Get CDJ Ready - Export Playlists From Rekordbox To USB

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Getting your music ready to play on CDJs from Rekordbox can feel like running uphill. File formats, Export Mode, Sync Manager and dangerous common mistakes can trip even pro DJs up. In this video I show you how to export from Rekordbox to USB flawlessly so that you can walk up to the decks with confidence, deal with issues and deliver an amazing set.
🪟 Windows formatting
1. Buy a Mac instead
2. If not, plug in your drive, go to explorer, right click on the drive and choose ‘format’
3. give it a name and choose ‘FAT32’ as the file format
🎧 Music
Hampus Naeselius / Not Today / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Rocket Jr / Tanky / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Rocket Jr / Tenacity / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Sight Of Wonders / The Happy Frenchman / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Trabant 33 / Tyroler Festival / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
📖 Contents
00:32 - Formatting your USB drive
01:31 - Understanding Export Mode
02:46 - The Two Ways To Export Your Playlists To USB
04:40 - My Preferred Method
05:15 - DON'T Make These Massive Mistakes
-
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[@loumos]

The intro was literally my first solo warm up with cdjs 😮‍💨😮‍💨🤣 man what a night…

[@Jtweezy4shez]

I needed this video years ago. Thank you soooo much

[@leogallagher2736]

you did a REALLY good job at this video. I was so confused and now I feel like I have all the practical knowledge I need. Thank you!!!!

[@shanesubashe787]

The humor is amazing. Good video.

[@mjk_303]

So funny 😂🤍

[@dj.nokap.]

My favourite DJ/comedian! That Lost USB.pdf file 😂 Great and useful video, as always

[@CONTINUUM2]

And who is found that usb stick, doesn't have a licence for pdf programme! 😂😂😂😂😂

[@Sebsan_]

i thought this channewl would be bigger. funny content and super informative

[@bboymac84]

That lost text file idea is smart!

[@marksmit7864]

Lol never actually used the sync manager, good tip. RB is such an odd program though, too bad our DJ lives more or less depend on it...Great vid nonetheless!

[@KINGVENAROMA]

This came through in the clutch!! I'm doing a gig where I'm going to be on CDJ 3000s for the first time! This helped alot!! Thanks fam!

[@BernieVanDateDJ]

How was the gig? Everythig fine? : )

[@lmy222]

perfectly explained

[@djctoafn]

I'll second running playlists out to multiple USBs, not only for unlinked CDJs but also in case one USB drive shits the bed. Time Tripping ftw :)

[@ReallyChrisM]

Billy..

[@sonia-sol]

you just saved my life

[@deadclou]

thanks bro really straight to the point but with some interesting observations also, i think the intro represents us all...hahahahahah

[@gigita99]

I literally live for your sense of humor.!! Thank you for the tutorials! Question… how would you go about your library if you don’t want to save your music in your computer? I like to keep my files on hard drives and USB to not mess with my computer’s storage. And I feel like I’m struggling. I also would love to hear if you have any tips to copying your USB content. Is there a good way to do that? thank you!!!!

[@ReallyChrisM]

🙏 What is it you are struggling with?

[@Lab1Audio]

Another reason I used to get missing tracks was because the file path name was too long (dragging Bandcamp downloads into iTunes was the main culprit). I resolved this by importing them into iTunes instead, then converting the file type (AIFF to AIFF) to create the track in iTunes.

[@ReallyChrisM]

Oh interesting - haven't come across that one before

[@quantlee]

Great vid as always, Chris :) When you talked about Beatport tracks on CDJs via an USB, you're talking about just the 3000s, right?

[@ReallyChrisM]

Yes sir

[@nagaraju8419]

That's a informative video man and if can i export usb playlist ratings into rekordbox because windows corrupt i lost all files but previously i exported rekordbox playlist to usb in which i have info above ratings all those things

[@whatintheworld6501]

Most humour vids like this are so cringe, you sir are funny af. Thanks for the info!!

[@samrussell7789]

I would like to know how to package one of the playlists and send it to my friend to import his USB drive, including the settings I made❤❤❤

[@djeddo_supremo9359]

Is this the same process for when you want to export a playlist to a different usb flash drive, so you can sell the playlist??

[@danielanaya265]

can you explain please how to download beatport streaming songs into a usb. I’ve got both premium subscriptions

[@Fran-or3lt]

What if records come out of your recordbox? How to format them to fit in a CDJ

[@Aesop101]

How to analyze my tidal tracks? Tried playing them and they don’t match up even though same BPM. Must be probably since not analyzed properly

[@bball360000]

at timestamp 1:50 you mentioned it was actually possible to export streamed records to a USB drive but it would take a whole other video. We need that whole other video 🙏🙏🙏🙏 or at least an explanation of how to do it. So far I only have Beatport Pro plan. No Rekordbox plan yet beacsue i dont see any directions out there yet.. THANK YOU

[@JackieMB92]

it speeks volumes that simple export to usb require 8 m tutorial... God i hate recordbox

[@vVishify]

I need help on this, so I’m using a Hard Drive I have more than 1000 songs which are already hot cued on xdj-xZ (without rekordbox) but now i decided to move this all songs into one usb drive do rekordbox, i was expecting all my CUE Points I will get but I don’t have any at all, can you please help me to get my cue points back (on new USB drive)! Thank you 🧿

[@nathanmiller3758]

Any tips on preventing extremely long exporting times?

[@djslip_irie]

Get a Kingston data traveller max. (Usb)

[@DJ_Dion]

first time playing, had to export every song on the spot 😂

[@ReallyChrisM]

Ooof

[@Jamie-qz4oo]

Hi mate. Thanks for the vid really appreciate it. I was wondering if you knew a solution to the problem I have. I got some USBs that wouldnt work in the cdjs, the first time I went to pirate with a friend last week and never knew about exporting music through rekordbox... very embarrassing lol. They work perfectly fine for my home set up (FLX4 and laptop). I have since then bought some sandisk USBs and have tried your method but its still telling the files 'do not exist'. Do I have to move the files over to the new USB and then reanalyse through reckordbox again or am I missing something?

[@ReallyChrisM]

The files will have to be in the core RB library, analysed, in playlists and then exported from RB to the USB

[@Jamie-qz4oo]

@@ReallyChrisM thanks for the fast reply ill give it a go👍🏻

[@Nodadj]

I have several usb sticks with music that I passed with Rekordbox, that only read now on my cdjs and not on the Rekordbox software. There is little or no info on this topic, do you have any advice?

[@BeamDeam]

have you installed the latest rekordbox version?

[@Nodadj]

happens to my friends also no matter what version@@BeamDeam

[@theaverageguy3884]

I store all my music on a 1T hard drive. If i lose my usb or RB fxxx things up. I can easy upload everything again the same way. I store and save all my music in different folders.

[@liamtube3525]

someone help?? I changed my usb to ms dos now all my gb is gone and says i have only 15mb storage on my 128gb usb??

[@HVYCHKNRADIO]

How do you do this using an I Pad Pro? I have gravitated towards using ZIPDJ for song downloads. Can i do this using DJ PRO? I deleted Rekordbox. I wanna have some USB drives ready. Please advise. Thx!

[@ReallyChrisM]

Don’t think that’s possible unfortunately, you’ll need rekordbox to prep the usbs and as far as I’m aware it can only be done on a laptop

[@HVYCHKNRADIO]

@@ReallyChrisM That's what I thought because of the ios sandbox. I was trying to use itunes but apparently it needs the original file location on the MAC or PC. For some reason I thought there may have been a recent update. Thanks for getting back to me!

[@sierraavalos9283]

What version of rekordbox are you using in this video?

[@ReallyChrisM]

V6

[@lmy222]

Can I also use USB sticks that have USBC and USB ports on either side? My laptop only has USBC that’s why I own only these kinds of USB sticks. logically it should work but I’m still nervous since it’s my first time playing on CDJs

[@ReallyChrisM]

Yes this is what I do. Just always carry a backup

[@djslip_irie]

You can buy a usb-C to usb-B adapter for like 5 bucks

[@TRYBEmusic]

I was so upset, I did 2 usbs playlists and everything... on the new Library plus, and of course the rx3 couldn't read anything, just " all tracks ".... crazy

[@Spoder_Man420]

no wonder why everytime i plug my usb to my pc to update tracks it says "scan and repair". didnt know you have to actually eject it first from rekordbox.

[@CorrosionSP]

great use of humor for attention management lol

[@stokley121]

Chris hates tech house LOL. Every video takes a swing at it. How is that dual USB-C / USB-A drive ?

[@ReallyChrisM]

Not had any issues so far!

[@caseystivender9139]

You have a store link for that usb? I’ve struggled to find a dual one that works consistently

[@stokley121]

Looks like the Sandisk Ultra Dual Drive.@@caseystivender9139

[@ReallyChrisM]

www.amazon.co.uk/SanDisk-Ultra-Flash-Drive-Type-C/dp/B06XC1WGQR/@@caseystivender9139

[@user-id3kl5pn7s]

my usb isn’t showing my music on xdj rx3 i got rekordbox

[@dj_hazeschaden]

Does this also work for the Denon DJ SC6000 PRIME? It´s not a "real" CDJ as I understand it...

[@ReallyChrisM]

They can read Rekordbox USBs but I've always found it to be a little 'off'. Usually with the grids. Give it a go but it's definitely not perfect

[@tumeta]

@@ReallyChrisM you can, but it's faster and more accurate using denon's own software "engine dj" for exports.

[@lukesargent9413]

me here wondering what moist dnb would sound like.

[@ReallyChrisM]

It’s like liquid but more slippery

[@SBS_TECHNO]

My USB is not showing in Devices in Performance mode and also in Export mode. My USB is FAT32. How can I fix this? Do I need to give Rekordbox permission to use this USB? I am using a Windows laptop. For some reason, an other USB does show up in my device list, but the one I need does not.

[@ReallyChrisM]

Does the drive get picked up by windows?

[@SBS_TECHNO]

@@ReallyChrisM Yes, I use it for all my music and import it via that usb to Rekordbox. Thats my main USB. However I have a second one with old music which didn’t have any space left, so I bought another one. I export to the old USB, but the songs are on my newest. For some reason it actually loaded correctly on my XDJ RR. I heard that an USB cannot be 128GB, which can be the cause, but is that true?

[@Liam-iu8ti]

First time seeing your videos and I can see you’re at pirate! Would you be up for meeting up and helping me at one of the pirates as I’ve tried for so many years and I can just not get it! I’ll be paying of course!

[@discobaarwakleurheeaaventr912]

The CDJ 3000 is really the worst... CDJ 2000 Nxs2 was the best. Worked decent most of the times. The 3000 however....

[@ReallyChrisM]

what don't you like about it?

[@bboymac84]

With denon you simply plug n play. I believe you can even format from the players. You don’t need a computer to ready your files🤦🏾‍♂️