Serato Audio Research

Corporate brand

Serato is a New Zealand music-technology company known for digital DJ, sampling, audio-editing, and music-production software.

Last updated October 16, 2026

Overview

Serato Audio Research, commonly known as Serato, is a New Zealand audio-software company focused on tools for DJs, music producers, engineers, and musicians. The company says its first product launched in 1999 and that its community now includes users across 190 countries. Its stated mission is to support the creation, playing, and sharing of music. Serato is a music-software company founded in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1998 by computer scientists Steve West and AJ Bertenshaw. The company developed from an audio-manipulation concept created by West while the two founders were studying computer science at the University of Auckland. West devised an algorithm capable of changing the tempo of a recorded track without changing its pitch. Bertenshaw recognized that the technique could become the basis for practical audio tools and helped turn the research into commercial software. The founders initially developed Pitch 'n Time, a product built around time-stretching and pitch-processing technology. Although approaches to music-industry companies including Pioneer and Sony did not initially lead to broad adoption, the technology found a receptive market in Hollywood. Its ability to alter the timing and pitch of recorded audio without the usual degradation made it useful for film and television post-production, where editors often need to fit music or dialogue to a particular duration. This early application established Serato as an audio-technology company before its name became closely associated with DJ software. Serato later expanded into digital DJing. Serato DJ enables performers to mix digital music files and, through supported integrations, streaming music. It can be used with dedicated DJ controllers from manufacturers such as Pioneer DJ, Denon DJ, and Roland, as well as digital-vinyl systems. Its interface emphasizes visual information such as waveforms and beat-related displays, helping DJs align tracks and manipulate performances. Serato also works with hardware makers on products designed specifically for its software ecosystem. In 2018, the company renamed Serato DJ as Serato DJ Pro and Serato DJ Intro as Serato DJ Lite. The renamed products also moved to a 64-bit software architecture. Serato subsequently added integrations with several music-streaming services, including Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Beatport, Beatsource, and SoundCloud, although capabilities such as recording, offline caching, and stem separation vary by service and subscription arrangement. The company has broadened its product portfolio beyond live DJ performance. Serato Studio is a digital audio workstation designed for producers and artists, with a sample-oriented workflow, visual interface, in-software recording, library synchronization, and audio-manipulation features. Serato Sample is a VST plug-in that applies the company’s audio-processing expertise to sample discovery and editing, including pitch and tempo changes and key detection. In 2023, Serato Sample 2.0 added machine-learning-based stem isolation, allowing users to separate elements such as vocals, drums, bass, and melody. Serato also experimented with consumer mobile music software through Serato Pyro, an application released in 2016 that automatically transitioned between songs and generated playlists from a mobile device’s music library. Pyro was retired in May 2020. Across its product range, Serato’s positioning combines performance-oriented DJ tools with audio technology for producers, editors, and artists. The company remains best known for its role in the professional and enthusiast DJ ecosystem, while its sampling, production, and stem-separation products extend the brand into adjacent creative-audio markets. Serato Audio Research, commonly known as Serato, is a New Zealand music-software company founded in Auckland in 1998 by computer scientists Steve West and AJ Bertenshaw. The company developed from an audio-manipulation concept created by West while the two founders were studying computer science at the University of Auckland: an algorithm capable of changing the tempo of a recorded track without changing its pitch. Bertenshaw recognized that the technique could become the basis for practical audio tools and helped turn the research into commercial software. The founders initially developed Pitch 'n Time, a product built around time-stretching and pitch-processing technology. Although approaches to music-industry companies including Pioneer and Sony did not initially lead to broad adoption, the technology found a receptive market in Hollywood, where its ability to alter the timing and pitch of recorded audio without the usual degradation made it useful for film and television post-production. This early application established Serato as an audio-technology company before its name became closely associated with DJ software. Serato later expanded into digital DJing, enabling performers to mix digital music files and, through supported integrations, streaming music, with dedicated DJ controllers from manufacturers such as Pioneer DJ, Denon DJ, and Roland, as well as digital-vinyl systems. In 2018, the company renamed Serato DJ as Serato DJ Pro and Serato DJ Intro as Serato DJ Lite, and the renamed products moved to a 64-bit software architecture. Serato subsequently added integrations with several music-streaming services, including Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Beatport, Beatsource, and SoundCloud. The company has also expanded beyond live DJ performance with Serato Studio, a digital audio workstation; Serato Sample, a VST plug-in that added machine-learning-based stem isolation in version 2.0 in 2023; and the mobile app Serato Pyro, released in 2016 and retired in May 2020. Serato says its community includes DJs, producers, engineers, and musicians in 190 countries, and describes its mission as enabling people to create, play, and share music.

History

Serato traces its origins to a technical problem encountered by co-founder Steve West while he was a University of Auckland student. In 1997, he wanted to slow down complicated bass solos without changing their pitch. The company’s account says he developed an algorithm to address the limitation of the tools then available, leading to Pitch 'n Time, which launched in 1999. Serato describes that plugin as a foundational product for its work in time-stretching and pitch-shifting audio. In 2000, West and co-founder AJ Bertenshaw began exploring how vinyl could control digital audio. Bertenshaw had developed a prototype that allowed users to scratch audio from a CD using a mouse. Serato developed the concept further with its Noisemap control tone, pressed into vinyl records to control digital playback. The company also created Scratch Studio Edition in 2000, a Pro Tools plug-in that let studio users, producers, and DJs scratch digital samples or other computer audio using turntables or a mouse. A major step toward digital DJ performance came in 2004, when Serato partnered with Rane to launch Serato Scratch Live with the Rane SL1. The product allowed DJs to perform with digital music collections using specially designed control records, control CDs, or MIDI controllers. This history established Serato’s association with software that connects digital audio libraries and performance hardware. Serato’s current product range, as shown on its official homepage, includes DJ software and music-production tools. The listed offerings include Serato DJ Pro and DJ Lite, Serato Studio, Serato Sample, and Serato Hex FX. The homepage also promotes hardware compatibility, music-service integrations, and tools for sampling, effects, and beatmaking. Serato says its community includes DJs, producers, engineers, and musicians in 190 countries, and describes its mission as enabling people to create, play, and share music. The supplied sources do not establish its present ownership, headquarters, or detailed corporate structure. Serato began in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1998, when University of Auckland computer-science students Steve West and AJ Bertenshaw worked on practical applications for digital audio manipulation. West had created an algorithm that could change the tempo of a recorded track while preserving its pitch. Bertenshaw saw commercial potential in the technique and collaborated with West on developing a product around it. The resulting software, Pitch 'n Time, was initially presented to companies in the music-technology sector, including Pioneer and Sony, but did not immediately gain the desired traction in that market. The technology proved more attractive in film and television production, where editors frequently need to adjust the length or pitch of recorded material to match a scene without introducing obvious artifacts. This use helped establish the company’s reputation for high-quality time-stretching and pitch-processing technology. Serato subsequently moved into digital DJing, where the same general emphasis on precise manipulation of recorded sound could support live performance. Serato DJ became a central product, allowing DJs to mix digital files through compatible controllers and digital-vinyl systems. The software presented waveforms and other visual information to assist with beatmatching and performance. Compatibility with hardware from manufacturers including Pioneer DJ, Denon DJ, and Roland helped Serato become part of a broader hardware-and-software ecosystem rather than a standalone application. In 2016, Serato released Pyro, a mobile application that automatically transitioned between songs and generated playlists using music stored on a mobile device. The company later retired Pyro in May 2020. In 2017, Serato began incorporating music-streaming services into its DJ software. The ecosystem described in reference material includes Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Beatport, Beatsource, and SoundCloud. Streaming integrations have different technical and licensing constraints: some services restrict recording, stem separation, or offline caching, while others provide those functions only under particular plans. A product-renaming and architecture change followed in 2018. Serato DJ became Serato DJ Pro, and Serato DJ Intro became Serato DJ Lite. The new versions used 64-bit software architecture. Serato also continued collaborating with hardware developers to produce controllers designed for, or marketed in conjunction with, its software. The company expanded further into music production. Serato Studio was developed as a digital audio workstation with a sample-based interface intended for producers and artists. Its functions include sample manipulation, library synchronization, direct recording, and stem-related workflows. Serato Sample brought the company’s processing technology into a VST plug-in for sample editing, offering key detection, pitch and tempo changes, and tools for locating related samples. The 2.0 release in 2023 added machine-learning-based stem isolation. Serato’s history therefore spans film-oriented audio processing, professional DJ performance, mobile music applications, and producer-focused software, with its brand increasingly organized around flexible manipulation of recorded music. The company expanded further into music production. Serato Studio was developed as a digital audio workstation with a sample-based interface intended for producers and artists. Its functions include sample manipulation, library synchronization, direct recording, and stem-related workflows. Serato Sample brought the company’s processing technology into a VST plug-in for sample editing, offering key detection, pitch and tempo changes, and tools for locating related samples. The 2.0 release in 2023 added machine-learning-based stem isolation. Serato’s current product range, as shown on its official homepage, includes DJ software and music-production tools: Serato DJ Pro and DJ Lite, Serato Studio, Serato Sample, and Serato Hex FX. The homepage also promotes hardware compatibility, music-service integrations, and tools for sampling, effects, and beatmaking. Serato says its community includes DJs, producers, engineers, and musicians in 190 countries, and describes its mission as enabling people to create, play, and share music. Serato’s history therefore spans film-oriented audio processing, professional DJ performance, mobile music applications, and producer-focused software, with its brand increasingly organized around flexible manipulation of recorded music. The supplied sources do not establish its present ownership, headquarters, or detailed corporate structure.

2023
Serato Sample 2.0 adds stem isolation
[5]Seratoen.wikipedia.org
The plug-in introduces machine-learning-based separation of musical elements, including vocals, drums, bass, and melody.
2021
Serato Studio gains in-software recording
[5]Seratoen.wikipedia.org
Serato adds direct recording inside its digital audio workstation for music producers and artists.
2020
Pyro is retired
[5]Seratoen.wikipedia.org
Serato ends the Pyro mobile-app product in May.
2018
Serato DJ is rebranded as Serato DJ Pro
[5]Seratoen.wikipedia.org
Serato DJ becomes Serato DJ Pro and Serato DJ Intro becomes Serato DJ Lite; the renamed software uses a 64-bit architecture.
2017
Streaming-service integration begins
[5]Seratoen.wikipedia.org
Serato begins adding streaming music support to its DJ software ecosystem.
2016
Serato releases Pyro
[5]Seratoen.wikipedia.org
The company launches Pyro, a mobile application that transitions between songs and creates playlists from a device’s music library.
2004
Serato Scratch Live launches with Rane
[2]The Serato Storyserato.com
Serato partners with Rane to launch Serato Scratch Live with the Rane SL1, allowing DJs to perform with digital music collections using control records, control CDs, or MIDI controllers.
2000
Serato develops Noisemap and Scratch Studio Edition
[2]The Serato Storyserato.com
Serato develops the Noisemap control tone pressed into vinyl records to control digital playback, and creates Scratch Studio Edition, a Pro Tools plug-in for scratching digital samples or computer audio with turntables or a mouse.
1999
Pitch 'n Time launches
[2]The Serato Storyserato.com
Serato launches its first product, a plugin for time-stretching and pitch-shifting audio, described by the company as foundational to its work in the field.
1998
Serato is founded in Auckland
[5]Seratoen.wikipedia.org
Steve West and AJ Bertenshaw establish the company in Auckland, New Zealand, after collaborating on digital audio-processing concepts developed at the University of Auckland.

Showing the 10 most recent.

Products and positioning

Serato presents itself as a provider of premier DJ and music-production software, emphasizing creative tools for users ranging from home studios to live stages. Professional and enthusiast music-creation software centered on digital DJ performance, audio manipulation, sampling, and production workflows. Serato presents itself as a provider of premier DJ and music-production software, emphasizing creative tools for users ranging from home studios to live stages, and combining performance-oriented DJ tools with audio technology for producers, editors, and artists.

Digital DJ software · 2018
Serato DJ Pro
DJ software featured on Serato's homepage, which also lists a version download and music-service integrations. Serato DJ Pro is the company’s professional digital DJ platform, featured on Serato's homepage, which also lists a version download and music-service integrations. It supports mixing of digital music files and selected streaming sources, works with compatible DJ controllers and digital-vinyl systems, and provides waveform and beat-related visualizations for performance and beatmatching. It also supports stem-based workflows for separating vocals, drums, bass, and melody, subject to source and service limitations.
Digital DJ software · 2018
Serato DJ Lite
DJ software listed on the homepage alongside DJ Pro. Serato DJ Lite is the successor to Serato DJ Intro and provides a more accessible version of Serato’s DJ software environment. It is designed for use with supported DJ hardware and introduces users to digital mixing workflows within the Serato ecosystem. It is listed on the homepage alongside DJ Pro.
Digital audio workstation
Serato Studio
Music-production software promoted as a beatmaking tool. Serato Studio is a digital audio workstation aimed at producers and artists, promoted as a beatmaking tool. Its workflow is centered on sample-based creation and a visually oriented interface. The product includes tools for sample manipulation, music-library synchronization, stem-related work, and direct recording inside the software.
VST sample-editing plug-in
Serato Sample
Sampling software listed in Serato's production-software range. Serato Sample is a VST plug-in for finding and manipulating samples, listed in Serato's production-software range. Its functionality includes key detection, independent pitch and tempo changes, and discovery of samples similar to a selected sound. Version 2.0 added machine-learning-based stem isolation for separating musical components.
Audio effects
Serato Hex FX
An audio-effects product listed on Serato's homepage.
Audio time-stretching and pitch-processing software
Pitch 'n Time
Serato's first product, described by the company as a plugin for time-stretching and pitch-shifting. Serato’s first product, described by the company as a plugin for time-stretching and pitch-shifting. It was built around an algorithm that could alter the tempo of recorded audio without changing its pitch. Although initial music-industry outreach did not produce strong traction, the technology found practical use in Hollywood and film editing, where precise duration and pitch adjustments are frequently required.
Digital DJ software
Serato Scratch Live
Digital DJ software launched with Rane in 2004, supporting control records, control CDs, and MIDI controllers.
Mobile music application · 2016
Serato Pyro
Serato Pyro was a mobile application released in 2016. It automatically faded songs into one another, created playlists from a device’s iTunes library, and offered curated collections associated with artists and labels. The product was retired in May 2020.

Brand decisions

2018
Rebranding and 64-bit transition for DJ softwareGeneration change
Background
Serato reorganized the naming of its DJ products, changing Serato DJ to Serato DJ Pro and Serato DJ Intro to Serato DJ Lite.
Action taken
The company released the renamed products using a 64-bit software architecture.
Aftermath
The change clarified the distinction between the professional and entry-level products and modernized the underlying software platform.
Source
2017
Expansion into streaming-based DJ workflowsStrategy
Background
Digital DJs increasingly used subscription and cloud music services alongside locally stored files.
Action taken
Serato began integrating streaming services, including Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Beatport, Beatsource, and SoundCloud, into its DJ software ecosystem.
Aftermath
Streaming support broadened music access, while recording, caching, and stem-separation capabilities remained dependent on the service and applicable subscription terms.
Source

Recent events

2023
Serato Sample 2.0 introduces machine-learning stem isolation[5]Seratoen.wikipedia.org
Product launch · Product generation
Serato Sample 2.0 added stem-isolation functionality based on machine-learning algorithms, enabling users to work separately with components such as vocals, drums, bass, and melody.
2021
Serato adds in-software recording to Serato Studio[5]Seratoen.wikipedia.org
Product launch
Serato Studio received an in-software recording capability, extending the product beyond sample manipulation and arrangement into direct audio capture.
2020
Serato retires the Pyro mobile application[5]Seratoen.wikipedia.org
Other
Serato discontinued Pyro, its mobile application for automatic song transitions and playlist creation, in May 2020.
2018
Serato renames its DJ software products[5]Seratoen.wikipedia.org
Product generation
Serato changed the names of Serato DJ to Serato DJ Pro and Serato DJ Intro to Serato DJ Lite, alongside adoption of a 64-bit software architecture.
2017
Serato expands DJ software streaming integrations[5]Seratoen.wikipedia.org
Product launch
Serato began integrating streaming services into its DJ software ecosystem. Supported services described in the reference include Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Beatport, Beatsource, and SoundCloud, with feature availability differing by service.

Sources6 sources

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