This update addresses features that innovators like Lexicon, Djoid, and Crate Hackers suggested years ago, and now Serato is finally catching up. It’s not just a small update; it’s a major reset for the platform.
What’s New in Library Management
Here’s a quick overview of the standout features in the 4.0 beta:
Track Rating with Emojis or Stars
You can now rate tracks directly in the library using stars or custom emojis like watermelons, ghosts, and bombs. Sorting or filtering by rating has never been easier. This is a substantial improvement for organizing your music.
Crate Search & Filtering
You can search crate names directly, filter your crate list, and find all crates containing a specific track with the “Show in Crates” right-click command. This ends the need for tedious browsing.
Favourite Crates & Colour Coding
You can pin your most-used crates to the top and color-code them for better organization. This is great for separating genres, prep folders, or set types.
Crate Info Panel
At the bottom of the crate panel, you can see useful metadata like total crate duration, file size, and the number of tracks. This is helpful for preparing sets or organizing your storage.
Right‑Click Library Actions
Context menus now let you rename crates or tracks, move them to Prepare or Stems crates, delete or relocate, and show files in Finder or Explorer. You can also access analysis and metadata tools—all from the interface.
Automatic & On‑Hardware Track Analysis
You can now enable automatic analysis of BPM, key, and length upon import. Importantly, you no longer have to disconnect your hardware to batch analyze your music.
Unified Crates for Local & Streaming Files
Crates can now include both local and streaming tracks together. You can also filter searches by streaming partner or local files, closing a long-standing organizational gap.
Resizing Album Artwork
You can adjust album cover size directly in the library. Zoom in for better visuals or shrink them for a more compact view.
Why This Matters
If you’ve been waiting for Serato to catch up to Virtual DJ, Rekordbox, or open-source tools for library organization, your patience has paid off.
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Better tagging and filtering tools mean less time managing tags and more time focused on selecting music.
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Visual features like color-coding and emoji ratings bring clarity to complex collections.
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Integrated tools like streaming and hardware analysis streamline what once was a fragmented workflow.
One early Reddit user put it bluntly:
“It’s a start, but still pretty basic in my opinion. This redesign finally lets Serato begin modernizing their library.”
Another pointed out:
“Feature summary: can favorite crates, right-click menu, search entire library without leaving a crate, analyze files while in controller mode.”
These comments show strong community support and a sense that Serato is listening and moving in the right direction.
Final Thoughts
The Serato DJ 4.0 library beta is a long-awaited reboot of one of DJing’s essential workflows. It modernizes the platform with tools DJs have needed for years, offering better search, visual management, metadata tools, and analysis.
While the update may not introduce groundbreaking new effects or creative mash-ups, it’s a significant step toward making Serato a more modern, user-friendly DJ tool.
This is a public beta, so it’s not intended for live performances. Test it on a secondary machine, back up your Serato library first, and avoid installing it right before a set.
