4. The Mixxx Library¶

iv.one. Overview of the Library features¶

The Mixxx Library

The Mixxx Library

The library manages all of your music files. This is where you tin find the tracks y'all desire to play and load them into a deck or sampler; see Loading Tracks. Mixxx imports your music library automatically when information technology is run for the first time, run across Changing music directories for more than information.

The sidebar on the left contains different collections of music. The track list view on the right displays the tracks in those collections.

Sidebar:

  • Search: Search for tracks in your Mixxx library.

  • Tracks: View and edit your whole collection.

  • Auto DJ: Automatically load and crossfade tracks for unattended mixing.

  • Playlists: Arrange tracks in a prepare order.

  • Crates: Organize tracks in (unordered) collections.

  • Computer: Navigate, view, and load tracks from folders on your difficult deejay and connected devices.

  • Recordings: Record your mix and view previous recordings.

  • History: Browse lists of tracks played in by mixing sessions.

  • Analyze: Generate Mixxx-specific data for tracks earlier a gig.

  • External Libraries: Access your existing iTunes, Traktor, Rhythmbox, and Banshee libraries.

Runway List:

  • Sort: Brandish and sort runway collections by different criteria.

  • Load: Elevate tracks you want to play to the waveform brandish.

  • Edit: Rate tracks and edit rails backdrop.

4.ii. Tracks - View and edit your whole drove¶

Library - Icon Library A sortable list of all the tracks in your music library.

Customizing the view

Move columns past clicking a column header and dragging it to some other position. Right-click on a column header to show or hibernate individual columns. Adjust the column width to fit the contents of the rows by double-clicking on the separator between two cavalcade headers.

Sorting Tracks

Tracks are automatically sorted past the agile column. Click on the active column header to reverse the sort guild. Click on another column header to change the active cavalcade.

  • Multi-Cavalcade sorting

    You tin sort multiple columns by clicking up to three cavalcade headers y'all wish to sort your tracks by. This makes searching for tracks in a large listing more efficient. Clicking twice on a column header volition opposite the sort order.

    Case:

    1. Click on the BPM cavalcade header -> list is sorted by BPM

    2. Click on the Twelvemonth cavalcade header -> list is sorted by year. If year is equal, it is yet sorted by the last criteria, eastward.g. BPM.

    3. Click on the Genre column header -> list is sorted by genre. If genre is equal, it is nonetheless sorted by year. If genre and year is equal, then it is sorted by BPM.

  • Random sorting

    Click on the Preview column header to randomly sort tracks.

  • Sort keys by circle of fifths

    Click on the Key column header. The order starts with C at the meridian, so its relative minor (a), then adds 1 sharp (G), then G's relative small-scale (e), and then adding sharps/removing flats around the circumvolve of fifths. For Lancelot notation, it starts with G#m at the meridian, which is 1A in that notation, and proceeds alphanumerically (minor keys appear before their relative major keys in this case).

Rating tracks

Make certain the Rating column is not hidden. Rate tracks past hovering over the rating field and clicking the stars.

Track Inline editing

Mixxx reads metadata from the tracks to fill up the columns of the library. Double-click on a field, edit the data, and hit Enter when you are done. Become to the affiliate edit metadata for detailed information.

Loading tracks

To load a track into a deck, you tin can either drag it to the waveform display, use the context menu or apply keyboard shortcuts. Go to the chapter Loading Tracks for detailed information.

Importing tracks

Mixxx imports your music library automatically when it is run for the first fourth dimension. Become to the chapter Changing music directories for detailed data.

Previewing Tracks

To pre-heed to tracks in your headphones without loading them to a regular deck, click the Library - Preview Play icon in the Preview column. Go to the chapter Previewing Tracks for detailed data.

Embrace/Album Fine art

Mixxx can display cover art it finds for a runway in the library. It will search for available cover art in the following places in guild and will apply the first one information technology finds:

  1. The first epitome saved in the rail'due south ID3v2/Vorbis tags

  2. An epitome file in the track binder (if in that location is only ane image file there.)

  3. %track-file-base%.jpg in the track directory for %track-file-base%.mp3

  4. %anthology%.jpg

  5. encompass.jpg

  6. front.jpg

  7. album.jpg

  8. folder.jpg

Mixxx supports the following image types: jpg, jpeg, png, gif, bmp

Rescan Library

If y'all desire to manually refresh your library without exiting (for example considering y'all added or moved files) you tin do this with in the menu at the top of the awarding window. You can prompt an automated rescan when Mixxx is started nether .

Rescanning the library volition add new files to the library and marker tracks equally missing if the corresponding file has been deleted. Information technology tries to detect and relocate missing tracks if files have been renamed or moved into another directory.

Automatically refreshing the metadata of tracks when files have been modified by an external application is not supported, all the same. In this case y'all need to select the afflicted tracks and (re-)import their metadata from file tags.

iv.2.2. Missing Tracks¶

The Missing Tracks view is attainable by expanding the Library tree detail in the sidebar. Any tracks that were previously loaded into your library but were subsequently not constitute on your drive will announced here. Mixxx does not automatically delete records of missing tracks and so that actress metadata Mixxx might have (such as hot cues and beat grids) volition not be lost in case the file is replaced.

The features in detail:

  • Select All button: Selects all tracks in the electric current view.

  • Purge push: Purges the selected tracks from the Mixxx library, but does not remove them from your figurer. This will delete all metadata Mixxx has for a track.

4.3. Loading Tracks¶

Tracks can be loaded into a deck in several ways:

  • Correct-click the library rail table: Right-clicking on a track in the table will present the options Load in Deck 1 and Load in Deck 2, among others. Making either selection volition load a track into a deck.

  • By Using a Keyboard to load the selected track in the library runway table. Use keyboard ↑ and ↓ arrow button to select a rail, Shift + ← to load into Deck ane and Shift + → to load into Deck ii.

  • Drag-and-drop from library track table: Dragging-and-dropping a rails from the track table onto a waveform display will load the runway into that deck.

  • Drag-and-drop from deck to deck: Once you've loaded a track to deck, sampler, or preview deck, click on the runway title, runway creative person or cover art and elevate information technology to another deck or sampler. Note that you tin also drop tracks onto Playlists and Crates in the sidebar, equally well as into track tables of active Playlists or Crates.

  • Drag-and-driblet from external file browser: Dragging-and-dropping a track from an external file browser directly onto a waveform display in Mixxx will load that track. This function also works with some other applications. For instance, on macOS, dragging-and-dropping a track from iTunes onto i of Mixxx's waveform displays will load it into that deck.

4.v. Previewing Tracks¶

To pre-listen to a track, activate the Preview column in a library view. Clicking the Library - Preview Play icon in the library's Preview column loads the selected track into a special Preview Deck that will just output audio in the headphones channel. Click the Library - Preview Pause icon to end the playback.

Alternatively, select a track from the track listing of the Mixxx library, drag the rails to the waveform view of the Preview Deck and click the Play button next to the waveform.

To display the Preview Deck, press CTRL + 4 (Windows/Linux) or CMD + iv (Mac).

Hint

Click on the Preview cavalcade header to randomly sort tracks.

four.7. Machine DJ - Automate your mix¶

Library - Icon AutoDJ The Auto DJ queue is a special playlist that contains actress controls for automatic mixing. This is useful when taking a break from live mixing or for using Mixxx as media player.

The Machine DJ features in detail:

  • Shuffle button: Randomizes the order of tracks in the Motorcar DJ playlist.

  • Add Random button: Adds a random rails from rail sources (crates) to the Auto DJ queue. If no rails sources are configured, the track is added from the library instead.

  • Skip rails button: Skips the next track in the Auto DJ playlist.

  • Fade now button: Triggers the transition to the next rail.

  • Transition time spin-box: Determines the duration of the transition. A negative value volition add a break between tracks.

  • Option Info label: Displays the duration and number of selected tracks. Press Ctrl + A to get the total elapsing of the AutoDJ queue.

  • Enable Auto DJ button: Toggles the Automobile DJ way on or off.

The Skip track, Add together Random and Fade at present buttons are simply accessible if the Car DJ style is enabled. The Search field in the upper left corner is disabled in Auto DJ. By default, Automobile DJ removes tracks later on playing them but if yous desire it to play the same tracks over and over again, you lot can activate the Auto DJ Requeue option in .

Machine DJ Crates

It is possible to add random tracks to the bottom of the Auto DJ playlist. The tracks are chosen from a set of crates that you have set up equally a source for Motorcar DJ, or from the standard library. Mixxx will usually endeavor to select tracks that oasis't yet been played. You lot tin can set up a minimum number of tracks that are always available for selection no matter when they were last played in .

iv.eight. Playlists - Arranging tracks in a prepare club¶

Library - Icon Playlist Playlists are ordered lists of tracks that allow yous to programme your DJ sets. Some DJs construct playlists before they perform live; others adopt to build them on-the-wing.

Playlists are not directly loadable into decks every bit Mixxx is primarily intended for live, attended performance utilise. Still, you can right-click a playlist to queue it to Auto DJ, then in a sense y'all can "play" it.

  • Create a playlist: Right-click on the Playlists sidebar detail and select Create New Playlist. Proper name the playlist and click OK. The full number of tracks and total duration are displayed next to the name.

  • Import playlists: Right-click on the Playlists sidebar item and select Import Playlist. Select i or more playlists and click OK. Mixxx creates an import of these existing external playlists as new Mixxx playlists.

  • Add together Tracks: Add tracks to a previously created playlist by dragging-and-dropping a selection of tracks from the library or playlists onto the name of a playlist in the sidebar. Alternatively, use the right-click context menu in the library's rails list.

    Hint

    If you have a rail selected in the library, all of the visible playlist and crates that it is in are shown in bold.

Right-click on an existing playlist proper name to access the dissimilar features in the context menu:

  • Add to Auto DJ: Adds the content of the playlist to the Automobile DJ queue for automated mixing.

  • Rename: To rename a playlist, but enter a new playlist name and click OK.

  • Indistinguishable: Sometimes you want to build a playlist based on an existing one. Select the playlist you would like to duplicate, cull Duplicate Playlist, name the new playlist and click OK.

  • Remove: Removes an unlocked playlist. Tracks that were in the playlist remain in the library for later use.

  • Lock: Library - Icon Locked This icon indicates a locked playlist. If a playlist is locked, yous cannot add tracks, rename or delete the playlist. Cull Unlock from the context carte du jour to unlock the playlist.

  • Clarify entire playlist: Forces the analysis of the tracks in the playlist in the Clarify view.

  • Import playlist: Import tracks from external playlists in various file formats to the selected playlist. For more information, go to iTunes, Traktor, Rhythmbox, Banshee - Using external libraries.

  • Consign playlist: Consign a playlist to various file formats such as m3u , m3u8 , pls , txt , or csv . This allows you to apply the data in other applications.

  • Export Track files: This copies all of the tracks in a playlist into a folder such as an external USB stick. Only files are copied, not Mixxx-specific metadata like waveforms or cover fine art that is not embedded in the file.

4.nine. Crates - Organizing tracks into collections¶

Library - Icon Crates Crates are unordered collections of tracks, just like DJ cases holding your favorite records.

  • Create a crate: Correct-click on the Crates sidebar detail and select Create New Crate. Name the crate and click OK. The total number of tracks and total elapsing are displayed next to the name.

  • Import crates: Correct-click on the Crates sidebar item and select Import Crate. Select one or more playlists and click OK. Mixxx creates an import of these existing external playlists every bit new Mixxx crates.

  • Add Tracks: Add together tracks to a previously created crate by dragging-and-dropping a selection of tracks from the library or playlists onto the proper noun of a crate in the sidebar. Alternatively apply the context carte in the library's track list.

Right-click on an existing crate's name to admission the different features in the context bill of fare:

  • Rename: To rename a crate, enter the new crate name and click OK.

  • Duplicate: Simply similar playlists you can indistinguishable an existing crate. Select the crate you would like to duplicate, choose Indistinguishable Crate, proper name the new crate and click OK.

  • Remove: Removes an unlocked crate. Tracks in the crate are still available in the library for afterward utilize.

  • Lock: Library - Icon Locked This icon indicates a locked crate. If a crate is locked, yous cannot add tracks, rename or delete the crate. Choose Unlock from the context carte du jour to unlock the crate.

  • Automobile DJ Track Source: Apply this crate every bit a source for random tracks in Automobile DJ, run across Motorcar DJ crates .

  • Analyze entire crate: Forces the analysis of the crate in the Analyze view.

  • Import crate: Import tracks from external playlists in diverse file formats to the selected crate.

  • Export crate: Export a crate to various file formats, such as m3u , m3u8 , pls , txt , or csv . This allows you to use the data in other applications.

  • Export Track files: This copies all of the tracks in a crate into a binder such as an external USB stick. Merely files are copied, non Mixxx-specific metadata like waveforms or cover art that is not embedded in the file.

4.nine.1. Crates vs. Playlists¶

Crates are unordered collections of tracks. Unlike playlists, they cannot incorporate duplicate entries and exercise not back up arranging tracks within them.

Often DJs grouping tracks by genre, keep lists of favorite tracks, and/or fix lists of tracks they desire to play at a particular party. In these cases they rarely intendance about the gild since they will choose information technology at the party based on the dance floor and mood. They certainly don't want duplicates in these lists. Crates serve these purposes. You can retrieve of them like labels in GMail or Spider web 2.0 tags for your music.

If notwithstanding y'all want to programme out a specific set and practice the transitions, you will want an ordered list of tracks. Playlists serve this purpose.

iv.10. Reckoner - Loading tracks from anywhere on your computer¶

Library - Icon Browse This mode works like a file manager and allows you lot to load tracks from anywhere on your estimator and connected devices, that are not necessarily already in your Mixxx library.

Click the Figurer sidebar item to navigate the computer and observe your music. Depending on your operating organization, your music will usually be found in the "My Music" or "Music" binder. Drag the files you want to import to the Library - Icon Library Tracks icon or directly to the Waveform Displays.

Notation

Currently you tin only drag files (not folders) to the Mixxx library.

Right-click on a folder and choose Add to Library to add the binder as an boosted music directory. Mixxx volition sentry this directory and its subdirectories for new tracks.

four.11. Recordings¶

Library - Icon Recordings In this department of the library y'all can offset and stop recording your session besides as view previous recordings and the dates they were made.

four.12. History - Continue track of your sessions¶

Library - Icon History The history section automatically keeps a list of tracks you play in your DJ sets. This is handy for remembering what worked in your DJ sets, posting set-lists, or reporting your plays to licensing organizations. Every fourth dimension yous kickoff Mixxx, a new history section is created. If you don't play whatever tracks during the session, it will be discarded.

Library - Icon History current session This icon indicates the electric current session.

Click on the History icon in the sidebar to switch to the History view, and so correct-click on a session's name/date to access the different features:

  • Add to Auto DJ: Adds the content of the session to the Auto DJ queue for automatic mixing.

  • Rename: Rename a session. The default is the calendar appointment (YYYY-MM-DD).

  • Remove: Remove a previous (unlocked) session. (You lot cannot remove the current session.)

  • Lock: Protect a previous session against adventitious merge or deletion. An Library - Icon Locked icon indicates a locked session.

  • Create new history playlist: Split off the electric current history session and add together a new session without having to restart Mixxx. The current history must comprise at least one track for this option to be available.

  • Join with previous: Append the selected history session to the stop of the previous one.

  • Consign playlist: Consign a session in various file formats. This allows you lot to use the information in other applications.

4.13. Analyze - Prepare your tracks¶

This section allows you lot to analyze your tracks in advance of loading them into a deck. Analyzing tracks requires considerable CPU ability and may cause skips in the sound while performing, so it helps to take your tracks analyzed earlier you play. Meet Clarify your library for details.

4.14. iTunes, Traktor, Rhythmbox, Banshee - Using external libraries¶

Supported libraries:

  • Library - Icon iTunes iTunes (Windows, macOS)

  • Library - Icon Traktor Traktor (Windows, macOS)

  • Library - Icon Rhythmbox Rhythmbox (GNU/Linux)

  • Library - Icon Banshee Banshee (Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux)

The external library views let you to employ music libraries you accept created in these third-party applications. You tin admission music equally well as playlists. If available, Mixxx automatically loads the external libraries from their default locations on your hard drive.

Note

Playing a track from an external library will add it to your Mixxx library.

Right-click on the iTunes icon in the Library tree and select Choose Library to load the iTunes Music Library.xml from a different location. Select Utilize Default Library to reset.

  • Right-click on a iTunes/Traktor/Rhythmbox/Banshee playlist and cull Import Playlist to import it into a new Mixxx playlist.

  • If you have an iTunes configuration file ( *.xml ) from a Windows or Mac partition mounted in Linux, you tin load it and use your iTunes tracks and playlists besides.

See also

External libraries tin can be disabled under .

4.15. Removing tracks from the library¶

Removing tracks from the Mixxx library will non physically delete them from your bulldoze. However it does delete extra metadata Mixxx might have (such as hotcues and the beatgrids), and removes links to playlists or crates.

  1. Click the Library item in the sidebar.

  2. Find and select the tracks you want to remove, perform a right-click on them and select Hide from Library from the context menu.

  3. Aggrandize the Library detail in the sidebar and click on the Hidden tracks sub-item. All tracks that were set to be hidden from the library will appear hither.

  4. Select the tracks yous want to remove, or use the Select All button.

  5. To ostend y'all want to permanently remove these tracks from the library, click Purge.

Hint

If you later decide to add together some of the deleted tracks back, import them to the Mixxx library once again, see Changing music directories.

4.16. Uniform file formats¶

Mixxx supports a multifariousness of audio file formats:

Lossless

Lossy

FLAC (flac)

MP3 (mp3)

Moving ridge (wav)

Ogg Vorbis (ogg)

Aiff (aiff, aif)

AAC (aac, m4a, mp4)

Opus (opus)

Lossless formats preserve every detail of the original recording and are recommended for the all-time audio quality. The FLAC format compresses the files to accept less infinite on your estimator without sacrificing sound quality. WAV and AIFF files are uncompressed and take up much more space.

Lossy formats take up less storage space on your computer than lossless formats at the expense of reducing sound quality. Bold an average track length of about iv minutes, a ane TB hard drive or solid state drive can store about 42000 FLAC files or about 115000 MP3 files at 320 kbps.

There is no benefit to converting lossy file to lossless formats. The detail lost when making the lossy file cannot be recovered.

AAC (M4A) is supported on Windows Vista and macOS ten.8 onwards. The Platform Update Supplement is required for Windows Vista.

On Linux, AAC playback is disabled by default due to licensing restrictions. To enable the playback of AAC files, build Mixxx from source with m4a/AAC files support.

Warning

DRM protected files, such as m4p files purchased in the iTunes Store in 2009 or before, are non supported.

Warning

ALAC files apply the same container MP4 container format and file extensions (m4a, mp4) as AAC files, simply Mixxx cannot play ALAC files. It is recommended to convert ALAC files to FLAC for use in Mixxx. This will not reduce the sound quality of the files.

iv.17. Music from audio CDs¶

Mixxx can not play music directly from audio CDs. Use a CD ripping program to copy the sound from the CD to files on your computer. It is recommended to save the ripped files in the FLAC format. Many dissimilar programs are bachelor to rip CDs, but non every programme is capable of saving them to FLAC .