How to · Engine DJ

Transfer your Serato library to Engine DJ.

Moving from Serato to Engine DJ means rebuilding metadata, crates, and cue points from scratch unless you have the right workflow. Here is how to do it cleanly.

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Vibes library view showing imported Serato crates ready for Engine DJ export

Vibes imports your Serato library and writes it directly into Engine DJ.

Transfer your library from Serato to Engine DJ, step by step.

Engine DJ desktop includes a built-in Serato integration that can read your Serato library directly. You enable it in Preferences, then import crates as playlists with hot cues and loops included. You do not need to rebuild your crate structure or cue points from scratch unless you choose not to use this integration.

Enable Serato integration in Engine DJ Preferences

Open Engine DJ desktop and click the gear icon to open Preferences. Go to the Integration tab and enable the Serato library integration option. Also confirm Auto Analysis is enabled in the Library tab, then close Preferences. Engine DJ will now be able to read your Serato database.

Load and update your Serato library inside Engine DJ

In the left panel (playlists section), locate the Serato logo that now appears. Click it and select Update to let Engine DJ scan your Serato library. Your Serato crates will appear listed under the Serato logo. If your music is stored on an external drive, make sure that drive is connected so Engine DJ can find the files.

Import crates as playlists

Right-click any Serato crate you want and select 'Import as Playlist.' Repeat for each crate or subcrate you want to bring over. Engine DJ will begin analysing the imported tracks. Hot cues and loops from Serato will be attached to each track but will not display until that track has been fully analysed by Engine DJ - monitor the progress bar in the bottom right corner.

Verify cue points and BPM after analysis

Once analysis is complete, spot-check tracks where you had manual beatgrid edits or precisely placed hot cues in Serato. BPM values that Serato wrote to file tags should carry over; Engine DJ may re-analyse and produce slightly different values for tracks where the BPM was only stored in the Serato database. Correct any discrepancies manually. Your crate structure now exists in Engine DJ as playlists and does not need to be rebuilt.

The catch

Engine DJ's native Serato integration imports crates as playlists and carries over hot cues and loops after track analysis. BPM values stored only in the Serato database (not written to file tags) may differ after Engine DJ re-analyses. Manual beatgrid edits made in Serato will need to be verified and corrected by hand. Serato track ratings introduced in Serato 4.0 are not currently imported.

Mood

Euphoric

Melancholic

Mysterious

Energy

Aggressive

Peaceful

Rave

Function

Afterhours

Club

Home

The faster way

Import from Serato, export directly into Engine DJ.

Vibes reads your Serato library including crate files and imports your tracks with their existing metadata. When you are ready, it writes everything directly into Engine DJ's m.db database, carrying BPM, key, cue points, and your vibe-based playlists across in one step.

See how it works

Imports Serato library and .crate files so your existing crate structure comes in automatically

Exports directly into Engine DJ's m.db, no manual drag-and-drop or third-party conversion tool needed

Carries BPM, key detection, and cue points into Engine DJ so your prep work survives the move

Tag tracks with vibes and export them as playlists into Engine DJ alongside your original crate structure

Organize in Vibes, export to Engine DJ.

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.

No. Vibes is a library prep and export tool, not a replacement for Engine DJ. It handles the import-organize-export pipeline so your metadata and crates land in Engine DJ correctly. You still use Engine DJ to perform and manage your hardware.

Yes. Vibes imports cue point data from your Serato library and includes it when it writes to Engine DJ's m.db. This is one of the key advantages over the manual native approach, which requires setting cue points again from scratch.

Vibes resolves file paths at import time, so your drive needs to be connected when you import from Serato and again when you export to Engine DJ. As long as the drive letter or mount path is consistent, the export writes the correct locations into Engine DJ's database.

Methodology