Why does Serato show only 8 hot cues when Rekordbox had more?

Serato supports a maximum of 8 hot cues. Rekordbox stores up to 16. Lexicon imports the first 8 by Rekordbox order; reorder them in Lexicon before syncing if you want specific cues prioritised.

Does the Rekordbox to Serato conversion work on macOS?

Yes. The process is identical on Windows and macOS. You need read and write access to the Rekordbox database folder and the Music/_Serato_ folder.

Will streaming tracks from Rekordbox playlists appear in Serato?

Only in Serato 4, and only when the streaming service is enabled in Serato settings before syncing. Serato 3 does not support streaming tracks in crates.

Rekordbox to Serato

Convert your Rekordbox library to Serato with Lexicon.

Lexicon converts your full Rekordbox library to Serato DJ — playlists become crates, hot cues carry over, beatgrids stay locked, and your tags, ratings, and album art come with them. The process takes minutes and is free.

This guide covers Rekordbox 6 and 7. If you're still on Rekordbox 5, see the Rekordbox 5 XML import note.

Requirements

You need to have these installed:

Rekordbox 6 or 7 (Rekordbox 5 supported via XML)
Serato, launched at least once
Lexicon — free for library conversion

Lexicon runs on Windows and macOS.

Steps to convert Rekordbox to Serato

The process has two parts: import your Rekordbox library into Lexicon, then sync it to Serato.

Part 1 — Import from Rekordbox

Close both Rekordbox and Serato completely. Background processes must terminate for the databases to be readable.
Open Lexicon and go to the Sync page.

Click Import tracks & playlists at the bottom.

Import tracks & playlists button in Lexicon

Choose Rekordbox from the dropdown. Lexicon auto-detects the database.

Selecting Rekordbox as the source in the Lexicon import dropdown

Leave Full selected to import your entire library.

Click Start importing. Your Rekordbox library now lives in Lexicon.

Part 2 — Sync to Serato

Go back to the Sync page (don't click Import again).
Choose Serato from the dropdown. Lexicon auto-detects the Serato database.

Selecting Serato as the sync target in Lexicon

Leave Full selected. Leave the other options on their defaults.

Click Sync to Serato. Wait for it to finish.

When it completes, open Serato and your full library is there — playlists, cues, beatgrids and tags intact.

What transfers from Rekordbox to Serato

Item	Transfers	Notes
Playlists & folder structure	Yes	Rekordbox playlists become Serato crates. Your folder hierarchy is preserved as Serato subcrates.
Intelligent playlists	As Smart Crates	Rekordbox intelligent playlists convert to Serato Smart Crates where the rules translate; complex rules may simplify.
Hot cues	Yes (up to 8)	Rekordbox supports 16 hot cues; Serato supports 8. Lexicon imports the first 8 from Rekordbox by default — reorder them in Lexicon first if you need specific cues prioritised.
Memory cues	Merged into hot cues	Serato has no memory cues. Rekordbox memory cues are merged into Lexicon's cue list. If you need to keep them separate, enable memory cues in Lexicon's DJ app features before importing.
Hot cue colors	Yes	Using the direct method (not XML). Memory cue colors are lost when importing via XML — use the direct method when possible.
Beatgrids	Yes	Beatgrid markers and BPM carry over 1:1 via the direct method.
Loops	Yes (one active)	Rekordbox can have one active hot loop and one active memory loop. Serato supports one active loop per track — extras drop to inactive slots.
Track metadata	Yes	Title, artist, album, genre, BPM, key, comments, ratings and custom tags all transfer.
Album art	Yes	Embedded album art transfers. WAV files carrying art may need a re-tag in Serato (Rekordbox does not read WAV art reliably).
Serato FLIP	No	Serato FLIP entries are not read or written by Lexicon.
Streaming tracks	Conditional	Serato 3 does not store streaming tracks in crates; Serato 4 does. Make sure the right streaming service is enabled in Serato before syncing or those tracks will not appear.

Notes specific to Rekordbox → Serato

Close Rekordbox completely before importing

Rekordbox keeps background processes (rekordbox and rekordboxAgent) running after you close the window. Lexicon can't read the database while they're alive. If your import fails or hangs, open Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (macOS) and quit them manually.

Hot cues vs memory cues

Rekordbox is the only major DJ app with both hot cues and memory cues as separate concepts. Serato only has hot cues. Lexicon merges memory cues into the cue list by default. If you want to preserve them as a distinct set when you later sync back to Rekordbox, turn on the memory cues feature in Lexicon settings before you import, and choose a cue destination that keeps them separate.

Serato 3 vs Serato 4

Both are supported. The main difference that affects conversion: Serato 3 ignores streaming tracks in crates, Serato 4 keeps them. If you're moving a library with Beatport or Tidal tracks, upgrade to Serato 4 before syncing.

FLIP is not carried across

Any Serato FLIP edits you had on tracks that round-trip through Lexicon will not appear. FLIP lives in a Serato-only data structure that Lexicon doesn't read or write. If you rely on FLIP, back up the Serato database folder before syncing.

Backups are automatic

Before Lexicon writes to Serato, it backs up your crate files and database to Music/_Serato_/Lexicon. If anything goes wrong, restore from there.

Frequently asked questions

Do my hot cues keep their colors?

Yes — with the direct database import (default in Lexicon for Rekordbox 6/7). If you import Rekordbox 5 via XML, memory cue colors are lost because Rekordbox doesn't write them to the XML; hot cue colors still transfer.

Will my Rekordbox intelligent playlists become Serato Smart Crates?

Yes. Lexicon converts Rekordbox intelligent playlists into Lexicon smartlists, which then become Smart Crates in Serato. Rules that don't map cleanly (for example, rules referencing Rekordbox-specific fields) are simplified or dropped.

Why does Serato only show 8 hot cues when Rekordbox had more?

Serato's maximum is 8. If your Rekordbox track had more, Lexicon keeps the first 8 by Rekordbox order. To pick which 8 survive, open the track in Lexicon and reorder the cues before syncing.

Does this work on macOS?

Yes. The process is identical on Windows and macOS. Make sure you have read/write access to both the Rekordbox database folder and the Music/_Serato_ folder.

I have streaming tracks in my Rekordbox playlists. Will they show in Serato?

Only on Serato 4, and only if you have the streaming service (Beatport, Tidal, etc.) enabled in Serato's settings before syncing. Serato 3 does not support streaming tracks in crates at all.

Can I go back to Rekordbox after converting?

Yes. Your Rekordbox library isn't deleted — Lexicon only reads it during import. You can also run Serato to Rekordbox later to sync changes the other direction.

Converting from a different app, or to a different app?

Library conversion is 100% free. No credit card required.

Thoughts? Questions? Share them on the forum or chat about them on Discord.