Document Control — Scope, authority and use
What this guide covers, who it is for, and the limits of its authority.
Document Control — Scope, authority and use
| Field | Definition — Purpose | To move a long-running iTunes/Apple Music DJ collection into a durable, application-neutral local library managed in Lexicon and performed in Serato, while maintaining a parallel streaming workflow. |
|---|---|---|
| Primary audience | Experienced or long-running DJs whose local crates and playlist history remain trapped in iTunes or Apple Music. | |
| Operating model | Administration Mode in Lexicon; Performance Mode in Serato; Streaming Curation in Spotify; TIDAL mirror for stems and higher-quality DJ streaming. | |
| Scope | Local files, playlist migration, metadata, Serato crates, smartlists, backups, Spotify-to-TIDAL mirroring, routine operations and recovery. | |
| Not covered | Copyright acquisition, public-performance licensing, detailed controller mapping, music production workflows or a complete tutorial for every Lexicon utility. | |
| Version sensitivity | Streaming capabilities and subscription rules change. Re-check official documentation before making permanent subscription or platform decisions. |
Document Control — Scope, authority and use
Separate ownership, administration and performance: The audio files must remain ordinary files in a neutral Master Music Library. Lexicon should administer the owned collection. Serato should perform it. Streaming services should supplement the collection, not become the only place where the DJ's organisational intelligence exists.
How this guide is structured
The guide uses a controlled-part structure: first the system model and authority rules, then the migration sequence, then the operating modes, then failure and recovery architecture, and finally acceptance tests. It is designed to be followed as a complete migration order rather than as a loose collection of tips.
Executive Operating Statement
What the migration solves and what the final system should become.
Executive Operating Statement
For many long-running DJs, iTunes became the crate holder during the transition from vinyl and CD collections to digital performance. The problem is not simply that Apple renamed iTunes. The deeper problem is that playlist history, local-file references and years of practical DJ classification became dependent on an application that no longer functions well as a specialist DJ administration environment.
Executive Operating Statement
The correct replacement is not another single platform. It is a division of responsibility in which each system does one job clearly.
Executive Operating Statement
| Layer | Primary authority | Function — Owned audio files | Master Music Library folder | Permanent, application-neutral storage of purchased, ripped and otherwise lawfully held local audio. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owned-library administration | Lexicon | Playlists, playlist folders, smartlists, metadata, Grouping/riddim, BPM, key, cue consolidation and backups. | ||
| DJ performance | Serato DJ Pro | Native crates and subcrates, loading, playback, cueing, stems, event preparation and hardware integration. | ||
| Daily streaming curation | Spotify | Discovery, social sharing, client lists, household use and day-to-day streamed playlist work. | ||
| Streaming performance mirror | TIDAL | TIDAL DJ integration, FLAC/AAC options and Serato Stems while Spotify Stems remain unavailable. | ||
| Cross-service bridge | Soundiiz | One-way playlist synchronization from Spotify to TIDAL. | ||
| Legacy recovery | Apple Music/iTunes files and XML | Historical evidence and recovery source only after the migration passes. |
The target is a complete switch, not a partial workaround
The migration is complete only when the old playlist hierarchy is editable in Lexicon, appears as native crates and subcrates in Serato, local files load from the new Master Music Library, the Show iTunes Library option can be disabled, and the streaming workflow continues independently.
The four operating modes
| Mode | Applications | Purpose | Authority rule — Administration Mode | Lexicon + Master Music Library | Owned-file intake, metadata, playlists, smartlists, recovery and synchronization. | Permanent owned-library changes originate here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance Mode | Serato + controller/mixer | Local crates, TIDAL or Spotify streaming, stems, cues and live set execution. | Serato is the runtime, not the sole archive. | |||
| Streaming Curation Mode | Spotify + Soundiiz + TIDAL | Daily discovery in Spotify and one-way replication to TIDAL. | Spotify is source; TIDAL is mirror. | |||
| Legacy Recovery Mode | Apple XML, .musiclibrary, old iTunes media | Recover missing files and reconstruct smart rules. | Read-only unless a deliberate recovery action is required. |
What the guide does not assume
- It does not assume that a streaming playlist is equivalent to owning the audio file.
- It does not assume that Serato crates automatically synchronize back to Spotify or TIDAL.
- It does not assume that an Apple XML contains the audio files; it contains records, paths and playlist information.
- It does not assume that the old iTunes folder is safe to delete merely because Apple Music appears to work.
- It does not assume that every iTunes Smart Playlist rule survives XML migration.
- It does not require a second internal copy of a very large music folder when the folder is moved on the same disk volume.
Units of the DJ Library System
Keep the objects separate so one migration action is not mistaken for another.
Units of the DJ Library System
A reliable migration depends on distinguishing six different objects. A song file, a database record and a playlist entry are related, but they are not the same thing.
Units of the DJ Library System
| Unit | Definition | What can go wrong — Audio file | The MP3, AIFF, WAV, FLAC, ALAC, AAC or M4A file stored on disk. | It can be moved, renamed, deleted, duplicated or protected by DRM. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Track record | A database entry in Apple Music, Lexicon or Serato that points to an audio file and stores metadata. | The record can survive while its file path becomes invalid. | ||
| Playlist | A manually curated ordered list of track records. | The list can import correctly while all referenced files are missing. | ||
| Smartlist / Smart Crate | A dynamic list generated from rules such as Grouping contains a riddim name or BPM falls in a range. | The current membership may transfer while the rule itself does not. | ||
| Performance data | Cue points, loops, beatgrids, play counts, colors and other DJ preparation. | It may exist only in Serato unless deliberately merged into Lexicon. | ||
| Streaming reference | A service-specific reference to a Spotify or TIDAL catalogue track. | It can disappear, change version, fail to match or become unavailable offline. |
Three different meanings of "library"
- Physical library: the files stored inside the Master Music Library folder.
- Administrative library: the Lexicon database containing playlists, metadata and file locations.
- Performance library: the Serato database containing native crates, playback preparation and references to local or streaming tracks.
Three different meanings of "library"
A visible folder in Lexicon is not required: Lexicon can point directly to every file in the Master Music Library without showing the physical artist and album folder tree as playlists. Using Add Folder creates playlist representations of the filesystem; it is not what creates the underlying track-to-file connection.
Local and streaming domains
| Property | Owned local music | Streaming music — Persistence | Under the DJ's control if the files and backups are retained. | Dependent on subscription, service availability and catalogue licensing. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metadata authority | Lexicon and the embedded file tags. | Service metadata, with some Serato preparation stored locally. | ||
| Playlist authority | Lexicon for durable local organisation. | Spotify for the source streaming structure; TIDAL as mirror. | ||
| Offline use | Yes, when the file is physically available. | Not generally in Serato for Spotify or TIDAL. | ||
| Stems | Available for local compatible files in Serato. | Currently available for TIDAL with the DJ Extension; not currently available for Spotify. | ||
| Recording in Serato | Available for local files, subject to normal setup. | Not available for TIDAL or Spotify streaming tracks. |
Source basis: S9, S10, S11.
Target Architecture and Authority Model
The stable end state before any migration steps are taken.
Core flow
Owned music channel
Core flow
Streaming channel
Core flow
Operational merge
Authority matrix
| Object | Create/edit primarily in | Export or mirror to | Do not treat as authority — Local playlist folder | Lexicon | Serato subcrate hierarchy | Apple Music after retirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local playlist | Lexicon | Serato crate | A temporary Serato-only copy | |||
| Local smartlist | Lexicon | Compatible Serato Smart Crate | Old iTunes Smart Playlist membership alone | |||
| Grouping / riddim | Lexicon and file tags where appropriate | Serato Grouping field | Filename alone | |||
| Spotify playlist | Spotify or Spotify section in Serato | TIDAL through Soundiiz | Lexicon import snapshot | |||
| TIDAL playlist | Soundiiz destination / TIDAL | Serato TIDAL section | An independently edited second master | |||
| Event crate | Serato when temporary; Lexicon when permanent | Optional import back to Lexicon | A streaming-service folder structure | |||
| Audio file location | Master Music Library | Lexicon and Serato databases point to it | Documents, Downloads or an app-specific cache |
Why Spotify and TIDAL are not two equal masters
A two-way streaming master creates conflict. If the same playlist is edited independently in both Spotify and TIDAL, a synchronization service must decide which version wins. In this architecture Spotify is the source of truth because it is where daily listening, sharing and discovery occur. TIDAL is the performance mirror used when its DJ functions, stems or stream quality justify it.
Why Spotify and TIDAL are not two equal masters
One-way rule: Synchronize Spotify to TIDAL. Do not build a bidirectional mirror unless you have a specific conflict-resolution process and understand which edits will be overwritten.
Version-sensitive operating facts as of 1 August 2026
| Capability | Spotify in Serato | TIDAL in Serato — Playlist visibility | Yes | Yes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Create/edit service playlists in Serato | Supported, including renaming, deleting, adding, removing and reordering. | Playlist creation and adding tracks are supported; full parity with Spotify controls is not documented. | ||
| Add streaming tracks to ordinary Serato crates | Supported in Serato DJ Pro 4.0.4 and later. | Official Serato documentation says no. | ||
| Stems | Not available. | Available with Serato DJ Pro 3.1.3+ and TIDAL DJ Extension. | ||
| Offline DJ playback | No | No | ||
| Serato recording | No | No | ||
| Stream quality | Up to 320 kbps according to Serato documentation. | AAC or FLAC with DJ Extension. | ||
| Simultaneous active providers | Only one streaming provider can be selected in Serato at a time. | Only one streaming provider can be selected in Serato at a time. |
Source basis: S9, S10, S11, S12, S15.