How to · Rekordbox

Transfer your library to Serato in Rekordbox.

Rekordbox and Serato store libraries in completely different formats. Bridging them without losing your crate structure and track metadata takes a few deliberate steps.

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Vibes DJ library app showing an organized track list ready for export

Vibes imports your Rekordbox database and exports Serato-ready .crate files in one workflow.

Transfer your library to Serato in Rekordbox, step by step.

Rekordbox has no built-in export to Serato. The standard approach for Rekordbox 6 and 7 is to use a third-party bridge tool such as Lexicon or MIXO, which read the Rekordbox database directly and write your playlists and cue points into Serato's own database format. No manual XML export is needed for current Rekordbox versions.

Use a third-party bridge tool to read your Rekordbox library directly

For Rekordbox 6 and 7, tools like Lexicon and MIXO read your Rekordbox database directly without requiring an XML export. Close Rekordbox completely, then open your chosen tool. Lexicon: go to the Sync page, click Import tracks and playlists, and select Rekordbox 6/7. MIXO: go to the Import tab and select Rekordbox from the sidebar. The tool auto-locates your database. If you are on the older Rekordbox 5, you will need to first export your collection via File > Export Collection in xml format and point the tool at that XML file instead.

Let the tool parse your playlists and track data

Once the tool has read your library, it imports your playlists, hot cues, beatgrids, ratings, and track metadata. Rekordbox memory cues have no equivalent in Serato, so tools like Lexicon merge them into the cue list by default. Serato supports a maximum of 8 cues per track; Lexicon and MIXO keep the first 8 from Rekordbox if you had more.

Sync or export the converted library into Serato

In Lexicon: return to the Sync page, select Serato as the target, and click Sync to Serato. In MIXO: go to the Export tab, select Serato, and click Start Export. The tool writes directly into Serato's own database format, the _Serato_ folder with .crate files. After the sync completes, open Serato DJ Pro and your converted playlists appear as crates. Your audio files must remain at the same disk locations Rekordbox recorded, because Serato uses the file paths to find them.

Re-analyze tracks in Serato

Serato uses its own analysis engine for BPM, key, and waveforms. Select all imported tracks, right-click, and choose Analyze Files to let Serato build its own waveform and BPM data. Whether cue points survive the transfer depends on the tool used; Lexicon and MIXO both map hot cues into Serato's format.

The catch

There is no fully native path from Rekordbox to Serato. A third-party tool is required to bridge the formats. For Rekordbox 6 and 7, tools like Lexicon and MIXO read the database directly, so no manual XML export is necessary. The XML export route (File > Export Collection in xml format) is still the required method for legacy Rekordbox 5. Serato rebuilds its own BPM and waveform data from scratch regardless of the transfer method. Rekordbox memory cues do not have a Serato equivalent and are merged into the hot cue list by bridge tools, subject to Serato's 8-cue-per-track limit.

Mood

Euphoric

Melancholic

Mysterious

Energy

Aggressive

Peaceful

Rave

Function

Afterhours

Club

Home

The faster way

Import Rekordbox, export Serato crates, keep your structure.

Vibes reads your Rekordbox master.db directly and exports native Serato .crate files, so you bring your organized library across without touching the Rekordbox XML workflow or rebuilding anything by hand.

See how it works

Imports your full Rekordbox library from master.db or legacy XML, preserving playlists and metadata

Exports native Serato .crate files per playlist, vibe tag, set, or Combination with one click

Optional BPM-range or Camelot-key subfolders inside crates keep your Serato library structured from day one

Tag and organize tracks in Vibes first, then export, so your Serato library starts cleaner than the Rekordbox one it came from

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.

Vibes is a prep and library tool, not a replacement for Rekordbox or Serato as performance software. It handles the library bridge: it reads your Rekordbox database and writes Serato .crate files, saving you the manual XML export and drag-and-drop work. You still perform in Serato.

Serato .crate files do not carry cue points, so neither the native XML method nor Vibes can move Rekordbox cue points into Serato. Serato stores cues inside its own database, and you will need to set them again after import.

No. Both Rekordbox and Serato reference audio files by their path on disk. As long as your music files stay in the same place, Serato will find them after import. If you have already moved files, Serato's Relocate Lost Files tool can help you repoint them.

Methodology