crateseek

USB export

Export your sets to USB for Serato, Rekordbox, CDJs and Engine OS

One export, every target: Serato crates, a rekordbox.xml for Rekordbox and CDJs, folders Engine OS plays as-is, and M3U8 playlists for Traktor and VirtualDJ — written straight to the stick from Chrome or Edge, or as a zip anywhere else.

Get started freeRekordbox / CDJ guide

Layout

What ends up on the stick

Everything Crateseek writes lives in one folder (named Crateseek by default) plus the _Serato_ folder Serato insists on at the root. Audio files are numbered in play order; a track in several sets is copied into each set folder so every folder is self-contained. Names are sanitised for FAT32 and exFAT.

  1. DJ_USB/
  2. Crateseek/
  3. Music/
  4. Friday warm-up/
  5. 01 Nocturne Drift - Harbour Lights.flac
  6. 02 Ines Valdo - Salt & Static.flac
  7. 03 Kober - Tramline (Dub).mp3
  8. Friday warm-up.m3u8
  9. rekordbox.xml
  10. README.txt
  11. _Serato_/
  12. Subcrates/
  13. Crateseek.crate
  14. Crateseek%%Friday warm-up.crate

Workflows

Per target: what to tick, what to click

Serato DJ: crates that appear when you plug in

Serato reads a _Serato_ folder at the root of any drive. Crateseek writes a parent crate plus one crate per set to _Serato_/Subcrates, with track paths relative to the drive root — the format Serato itself uses for external drives.

Steps

  1. Export with Serato crates ticked (it is on by default).
  2. Eject the stick and plug it into the laptop running Serato DJ Pro or Lite.
  3. Open the crate list: a Crateseek crate appears with a sub-crate per set, in your play order.

Good to know

  • Serato rebuilds its own database V2 on first read, so none is needed on the stick.
  • On first load Serato writes its analysis (beatgrid, cues) into the audio files; don't make the drive read-only.
  • Keep _Serato_ at the root. If you move the folder structure the relative paths break.

rekordbox and CDJs: import the XML, then let rekordbox export

CDJs and XDJs want a device library only rekordbox writes — the PIONEER folder with waveforms, beatgrids and a database. The sanctioned bridge from any other tool is a rekordbox.xml file, so that is what Crateseek gives you.

Full walkthrough with troubleshooting

Steps

  1. Export with rekordbox.xml ticked and enter the drive's volume path when asked (/Volumes/DJ_USB on macOS, E: on Windows). The XML needs absolute paths.
  2. In rekordbox: Preferences → View → Layout, tick rekordbox xml.
  3. Preferences → Advanced → Database → rekordbox xml → Imported Library: Browse to Crateseek/rekordbox.xml on the stick.
  4. In the left tree open rekordbox xml, right-click a playlist → Import Playlist.
  5. Select the imported playlist and use rekordbox's Export to USB. You can export back onto the same stick.

Good to know

  • rekordbox 7.2.11+ writes both the legacy device library and the newer OneLibrary database, so one stick works on a CDJ-2000NXS2 and a CDJ-3000X.
  • Without rekordbox, players still load the files in FOLDER view — analysed on load, no stored waveform.
  • Keys are written in classic notation (Am, F#m) so rekordbox parses them.

Engine OS: browse the folders, analysed on load

Denon and Numark players (Prime 4, SC6000, SC5000, Mixstream) read plain files from any exFAT or FAT32 stick. They analyse BPM, key and waveform when you load a track and save the result back to the drive, so the second load is instant.

Steps

  1. Export normally; the Crateseek/Music/<Set> folders are all Engine OS needs.
  2. On the player open Files, browse to the set folder and load tracks.

Good to know

  • A folder per set is already a usable structure on Engine OS; named playlists need Engine DJ desktop (import the folders, sync to the drive).
  • Engine OS accepts WAV up to 192 kHz and ALAC, which is more than most Pioneer players; see the table below.

Traktor, VirtualDJ and friends: M3U8 playlists

Each set folder comes with a UTF-8 .m3u8 whose entries are relative to the playlist's own location, so it works wherever the stick is mounted.

Steps

  1. Keep the stick mounted and import Crateseek/Music/<Set>.m3u8 through your software's playlist import (Traktor: Playlists → Import Playlist; VirtualDJ and rekordbox desktop read M3U directly).

Good to know

  • No standalone Pioneer or Denon player reads M3U from USB — this file is for laptop software.
  • Traktor's native format is its NML collection; the M3U8 is the simple, universal hand-off.

Compatibility

Supported formats on standalone players

Crateseek exports files as they are. Check the ceilings before you pack hi-res files: the XDJ-RX3 class stops at 48 kHz and skips ALAC, while CDJ-3000/NXS2 and Engine OS go to 96 kHz and beyond.

  • CDJ-3000

    MP3
    44.1/48 kHz, 16-bit
    AAC
    ≤ 48 kHz / 16-bit
    WAV / AIFF
    ≤ 96 kHz / 24-bit
    FLAC
    ≤ 96 kHz / 24-bit
    ALAC
    ≤ 96 kHz / 24-bit
    USB file system
    FAT16 / FAT32 / HFS+ (exFAT not documented)

  • CDJ-2000NXS2

    MP3
    Yes
    AAC
    ≤ 48 kHz / 16-bit
    WAV / AIFF
    ≤ 96 kHz / 24-bit
    FLAC
    ≤ 96 kHz / 24-bit
    ALAC
    ≤ 96 kHz / 24-bit
    USB file system
    FAT / FAT32 / HFS+

  • XDJ-RX3

    MP3
    Yes
    AAC
    ≤ 48 kHz / 16-bit
    WAV / AIFF
    ≤ 48 kHz / 24-bit
    FLAC
    ≤ 48 kHz / 24-bit
    ALAC
    No
    USB file system
    FAT16 / FAT32 / HFS+

  • XDJ-XZ / XDJ-1000MK2

    MP3
    Yes
    AAC
    ≤ 48 kHz / 16-bit
    WAV / AIFF
    ≤ 48 kHz / 24-bit
    FLAC
    ≤ 48 kHz / 24-bit
    ALAC
    XZ no · 1000MK2 yes
    USB file system
    FAT32 / HFS+

  • Denon Prime 4 / SC6000 / SC5000 (Engine OS)

    MP3
    32–320 kbps
    AAC
    Yes
    WAV / AIFF
    WAV 44.1–192 kHz, 16–32-bit; AIFF
    FLAC
    Yes
    ALAC
    Yes
    USB file system
    exFAT / FAT32

Per manufacturer user manuals and spec sheets. CDJ-3000 exFAT support is not documented by AlphaTheta; treat FAT32 or HFS+ as the safe choice.

FAT32 vs exFAT (vs HFS+)

  • FAT32 works on every player; the catch is a 4 GB limit per file (a 10-minute 24/96 WAV is about 350 MB, so it rarely matters) and Windows refusing to format FAT32 above 32 GB without a third-party tool.
  • exFAT has no file-size limit and is the recommended format for Denon Engine OS, but it is not documented for most Pioneer/AlphaTheta players — avoid it on a stick that might meet a CDJ-2000NXS2 or XDJ-RX3.
  • HFS+ (Mac OS Extended) is read by NXS2/3000-class players but not by Denon gear or Windows.
  • NTFS and APFS: no player reads them.

File gotchas

  • 24-bit WAVs with a WAVE_FORMAT_EXTENSIBLE header (common in Bandcamp downloads) won't load on CDJs — convert to AIFF or FLAC.
  • 88.2/96 kHz lossless only plays on CDJ-2000NXS2 / CDJ-3000-class and Denon players.
  • MP3 on Pioneer players: 44.1 or 48 kHz, 16-bit, up to 320 kbps.
  • FLAC and ALAC arrived with the 2016 NXS2 generation; the original CDJ-2000, CDJ-2000nexus and CDJ-900 don't play them.
FLAC vs 320 MP3 vs WAV/AIFF for DJing

Browser support

Direct to USB in Chrome and Edge; a zip everywhere else

Chrome, Edge and other Chromium browsers (desktop)

You pick the stick’s root in a file dialog and Crateseek streams each file to disk — no 2 GB download sitting in memory, no unzipping. Nothing touches the drive until each file finishes writing, so a cancelled export never leaves half-files. The browser can remember the drive for next time.

Firefox, Safari, iOS and Android

These browsers don’t let a web page write to a folder you choose, so Crateseek builds a zip with the identical layout. Download it, unzip onto the stick’s root and you’re in the same place. For very large exports, a desktop Chromium browser is the smoother path.

Questions, answered

Which browsers can write straight to the USB stick?
Chrome and Edge on desktop (and other Chromium browsers), over HTTPS, after you pick the drive in a file dialog. Firefox, Safari and mobile browsers don't expose that API, so Crateseek gives them a zip with the identical folder layout — unzip it onto the stick's root.
Do CDJs read the stick without rekordbox?
In FOLDER view, yes: the player loads files from Crateseek/Music/<Set> and analyses each one as you load it, with no stored waveform. For waveforms, grids and playlists on the deck, import rekordbox.xml in rekordbox and use its Export to USB. The step-by-step is in Export a playlist to USB for Rekordbox and CDJs.
Why does rekordbox show my tracks as missing?
rekordbox's XML needs absolute paths, so Crateseek asks for the drive's volume path (for example /Volumes/DJ_USB on macOS or E: on Windows) when it writes the file. If the stick mounts under a different name or letter later, re-export with the right path or relocate the files in rekordbox.
FAT32 or exFAT?
FAT32 (or HFS+ on a Mac) for anything that might meet a Pioneer/AlphaTheta player; exFAT only for Denon-only sticks. FAT32's limit is 4 GB per file, not per drive. Windows' built-in formatter won't do FAT32 above 32 GB — use a third-party tool.
Does Serato need its database on the stick?
No. Serato rebuilds database V2 itself when it finds crates. Crateseek writes the crates with paths relative to the drive root; keep _Serato_ at the root and don't make the drive read-only, because Serato writes its analysis into the audio files on first load.
Can I get playlists onto a Denon player?
Not directly from the stick yet — Engine OS players browse the exported folders and analyse on load, which gives you one folder per set. For named playlists, import the folders into Engine DJ desktop and sync to the drive.
Are files converted on export?
No. Crateseek writes files as they are, with BPM and key tags. Check the format table above before packing 24-bit/96 kHz files for an XDJ-RX3, and avoid 24-bit WAV on CDJs (use FLAC or AIFF).

Crateseek is a tool for organising music you have the right to use — your purchases, promos and releases licensed for sharing. Crateseek is not affiliated with Soulseek, Spotify, AlphaTheta/Pioneer DJ, Serato or Denon DJ; product names are the trademarks of their owners.

Build the set here. Play it anywhere.

Serato crates, rekordbox.xml, Engine-ready folders and M3U8 — in one export, from the browser. Free during early access.

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