Mac Apps for DJ

DJ software are apps designed to help you mix, edit, and add audio effects to your audio and video tracks. A good DJ app may enable you to create remix, apply effects to track on the fly and replace traditional turntables. We have rounded up some great mac DJ apps for you in case that’s what you need. Go on reading and check them out.

VirtualDJ 2021 for Mac

This Mac app for DJ is developed with many great features, such as mix, scratch, and remix MP3s or music videos live. Most importantly, this DJ Mac app also available on Windows system.

VirtualDJ Home for Mac brings you all the tools you need to mix songs and record mixtapes using your digital music. Its performance and features will impress you. It should be noted that nothing is perfect. This DJ app surely has some pros and cons.

PROS of this Mac app for DJ

Easy access to files: When you open VirtualDJ Home for Mac, you instantly have access to all your files, including those saved in iTunes or created in GarageBand. No searching through your hard drive or importing is necessary. Choosing tracks to work with is one of the most seamless features of this application. All popular file formats are supported, including MP3, MP4, WAV, WMA, AAC, and MPEG.

Intuitive basic functions: You can start playing with this application right away, without having to read a manual or watch a demo first. All your MP3 files are listed in one corner -- you just scroll through the titles and then drag and drop the ones you want to use. The volume, music balance, and scratch-effect controls are all very straightforward.

Many advanced features: Once you feel confident with the more basic functions of this application, there are many advanced features that can help you create professional-sounding remixes and mashups. Some of the functions we really liked include beat matching, looping, and adding effects.

CONS of this DJ Mac app

Cluttered interface: Don't get us wrong, the VirtualDJ Home interface looks really cool, like a DJ's mixing table. However, when using only a keyboard and a mouse, all the knobs and slide controls and various bells and whistles are a bit overwhelming.

If you love music and want to create your own remixes and mashups, VirtualDJ Home for Mac can be the perfect application for you. It might take some practice to create professional-sounding mixes, but you will be able to start learning how to DJ right away.

Mixxx for Mac

Feeding the budding DJ in just about everyone, Mixxx is a software-based mixing console that lets you use your iTunes library to rock the club, your house, or anywhere else. The Mixxx interface is straightforward and will be familiar if you've used any other software DJ apps. The bottom of the interface is a list of songs (with appropriate information such as artist, title, year of release, duration, genre and more), and the top has two displays, one for each of two source tracks, showing the audio schematic of the file. Beneath are the playback controls. Between the two schematics are the usual DJ controls for adjusting tone, the volume of the two sources, and so on. Mixxx supports most file formats you'll run across on a Mac, including MP3, FLAC, OGG, M4A and WAV files.

In use, Mixxx is easy and intuitive. There are some advanced features such as beat matching and looping, as well as on-the-fly remixing. If you have access to one, there's full support for several external MIDI controllers (we tested with a Roland external mixer and it worked fine). Using the simple interface you can create playlists for later replay, and it includes the capabilities to push out to Shoutcast and Icecast.

The neatest feature of Mixxx is that this isn't a hobbled trial version, but a full-blown DJ mixing tool with all the features both amateur and professional DJs want. To test it in real-world use we tried it at a couple of wedding gigs this summer, feeding files from an external hard drive, and it performed as well as any other DJ software package we've tried. Mixxx is a sleeper: this is a wonderful app, for free, and you can't go wrong with it.

Cross DJ Free for Mac

Cross DJ Free is the most professional free DJ Mac software. It is built on Cross DJ, the award-winning software developed by Mixvibes for 10 years. Mix tracks intuitively, play with effects, loops, scratch and more. Cross DJ Free provides direct access to your iTunes library. Match the tempo of your tracks using the sync button and create smooth mixes in minutes.

The design replicates the industry standard DJ setup: waveforms, Cue/Play/Sync buttons, mixer, hot cues, scratching, loops, effects. All the professional DJ tools are at your fingertips. We believe DJs should try video mixing. Therefore, the core video features are now available in Cross DJ Free. Make no mistake, Cross DJ Free is a DJ software with powerful video features, not a VJ software. Cross DJ Free has the most reliable synchronization tool and BPM analysis on the market. Plus, you can visually preview your mix, using parallel waveforms and sync meter.

Trakto Pro for Mac

Traktor Pro for Mac is a popular and highly regarded DJ mixing app for Mac OS X. It is available from many sources, and after the 30-day trial you have to pay $229 USD to buy a license. Traktor Pro for Mac installs easily.

While the price may seem high for a DJ mixing app, Traktor Pro has long been a standard for serious professionals and amateurs alike. Traktor Pro for Mac offers a two-deck interface that lets you cue up audio from two different sources and manipulate a virtual mixer to keep a constant stream of music playing. You can use an external USB or MIDI mixer console with Traktor Pro for Mac as well, if you have one. There are a lot of advanced features to Traktor Pro for Mac including synching capabilities, multiple sound effects, great looping, and lots of filters and EQs. While there are a lot of features in Traktor Pro for Mac, you can also use it in a simple manner, meaning you can be working with the software in a few minutes. Traktor Pro for Mac can read all your music library files, CDs, and external devices.

We've used Traktor Pro for several years, and this new release adds some new features that extend the software even further. Traktor Pro for Mac remains the software DJ mixer against which all other packages are judged.

DjDecks for Mac

djDecks for Mac is a software mixer and audio player for the MacOS platform. There is a free download available, but the full copy of djDecks for Mac will cost around $110 US. The software installs easily and can be told to read your existing library of music.

The djDecks for Mac interface shows two mixers for two audio streams in the lower part of the interface, and a graphic frequency display in the upper part. Sliders and knobs let you adjust the audio streams and the mixing. In addition to audio, video and karaoke clips can be played through djDecks for Mac. Up to four inputs or decks can be managed by djDecks for Mac, and you have full control of pitch, loops, beat measurement and matching, and special effects. A nice capability is redirecting the output from the software to either Shoutcast or Icecast directly, allowing for those who want to host their own casts to have a direct stream to the servers. An external controller can be used with djDecks for Mac too, if you have one available. djDecks for Mac has skins that can be applied to change the look (but not the functionality).

We tested djDecks for Mac for several weeks and had no issues with it. The interface is easy enough to master and can be controlled without much thought once the layout is clear. Graphically djDecks for Mac isn't as attractive as some other apps on the market, looking a little busy and gray, but skinning can help that. Whether djDecks for Mac is worth the rather high asking price is a question for the user after playing with the demo.

Disco XT Basic for Mac

Disco XT Basic for Mac offers some fundamental tools for mixing audio, supports most popular audio formats, and easily integrates with iTunes. While slightly complicated to navigate, the program offers most of the features one would need for quick DJ use.

This download offers a basic edition of Disco XT, which is a professional audio playback and mixing application. The program installs quickly and contains a number of documents, including an extensive user manual. The easy-to-read tutorial is helpful considering how complex the program menu appears. After linking to iTunes to load songs and playlists, the menu takes up an entire window with an all-black background, which is slightly difficult to read. A large playlist tab allows the user to select the songs playing, and an additional tab displays information on one song or two playing side by side. The main interface contains too many buttons that are poorly labeled. There are no graphics to help users identify their functions and options, and holding the cursor over them also adds no additional information. Fortunately, the tutorial explains most of the features adequately, but help in the program, itself, would have been welcome. Disco XT Basic for Mac does offer all of the options one would expect, including the ability to change the playback characteristics, including speed and filtering. Overall, the application responded well and the sound output was good.

For social gatherings or learning disc jockey skills as a hobby, a capable music program is a must. Even though it features a slightly complicated interface, Disco XT Basic for Mac works well and would be a good solution for those looking for a basic DJ program with many options.

DEX 3 for Mac

Being a DJ is cool, but the cost of equipment is not. PCDJ DEX 2 for Mac is a mixing program for music and video that is fully loaded with features and possibilities offered at a reasonable price.

PCDJ DEX 2 for Mac allows the user to mix music and video and even make karaoke files. The program automatically loads existing music and video files into the interface. You can add additional sound elements using external microphones, CD players and turntables. The media files are easily accessible and can be transferred to the mixing decks by dragging and dropping. The interface even allows for live scratching on audio files. The user can choose between two or four decks on the interface, as well as a selection of preset window sizes. Due to the many configurations and functions that this program has, you can create multipart remixes with ease. Saved files are playable through iTunes. The free trial is limited to sessions of 20 minutes, but all functions are available. The full version of the program retails for $229 and is capable of running on both Mac and Windows platforms.

PCDJ DEX 2 for Mac is a fully loaded remixing program that is capable of creating music, video and karaoke files. This program is suitable for both amateur and professional DJs.