Convert your Serato DJ library to Engine DJ with Lexicon — and sync directly to your USB or Denon player. Crates become playlists, hot cues transfer, beatgrids stay locked. Free, Windows and macOS.
Supports Serato DJ Pro and Lite (versions 3 and 4) → any recent Engine DJ (desktop, Denon hardware, or Engine Cloud via Dropbox).
Requirements
You need to have these installed:
- Serato DJ Pro or Lite (3 or 4)
- Engine DJ, launched at least once
- Lexicon — free for library conversion
Lexicon runs on Windows and macOS.
Steps to convert Serato to Engine DJ
The process has two parts: import your Serato library into Lexicon, then sync it to Engine DJ.
Part 1 — Import from Serato
- Close both Serato and Engine DJ completely. Background processes must terminate for the databases to be readable.
- Open Lexicon and go to the Sync page.
- Click
Import tracks & playlistsat the bottom.
- Choose Serato from the dropdown. Lexicon auto-detects the database.
- Leave
Fullselected to import your entire library.
- Click
Start importing. Your Serato library now lives in Lexicon.
Part 2 — Sync to Engine DJ
- Go back to the Sync page (don't click Import again).
- Choose Engine DJ from the dropdown. Lexicon auto-detects the Engine DJ database.
- Leave
Fullselected. Leave the other options on their defaults.
- Click
Sync to Engine DJ. Wait for it to finish.
When it completes, open Engine DJ and your full library is there — playlists, cues, beatgrids and tags intact.
What transfers from Serato to Engine DJ
| Item | Transfers | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Crates & folder structure | Yes | Serato crates sync to Engine DJ playlists. Folder hierarchy is preserved. Both apps also allow tracks in parent folders — Lexicon normalizes these via _FolderTracks playlists. |
| Smart Crates | As smart playlists | Serato Smart Crates pass through Lexicon as smartlists and sync to Engine DJ. |
| Hot cues | Yes (up to 8) | Both apps support 8 hot cues. |
| Cue colors | Yes | Engine DJ displays cue colors the same way Serato does. |
| Track colors | Via field mapping | Engine DJ does not natively support track colors. Use Lexicon's Field Mapping to write the color name (e.g. Red_Dark) into a comment or custom tag. |
| Beatgrids | Yes | Beatgrid markers and BPM transfer. |
| Loops | Yes | Saved loops carry across. |
| Track metadata | Yes | Title, artist, album, genre, BPM, key, comments, ratings, custom tags. |
| Album art | Optional | Enable "write album art" in sync options if syncing direct-to-USB/hardware. For desktop, skip it and use Engine DJ's "Re-import track information" afterwards. |
| Serato FLIP | No | FLIP entries are not read or written by Lexicon. |
| Streaming tracks | Device only | Engine DJ supports streaming tracks (Beatport, Tidal, etc.) on Denon hardware only — not in the Engine DJ desktop app. Serato 4 handles streaming in crates; Serato 3 does not. |
Notes specific to Serato → Engine DJ
Choose your target: desktop, USB, or Dropbox
When syncing to Engine DJ you pick where to write the library:
- Engine DJ Desktop — writes to the Engine DJ library on your computer.
- USB / Denon hardware — direct-to-device. Device must be in Computer Mode.
- Engine Cloud / Dropbox — writes to your Dropbox Engine Cloud folder.
Track colors require a Field Mapping
Engine DJ has no native track-color field. If you want to preserve your Serato track color labels, set up a Lexicon Field Mapping to write color names into a comment or custom tag. See Field Mappings in the manual.
FLIP is not carried across
Serato FLIP stays in Serato. Lexicon doesn't read or write it.
Album art on direct-to-hardware sync
Engine DJ on a Denon player can't reload album art post-sync. Enable "Write album art" in Lexicon's sync options for direct-to-USB/hardware sync to ensure art shows on the device.
Beatgrid lock behavior
Engine DJ locks beatgrids that have been manually adjusted or fully analyzed. By default Lexicon respects existing locks. You can flip this to "lock all" or "unlock all" in the sync options if you want Lexicon's grids to win every time.
Remote Library is not supported
Engine DJ's Remote Library feature (streaming tracks from a networked machine) is not supported by Lexicon. Tracks must be locally accessible.
Tracks placed directly in Serato folders
Both Serato and Engine DJ allow tracks directly in parent folders, but Lexicon normalizes these into _FolderTracks playlists per folder for consistency across DJ apps.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sync directly to my Denon player's USB?
Yes. Put the Denon player or USB into Computer Mode, pick it as Target Drive in Lexicon's sync options, then sync.
Will Serato track colors show in Engine DJ?
Not natively — Engine DJ has no track-color field. Use a Field Mapping in Lexicon to write the color name into a comment or custom tag.
What happens to Serato FLIP?
Nothing — Lexicon doesn't read FLIP. Your FLIP edits remain in Serato only.
Do I need to enable "Write album art"?
Only if you're syncing direct-to-USB or direct-to-hardware. For desktop Engine DJ, skip it and use Engine DJ's "Re-import track information" afterwards to pull art from the files.
Does this work with Engine Cloud?
Yes. Pick the Engine Cloud Dropbox folder as your target drive in Lexicon's sync options.
Does this work on macOS?
Yes. The process is identical on Windows and macOS.
Other conversion guides
Converting from a different app, or to a different app?
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