you connect a supported DJ controller, Serato DJ for iOS hands the mixing controls over to your hardware.
The playback speed of the track is controlled by the pitch/tempo slider on your controller. Moving it will speed up or slow down the track at the tempo range currently set. Use the pitch range buttons on your controller to change that range.
The following on-screen controls are removed while hardware is connected:
- The volume fader and the - / + nudge controls
- The tempo fader and the tempo range control
- The EQ panel, when your hardware has its own mixer
NOTE: Available pitch range is hardware dependent, so some pitch ranges may not be available on all hardware.
NOTE: The performance view is locked to landscape orientation while hardware is connected. You can still use portrait orientation to browse your library.
NOTE: Serato DJ for iOS uses two decks, including when you connect hardware with three or four decks. Primary deck selection still applies on hardware that supports it.
Track Gain Adjust
Track gain is adjusted from the gain or trim control on your connected DJ hardware. There is no on-screen track gain control in Serato DJ for iOS.
We recommend keeping your track gain set so that the deck output level is in the yellow segments for the loudest parts of your track. Keeping the level out of the red is recommended at all times.
NOTE: The volume fader beside each virtual platter is not a gain control. It sets the channel level, and is hidden while hardware is connected.