How to Record a DJ Mix (Rekordbox, Serato, and Virtual DJ)

Every major DJ program has a recorder built in, so learning how to record a DJ mix takes about two minutes.

In Rekordbox, Serato DJ Pro, and Virtual DJ you open the record panel, press the record button, play your mix, then press it again to stop and save. You end up with an audio file on your computer that you can listen back to, share with a promoter, or post online.

Below are the exact steps to record a DJ set in each of the three programs, plus the level settings that decide whether the file sounds clean or unlistenable.

Why Record Your Mixes?

Recording is the fastest way to get better. When you are behind the decks you are busy, and your ears are lying to you a little. Play the same mix back the next day and every rushed transition and muddy bass clash is obvious.

Most DJs who improve quickly share one habit: record the practice session, listen back to part of it, fix one thing next time.

Sharing comes second. A clean recording gives you a demo for promoters and something to post online, but the practice value is worth more than the followers.

Before You Record: Quick Setup

Two minutes of prep saves you from a ruined hour.

Watch your master level. Look at the master meter while the loudest part of a track plays. You want it sitting comfortably below the red, not slamming into it. A mix that clips cannot be repaired afterward.

Do a test recording. Record thirty seconds, stop, and listen to the file. This catches silent recordings, wrong input sources, and levels that are far too quiet before you waste a full set.

Prep your tracks first. Fumbling for a cue point shows up in the file forever. Get your cue points, beat grids, and playlists sorted before you press record.

One more thing worth knowing up front: if you are playing tracks from a streaming service like Spotify, Apple Music, or Beatport, the recorder is disabled. That is a licensing restriction in all three programs, not a fault with your setup.

How to Record a Mix in Rekordbox

Here is how to record a mix on Rekordbox, step by step.

1. Open Rekordbox in PERFORMANCE mode. This matters, and I will explain why below.
2. Click the REC icon in the top toolbar. A small recording panel appears in the middle of the screen. It is easy to miss.
3. In the panel, set the source to Master Out. That is what captures your mix.
4. Play the loudest part of a track and set the recording level using the control in the panel, watching the meter.
5. Press the REC button in the panel to start. Play your set.
6. Press the same button again to stop. Rekordbox asks for details like a title, then saves the file.

Format: WAV, 44.1 kHz, 16-bit. Uncompressed and large, so keep an eye on disk space during long sessions.

Where it saves: the folder set in Preferences under Recordings, in the "Location of Files" field. In PERFORMANCE mode that sits under the Controller tab, in EXPORT mode under the Advanced tab. Your recordings also show up in the Recordings section of the left-hand tree, where you can right click and reveal the file in Finder or Explorer.

Two Rekordbox gotchas

Recording is not free for everyone. PERFORMANCE mode needs either a paid plan (Core or above) or a Hardware Unlock device connected. If you own a supported Pioneer DJ controller, plugging it in gives you recording on the Free plan. Mixing on a laptop with no hardware, the record button stays locked.

EXPORT mode does not record your mix. In EXPORT mode, Rekordbox only records audio coming in from external equipment, not its own master output. This is the most common reason people end up with a silent file.

How to Record a Mix in Serato DJ

Here is how to record a Serato mix in Serato DJ Pro.

1. Click the REC button in the top left of the main screen. The Recording panel opens.
2. Set the Record input select dropdown to MIX. This captures your master output, recorded after the faders and EQ but before the master gain.
3. Check Rec Location so you know where the file is going.
4. Play a loud section and adjust the recording level control, watching the meter to the right of it.
5. Press REC and play your set.
6. Press REC again to stop, type a name into the file name field, and press Save.

That last step matters. If you quit Serato without saving, the recording goes into a "Recording temp" folder instead of where you expect it.

Format: AIFF or WAV, at 16 or 24-bit, chosen in Setup under DJ Preferences. Serato records at 24-bit by default.

Where it saves: Music\_Serato_\Recording on Windows, or Music > _Serato_ > Recording on Mac. Long sets get split into more than one file automatically, and WAV and AIFF cap out at 2 GB.

Pro vs Lite: Serato DJ Lite has no recorder at all, and there is no workaround inside the software. On Lite, either upgrade to Pro or use one of the external methods in the next section.

How to Record a Mix in Virtual DJ

Here is how to record in Virtual DJ.

1. Set your layout to Essentials or Pro so the mixer section shows tabs. Click the MASTER tab.
2. Click FILE on the right side of that panel. This opens the record settings, where you pick your format and set the filename and save path.
3. Back on the MASTER tab, press REC to start recording. Play your set.
4. Press REC again to stop. The file is saved.
5. A Recorded File button appears. Click it and choose Show in Explorer to find the file, or Show in Browser to see it inside Virtual DJ.

Careful with the buttons. The MASTER panel has more than one REC button. The one in the master output section records to a sample, not a mix file. The one you want sits next to BCAST and FILE.

Format: MP3 by default, at 192 kbps. OGG, FLAC, and WAV are in the same dropdown, and MP3 quality can be set to 128, 192, or 320 kbps in the advanced record options.

Where it saves: wherever you set it in the FILE panel. Virtual DJ has moved its default folder between versions, so set the path yourself before you record and use Show in Explorer afterward.

Recording source: Virtual DJ records the master output by default. If you mix on an external analog mixer, the software cannot capture that internally, so you need a Record Loopback line in the Audio Setup.

Virtual DJ also records video mixes (WEBM or MP4) and broadcasts to listeners or a radio server. Useful if you stream, but for a normal mix recording you can ignore both.

Recording Without Software: Other Options

Sometimes the built-in recorder is not an option. Serato DJ Lite has none, Rekordbox puts it behind a plan or a controller, and standalone gear sits outside the software entirely.

Record the master or booth output to a handheld recorder or phone. Run a cable from your mixer's booth output, or a spare master output, into a portable recorder or a phone interface. Use booth if you have it, so you are not tied to the volume in the room.

Record into a DAW or Audacity. If your controller or mixer sends audio back to the computer over USB, select it as an input in Audacity, Ableton, or Reaper and record there. This is the standard fix for Serato DJ Lite users.

Use the recorder on your gear. Many standalone units and club mixers record straight to a USB stick with a dedicated record button.

The trade-off with all of these is one more thing to set up and one more thing to forget. Test it before it matters.

Getting Good Sound Quality

This is the part most beginners skip, and it is why so many first mixes sound thin, quiet, or crunchy.

Leave headroom. Keep your loudest peaks well short of the top of the meter. A recording made a few decibels quiet can be turned up later with no damage. A recording that clipped cannot be fixed, because the peaks are already gone.

Set gains per track, not with the master. Use the channel gain so every track hits the master at a similar level, then leave the master alone. Riding the master fader during a mix creates level jumps you will hear on playback.

Watch the red. Brief flickers into the red are survivable. Constant red is distortion, and it sounds like fizz or crackle on the loud parts.

Pick a sensible format. WAV and AIFF are uncompressed and best if you plan to edit afterward. MP3 at 256 or 320 kbps is fine for a mix you are just going to upload. Avoid 128 kbps, since the file gets compressed again by whatever platform you post it on.

Why it sounds different from what you heard. In the room you were hearing your speakers, the acoustics, and headphone bleed. The recording is the raw master output with none of that. Bass is usually the shock, since rooms flatter it and files do not. Judge your recordings on headphones or monitors you know well.

What to Do With Your Recorded Mix

Listen back within a day or two, while you still remember what you were trying to do.

Listen for specific things instead of a general vibe. Are the transitions on the phrase, or a few beats early? Is the bass doubling up mid blend? Do levels jump between tracks? Does the energy build, or sit flat for ten minutes? Pick one issue and work on it next session.

Tracks that are prepped properly, with cue points already sitting on the drops, make for smoother recordings, which is exactly why KimiCue sets hot cues for you automatically.

When you want to share it, Mixcloud is the usual home for DJ mixes. It holds licensing deals with labels and publishers and pays royalties, so full mixes of commercial music can live there, subject to its own upload rules about how many tracks you use from one artist or release. SoundCloud and YouTube are not licensed for DJ mixes in the same way, and both run content detection that can mute or remove an upload. Platform rules change, so check the current terms before you plan around them.

FAQ

Wrapping Up

All three programs record built in, and once you know where the button lives it takes seconds. The differences are small: Rekordbox needs Performance mode and either a plan or a connected controller, Serato needs you to name and save the file, and Virtual DJ needs the MASTER tab and the right REC button.

The habit matters more than the technique. Record a DJ set every time you practice, listen back to ten minutes of it, and fix one thing. That loop will improve your mixing faster than any amount of new gear.