CrateMate
FAQ
Answers to what DJs ask most. Anything else? Email support@cratemateapp.com.
Before you buy
What is CrateMate?
An iPad and iPhone app for DJs who use Serato DJ Pro on a Mac. You browse, edit, organise and practise with your Serato library on your iPad or iPhone, and every change goes back to Serato on your Mac. A free companion app, CrateMate for Mac, runs in your menu bar and does the writing.
What do I need?
A Mac with macOS 14 or later and Serato DJ Pro 5 or later, and an iPad or iPhone with iOS 17 or later. The AI features need a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later), and asking your library questions needs Apple Intelligence (macOS 26 or later).
How much is it?
CrateMate is free to download with a demo library. A one-off purchase unlocks it for your own library: no subscription. CrateMate for Mac is free. The launch price is announced by email to everyone on the list.
Can I try it first?
Yes. Open CrateMate and tap Try the Demo: a full library with every feature switched on, and no Mac needed.
Do I pay again for my iPhone or iPad?
No. Buy once and use Restore Purchase in Settings on your other devices with the same Apple Account. Family Sharing is supported.
Does it work with Windows, Rekordbox or Traktor?
Not yet. CrateMate works with Serato DJ Pro on a Mac.
Your library and Serato
Does CrateMate change my music files?
Only when you say so. Every change waits in Write to Serato, showing what each track is now and what it will be after, until you tap Write. In Settings › Changes to your tracks you choose Read Only (nothing is ever written), just the details you pick, or everything.
Does Serato need to be closed?
Only for writing. Files and Serato's library are written only while Serato is closed, so nothing changes under it. You can keep editing on your iPad or iPhone while Serato is open; crate changes go in as soon as you close it.
What if something goes wrong?
A copy of every file is kept before it's written, and Revert Back puts any written file back exactly as it was. Serato's crate files are backed up before every change, with a daily snapshot too, and Recent Changes undoes edits. Even so, always keep your own backup of your music.
Which file types can it write to?
MP3, AIFF, WAV, FLAC and M4A.
Can it edit cue points and beatgrids?
Yes. Move, set, rename and delete hot cues, and adjust beatgrids, in the Beatgrid Viewer. They're written into the file where Serato reads them. Loops, BPM, key and the rest of Serato's analysis are never touched. Writing cues and beatgrids is off until you switch it on.
Will my crates and smart crates look the same?
Yes: Serato's own order, colours and subcrates. Crates you make or change in CrateMate appear in Serato.
Is CrateMate made by Serato?
No. CrateMate is independent, made by DMI Design. It isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Serato.
Using it
Does it work away from home?
Yes. Your library is kept on your iPad or iPhone, so you can browse, edit and prep anywhere, and downloaded tracks play with no signal. Your edits wait and go to your Mac the next time you're on the same Wi-Fi. If you use your own VPN, such as Tailscale, it can reach your Mac from anywhere.
Can I play my music on it?
Yes. Tracks play from your Mac at home, or from downloads anywhere, in the quality you choose. There are two practice decks with SYNC, hot cues and loops too.
Does it need the internet?
Only for look-ups (artwork, genres and years from public music databases) and Broadcast this set. Talking to your Mac uses your own Wi-Fi.
Does it work on iPad and iPhone at the same time?
Yes. Both connect to the same Mac and see each other's changes.
Privacy
Is my library private?
Yes. There are no accounts, ads or analytics. Your library stays on your own devices and your own Mac, the AI runs on your Mac and your music is never uploaded. Look-ups send only what's needed to find a track, such as the artist and title.