How to · Serato DJ Pro

Rate tracks with stars in Serato DJ Pro.

Star ratings in Serato DJ Pro let you mark your strongest tracks so they surface faster when you need them. Here is the exact workflow, plus how Vibes helps you rate and filter during library prep before your set.

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Vibes library overview showing star ratings and vibe tags on a track list

Star ratings in Vibes help you prioritize tracks during prep, before they land in Serato.

Rate tracks with stars in Serato DJ Pro, step by step.

Serato DJ Pro 4.0 (released November 2025, replacing 3.x) introduced a native Rating column that stores star ratings directly in your library and displays them in the track list. You can rate tracks in the browser panel at any time, whether or not you are performing. Note: Serato DJ Pro 3.x did not have a native Rating column; users on 3.x had to insert star emoji characters into an unused metadata field such as Composer as a workaround.

Open your library in Serato DJ Pro

Launch Serato DJ Pro 4.0 and let your library load in the browser panel on the left. You do not need a deck or controller connected to rate tracks. Navigate to the crate or folder containing the tracks you want to rate.

Show the Rating column

Right-click on any column header in the track list to open the column selector. You can also click the small triangle icon at the top right of the library panel, just below the search bar, to access the same list. Make sure Rating is checked so the rating column is visible. If it is already visible, skip this step.

Click to set a rating

Find the Rating column for a track and click the position you want, from one to five units. By default the column displays stars, but users can customize it to show other emoji such as watermelons or ghosts by right-clicking a track and selecting 'Select Rating Emoji'. Serato saves the rating immediately to your library. You can update it at any time by clicking a different position in the same column.

Filter or sort by rating

Click the Rating column header to sort your track list by rating, bringing your top-rated music to the top. You can also use the search filter bar to narrow results by other attributes alongside your rating sort, helping you find the right track faster during a session.

The catch

Serato stores ratings in its own library database. The guide's claim that the .crate format does not carry rating data when sharing crates is plausible given Serato's binary database architecture, but has not been confirmed in official 4.0 documentation reviewed. Ratings are unlikely to transfer when exporting to other software without a third-party conversion tool such as Lexicon.

Submerge

Kiasmos

Click a star or press 1–5

Where Vibes fits

Rate and filter your library during prep, not just in the moment.

Vibes is a desktop library prep app. It lets you rate tracks and use those ratings as a filter while you are building sets and organizing your library, before you ever open Serato.

See how it works

Filter All Songs by star rating alongside BPM, key, and vibe tags to find your strongest tracks fast

Use Vibe Sort to tag tracks by energy and mood so your ratings reflect feel, not just habit

Rate tracks in Vibes during deep prep sessions when you have time to listen critically, not mid-set

Combine rating filters with Camelot key and BPM range filters to narrow a search to exactly the right record

Organize in Vibes, export to Serato DJ Pro.

Your playlists, tags, ratings, and cue points travel back to the gear you play on, so nothing you do in Vibes is locked away.

Track 001

Artist A

128

Afterhours

Mysterious

Introspective

Track 002

Artist B

124

Cozy Floor

Peaceful

Home

Track 003

Artist C

132

Rave

Aggressive

Festival

Build & Release

Playlists

Vibes

Mood

Aggressive

Euphoric

Melancholic

Mysterious

Peaceful

Playful

Tense

Function

Arrangement

Sets

Club Night 12/28

NYE Closing Set

Rooftop 01/04

Frequently asked questions

The honest answers, including the trade-offs.

No. Vibes is a library prep and export tool, not a performance app. Ratings you set in Vibes stay in Vibes and help you filter and prep your library. Serato .crate export does not carry ratings, so your Serato ratings are set and stored inside Serato itself.

Not directly. Serato stores ratings in its own library database and .crate files do not include rating data. If you want ratings in Rekordbox or Engine DJ, you need to re-rate tracks in those apps or use a third-party migration tool like Lexicon.

Rate tracks during calm prep sessions rather than live, so you can listen critically. A simple three-tier system works well: five stars for set-ready bangers, three stars for solid fillers, one star for tracks you are keeping but rarely play. Filter by rating when building sets so your top tracks surface immediately.

Methodology