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Set Time Calculator

Figure out how many songs you need for a DJ set of any length, or check how long your tracklist will play. Enter your set time and average track duration below: and always prepare 20-30% more tracks than you think you'll need.

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hours
minutes
12
tracks needed for a 60-minute set

Set Planning Tips

  • Always bring 20-30% more tracks than calculated: you need options for reading the crowd
  • Average track play time varies: warm-up sets use longer tracks (6-7 min), peak-time sets are shorter (3-4 min)
  • Account for transitions: if you're blending for 30-60 seconds, effective track play time is shorter
  • Organize your crate with extras in energy variants: having backup tracks for each energy level keeps your set flexible

How Long Should a DJ Set Be?

  • Opening set: 60–90 minutes. Play longer tracks, lower energy, ease the crowd in
  • Peak time: 60–120 minutes. Higher energy, shorter track play time, more frequent transitions
  • Closing set: 60–90 minutes. Gradually wind down the energy, return to longer tracks
  • Festival slot: 30–90 minutes. Tightly curated, every track counts, minimal filler
  • Club residency: 3–6 hours. Pace yourself, build a journey, prepare significantly more tracks
Ben Modigell

Hey, it's Ben Modigell 👋

I've been DJing and producing music as "so I so," focusing on downtempo, minimal, dub house, tech house, and techno. My background in digital marketing, web development, and UX design over the past 6 years helps me create DJ tutorials that are clear, practical, and easy to follow.

DJingMusic ProductionTech HouseMinimal HouseDigital MarketingWeb DevelopmentUX Design

Author and Methodology

Maintained by Ben Modigell

Ben is the founder of Vibes and builds DJ library, preparation, BPM, and harmonic-mixing tools for working DJs.

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Evidence: Page output checked against the current tool behavior and internal DJ reference data.

Source: Vibes DJ-tool taxonomy and page logic maintained by Vibes.

How this page is made: Tool pages are built from reusable page logic, internal DJ reference data, and visible on-page calculations. Programmatic reference pages are generated from structured data rather than hand-written one by one.

BPM, key, and genre labels can vary by edit, remaster, detection engine, and DJ software. Use these pages as a practical mixing reference, then verify important tracks in your own library.

Vibes DJ Library Organizer Interface

Organize your DJ library visually.

Tag tracks by vibe. See everything at once. Export to any DJ software.

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A visual system for organizing your DJ library.

Frequently Asked Questions

For a typical 1-hour set, you need 12-20 tracks depending on your mixing style. If you play tracks for an average of 4 minutes each with 30-second transitions, that's about 15 tracks. Always prepare 20-30% extra for flexibility.
Opening sets are usually 60-90 minutes, peak-time/headliner sets run 60-120 minutes, and closing sets are 60-90 minutes. Festival slots vary from 30-minute support sets to 2+ hour headline slots. Club residencies often run 3-6 hours.

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