We have pieced together some of the best Rekordbox DJ tips and tricks out there! Pioneer’s Rekordbox is arguably the most popular music library software for DJs using a variety of controllers and gear!
It is not only excellent for organizing your music, but it is also a functional solution for playing live. The software is the perfect package, covering everything one needs to prepare for shows and be ready to perform.
Surely it has its minor quirks, but overall the pros far outweigh the cons. The software is pretty simple to use for basic things, but it can get challenging to master it fully.
There are loads of functions that are super useful, but they are not exactly intuitive.
That is why we compiled ten Rekordbox DJ tips and tricks that will give you a better grip on how to make the best of Rekordbox. Let’s dive right in.
Here’s a quick roundup of our Rekordbox DJ Tips:
- Speed Up Rekordbox
- Make Exporting Faster
- Use Shortcuts
- Dynamically Analyze Songs
- Fully Utilize Previews
- Automatically Load Hot Cues
- Enable a Secondary Info Column on CDJs
- Activate Auto Loop
- Import History Playlists
- Export Loops
Never used Rekordbox before? Have a read of our Serato DJ or Rekordbox DJ article to learn more.
10 Rekordbox DJ Tips
Rekordbox DJ tip #1: Speed Up Rekordbox
Pioneer’s Rekordbox is known to get a bit laggy. While it is incredibly useful, the time it takes to perform imports and some of the other tasks can become a drag. Even if you have a computer that is maxed out on RAM and SSD memory, the processing speed can still be underwhelming.
Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to speed things up? It is a known issue that Rekordbox can experience problems with standby mode and clearing up cache memory. Once the data gets clogged, you may find that the software gets slower than usual, especially on old machines.
This Rekordbox DJ tip will seem laughably simple, but restarting your computer will often be the trick to get Rekordbox DJ working smoothly again.
Rekordbox DJ tip #2: Make Exporting Faster
Importing and exporting data in Rekordbox are the most arduous processes when it comes to speed. It can take many hours, depending on the size of your library. No one wants that, but people learn to deal with it.
There is a known Rekordbox DJ tip and trick that can improve your exporting speed significantly. It has to do with correctly formatting your USB drive. Firstly, go to your disk manager utility.
Proceed to find your drive, then click on format. Select the formatting type to be ‘File Allocation Table’ (FAT). The master boot setting should be set to ‘MBR’. In some instances, this Rekordbox DJ tip and procedure can cut your exporting time by up to four times.
Rekordbox DJ tip #3: Use Shortcuts
Ideally, you want to intertwine with your software and just blend with the music as much as possible. Having to click your mouse all the time can become a hindrance to getting into that flow state.
Many will know of the Rekordbox keyboard shortcuts, but it is a game-changer for those who don’t. Shortcut keys are must-do Rekordbox tricks when you spend a lot of time with the software.
If you know of them, but still haven’t integrated them into your workflow, then take this as a head’s up. This Rekordbox DJ tip and trick does make a big difference. You will find all the default shortcuts in the settings menu, under the keyboard tab.
Some useful ones to note are C for setting cue points, M for setting memory loops, and the left/right arrows to beat jump. You can also assign custom shortcuts if you wish. This can be done in the settings menu, under the keyboard tab.
Rekordbox DJ tip #4: Dynamically Analyze Songs
Whenever you import songs into Pioneer’s Rekordbox, they automatically will get analyzed by the software. This is necessary so that Rekordbox can lay out the beat grid appropriately, fetch the metadata, and thus make tracks workable.
There are two ways to analyze songs in Rekordbox. One is in static mode, and the other is in dynamic mode. The static analyzing mode is the default setting, but it is only suitable for songs that have a steady tempo.
In genres that have a varied BPM, the static mode won’t do it correctly. A handy Rekordbox tip is to create an appropriate micro-beat grid for songs that have changing tempos you will need to manually select the dynamic analyzing mode.
Before importing a batch of songs with a varying BPM, make sure to go to Settings > Analyzing Settings, and then select the analyzing mode to be dynamic. If you want to only analyze one particular track in dynamic mode, there is also a quicker way to do this. In the player, select the icon with the three little bars located on the right side.
There, you will see the option to analyze the track in dynamic mode. If you forget to do this for songs with varying tempos, Rekordbox will screw up the beat grid and the displayed track info will ultimately be incorrect. It is quite important to keep this in mind if you work with indie, reggae, rock song, and the like.
Rekordbox DJ tip #5: Fully Utilize Previews
The little preview waveforms in your Rekordbox browser are not just eye candy, they are actually incredibly useful tools and our next Rekordbox tip and trick.
First things first, make sure to extend the preview section to be a little larger than it’s set to in the default setting. What you are comfortable with will be a thing of taste, however, the default size is a tad limiting for effective utilization.
Now, whenever you click on a spot in the preview section, you will automatically start hearing your track from that point. The section also shows cue points that you can skip through with just a few clicks. This function makes previewing songs super simple and quick.
That Rekordbox tip is excellent for when you prep your sets, figuring out how tracks might blend. It is also incredibly useful when you are playing on the decks. Instead of having to load potential follow-up tracks onto the players, you can instead access them via your Rekordbox software.
The preview audio will always come through your headphones, so you won’t have to worry about blasting it through the main speakers. Apart from the fact that you can easily shoot through tracks that you may want to play next, you can also skip to the end of the track that you are playing on your main deck.
That is super useful when playing a new song that you are not quite familiar with yet. Just a few clicks in the browser will remind you of how the track’s outro goes. From there you can consider your upcoming choices from an informed standpoint rather than having to shoot from the hip.
Rekordbox DJ tip #6: Automatically Load Hot Cues
Many people rely on hot cues in their live performances. Pioneer’s Rekordbox allows you to place 3 on a track, which can then be triggered live from controller or media player hardware units.
However, you will find that these do not suddenly appear whenever you load up your track on a CDJ or XDJ. Hot cues need to be loaded up by using the Rec/Call button, and there is a delay when triggering them.
That is an unnecessary additional thing to worry about, and who’s got time to worry when playing live? There is a simple Rekordbox trick to solve this issue.
You just have to enable the automatic hot cue function in the menu. You will find this option in the Preferences > CDJ > Hot Cue Auto Load tab. Check the box beside ‘Prepare Hot Cue Auto Load setting for CDJ use (or import)’. Now your hot cues will load up by themselves and you won’t have to experience any disturbing delays when playing live.
A useful Rekordbox tip for sure!
Rekordbox DJ tip #7: Enable a Secondary Info Column on CDJs
The playlist screen of a CDJ can do more than just show song titles. You can enable CDJs to display a variety of information in the second column, such as BPM, Color tags, Artist, Key, Comments, and more.
This Rekordbox tip is very helpful when trying to promptly pick out tracks on hardware units. After all, there is not much use in being meticulous with your tags when you aren’t able to navigate your library based on them.
To enable this function, you have to go to Preferences > CDJ > Column. In this menu tab, you will be able to pick the desired tags that will be displayed in the secondary info column of your CDJ screen.
Rekordbox DJ tip #8: Activate Auto Loop
Next up on our list of Rekordbox DJ tips and tricks is to activate auto loop. The auto loop function has saved many a DJ from having a track run out by accident.
The function is responsible for looping a comfortable section at the end of a track so that you can mix it out easily. To enable this rekordbok trick, set your beat loop in Rekordbox DJ as you would regularly.
You can choose the length of your loop by clicking the arrows under the player. Once you click the number, your loop will be set from wherever your cursor is on the track. The loop will be auto snapped to the beat grid.
Now that you have your regular loop, you can transform it to an active loop by navigating to the memory cue section and clicking the little loop icon beside it. It looks like a little roundabout sign.
Once the active loop is on it will turn red. Voila, you now have a saving grace. Definitely a handy Rekordbox dj tip and trick and one we use a lot at DJ Tech Reviews.
Rekordbox DJ tip #9: Import History Playlists
We love this particular Rekordbox tip. Did you ever play a DJ set that just felt amazing and you wish you would have recorded it? Sometimes everything just comes together in a way that is worth remembering.
It is quite a challenge to try and recall the tracks one plays during a gig, as well as the specific order. Luckily, Rekordbox can do that for you without any additional effort required on your part.
This Rekordbox tip is that the DJ software can import your last set as a new playlist, in the exact order in which the songs were played in.
To enable this, make sure to highlight the function ‘Import the Play History Automatically’. You will find this option in the Settings > CDJ & Device > Device panel. Once enabled, every time you plug in your USB drive a playlist of your last set will be imported automatically.
Rekordbox DJ tip #10: Export Loops
Pioneer’s Rekordbox has a cool function that producers will find useful – exporting loops as wav files. Being to chop out samples on the fly makes things super convenient, as you can then just drag and drop it into a sampler, or DAW.
To enable this Rekordbox tip, simply set your desired loop in the player. Then, click on the icon with the three little bars on the right side of the waveform. Click ‘Export Loop as Wav’ and Rekordbox will save your file, making it ready for further use.
Rekordbox DJ tips and tricks : Final Thoughts
We hope that you enjoyed our dig into some of the lesser-known functions of Pioneer’s Rekordbox and get to use some of these Rekordbox tips and tricks regularly! These are sure to enhance your workflow and thus make the powerful software even more efficient for your purposes. Be sure to make full use of the automation capabilities so that Rekordbox does as much of the heavy lifting as possible. That will leave you with more time for enjoying music on your DJ controller, laptop, or media player. Happy playing!
Want more DJ software tips?
Check these out:
Top 10 Best Traktor Tips To Improve Your DJ Sets
6 Serato DJ Tips That Will Improve Your DJ Sets Instantly
