Vibes is live
Vibes
Affiliate
How to · Engine DJ

Your first session in Engine DJ.

Engine DJ Desktop is the computer half of the system: you drag your audio files into the Collection, Auto Analysis reads BPM, key and beat grids, you group tracks into playlists, then Sync Manager packs everything onto a USB drive. The drive carries its own Engine database, which is what a Denon DJ, Numark or RANE player actually reads at the gig. The software is a free download for Mac and Windows.

See DJ library features
Download trial

$49$79USD one-time purchase. First 250 licenses at this price. 14-day free trial.

The Vibes library table with BPM, key, energy and vibe columns across a full collection

Sort the library first, then let Engine DJ analyze it and pack it to your drive.

Get started in Engine DJ, step by step.

Engine DJ Desktop is free for Mac and Windows, and this is how to use Engine DJ from a clean install: settings first, then music, then playlists, then a drive your player can read.

01

Install Engine DJ Desktop and open it

Download the installer from enginedj.com, double-click the .exe on Windows or the .dmg on macOS, and follow the on-screen instructions. You need Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) or macOS 14, 15 or 26, 8 GB of RAM and 5 GB of free space. Open it from the Start menu or your Applications folder. On a fresh install with no tracks, the Import Assistant opens by itself.

02

Set your preferences before you add anything

Click the Preferences icon in the Toolbar. It has two tabs. Under Library, leave Auto Analysis On so tracks analyze as they arrive, pick your Key Notation (Sharps, Flats, Open Key or Camelot) and set the BPM Range that suits your music. Under Performance, choose your Audio Device, then set Cue/Loop Quantization and the Waveform Style, Tri-Band or RGB.

03

Add your music to the Collection

Drag tracks or whole folders from Explorer or Finder onto the track list or the Collection pane. Drop a folder structure onto the Collection and the sub-folders come in as playlists with their own names. The File System Browser in the Collection pane does the same job without leaving the app. Engine DJ reads AAC/M4A, AIFF, ALAC, FLAC, MP3, MP4, Ogg Vorbis and WAV. DRM-protected files cannot be added.

04

Let the analysis finish

With Auto Analysis on, Engine DJ works through the queue as you add files. It detects waveform data, BPM, key and the beat grid, and picks up cue points, hot cues and loops already stored by Engine DJ, Rekordbox or Serato DJ. The Job Monitor at the bottom shows progress and reads No jobs running when it is done. Right-click a track for Analyze: Get missing analysis data.

05

Build playlists and audition tracks

Click the playlist plus icon next to Collection, or press Ctrl+N on Windows or Command+N on macOS, then drag tracks in. Each playlist holds up to 1,000 tracks; sort by the # column to drag them into set order. Filter boxes narrow the list by Genre, Artist, Album, BPM and Key, and Key Compatibility set to Compatible shows harmonic matches. Double-click a track to load Deck 1.

06

Set hot cues, loops and a straight beat grid

Each deck has eight performance pads. In Hot Cue mode a click drops a cue; in Loop mode the first click sets the loop in point and the second the out point. Right-click a filled pad to rename, recolor or clear it. Switch the deck to Grid Edit Controls to tap the tempo, halve or double the BPM, insert an anchor, or lock the grid.

07

Export to a USB drive with Sync Manager

Format the drive as ExFAT, or FAT32, and leave roughly 500 MB free for the Engine database. Click Export in the Toolbar, or Sync Manager in the bottom-left, pick the drive, and check the playlists and smartlists you want. Watch the capacity bar, click Export to Drive, then eject. Later, Sync to Engine pulls cues, loops, beat grids, star ratings, BPM and key back off the drive.

The catch

Engine DJ Desktop prepares and auditions; it does not perform. The deck controls stop at cues, loops, sync, key lock and a crossfader for testing a blend, and the set itself happens on Engine OS hardware. One more trap: never rename an external drive after you add tracks from it, or Engine DJ stops detecting those tracks until the old name comes back.

DJ Software
Rekordbox
Rekordbox
Import XML or Database
Serato
Serato
Import Library Database
Traktor
Traktor
Import NML Collection
Engine
Engine
Import Engine Database
File System
Local Folder
Scan directory
Audio Files
Select files

Where Vibes fits

Sort the library before it ever reaches the Collection.

Vibes does not play, mix or record anything, and it never talks to your Engine OS hardware: the drive still gets packed in Sync Manager. It works one step earlier, on files you own. Import your folders or an existing Engine DJ, rekordbox, Serato, Traktor or Apple Music library, tag every track into vibes, check BPM, Camelot key and energy, then export playlists back to Engine DJ so the Collection arrives already sorted.

See how it works
Smart Import auto-detects an existing Engine DJ, rekordbox, Serato, Traktor or Apple Music library, or reads plain folders
Auto-Tagging and Vibe Sort put every track into vibes, so a playlist becomes a filter instead of an evening of dragging
Analysis gives BPM, Camelot key, an energy curve and track sections (intro, buildup, drop, breakdown, outro) before you build a set
Export playlists back to Engine DJ, with optional Camelot key or BPM sub-folders; the USB packing stays in Sync Manager

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 by Artist A

Track 001

Artist A

128
3A
Track 002 by Artist B

Track 002

Artist B

124
5B
Track 003 by Artist C

Track 003

Artist C

132
8A
Vibes App
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.

Drag it in. Open Engine DJ Desktop and pull tracks or whole folders from Explorer or Finder onto the track list or the Collection pane. Drop a folder structure onto the Collection and its sub-folders arrive as named playlists. The File System Browser does the same without leaving the app, and the Import button in the Toolbar opens the Import Assistant for a rekordbox, Serato, Traktor or Apple Music library. DRM-protected files cannot be added.
Two jobs, split across two places. Engine DJ Desktop is the computer side: it holds the Engine Library database, analyzes BPM, key and beat grids, stores cues and loops, edits tags, and packs playlists onto a drive. Engine OS is the software inside Denon DJ, Numark and RANE players, and it reads that drive during the set. Preparing the drive is the handover between the two.
No. Spotify is not on the supported list. Engine DJ hardware streams from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Beatport and Beatsource, SoundCloud and TIDAL, and reaches your own files through Dropbox, over Wi-Fi or a wired connection. The desktop software works on audio files only: AAC/M4A, AIFF, ALAC, FLAC, MP3, MP4, Ogg Vorbis and WAV. DRM-protected files cannot be added at all, whatever they came from.
Engine OS runs on standalone Denon DJ, Numark and RANE gear rather than on generic controllers. The current line-up is the Denon DJ PRIME 4+, PRIME GO+, SC LIVE 2, SC LIVE 4, PRIME 4, PRIME 2, PRIME GO, the SC5000 and SC6000 PRIME players with the LC6000, the Numark MIXSTREAM PRO, PRO+ and PRO GO, and the RANE SYSTEM ONE. All of them play from a prepared drive with no laptop attached.
The desktop software is a free download for Mac and Windows from enginedj.com, and Engine OS updates for your hardware are free too, so you are paying for gear rather than for software. The one paid extra is the Stems unlock, a one-time license for Denon DJ and Numark standalone units. Denon DJ PRIME 4+ and RANE SYSTEM ONE include Stems already, and stem files do not play back in the desktop app.
Not with Engine DJ Desktop on its own. Its decks exist for auditioning: dual decks, sync, key lock and a crossfader, enough to test whether two tracks sit together, not enough to play a night. Engine DJ is built around standalone players, so the laptop prepares and the hardware performs. If you want to play from the laptop itself, that is what Serato DJ, rekordbox or Traktor Pro are for.
Yes, and most people learn this way. The Engine DJ User Guide documents every panel, the official support site carries step-by-step tutorials, and the community forum covers the awkward edge cases. Start with the part you can practice without an audience: get your library analyzed, set cue points on the tracks you know best, then build a set list and mix through it at home.
The easiest gear is whatever needs the fewest cables. In the Engine DJ range that means the all-in-one units: decks, mixer and screen in one box, playing straight from a USB drive with no laptop, no drivers and no audio interface to configure. The Numark MIXSTREAM PRO family is the entry point, and the Denon DJ PRIME GO and SC LIVE units add screens and outputs. You prepare the drive on your computer and plug it in.
Almost always the drive. Tracks have to reach it through Sync Manager, or by dragging a playlist onto the drive's Collection, so the drive carries its own Engine database, which needs around 500 MB of free space. Format it as ExFAT, or FAT32, and check your player supports that format and capacity. And never rename a drive after adding tracks from it: Engine DJ stops detecting them until the old name returns.

From a Vibes customer

The import worked perfectly. Have created several sets now and my life is so much easier
Danny

One-time purchase

Get Vibes with a single payment. No subscription.

First 250 licenses at this price, then $79.

Free Trial

14 days • Full access

Full access to all features
No credit card required
Works offline
Download Free Trial

No strings attached

FREE UPDATES FOREVER
$49USD
one-time payment
Includes Vibes Companion Pro
Use on 2 devices (macOS and Windows)
All updates included, free forever
14-day free trial to evaluate

Secure checkout with Stripe

Already have Companion Pro? Upgrade instead

And there's more

Methodology

How we keep this honest.

Verified against the app

Every step is checked against the current version of Engine DJ.

We own our bias

We make Vibes. We show the native way first and honestly, then where Vibes genuinely helps, and we say when it does not.

Live pricing

The Vibes price shown comes straight from our checkout, never a hardcoded marketing number.

Kept current

Last reviewed June 2026.

Keep exploring

5% off