Rekordbox can work independently without the need for SoundCloud. The service that SoundCloud provides is an extra option to DJ music using Rekordbox. Playing MP3 and Wav audio files stored on a laptop or external hard drive Does Beatport link work with Serato? As a SoundCloud Go+ user, you can now access SoundCloud's extensive catalogue from within Rekordbox. Offline capabilities as part of the SoundCloud DJ subscription are not currently enabled. Which versions of Rekordbox are supported? In order to access your SoundCloud account from the DJ Application you will need Rekordbox 5.6.1. A comprehensive first look at the newly released Beatport Link and Soundcloud go in Rekordbox. Has the wait been worth it? Comparison to Serato version.
Soundcloud Go+ Rekordbox Offline
- Rekordbox and Soundcloud Go+ streaming service. The Soundcloud Go+ streaming service offers the biggest music library available to DJ’s. But it does not allow any offline storage. This may be good for DJ’s practising at home, but for the pro, Beatport Link is where it’s at.
- SoundCloud Go+: MP3 128 kbps, AAC 256kbps (.2) TIDAL HiFi: FLAC 44.1 kHz 16 bit, AAC 320 kbps; TIDAL Premium: AAC 320 kbps (.1) The bitrate varies depending on your subscription plan. (.2) Supported on version 6.5.1 and later. For more details, check the website of each streaming service. Beatport website Beatsource LINK website.
Most DJ software now flaunt their own streaming offerings. DJ’s who are looking to embrace the music streaming revelation should consider Rekordbox DJ as a serious option. Rekordbox might just steal your hearts (bit dramatic) with its Beatport Link streaming integration.
Now choosing your set up has become a 2 stage process. Is this software right for me? And is the streaming service attached to it going to fulfil my needs? First let’s look at the numbers and do the pros and cons..
Skip to:
The Software
The integrated streaming services
Software release: Rekordbox 5.8
DJ software price: $14.90 per month or $129 purchase (or free with compatible DJ controllers)
Free trial available: ✓ 30 days
Streaming Services & price:
– Soundcloud Go+: £9.99 per month (Recommended package)
Free trial available: ✓ 30 days
– Beatport Link: $39.99 or $59.99 per month (recommended plans)
Free trial available: ✓ 30 days
- Software includes many features others don’t have
- Industry standard brand in DJ equipment
- “Locker” storage for offline playback
- Great selection of DJ controllers available
- A few library organisational issues need improving (Rekordbox 6 hopefully coming soon!)
- Beatport streaming service can seem a bit pricey to non Pros.
If you think you are not going to use streaming, well… think again. If not now, then in the future you probably will. And you may as well get attached to the right software from the start.
I have split this review into 2 parts; The DJ Software and The Streaming Integration. Let’s kick things off…
The DJ Software
Software release: Rekordbox 5.8
Starting its life as THE solution for preparing and organising your music on a USB for use with Pioneer DJ equipment, Rekordbox has evolved very quickly over the past few years. Now with Recordbox DJ it competes with the giants in live DJ Software.
Soundcloud To Rekordbox
Firstly, it needs to be said that Rekordbox comes from Pioneer DJ, who are the leaders in all DJ equipment. So being a Rekordbox user you know your are a VIP in the DJ software / hardware integration relationship.
Rekordbox DJ offers some great features such as an ability to preview tracks in your headphones without loading them into the decks. This “Preview waveforms” feature is incredibly useful when quickly scanning through your music libraries and playlists. There is also a great function to help with track selection and choosing the best track to play next. Both of these are features not found in any other DJ Software.
As Rekordbox is really the only option for preparing USBs for DJ’ing with Pioneer DJ equipment, we have to also take this advantage into account. An easy export of your library onto a USB drive is useful for many scenarios. Perhaps your laptop laptop is playing up, or you’re DJ’ing somewhere a laptop set up is not suitable; you’re covered. You can plug your USB drive into any supported Pioneer equipment (found in most DJ booths). Pioneer CDJs are also becoming far more advanced and far more accommodating for the “USB DJ”. So the leap from Laptop to USB might become inevitable and with Rekordbox DJ you’re ready for it.
A few minor criticisms…
However, during my conversion from Serato to Rekordbox (v5.8), I encountered a few issues in the library set up within the software;
You cannot mix video files with MP3 files. If you previously Video DJ’d, or you DJ and VDJ and you want to organise all your music in the same playlists then this can not be done. So if you used to VDJ this would be the time to convert all their Video files to MP3 and re organise your collection, at the same time saving on a ton of hard drive space! But if you still VDJ then Rekordbox might not be the one. * UPDATE- This has now been fixed in Rekordbox 6 along with full library management for all integrated services. More info here
The other issue with the library is with how you view playlists inside folders. Tracks can only go into playlists and only playlist go into folders. However, you can not view all the music inside a folder. This means that viewing the contents of a collection of playlists together is impossible. Perhaps you have a collection of different warm up playlists and when playing out you want to view them all together and sort by key or bmp. You would not be able to do this. *The same issue still remains in Rekordbox 6.
These library issues may be due to Rekordbox’s dual capability with exporting to USB, so therefore your library organising is limited to the capabilities of a Pioneer CDJ.
Perhaps a future update will fix these issues*
Rekordbox DJ has moved very swift since its release a few years ago. At this rate it seems it will be a flawless DJ software solution very soon.
The Integrated Streaming Services
Rekordbox and Beatport Link streaming service.
Now this is where Rekordbox DJ wins it. With Beatport Link they provide a streaming service that is actually suitable for Pro DJs. You have the ability to download up to 100 tracks for “offline locker storage” But it does come at a price. For a 50 track offline locker it is $39.99 per month, for the 100 track offline locker it is $59.99 a month. It might seem pricey but for House and underground DJs, where DJ Record Pools just don’t cut it, Beatport is an expense they are used to and this solution might just work out cheaper.
This ability to store tracks offline brings a few major benefits. It could mean that you can basically “audition” tracks in venues before purchasing them if you want to keep them in your archive. Or, for example if you are a resident DJ at a venue 4 days a week you can rotate your tracks in your locker to keep things fresh at no extra cost to you.
Rekordbox and Soundcloud Go+ streaming service.
The Soundcloud Go+ streaming service offers the biggest music library available to DJ’s. But it does not allow any offline storage. This may be good for DJ’s practising at home, but for the pro, Beatport Link is where it’s at.
Summary
Rekordbox is really the only choice for Pro DJ’s who are looking to make the most of music streaming. This is due to Beatport’s offline “Locker” storage. The Rekordbox software has a few creases that need ironing out on the library side of things. But still, the benefits and added features this software brings puts it ahead of the other software and music streaming packages available. And of course, it is from Pioneer DJ, who is improving this software at a rapid pace. Rekordbox is a strong recommendation for any DJ.
You can do a free trial of Beatport’s most expensive subscription and try it out. You can also free trial the Rekordbox DJ software and see if it’s for you.
USEFUL LINKS
Streaming
Are there any functional restrictions when using tracks from a streaming service on rekordbox?
The following restrictions apply when using tracks from a streaming service.
- EXPORT mode
Tracks cannot be used.
- PERFORMANCE mode
The recording function cannot be used. This is due to copyright restrictions set by the streaming services.
The capture function cannot be used.
Tracks cannot be loaded to the sampler deck.
Tracks cannot be added to playlists. (ver. 5 only)
Track information cannot be edited.
Tracks are not shown in [Histories]. (ver. 6.0.4 or earlier version)
The backup function will not be applied.
Tracks are not added to KUVO playlist even if [Send Live Playlist to KUVO.] is enabled.
https://rekordbox.com/en/support/faq/streaming-5/#faq-q502603
What is Beatport LINK?
Beatport LINK is a subscription streaming service that DJs can use to access the Beatport music catalog.
A separate contract is required to use this service.
For details, refer to the Beatport website.
Click here for the Beatport FAQ page.
https://rekordbox.com/en/support/faq/streaming-5/#faq-q502610
In what countries can Beatport LINK be used?
For the latest news on supported countries, refer to the Beatport website.
https://rekordbox.com/en/support/faq/streaming-5/#faq-q502609
Can I play Beatport LINK tracks on rekordbox even in an offline environment?
Yes. Select your desired track from the track list in the Beatport category of the tree view and store it to the rekordbox by choosing [Store Offline] to play it in an offline environment.
https://rekordbox.com/en/support/faq/streaming-5/#faq-q502608
What is SoundCloud Go+?
SoundCloud Go+ is a subscription streaming service that DJs can use to access the SoundCloud music catalog. A separate contract is required to use this service.
For details, refer to the SoundCloud website.
Click here for the SoundCloud FAQ page.
https://rekordbox.com/en/support/faq/streaming-5/#faq-q502607
In what countries can SoundCloud Go+ be used?
For the latest news on supported countries, refer to the SoundCloud website.
https://rekordbox.com/en/support/faq/streaming-5/#faq-q502606
Can I play SoundCloud Go+ tracks on rekordbox even in an offline environment?
No. Due to SoundCloud restrictions, tracks cannot be played in an offline environment.
https://rekordbox.com/en/support/faq/streaming-5/#faq-q502604
What types of file formats are used by streaming services?
The file formats used by each streaming service are as follows:
- Beatport LINK: AAC (*1)
- Beatsource LINK: AAC (*1)
- SoundCloud Go+: MP3 128 kbps, AAC 256kbps (*2)
- TIDAL HiFi: FLAC 44.1 kHz 16 bit, AAC 320 kbps
- TIDAL Premium: AAC 320 kbps
(*1) The bitrate varies depending on your subscription plan.
(*2) Supported on version 6.5.1 and later.
For more details, check the website of each streaming service.
Beatport website
Beatsource LINK websitehttps://rekordbox.com/en/support/faq/streaming-5/#faq-q502602
Are trial subscriptions available for the streaming services?
Yes.
Each streaming service offers a trial subscription. (As of Sept. 2020)
For the latest information, refer to the website of each service.
Beatsource (ver. 6 supports)
TIDAL (ver. 6 supports)
https://rekordbox.com/en/support/faq/streaming-5/#faq-q502601
Are there any potential copyright related issues with playing tracks from a streaming service in a public place or club?
This depends on your contract with the streaming service, as well as on the copyright laws of each country and international conventions.
Please contact each service for details.
Beatsource (ver. 6 supports)
TIDAL (ver. 6 supports)
https://rekordbox.com/en/support/faq/streaming-5/#faq-q502600