Apple Music has grown into a massive service, boasting a catalog of over 90 million songs and seamlessly blending your personal music collection. Many DJs who use Apple Music want to bring their favorite tracks into Serato DJ for mixing. It sounds simple enough, but the truth is, getting Apple Music to work directly with Serato isn't as straightforward as you might hope.
Serato DJ is a popular choice for beginners and pros alike, available on both Windows and Mac computers. While Apple Music offers tons of music to choose from, mixing those tracks in Serato requires a bit of extra effort due to certain technical limitations. There are now a few new options called "DJ with Apple Music" for using Apple Music with Serato, but they're still limited.
That said, we offer a practical workaround to make importing Apple Music into Serato almost as easy as drag-and-drop. This post will cover the basics and reveal some helpful tips, keeping the instructions clear and organized step-by-step. By the end, you'll have a powerful method to use Apple Music with Serato and mix without any hassle.
Are you tired of using Spotify music in Serato DJ software? Just read the post and you'll learn how to add Spotify music to Serato DJ program for mixing your DJ music.
Part 1. Can You Import Apple Music in Serato?
Apple Music protects its songs with digital rights management, or DRM, to prevent unauthorized use outside Apple's ecosystem. So even if you download tracks with a subscription, they come locked in a special format that Serato DJ can't play directly.
The "iTunes" or "Music" option in Serato's Library tree won't load your full Apple Music library—while you might see the main iTunes crate, many sub-crates or playlists often appear empty. Only purchased songs or manually imported local files in supported formats will show up. Even drag-and-drop won't give you the results you're hoping for.
So, are there any updates?
This year, Apple introduced a new "DJ with Apple Music" section. It features Serato-curated playlists like Latine Heat, Party Starters, UK Classics, and Afro Diaspora—great for DJs looking for fresh sounds. But many popular tracks are still locked behind DRM and can't be used directly in Serato.
To get around this, many DJs use ViWizard Apple Music Converter. It lets you convert Apple Music tracks to common Serato-compatible formats like MP3 or WAV, with full control over bitrate and quality. This unlocks your full Apple Music library for offline mixing and performance in Serato DJ.
A full-featured Apple Music converter that easily converts Apple Music songs, albums, playlists—including iCloud Music Library content, personalized recommendations, and curated playlists—into MP3, M4A, M4B, WAV, AIFF, and FLAC so you can keep your Apple Music forever or transfer it to any device without restrictions.
Part 2. How to Convert Apple Music Songs to MP3 for Serato
ViWizard Apple Music Converter is a popular tool to unlock Apple Music's DRM protections. It converts your Apple Music tracks into Serato-friendly formats like MP3 and more, while preserving important details like song titles, album artwork, and artist info—so your library stays organized and intact.
| Source | Format |
| Apple Music | DRM-protected |
| iTunes Purchases | AAC (unprotected) |
| Serato DJ import | MP3, OGG, ALAC (Windows 10 & Mac), FLAC, AIF, WAV, WL.MP3, MP4, M4A, AAC (Mac) |
| ViWizard output | MP3, M4A, M4B, WAV, AIFF, FLAC |
Plus, it gives you control over audio settings. You can adjust the bit rate, sample rate, and audio channels to suit your needs, whether you prefer lossy MP3 for smaller files or lossless FLAC for the highest option. Once converted, your Apple Music tracks are free from subscription limits. This lets you back up your music and keep it offline or use it without an active Apple Music plan—a real advantage for DJs wanting hassle-free mixing.
ViWizard is available for both Windows and Mac. You can try it now. We recommend keeping converted tracks for personal use, like DJ practice, and not sharing them on public platforms.
Key Features of ViWizard Apple Music Converter
Free Trial Free Trial* Security verified. 5, 481,347 people have downloaded it.
- Convert Apple Music songs, albums, playlists, and artists into MP3 for easy access
- Preserve lossless audio, high-resolution lossless, and Dolby Atmos quality
- Strip DRM from Apple Music for unrestricted offline listening
- Save converted audio files while retaining full ID3 tag details
Step 1Download ViWizard and Log Into Apple Music
Start by installing ViWizard Apple Music Converter on your Mac or PC. Once it's up and running, open the built-in Apple Music web player and sign in using your Apple ID. This gives ViWizard access to your full music catalog, including songs, albums, and curated playlists.
Step 2Set Output to Serato-Friendly Format
Click the menu icon in the top-right and head to the Settings panel. Here, choose a format Serato supports—MP3 is a safe choice. You can also tweak the bit rate, sample rate, and audio channels to fit your sound preferences or performance needs. Want smaller files or full-quality lossless audio? It's all customizable.
Step 3Add the Tracks You Want to Convert
Find your favorite Apple Music tracks right in the ViWizard interface. Select songs, albums, or entire playlists, then click the + icon to add them to your conversion list. When you're ready, hit Convert and ViWizard will begin processing. It supports batch conversion, so you can queue up multiple tracks at once.
Step 4Access Your Converted Music for Serato
When the conversion wraps up, go to the History tab to find your completed files. Click the folder icon to open the output location. These files are now DRM-free and ready to import into Serato. Best part? They keep metadata like song title and album artwork, which helps when you're building out crates or organizing your setlist.
Part 3. How to Import Converted Apple Music Files into Serato DJ Pro
Now that you've successfully converted your Apple Music files using ViWizard Apple Music Converter, it's time to seamlessly integrate them into Serato DJ. Here are three convenient options for importing your converted tracks:
3.1 Using Internal Hard Drive
- Open Serato DJ: Launch the Serato DJ software on your computer.
- Access Files Panel: Click the Files button on the left side.
- Locate Music Folder: Use Windows Explorer or Finder to find your converted Apple Music folder.
- Drag and Drop: Drag the entire folder onto the All… button in Serato DJ.
- Find Tracks: Your converted Apple Music files will appear at the top of the crates panel.
3.2 Add Apple Music from iTunes
- Open iTunes: Launch iTunes on your computer.
- Import Files: Select File > Add File/Folder to Library (Windows) or Import (Mac).
- Select Converted Folder: Browse and select the folder with your ViWizard-converted files.
- Add to Library: Confirm to add files into iTunes.
- Enable iTunes in Serato: Ensure the iTunes option is enabled in Serato DJ settings.
- Access iTunes Files: Open the Files panel in Serato DJ and expand iTunes to find your tracks.
3.3 Using External Hard Drive
- Connect Drive: Plug in your external hard drive.
- Transfer Files: Copy your converted Apple Music folder to the external drive.
- Open Serato DJ: Launch Serato DJ with the external drive connected.
- Add Music Folder: Drag and drop the music folder from the external drive into Serato's Files panel.
- Locate External Drive: The external drive will show up in Serato DJ's Files panel for easy access.
Part 4. How to Keep Your Apple Music Library Organized in Serato
It's a great idea to keep your iTunes library updated and organized to ensure a seamless experience when using Serato DJ Pro and Lite with your iTunes tracks. By following these steps, you can effortlessly show and organize your iTunes library in Serato DJ Pro and Lite, ensuring a smoother DJing experience.
Showing iTunes Music in Serato DJ Pro & Lite:
- Open Serato DJ: Launch Serato DJ on your computer and click Files in the top-left corner to open the file panel.
- Find iTunes Section: Look for iTunes in the file panel, alongside Serato Library and External Hard Drive.
- Enable iTunes Library if Missing:
- Click Setup in the top-right corner.
- Go to Library + Display.
- Check Show iTunes library and close the setup screen.
- Check File Panel: Return to the file panel; the iTunes section should now appear.
iTunes Not Showing in Serato DJ Pro & Lite?
- Open iTunes: Launch iTunes on your computer.
- Access Preferences: Select Edit > Preferences > Advanced.
- Share iTunes XML: Check Share iTunes Library XML with other applications.
- Adjust Media Folder Settings: Uncheck Keep iTunes Media folder organized and Copy files to Music Media Folder when adding to library.
- Save Changes: Click OK to apply.
- Restart Serato DJ: Reopen Serato DJ and check the expanded iTunes section in the Files panel for your playlists and tracks.
Bonus: Tips for Using Apple Music Effectively with Serato
Tips:
To avoid playback issues, build your DJ library with DRM-free files like purchases from iTunes or CD rips. Streaming Apple Music tracks are protected and won't work smoothly in Serato.
You can create playlists with Apple Music tracks right inside Serato, but renaming those playlists must be done in the Apple Music app or website. Also, Apple Music tracks can't be added to Serato crates or smart crates.
Want to keep your set family-friendly? Turn on Show Clean Content Only in Serato's settings to filter out explicit tracks automatically.
Sometimes new Apple Music playlists don't show up in Serato immediately. If that happens, give it a little time or restart Serato to help the playlists sync faster.
Hosting a party and want to share control? Make sure everyone's on the same Wi-Fi and has access—then they can DJ from their phone using Serato or AirPlay without interrupting the flow.
Conclusion
Integrating your Apple Music library into Serato DJ opens up a world of possibilities for your DJing experience. Overcoming the compatibility challenges posed by protected M4P files and DRM encoding is made seamless with tools like ViWizard Apple Music Converter. Now that you've successfully converted your Apple Music tracks, importing them into Serato DJ becomes a straightforward process.
You May Be Interested
Adam Gorden, the digital media specialist at ViWizard, is dedicated to providing the best solutions for digital media management, including audio and video conversion, file optimization, and media workflow enhancements.
Leave a Comment (0)