Ultimate Guide to Exporting Rekordbox Playlists to USB

Ultimate Guide to Exporting Rekordbox Playlists to USB

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Getting Prepared: What You Need
3. Formatting your USB Stick
4. Downloading and Setting Up Rekordbox DJ Software
5. Importing Music Into Rekordbox
6. Organizing Your Music in Rekordbox
7. Common Issues with File Recognition in Rekordbox
8. Preparing Your Music for Performance Features
9. Exporting Music to your USB Drive
10. Sync Manager: The Best Way to Export Music
11. Alternative Method: Exporting Playlists
12. Important Notes on Exporting Music
13. Safely Ejecting Your USB Drive
14. Conclusion

Getting Prepared: What You Need

Before you start mixing on a DJ equipment, there are a few things you need to have prepared. First and foremost, you will need a USB drive or an SD card to plug into the CDJs. This is where you will store your music. Make sure to format your USB drive in FAT32 format before using it with the CDJs. On a Mac, you can do this by opening Disk Utility and selecting your USB drive, then clicking on the erase button. Name your USB drive and ensure the format is set to FAT32. This will wipe everything off the USB drive, so remember to save any important files elsewhere.

Next, you will need to download the Rekordbox DJ software from Pioneer DJ's Website. This software is essential for managing and preparing your music for mixing. Once downloaded, make sure you have access to the export mode within the software. You can find this mode by selecting the drop-down toggle at the top of the software. Export mode is specifically designed for getting music onto a USB drive and utilizing the features of the CDJs.

Formatting your USB Stick

One of the common issues DJs may encounter when plugging their USB into the CDJs is that the USB stick is not recognized. To avoid this problem, it is recommended to format your USB stick in FAT32 format. If you are using a Mac, you can format your USB stick by opening Disk Utility and selecting the USB stick. Click on the erase button and make sure to name the USB stick. Set the format to FAT32 and click erase. This will wipe everything off the USB stick, so remember to save any important files elsewhere before formatting your USB.

Downloading and Setting Up Rekordbox DJ Software

To get started with mixing on DJ equipment, you need to download and set up the Rekordbox DJ software. This software is provided by Pioneer DJ and is essential for managing and preparing your music for mixing. You can download Rekordbox DJ for free from Pioneer DJ's website. Once downloaded, make sure you have access to the export mode within the software. The export mode can be found via the drop-down toggle at the top of the software. This mode is specifically for getting music onto a USB drive to be plugged into the CDJs and to make the most of their features.

Importing Music Into Rekordbox

Once you have the Rekordbox DJ software set up, you need to import your music into it. There are two ways to do this. You can open the explorer within the software and navigate to where your music is stored on your computer. From there, you can either right-click and import the music as a playlist or simply drag and drop the music into the software. Another way to import music is by creating a new playlist within Rekordbox and then dragging and dropping the desired music into that playlist. This allows you to organize your music and make it easily accessible for mixing.

Organizing Your Music in Rekordbox

Once you have imported your music into Rekordbox, it's important to organize it in a way that suits your mixing style and preferences. Rekordbox provides a tree view on the left side of the software, where you can Create playlists and folders to categorize your music. You can create new playlists by right-clicking and selecting the "Create a new playlist" option. Similarly, you can create folders to further organize your music by right-clicking and selecting the "Create a new folder" option. This allows you to have a structured library and easily find the music you want to mix.

Common Issues with File Recognition in Rekordbox

Sometimes, DJs may encounter issues with file recognition in Rekordbox. This can happen when files are renamed or relocated outside of the software. If you happen to rename or relocate any of the files in your music library on your computer, Rekordbox will struggle to locate them. When this occurs, a warning sign will appear next to the waveform of the affected files. To resolve this issue, you can go to the file display in Rekordbox and select the option to auto-relocate or manually relocate the files. It's important to keep your file names and folder structure organized outside of Rekordbox to avoid any file recognition issues.

Preparing Your Music for Performance Features

In addition to organizing your music, you can take AdVantage of Rekordbox's performance features to enhance your mixing experience. Within Rekordbox, you can double-click on a song to open it in the player view. From there, you can set up hot cues, loops, and other performance features. These settings will be exported along with the music to your USB drive, allowing you to use them on the CDJs. By taking the time to prepare your music beforehand, you can make the most of the performance features and have a seamless DJing experience.

Exporting Music to your USB Drive

Once you have organized and prepared your music in Rekordbox, it's time to export it to your USB drive. This is the final step before you can start mixing on the CDJs. The best way to export your music is by using the sync manager feature in Rekordbox. The sync manager allows you to select the playlists you want to export and quickly manage your music on and off your USB drive. By ticking the "Synchronize playlist with a device" box and selecting the desired playlists, you can easily export them to your USB drive with just a click of a button. This method is convenient as it avoids individually deleting tracks and allows you to add new songs to a playlist without re-exporting the entire playlist.

Sync Manager: The Best Way to Export Music

The sync manager in Rekordbox is considered the best way to export music to your USB drive. It offers a convenient way to manage your playlists and quickly transfer them to your USB drive. By selecting the playlists you want to export and clicking the sync button, you can ensure that all the changes you have made to the playlists are reflected on your USB drive. This saves time and effort compared to manually deleting and re-exporting individual tracks. The sync manager also allows you to easily add new songs to a playlist without re-exporting the entire playlist. Familiarizing yourself with the sync manager feature will greatly streamline your music export process.

Alternative Method: Exporting Playlists

Aside from using the sync manager, you can also export playlists in Rekordbox using an alternative method. By right-clicking on a playlist, you can select the option to export it directly to your USB drive. However, using this method can make it more complicated to keep track of which playlists have been exported and which playlists need to be updated. Therefore, while this method is available, it is highly recommended to utilize the sync manager for optimal playlist management and export.

Important Notes on Exporting Music

When exporting music through Rekordbox, there is no need to manually drag and drop the music onto your USB drive using your computer's file explorer. Rekordbox takes care of the export process and ensures that all the necessary information, such as the BPM and waveform overview, is included in the exported files. Dragging and dropping music directly onto the USB drive can result in the CDJs not recognizing important information and may lack a proper GRID for beatmatching. It is crucial to let Rekordbox handle the exporting process to ensure seamless compatibility with the CDJs.

Safely Ejecting Your USB Drive

Once you have exported your music to your USB drive, it's important to safely eject it from your computer before using it with the CDJs. Simply pulling out the USB drive without properly ejecting it can corrupt the files and lead to various issues. To safely eject the USB drive, locate the devices tab in your computer's file explorer and select the eject option for your USB drive. This ensures that all the files are closed properly and prevents any potential data loss or corruption.

Conclusion

In conclusion, getting prepared and setting up your music for mixing on DJ equipment requires careful organization and utilization of the right tools. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can ensure a smooth and efficient workflow from formatting your USB drive to exporting your music to preparing performance features. Rekordbox DJ software provides a user-friendly interface and convenient features like the sync manager to streamline the process. By taking the time to properly prepare and organize your music, you'll be ready to mix and impress your audience on the CDJs. So, start organizing your music library and get ready to create amazing mixes!