Why I use Itunes for my DJ Database instead of a manual database for Serato, Rekordbox & Virtual DJ
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- čas přidán 6. 08. 2024
- After my last video on Itunes and eliminating duplicate files I got some resistance on itunes. Here are the main reasons I still use Itunes instead of a manual database for Serato, or Rekordbox and Virtual DJ for file management.
- Jak na to + styl
Great tip - you keep it real. I use Serato, RecordBox and recently started using Engine Prime. iTunes keeps everything very well organized.
Love your thought process behind all this
Man I truly appreciate your videos. Big up to you! Love the "big box analogy"
Great vlog as always. I use both VDJ and RBDJ so iTunes is perfect for that, well explained, and for ‘on the fly’ playlists within the software, you can always drag n drop those into iTunes afterwards. Regards from over the pond! 🎤🎧😎
It actually makes sense to use iTunes. Considering the integration with other apps it makes the most sense. I'm not having to hunt for my music anymore using the browse feature.
OAN: you're appreciated on so many levels for the knowledge you share. You deserve that blue check and increased recognition.
Xavier Hunter 🙏🏾 much appreciated
I love my iTunes, but it lacks in officially licensed techno/house/dance tracks, Which has me paying out Beatport. Niche market
@@ClevelandTerry great video! Question- are you still using ITunes to organize your music today? Also, do you know if I can organize MP4 files with ITunes?
Still using iTunes since Apple’s ecosystem works flawlessly putting all my music on all my computers, Mac or PC, plus iPad and iPhone to listen too in the car, on the road, maintain my album artwork, and even use it with djay Pro for backyard parties if I have to with a Wego3 since it can run Serato, Rekordbox and Djay Pro. You’re right, with Apple Music it will try to replace a remix of a song with the radio edit. I have kept iTunes Match since I have a hard drive with those classic songs you mention 50’s on up that are 128-192 kbps. iTunes Match upgrades them to 256 kbps. Pretty cool.
Great video as always! I never understood the iTunes hate, I use iTunes because I run Serato and DJAY PRO2, and iPad version. All my crates work great in iTunes. Thanks for your hard work! Cheers
Me too....i use the reloop mixon 4 with djay pro....but would love to use Serato and my Windows !0 PC as a 2nd option....but is scared that i will lose all my music if i do the transfer incorrectly
YOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Multiple Databases .... I never knew!!! Clean vs Explicit Database!!! I am about to experiment!!!! THANK YOU 1000x .... SUBSCRIBED!!!!!
all good points and exactly why I use iTunes. I don't DJ with it but if I had to because Serato broke or my controller broke then iTunes would keep the party going... it's my cataloger and backup media player!
Listen Terry who ever is complaining about itunes, He/She has no idea on how to either use itunes or a Mac. Just like you said itune is the one software that is use on all DJ software and it looks the same on all of them. There are so many way you can use itunes to improve you DJ software library. Also iTunes synch with beatunes which is grade for many other way to help with you DJing. iTunes is the best thing for DJ who wants to organize their library. Here is one major thing I learn with time, use an external HD to store your music and after you have clean you music and add all the tagging you want, then add it to iTunes. My reason for that is as follow: 1 - if you mirror the hard drive with your music or synch it, you can use the alternative hard drive without any issue with your DJ software and would not have to re-tag or re-add cue point to your now backup HD. 2- adding you music from the HD to itune will free up memory on you pc but keep it organized. Well there is many more reason but I do not have the time to write a long description. Thanks Terry.
Great video! I appreciate all your hard work and insight. Now that I’m all hyped up on iTunes, what would be the best way to transfer my crates/music from serato/external hard drive to iTunes ? I can’t find a video anywhere and want to make sure I do it right before I mess everything up! 😆 🙏🏽
Contemplating where and how for months as I am upgrading to industry standard dj gear. @ 3:30 made up the mind. Thanks
Luv your info and channel keep up the good work by the way I use iTunes for deejaying use djay pro2 and
rekordbox
My top reason for using iTunes is Smart Crates which I use to also clean up track metadata.
Like minded! Reassuring to see a pro do it the same...I especially prefer using the iTunes folder with Traktor...just made sense from the beginning.
One more tip - I use iTunes to manage all my music. But then I make crates when I edit the music for custom beat grids or cue points. This lets me know the music is prepared and ready for Mixing.
In VDJ you can right click the iTunes folder and it can update the playlist without restarting the program. I’m curious to what will happen to iTunes once the break it up though... Great video and vocabulary ;)
RekordBuddy 2.0 seems to cover all these bases for me as it syncs all the major platforms together for me. If someone was starting a workflow from scratch maybe iTunes would make the most sense. But a lot of us already have a working library and are scared to make any drastic changes to their workflow. Rekord buddy worked for me once I added Rekordbox to my Serato setup, As it based all of my framework off my existing Serato database and converted everything to Rekordbox with a touch of a button. Now I can simply add files and sort crates via either platform Serato or Rekordbox as my Master library. Once I hit sync everything transfers to the other platform Most importantly Hot Cues/Loops etc which iTunes does not. In my opinion it’s hard to trust ITunes implicitly because it’s not designed with DJs in mind. So there’s the risk of a conflict of interest with their updates and such going forward. I prefer RekordBuddy that’s specifically designed for DJs running Serato/RekordBox/Traktor Simultaneously ....the design is from the ground up.
I look forward to ur RekordBuddy vid
you don't HAVE to update itunes. I use a way old version, less bloat and it keeps working. I wouldn't change what youre doing now though, seems legit.
Itunes is my resident database. Great video.
Top job. Really like your videos Cleavland. The content and the delivery. I'm just getting back to DJing after a ten year break and realise that I had great music and talent but didn't understand the job at well and now I am just bought a Roland 808 as my first controller, because of the midi, the sequencer and drums. Still might change it for the DDJ 1000 but I am interested in production and the Pioneer is purely a performance controller.
I’m just in transition as I’ve upgraded my laptop and I’m not sure if I should use iTunes moving forward.
I used iTunes to convert my cds to mp3 and it worked great. I had it go into one folder and I moved where I wanted to be.
@Cleveland Terry... First... Always enjoy your vlogs. Thanks for sharing!
I long ago left iTunes in the dust. The reason is that I have had iTunes ...
-- lose files and corrupt its own database which led to me losing all the info in the database (& this was on a Mac!)
-- fail to import files that iTunes SHOULD HAVE been able to import! This was a MAJOR annoyance. What is even worse is that iTunes WOULD NOT tell me why! It provided no useful feedback nor did Apple have any remedy.
-- iTunes (bloated little milk drinker that it is) was just slow AF... I would look to update ID3 tags and it was like watching paint dry! Ugh. (& it was just as slow importing music as well...)
-- At the time I dropped iTunes I was a Traktor user and it took FOREVER for Traktor to load my iTunes database in. (Too be fair, I had an iTunes database that was the size of the biggest 60s beehive hairdo you ever saw...)
...and then I decided to switch to Rekordbox and I also decided to go back to the PC/Windows. Dropping iTunes at that point made a lot of sense to me. As a result, I have a general music database I maintain in Media Monkey 4 and I have all of the DJ music stored as copies in the Rekordbox folders. Media Monkey 4 is pretty fast given the amount of music I have stored (about 3 TB -- much of which is duplicates from all the iTunes insanity...) and Rekordbox is lean and mean, loads fast, etc. Even with all that, I do have iTunes installed as it is the way I get stuff onto my iPad and iPhone... and it does a nice job of ripping CDs now and again...
Keep up the good work CT!!
Hey guy! Great video. I have a question. If I have two different External Hard Drives and each one has its own ITunes database. Where do I go to choose each HD’s database ?(I don’t use the iTunes app and I own a Mac). And my second question is what is a reliable source to find the genre on a song. When I search online it only gives me the general genre and not the sub genre. Thanks !
My external drive appears to be large repository of duplicates, triplicates, of both audio and video. How about a tutorial on how to clean this up without losing or how to fix file paths?
"Repository is a big ass box where I hold all my shit" - LOL
Hello, I have the trail version of Virtial dj and I tried to access the music in my Playlist Ive created in iTines however so went to preferences and clicked share my iTune library etc etc but it only shows my playlist title folders but the music doesn't show up inside the folders is there a fix for this
I create my lists first on ITUNES - then I create an identical folder on Serato- as well- therefore if on my Itunes that folder gets deleted- I will have the back up platylist on Serato - then I can re do it again on Itunes from the serato folder-
I was wondering if you did not initially start catalogueing your music through the iTunes and managed your own music folders on a desktop how do you get all your music into the iTunes music folder? I download music from different computers like my PC desktop or phone and so it's not always sent to iTunes on my MacBook
cheers for the video. After years i finally ditched iTunes completely. Everything is in folders now. Neat n tidy. I thought: "iTunes is a music file management system. So is Rekordbox. Why have 2?" It shitted me when i'd make an alteration in Rekordbox (e.g.: rename the track, or add "remix" to the name, etc)- Rekordbox would update and iTunes would not. So i'd have to separately go into iTunes to change it. Or have to do this every time i made any sort of change. Its double-handling & a waste of time.
Thank you!
2:40 Priceless !!! 👍👍
I like to have control so lets say a "rap" song i downloaded is tagged as a trap remix i would like to add it to my my trap & bass folder. in tunes it will put it in a hip hop folder. that is what happens to me a year ago, so i do all the work this time around and arrange my music folders. it taste some time but the end result is what i like, and use smart creates in rekordbox and serato
good video. I have never stopped using itunes
Can you make a video on how you actually use iTunes so we can see how you actually do it just wondering I know I’m a lil late on this topic lol I use iTunes right now to reword songs & type in things that I like save it then drag from iTunes into my external hard drive so it can have the iTunes Copy and not where it was actually downloaded from for some reason it looks and shows up better in serato only down fall is it takes a million years in a day to do all songs wich I’m currently in the process of!
Question... I just began with mixing and dj’ing, like im a real beginner. I just connected my soundcloud go account and can use my playlist from there. Should i keep doing that? Or should i use something else?
I used iTunes for about 2 months until it started deleting my music.. been scared to use it ever since
Cool Brother terry 👍🏿
I use iTunes also, where I built my folders(crates). I usually use sertaro, as well as occasional use of Traktor, & it shows in order I made folder in both programs. But I recently used virtual dj, iTunes folder shows but not in order I created, it’s all mixed up. Is there something I can do in vitro dj to correct.?.
Why would a djay with a mac not use iTunes? Hey how do you make iTunes your default download place for music?
Hey @terry Bowens, do u know if I have my external hard drive set up in a specific format, can I get iTunes to clone how my hard drive is setup or vise versa? As in if I setup iTunes a certain way can that be copied into my external the same way?
The disk needs to be formatted so that it can be read and written by the OS of the computer you plug it into. If you are trying to make it such that you can read or write the disk from Macs and Windows, it gets a little more complex.
In short, we need more info from you to be able to answer your question correctly.
Bear in mind, IF your disk can be read/written from both Macs and Windows you WILL NOT (in my estimation) be able to run iTunes on both systems against an iTunes database stored on the disk. You will have to choose to run iTunes on one or the other. The reason is that the way Macs and Windows create a “file reference” which is the way that iTunes finds the files that contain your songs. The way both systems create those references is not the same on both systems.
Repository.... 😂😂 Love your videos!
Man I use a PC and VDJ with my Pioneer DDJ SX2 & my NS6. I use a simple old Folder with all my desired Sub folders. I was a song I type it in the search on VDJ and **Bang** its found. I dont need the complexity of iTunes with more room for mistakes... Thanks for the knowledge though.
thank you
Got a DDJ1000 and had to go to rekordbox from serato, I miss having a prepare area for track ideas I have on the fly. Anyone know how to do this conveniently on rekordbox? I hate having to create small playlists on the side, I liked having that window in my face. I have rekordbuddy also but I don't really like it because I can't make changes to those "crates" on the fly. It's just a locked xml file.
Tag list ?
Very very good.....i need a tutorial from you on how to move my music and playlist from iTunes to Serato....i am a beginner at Serato.....and thats PC Windows 10....
CZcams has plenty on this. It's a setting I believe you need to check then your iTunes will show up as is in Serato
Itunes lacks some fields and definitions for smart playlists
Like file name Foley path file location and label
Thinking about using itunes for organizing but doesn't copying to iTunes or consolidating take up more space?
It’s take the same amount of space.
peace! is Apple Music not compatible with Serato since it switched from iTunes, my library is crazy & I'd like to transfer all my music from there tidal is cool, but they don't have a lot of music like Apple Music does, please help
Apple Music is not available for any dj platform. I’m still waiting too.
Hey Terry, I use itunes for my serato crates. all music is backed up to itunes match. itunes match doesn't save serato cue points. would you happen to know how i could transfer those cue points if i were too by a new laptop and download my library from itunes ?
I think the idea is that iTunes saves time of repetitive crate organisation in recordbox, engine, Traktor ... iTunes does the only that, organisation, no cue points, however you can easily access certain playlist/folders(crates) in any software(Traktor, engine...) and save time, im trying to find the best way now as I already have maybe 40gb of techno so may as well get that done before I reach 100gb. Cause how gratifying is it buying a new SICK track waiting to go through the mixer :)
Anyone else having issues with iTunes the last few days - it seems like the store won't come up for me at all :/.
Alex Turner yes. Purchased several songs on MacBook via iTunes. Racked em into same playlist opened sera to, and the playlist only reads and sync 3 of the 5 songs. Trouble shot a lot.a bit stumped
Hello, nice and very helpful videos, i just moved to rekordbox dj, i sinc iTunes with the software, i see all my playlist, music its there but not the videos, do you know anything, thank you.
+luicueto hi there, rekordbox does not do video and audio in the same folder. It has to be separate. It’s the one weakness it has.
@@ClevelandTerry thank you for your quick answer, just so you know, i dont have de video plug in yet, and do you have a video showing how to do it or find the videos, i always used serato and it is so much easier, right now i can't see any of my videos and don't know where to find it, thank again.
1.) Can you view multiple iTunes databases in Serato? 2.) How do deal with losing Key or BPM?
I would seriously doubt that you could access more than one iTunes database from any DJ software. My take is that whatever iTunes database you accessed last would be the one that Serato/Rekordbox/Traktor/etc would pick up.
You are correct, Dennis.
Talk about the prime 4 WiFi
I might have to try this 🤔
If I purchase music in ITunes ? And they are downloaded to my computer… can I use it ?
Yes as long as it’s not drm
I'm using no software to organize my music. All file renaming, tag edit and sorting is done in explorer. Software expires and changes over time. I don't want to be cornered in any way, doing it the way I do it, all my music show up the same wherever or how ever I use it. My DJ software for prep is Rekordbox, and the only thing I need to do is import my folders as playlists, and I'm ready to go. Opening my music structure in any DJ-software, and of course in my computer, it will look the same. I also erase all info about artist, track name and album from the tag. I keep BPM and Key in the filename, which of course follows some rules I've set up as my personal reference, and now the file name will be what you see in any player. Yes, it requires some work, but at the same time I get to know my music and that's key for a good performance. ...and, I'll never be stuck in any software, so all the work I do put in my music prep, will stay with the music and not the software. I've gone from Vinyl to CD to playing from USB-devices, since 1985. Nothing ever stays the same, but my music will, as long as it's used digital in any way.
dj-peterofficial that’s a lot of work my friend. 😀
@@ClevelandTerry Yes... and no. Renaming is per file of course, but everything else is done in batches using Mp3Tag, Mixed-In-Key and Platinum Notes. When it becomes a routine. and it's part of a workflow, you just do it. Listening to the music as I'm prepping is quite effective use of available time.
Last minute call to a huge international corporate event in Gothenburg yesterday turned out as one of my best gigs ever. No time for gig prep. Had to go the 3 hour drive and wing it. I got a message that said ''Int lounge 20.00-23.00 70-80-90's club party 23.00-02.00... and the place was Trädgårn/Port Du Soleil, one of, maybe the most famous night club in Sweden. Entering the booth, 2 giant Funktion One monitors and 4 x CDJ-2000NXS2 and the 900NXS2 mixer tells you it's serious business.
Will not put a link but please check the video on my YT channel. A few clips put together, absolute magic night with 1300 guests not wanting to leave after the last track. They were chanting for more than 10 minutes refusing to leave... so they got one more song, and almost tore the place down. Took me 15 minutes to leave the DJ-booth and half an hour to get to my car. I shook more hands that night than I've done the last 10 years... That's what the prep does for me.
@dj-peterofficial If you have a system that works for you, work your system my friend. Given that story, I would not change anything if I were you... Having a system, one that works is absolutely essential to success in anything.
Sorry if you have gotten any racist comment from anyone. You're channel is dope.
It's a good thought process however for me unless I need to buy songs iTunes for me is useless cause my playlists import from VDJ to Serato no Issue...
Makes sense, until you go to Djay or rekordbox.
soooo, how are you converting in 2.6 now that mac os doesnt have itunes anymore
iTunes = music. Same app, new name.
You mentioned Rekordbox buddy. Did you check Mix Master G's sofwares? For me his videos are a bit too confusing but seems to work...
Stin eldo I have not. I think I have it under control. :-)
Which software are you talking about Stin Eldo? Do you have a link to it?
@@dmp4096 just type "mix master g" in the search box in youtube, you'll find it ;)
@@dmp4096 jus type in "mix master g" on youtube... he has a channel... but I found it overly difficult (or at least too much time intensive, I'd rather stick to 1 program)
I just curate my own crates & playlists. And build my own file hierarchy in my music folder
iTunes = SAFE place for managing the music BUT but be mindful sometimes when recording tracks from the net they get dropped in UNKNOWN ARTIST and UNKINOWN Album
There's only one problem with iTunes and Macs, but its a big problem. Its Apple. And my name is Tim Cook, so I wound know.
Btw, you should never have to justify your intelligence to anybody. If they can't handle it, that's on them. Now that hat on the other hand... 😁 Im kidding, great video!
Timothy Cook 😂
@Timothy Cook ...and that Apple problem is bigger than people realize. ALL of Apple’s moves have been to drag people into using stuff like Apple Music - really boxing them in so they have no real choice - so that they collect a huge revenue stream every month. There are bugs in iTunes related to syncing things, particularly music, that are many years old that they have NEVER addressed. ...but they make certain that you can play their streaming stuff and send you a bill!!!!
Can you create sub-crates on iTunes?
JR Montalvo yes. iTunes has nested crates which is the same as subcrates.
You need to update this video now that we know that iTunes removed XML sharing
Pablo Vazquez they didn’t remove it. It’s just hidden now.
@@ClevelandTerry manual xml worked in Apple Music/iTunes - Thanks for the tip! However I did notice that now I have to take multiple steps - consolidate my iTunes files before I prepare the manual XML list - also I now I need to change the xml file to read iTunes Music Library.xml or it won't work properly with other DJ software. Not sure how many DJs will be okay with all these extra steps to just to keep using iTunes. Maybe this is the end of iTunes for DJs - it's time to find a better solution.
@@Ziggy_v2 hey I am having issues loading my playlist in serato. Can you email me instruction on how to do this at mrreid1951@gmail.com
I thought Apple is ending iTunes ?
There will still be a music app. It just won't be called iTunes.
Just a question why is Apple Music not good for deejaying
You can play Apple Music files...yet.
@@ClevelandTerry so it won't be in iTunes in Serato dj pro.
Rolston Daniels correct.
That’s unfortunate, it’s a good thing I didn’t started to use Apple Music.
When the DJ software programs are updated to work with Music, your iTunes files will show up in the DJ software. Music no longer creates the iTunes XML file but it will expose an API where the DJ software can read your iTunes database.
i use itunes to organize my library, i have a macbook pro. it's very convient and i don't care what ANYBODY says. I use traktor
My iTunes isn’t connecting
It isn’t connecting to what exactly?
itunes is hard to manage bro
First off, this video is like 5 years old but...What's hard about it?
I thought iTunes was dead. Apparently not.
I've been a PC tech of over 20 years. I don't think it's a good idea to use any software to organize your music. I organize my music by creating folders on the operating system (Windows 10). The disadvantage of using iTunes is that, if iTunes gets corrupt and doesn't open, you'll loose all of your folders. The same can happen if you use virtual folders on Virutal DJ. I simply don't trust any software to organize my music. The advantage of using the operating system, is that I can copy the whole music folder for backup and open it up on another PC, and everything will be exactly where I want it, in case I have to use a backup PC.
+Hacky Tip hey man, I get it, whatever works for you. That just sounds...miserable to me. Lol.
@@ClevelandTerry It does take more time, but it's totally worth it for me. Imagine if your Laptop breaks down or you upgrade it, you'd have to do everything again on your new laptop, since you'd loose all of the work put in organizing the music within iTunes. So yes, it takes more time initially, but it will save you many hours in the future. Good luck!
new itunes "my music" and the future update will be the death of the itunes for DJ's. well that is what i heard :)
Jose Lugo You heard wrong LOL
@@ClevelandTerry i see
Who thinks iTunes should offer a streaming service for Serato. 🔥🔥🔥
CromeStyle I agree!
I uses BEATPORT PRO... I like it better than iTunes..
ITunes doesn't support flac. Key reason I don't use iTunes
all 20 of your FLAC files
The process I use and yes, time consuming and tedious!!!!!
Download to a specific Record Pool Folder on MacBook
Copy to an external hard drive Labeled with Record Pool, Date, Time, Genre. ( Unfortunately this is Mechanical LaCie )
Copy to another SSD External Hard Drive by Artist Name (This Is The Library SanDisk)
Next Sort Tracks into Serato Music Folder in a Main Pool, then a Crate by Genre/Event.
Serato doesn’t copy the music file, it links to the location in Your MacBook.
There are so many tracks out there from the Early 1960 till now, and very hard to find tracks that can’t be replaced.
The goal is to get another External SSD Hard Drive as an additional Back Up Library.
I’m sure there are a lot of you guys that have at least 2 External Back Ups or I hope you do.
“ Hahahaha, Big Box of Shit”
Good Video Terry 👍
I have an iPod Touch 4 and 6, per se, those are great, BUT having to rely on iTunes to transfer files from a PC is the worst crap I ever saw. iTunes is the worst shit a computer company ever made.
Who talks shit to you about the way you talk or using bigger words? Having a strong vocabulary and speaking well isnt a race thing, its an "Im not an idiot" thing. You need to distance yourself from people who hate on you for the way you talk.