After 24 years in the DJ game, one thing I’ve learned is that keeping your music organized can make or break your performance. When you’re live behind the decks, there’s no time to be searching for tracks in Serato —you’ve got to be ready to go at a moment’s notice.
If you’re tired of sifting through a messy library or just want to get better at navigating your tracks during a set, keep reading. I’ve got you covered! Organizing your music has never been so easy!
1. Set Your Web Browser to Download Music to a Specific Folder
Let’s start with something super simple but so important—where your music gets downloaded. When I first started DJing, I didn’t even think about this.
I’d grab tracks off the web, and they’d get lost in the chaos of my downloads folder. Fast forward a few months, and I was frantically digging through files right before gigs. Not ideal.
Here’s the fix: tell your web browser where to download your music files.
How to do it:
- Create a dedicated folder on your desktop or in your music directory—something easy to find.
- Name it something obvious like “DJ Music Downloads” or, in my case, “Serato Music” (you can even break it down by year or month if you’re constantly downloading new music).
- Set your browser’s preferences so that every time you hit “Download,” it automatically saves to this folder.
This one step saves so much time. You’ll always know where your tracks are, and you won’t lose that hot remix you downloaded right before a gig.
2. Create Crates in Serato: Organize by BPM and Genre
Now that your music is landing in one place, let’s talk about the magic of Serato crates. Crates are hands down one of my favorite features in Serato because they let you organize your music in a way that makes sense for how you spin.
Here’s what I do: I organize my music into crates by BPM and genre. Why both? Because you need to be able to find the right track based on both vibe and tempo. If you’re deep into a house set at 128 BPM, you don’t want to be scrolling through hip-hop or slow jams.
Here’s how I set it up:
- First, create genre-based crates: House, Latin, Hip-Hop, Reggaeton, Pop—you get the idea.
- Then, break those crates into BPM ranges: For example, under House, I have separate sub-crates for 120-130 BPM and 130-140 BPM. It keeps me quick on my feet when I’m transitioning tracks during a set.
This structure allows you to navigate your music faster, ensuring your transitions are smooth, and you don’t kill the vibe by taking too long to find the next track.
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3. Create Smart Crates for Automatic Organization
If you’re not using smart crates in Serato yet, you’re missing out on one of the best tools for keeping your library organized on autopilot.
Smart crates allow you to set up rules, and Serato will automatically sort your music based on those criteria. It’s a real time-saver, and the best part? It updates in real-time as you add new tracks to your library.
Let me give you an example. Let’s say you want to create a smart crate for ’90s Hip-Hop with tracks that have a BPM between 90 and 100. Here’s how you do it:
- Click on your crates section (blue) to the left of your screen and select “New Smart Crate.”
- Name your smart crate something like “90s Hip-Hop (90-100 BPM).”
- You’ll see a screen where you can set up different rules.
- In the first dropdown, select “Year” and set it to “is between” 1990 and 1999.
- Add another rule by clicking the plus sign and choose “BPM”. Set it to “is between” 90 and 100.
- You can also add a third rule for genre. Select “Genre” and set it to “contains” Hip-Hop.
- Click “Save,” and voilà! Serato will now automatically fill this crate with all the tracks that fit those criteria.
The beauty of smart crates is that you don’t have to manually drag songs in. It can sift through your extensive library without you having to spend the time doing it yourself.
Why this helps: Imagine you’re doing a throwback set, and you want to focus on ’90s Hip-Hop with a specific tempo range. Instead of digging through your entire library, you just pop open your smart crate, and everything you need is right there.
Smart crates are a lifesaver when you need to stay organized but don’t have time to constantly update your crates manually.
4. Choose the Right Categories in Your Columns for Easy Sorting
One of the most underrated features in Serato is how customizable the column display is. If you’re not using this feature yet, it’s time to start!
Here’s my go-to column setup:
- Name – I need this to find my song
- Artist – I need this since sometimes I can’t remember the name of the song and only the artist name.
- BPM – I sort by BPM especially when playing open format sets.
- Key – essential when using stems so your tracks to clash musically.
- Length – This way I can see how many minutes there are to a track.
- Comment – I need this for private events where I need to cue specific songs for performances or wedding reception.
- Genre – It’s good to know when playing open format.
To customize these columns, just click the little “arrow” on the right side of your screen. You will see a dropdown menu where you can select which category you want displayed.
Why this matters: Imagine you’re in the middle of a gig, and the energy shifts—you can quickly click on the BPM column to sort your tracks by tempo and find something that perfectly matches the moment. No more endless scrolling!
5. Want the Final Tip? Watch My YouTube Video Below!
Alright, I’ve saved the best for last! Tip #5 is one of my top secrets for staying organized and absolutely killing it during a set. If you’re curious, you’ll have to check out my YouTube video below.
Dive deep into how I’ve refined my library over the years and the exact system I use to keep things running smoothly—whether I’m DJing weddings, clubs, or festivals.
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