How to · Rekordbox

Organize by energy in Rekordbox.

Rekordbox has no energy field, so DJs improvise one with colors and tags. Here is how to build a workable energy system, and how to get a real energy read on every track.

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A DJ library organized by energy and feel

Pull the right energy for the moment, not just the right genre.

Building an energy system in Rekordbox.

There is no dedicated energy field, so the common approach is to repurpose track colors and My Tag into an energy scale you apply by hand.

Map colors to energy

In Preferences, go to Advanced then Browse and rename the track colors to an energy scale, for example green for warm-up through red for peak, so the color column in your library becomes an energy column.

Add My Tag energy tags

Open the My Tag panel (click the tag icon in the side panel or go to View then Show My Tag) and create a category for energy with levels like Low, Build, and Peak, then apply them as you listen so you can filter by energy later. Note that Rekordbox caps you at 4 categories total, so plan your categories before committing.

Rate as a second axis

Use the star rating for a separate quality or confidence score, so energy and how much you trust a track stay independent.

Filter and build

Use My Tag filtering or an Intelligent Playlist to pull all tracks at a given energy level (My Tag is a supported criterion), then order them by BPM for a smooth build.

The catch

Energy here is a label you assign by ear and remember to keep consistent. Rekordbox never measures the actual energy of a track, so the scale drifts as your library grows.

bass

mids

highs

lead

intro

verse

buildup

drop

breakdown

outro

The faster way

An energy read on every track.

Vibes analyzes each track's energy curve and lets you tag energy as a first-class vibe, so you are not maintaining a color code by hand. The system exports back into Rekordbox.

See how it works

See an energy curve for every track from the waveform analysis

Tag energy, build, and peak as real vibes you can filter and combine

Auto-Tag proposes energy and mood so a big library gets sorted fast

Export the result back to Rekordbox as playlists and colors

Organize in Vibes, export to Rekordbox.

Your playlists, tags, ratings, and cue points travel back to the gear you play on, so nothing you do in Vibes is locked away.

Track 001

Artist A

128

Afterhours

Mysterious

Introspective

Track 002

Artist B

124

Cozy Floor

Peaceful

Home

Track 003

Artist C

132

Rave

Aggressive

Festival

Build & Release

Playlists

Vibes

Mood

Aggressive

Euphoric

Melancholic

Mysterious

Peaceful

Playful

Tense

Function

Arrangement

Sets

Club Night 12/28

NYE Closing Set

Rooftop 01/04

Frequently asked questions

The honest answers, including the trade-offs.

Not a dedicated one. DJs build their own by renaming track colors into an energy scale or using My Tag. It works, but it is entirely manual and easy to apply inconsistently over time.

Vibes analyzes each track locally and produces an energy curve from the audio, plus auto-tag suggestions for energy and mood that you can accept or adjust, so your system is grounded in the actual sound.

Yes. Your vibe organization exports back into Rekordbox as playlists, colors, and ratings, so the energy system you build in Vibes is usable in the booth.

Methodology