Djay is one of the most popular and successful DJ-ing apps for mobile phones, occupying top spots in the iPhone, iPad, and Android charts. Algoriddim, the developer behind the app, actually first released Djay on the Mac back in 2006. Today, the company is launching Djay Pro, a complete revamp of the Mac app that brings many of the features in Djay's mobile apps to the desktop while also providing tools for more advanced DJs. It's available direct from Algoriddim for $49.99 starting today.

Algoriddim CEO Karim Morsy says the company spent a year on the design of Djay Pro, with the goal of making "pro software that's accessible to consumers." The resulting Djay Pro offers a ton of features, but has an interface that lets the user hide or reveal as many features as they'd like. It borrows a lot of design from Djay 2, the company's current mobile app. Morsy says that "somebody coming from the mobile version will feel right at home on [Djay Pro]."

Drag and drop Spotify tracks into your mixes

One of the major features making the jump from mobile to desktop is the integration of Spotify libraries within Djay Pro. As with the earlier Mac app, users can spin tracks from their iTunes libraries, but now they can also drag in songs directly from Spotify, giving them access to many millions more tracks. The app will nearly instantly analyze and load the tracks from Spotify, providing all the same beat-matching and DJ control features as it does for locally stored songs. Spotify will also recommend songs that go with the current track that's playing, and it's even possible to stream four Spotify songs to four different decks simultaneously. Spotify playlists can be edited and saved right from within the app too, which will then sync back to Spotify's own mobile and desktop apps.

Djay Pro supports traditional DJ hardware, with over 50 MIDI controllers supported out of the box. It also has a learning function that lets DJs map hardware controls to actions within the app for further customization. Users of the Djay 2 mobile apps can sync cue points, beat grid edits, meta data, and in-app purchases effects to the Djay Pro app on the desktop.

Using professional DJ software can be rather daunting for many casual users, but basic apps can leave advanced users wanting for more. Djay Pro straddles that line, offering an approachable user interface for beginners, yet still providing a lot of options for more advanced users if they want to dig deeper. At almost $50, Djay Pro isn't a throwaway purchase, but it is less expensive than other professional DJ software, such as Serato or Traktor. If you're a budding DJ looking to get your feet wet or just want an easy way to spin your Spotify library at your office holiday party, Djay Pro is certainly worth a look.