How to prepare tracks for a DJ set
A rekordbox-first walkthrough for preparing tracks for a DJ set, from analysis settings and beat grids to cues, tags, a gig playlist and the USB export.
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Preparing tracks for a DJ set happens in two passes. The first pass is per track, and it happens soon after you buy: analyze the file, check the beat grid, set cues and add tags. The second pass is per gig: build a playlist for the night, test the key transitions and export to USB. If the first pass is done every week, the second takes an evening instead of a weekend. This guide uses rekordbox, with notes for Serato where the idea differs.
Set up the analysis once
A few rekordbox settings decide how much fixing you'll do later. You'll find them in Preferences under the Analysis category, according to rekordbox 7.2.18's manual.
| Setting | What it does | Suggested choice |
|---|---|---|
| Auto Analysis | Analyzes files as soon as they're added to the Collection | Enable, so nothing reaches a playlist unanalyzed |
| Track Analysis Setting | Picks what gets analyzed: BPM / Grid, KEY, Phrase and Vocal | All four, if you use key mixing or phrase data |
| BPM analysis mode | Normal (with a BPM range you set), Dynamic or Auto | Normal with a range that matches your genre, unless your tracks change tempo |
| Use high precision BeatGrid analysis | Slower but more accurate grids, per the manual | On; Auto mode needs it |
| CUE Setting: Set to 1.1Bars | Sets a cue on the first beat of each track when importing and re-analyzing | On, so every track at least loads on the downbeat |
The manual also notes that tracks analyzed by an older version may show a ? marker. Right-click and choose Add New Analysis Data to update them.
First pass: prepare each new track
Work through new purchases soon after you buy them, while you still remember why you bought each one. A playlist of recent additions helps; rekordbox playlists vs folders explains how to make one that updates itself.
1. Check the grid by ear
An automatic grid is a starting point, and a small offset shows up fast in a long blend. Play the first downbeat and check that the grid marker sits on it. Then jump to a later section, such as the last breakdown or the outro, and check again. If the grid drifts, fix it now. Tracks with live drums, tempo changes or a beatless intro are the usual suspects.
2. Set a cue layout and stick to it
Pick a layout and use it on every track so your hands learn it. Splitting the work between memory cues and Hot Cues keeps it simple:
- Memory cues mark where you mix. One where you'd bring the track in, one where you'd start taking it out. They show on the waveform without using a pad.
- Hot Cues are for jumping. The drop, a vocal you might loop, a break you could cut to.
- Same colors every time. Give the mix-in and mix-out points fixed colors, so you can read a track's shape at a glance.
rekordbox's INTELLIGENT CUE CREATION can set cue points during analysis, up to 16 Hot Cues and 10 memory cues, depending on your subscription plan. If you use it, treat its cues as suggestions and move them to your layout. The pillar guide's "ready" checklist shows another layout built on four Hot Cues.
3. Tag what the software can't hear
rekordbox detects tempo and key. It can't tell you whether a track works as an opener or suits a dark room. The manual's My Tag feature lets you create your own tag categories and tags, show them in a column and filter by them. A few categories go a long way:
- Energy: low, medium, high
- Role: opener, builder, peak, closer, tool
- Character: vocal, instrumental, percussive, melodic
Will Lynch, writing for Pioneer DJ about managing music, makes the case for this small extra step on every track: "It's very little work, and it makes a big difference." Tags are what make search and Intelligent Playlists useful later.
4. File it
Add the track to at least one playlist where you'll look for it mid-set. In Serato, the equivalent is a crate; Serato's support center notes that one track can sit in several crates, and smart crates fill themselves from rules on fields such as BPM, key and the date a track was added.
5. Play it once at home
Mix it in and out of something you know. You'll find a wrong cue or a weak outro in five minutes at home instead of in front of a crowd.
Second pass: prepare for a specific gig
A few days before the gig, build the night's selection.
- Make a gig playlist. Create a folder for the event and a playlist inside it. Pull candidates from your role and energy tags. For how many to bring, see How many tracks do you need for a DJ set?
- Sort by role, not running order. Split the pool into a few playlists, for example warm-up, middle and late, so you can still react to the room.
- Rehearse the risky transitions. Key changes, tempo moves and genre switches deserve a practice run. Easy blends don't need one.
- Check for streaming tracks. rekordbox's streaming FAQ says streaming tracks can't be exported to a USB storage device or SD card. Anything you only have as a stream needs buying, or replacing, before the gig.
- Export to USB. Use EXPORT mode to put the gig playlists on your drive. The manual describes SYNC MANAGER for keeping selected playlists up to date on a USB storage device or SD card.
- Make a second copy. Export the same playlists to a backup stick. USB sticks do fail, and a spare costs little.
After the gig
rekordbox can bring cues, beat positions and ratings changed on a DJ player back into rekordbox when you sync, according to the manual. Its Histories list tracks played for a minute or more in PERFORMANCE mode or via LINK EXPORT, and you can copy a history to a playlist. Use it to mark which new tracks earned their place, and to spot the ones you skipped every time. How to build a DJ library without buying filler turns that into a buying habit.
Where CatchIt! fits
Preparation starts once you own the files, so CatchIt! sits before all of this. The Mac app, with its free iOS companion, keeps the list of tracks you've found, kept and bought, with a Done flag for purchases. It isn't a rekordbox plugin and doesn't touch your library. The wider workflow is in the pillar guide on organizing new music before it hits your DJ library, and CatchIt!'s terms are explained in the glossary.
Frequently asked questions
- How long does it take to prepare tracks for a DJ set?
- It depends on how many new tracks you have and how carefully you work. Checking a grid and setting a few cues takes a few minutes per track once you have a routine, so preparing new purchases each week is far quicker than preparing a whole set's worth the night before.
- Should I trust rekordbox's automatic beat grid?
- Use it as a starting point. rekordbox's manual says high precision BeatGrid analysis is slower but more accurate, and you can still check the first downbeat and a later section of each track by ear before you rely on it.
- How many cue points should I set?
- Enough to mix in and out without searching. rekordbox's CUE Analysis can set up to 16 Hot Cues and 10 memory cues automatically, depending on your plan, but a small, consistent layout you set yourself is easier to learn.
- How do I get my prepared tracks onto a USB stick?
- In rekordbox's EXPORT mode, export your gig playlists to the device. The manual describes SYNC MANAGER, which keeps selected playlists on a USB storage device or SD card up to date and can bring cues, beat positions and ratings changed on a DJ player back into rekordbox.