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How to record Serato DJ Pro on a Mac

Tested on macOS 26.4.1 (Tahoe), Apple M3 Max, 3 Sept 2026. Updated 2026-09-03.

You record Serato DJ Pro on a Mac from the REC tab with the record source set to MIX, then save the take into a crate. Serato's guide says to keep levels from "going above zero DB". An unsaved take is recoverable from ~/Music/_Serato_/Recording Temp. Record externally through an interface when the file must include a mic or hardware effects.

How do you record a mix in Serato DJ Pro?

Serato's own guide describes the procedure in four steps, and it works the same on macOS 26:

  1. "Open the REC tab in Serato DJ Pro."
  2. "Set the record source in your Serato to 'mix'." MIX is the software master; the other sources offered depend on your hardware.
  3. Play the loudest track and "check the levels aren't going above zero DB in the recording channel (otherwise, it will clip and distort)".
  4. "When you're ready, hit record and start mixing. When you're finished, make sure you stop the recording and save the mix in the location of your choice."

The saved file appears in the Recorded crate on a Mac. If you close Serato before saving, the guide says the take is still at ~/Music/_Serato_/Recording Temp, provided you did not start a new one. Copy it out of that folder immediately; the next recording overwrites it.

Why does the Serato recorder depend on your controller?

Serato DJ Pro records what the hardware reports back to it. On a controller with a built-in sound card and a USB return, MIX contains the software master. On Serato-enabled club mixers (Serato's guide names the DJM-S9 and Rane SEVENTY TWO as the easiest to record with), the mixer's own master comes back over USB, which is why those are the easy case. On a plain controller, a mic plugged into the controller's MIC jack is mixed in the analog stage after the software and is not in the file.

The test: talk into the mic while recording a 30 second take, play it back. Silence means you need the external route. It also means your hardware effects, filters on the controller itself, and any turntable on a phono channel are missing too.

Serato also notes that recording on the same laptop adds CPU and RAM load, and recommends a desktop or a second laptop for it. On an M-series Mac that advice is dated for a plain mix, but it is a reason to keep browser tabs and screen recorders closed during a set.

How do you record Serato externally with a mic and hardware effects?

Take the analog master out of the controller or mixer into a USB audio interface and record that input on the Mac with a second app. Serato's guide gives the settings for an external recording program as "44.1 kHz and 16 bits (more if you wish)"; 24-bit is the sensible "more".

  1. Cable a spare MASTER pair, BOOTH or REC OUT into two line inputs of the interface (not the mic preamps).
  2. Connect the interface by USB. Both the controller and the interface can be on the Mac at once; Serato keeps using the controller as its audio device.
  3. In the recorder, select the interface and the channel pair you cabled. The author uses a Scarlett 8i6 with the DDJ-SZ on inputs 3 and 4, so pair 3-4.
  4. Set the master knob so peaks sit around -6 dBFS while the loudest track plays. Record 24-bit.

Full gain staging and file size figures are in record a DJ mix with an audio interface. If the DDJ USB return used to work and stopped after a macOS update, the analog detour is documented in record a Pioneer DDJ controller.

Can you record Serato's output as Mac system audio instead?

Usually not, and this catches people. Serato sends its audio to the controller's sound card, not to the Mac's default output. A ScreenCaptureKit system audio recorder captures what macOS plays through the Mac, so with a controller attached it hears nothing from Serato. Only if Serato runs in a no-hardware mode with the Mac's built-in output does system audio capture work, and then you have no controller anyway.

So the decision tree for Serato is short: plain controller mix, use the REC tab; anything the hardware adds, record the analog master through an interface. Traktor has the same split with a different recorder layout, see record Traktor on a Mac, and rekordbox fixes its recorder at 16-bit, see record rekordbox on a Mac.

If you close the program before saving the recording, you can still find your recording (providing you didn't start a new one)

Serato, How to record, edit and promote your mixes

Serato DJ Pro recording routes on a Mac

RouteExtra hardwareIncludes controller mic and hardware FXBit depth you controlRecovery if the app quits
Serato REC tab, source MIXNoneOnly on Serato-enabled mixersSet in SeratoRecording Temp folder
Analog master out into a USB interface, external recorderInterface with 2 line inputsYesYes, 24-bitDepends on the recorder
Mac system audio capture (ScreenCaptureKit)NoneNo, and usually silent with a controller attached24-bit 48 kHzDepends on the recorder

Serato behaviour from Serato's own recording guide; system audio rate measured on the author's Mac.

Where AirCheck fits

AirCheck ($39, macOS 14 or newer) covers the external route: it records any Core Audio input such as a Scarlett fed by the controller's MASTER OUT, with a channel-pair picker (the author uses pair 3-4 on a Scarlett 8i6), 24-bit at the interface rate, exported to WAV or MP3 320 kbps when you stop. No length limit; the author's longest take is 2 h 5 min at 2.07 GB. It cannot mix Serato's USB return with a separate mic into one file.

When you do not need it: For a controller-only mix with no mic, Serato's REC tab is free, records the software master, and saves straight into a crate. You do not need anything else.

AirCheck records what your Mac plays, or any input, to one file. $39 once.

Buy AirCheck for $39

macOS 14 or newer. One-off payment. Fourteen-day refund, no questions asked.

Questions people ask

Where does Serato DJ Pro save recordings on a Mac?

Into the Recorded crate once you save the take. An unsaved take lives in ~/Music/_Serato_/Recording Temp until you start the next recording, according to Serato's guide, so copy it out before you press record again.

Does Serato DJ Lite record?

This page covers Serato DJ Pro, whose REC tab is documented by Serato. Check Serato's feature comparison for the current Lite feature list before relying on it for a gig recording.

Why is my Serato recording silent?

The record source is not set to MIX, or the hardware is not sending audio back to Serato. Open the REC tab, set the source to MIX, play a track and watch the recording meter before you press record.

Can I record Serato and a microphone together on a Mac?

Only if your mixer is Serato-enabled and returns the mic over USB, or if you record the analog master (which includes the mic) through an interface. A plain controller's MIC jack is not in the REC tab file.

Sources

Hannes Hennerbichler builds AirCheck and records his own DJ sets with it through a Focusrite Scarlett 8i6. Every step on this page was run on the macOS version stated above. Drafted with AI assistance, checked and edited by the author. About