AlphaTheta Corporation, the overseer of renowned brands Pioneer DJ and rekordbox, has just announced its acquisition of Serato Audio Research Limited. This exciting development, confirmed today (11th July), involves the complete acquisition of Serato shares by AlphaTheta. However, final approval from the New Zealand Overseas Investment Office and the completion of other customary conditions are still pending.
It’s worth noting that these companies have collaborated in the past. The compatibility of Serato’s popular DJ software with Pioneer DJ hardware was first established in 2012 with the release of the DDJ-SX controller. Since then, numerous Pioneer DJ controllers have been compatible with Serato, in addition to Pioneer DJ’s own software, rekordbox.
Despite this acquisition, both AlphaTheta and Serato will continue to operate as independent brands. As stated in an official press release, this includes maintaining their longstanding partnerships with key players in the DJ hardware and software industry.
Discussing the acquisition, AlphaTheta CEO Yoshinori Kataoka expressed his delight saying, “I am thrilled to announce the acquisition of Serato. Our extensive discussions and collaboration with the Serato management team have led to exciting new possibilities for industry contribution. By bringing Serato under the AlphaTheta Group, we expect to discover synergies, drive significant technological innovations, and continue to provide value to the community.”
Serato CEO Young Ly also shared his thoughts, stating, “Serato has achieved 25 years of success by wholeheartedly serving DJs, producers, and artists. We take great pride in our business strength and the dedicated community that surrounds our brand. Today, we are excited to further strengthen our longstanding partnership with AlphaTheta, enhancing the value we bring to our users and the industry.”
This acquisition marks the latest major development in the world of electronic music tech. Just last month, Moog Music was acquired by music conglomerate inMusic, which owns several DJ and professional audio equipment brands, including Akai, Denon, Numark, Alesis, M-Audio, Marantz, and more.
AlphaTheta Corporation originated as a division of Pioneer DJ Corporation in 1994. In 2020, Pioneer DJ Corporation underwent a name change to AlphaTheta Corporation, reflecting its values and vision. In March of that same year, Pioneer DJ was sold to Japanese company Noritsu for $606 million by the KKR equity firm.
This acquisition news comes during a busy period for both AlphaTheta and Serato. Serato recently introduced its new DAW, Serato Studio 2.0, in January. Additionally, Pioneer DJ’s CDJ-3000 can now stream music from Beatport using StreamingDirectPlay.
Earlier this year, Pioneer DJ unveiled a new 4-channel mixer, the DJM-A9, and an all-in-one DJ system called the OPUS-QUAD.
