Do hot cues keep their colors when converting from Serato to Rekordbox?

Yes with the Direct sync method used for Rekordbox 6 and 7. XML sync loses memory-cue colors because Rekordbox does not write them to the XML; hot cue colors still transfer.

What happens to Serato Smart Crates in Rekordbox?

They come into Lexicon as smartlists and sync to Rekordbox as intelligent playlists via the Direct method. Rules that do not translate cleanly are simplified.

Will streaming tracks from Serato appear in Rekordbox?

Yes on Serato 4 with the streaming service enabled. Serato 3 does not store streaming tracks in crates, so they will not import.

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

Rekordbox imports a maximum of 8 hot cues from XML, although it can hold 16 internally. Use the Direct sync method on Rekordbox 6 or 7 to avoid the cap, or reorder the cues in Lexicon first so the eight you rely on transfer.

Why do I have two copies of an intelligent playlist after importing?

Rekordbox writes intelligent playlists into XML as ordinary playlists with no marker identifying them as smart, so Lexicon cannot distinguish them on import. Ignore or delete the static duplicate; the original intelligent playlist in Rekordbox continues to work and update normally.

Serato to Rekordbox

Convert your Serato library to Rekordbox with Lexicon.

Convert your Serato DJ library to Rekordbox with Lexicon. Crates become playlists, hot cues transfer, beatgrids stay locked, and your tags and ratings come with them. Free, Windows and macOS.

Supports Serato DJ Pro and Serato DJ Lite, versions 3 and 4. Target is Rekordbox 6 or 7. Rekordbox 5 works via the XML sync method.

Requirements

You need to have these installed:

Serato DJ Pro or Lite (3 or 4)
Rekordbox 6 or 7, launched at least once
Lexicon - free for library conversion

Lexicon runs on Windows and macOS.

Steps to convert Serato to Rekordbox

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

Part 1 - Import from Serato

Close both Serato and Rekordbox 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 Serato from the dropdown. Lexicon auto-detects the database.

Selecting Serato as the source in the Lexicon import dropdown

Leave Full selected to import your entire library.

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

Part 2 - Sync to Rekordbox

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

Selecting Rekordbox as the sync target in Lexicon

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

Click Sync to Rekordbox. Wait for it to finish.

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

What transfers from Serato to Rekordbox

Item	Transfers	Notes
Crates & folder structure	Yes	Serato crates become Rekordbox playlists. Subcrates map to folder hierarchy.
Smart Crates	As intelligent playlists	Serato Smart Crates come across as Lexicon smartlists, which sync to Rekordbox intelligent playlists via the Direct method.
Tracks in parent crates	As `_FolderTracks` playlist	Serato lets you place tracks directly in a folder (not in a crate). Lexicon collects these into a special `_FolderTracks` playlist per folder since Rekordbox can't store them directly in a folder.
Hot cues	Yes (8 via XML)	Colors are preserved via the Direct sync method. Note the XML route is capped: Rekordbox handles 16 hot cues internally but only imports a maximum of 8 from XML. Use Direct on Rekordbox 6/7 if a track needs more than 8.
Memory cues	Optional	Rekordbox is the only DJ app with separate memory cues. Lexicon can write them as memory cues if you enable the memory-cue feature in settings.
Beatgrids	Yes	Beatgrid markers and BPM transfer 1:1 via the Direct method.
Loops	Yes (one active)	Rekordbox supports one active hot loop and one active memory loop. Extra active loops drop to inactive slots. If cues and loop cues together exceed the maximum, loop cues are dropped first.
Track metadata	Yes	Title, artist, album, genre, BPM, key, comments, ratings, custom tags.
Album art	Yes	Embedded art transfers. Note: Rekordbox does not support album art for WAV files.
Serato FLIP	No	FLIP entries are not read or written by Lexicon.
Streaming tracks	Conditional	Serato 3 does not store streaming tracks in crates at all. Serato 4 does if the streaming service is enabled in Serato. Rekordbox stores them similarly.

Notes specific to Serato → Rekordbox

Direct vs XML sync for Rekordbox

Lexicon supports two sync methods to Rekordbox: Direct (recommended for Rekordbox 6/7) and XML (required for Rekordbox 5). The Direct method is faster, preserves cue colors, and handles intelligent playlists properly. Use XML only if you're on Rekordbox 5.

The XML route only imports 8 hot cues

Rekordbox stores up to 16 hot cues internally, but imports a maximum of 8 when reading XML. If you are on Rekordbox 5, or you have deliberately chosen XML sync, any track with more than 8 cues arrives short. The Direct method on Rekordbox 6/7 does not have this ceiling, which is the main practical reason to prefer it.

If you must use XML and a track matters, reorder its cues in Lexicon first so the eight you actually use are the eight that survive.

Intelligent playlists come back as duplicates

Rekordbox writes its intelligent playlists into XML as ordinary playlists, with nothing marking them as smart. Lexicon has no way to tell them apart on import, so after a round trip you can end up with a static copy sitting alongside the real intelligent playlist.

The fix is simply to ignore the duplicates. Your original intelligent playlists in Rekordbox keep working and keep updating on their own - the imported copies are just frozen snapshots you can delete.

FLIP is not carried across

Serato FLIP edits live in a Serato-only data structure that Lexicon doesn't read. If you rely on FLIP performances, back up the Serato database folder (Music/_Serato_) before syncing so you can restore them later.

Your Serato library is backed up automatically

Before Lexicon changes anything, it backs up your Serato database file and crates to Music/_Serato_/Lexicon, and it does this on every drive that Serato has tracks on. If a sync goes somewhere you did not intend, restore from there rather than starting over.

Tracks placed directly in Serato folders

Serato allows tracks to sit directly inside a folder (not in a crate). Rekordbox doesn't allow that. Lexicon converts those tracks into a _FolderTracks playlist per folder so nothing is lost - you can rename or delete them after sync if you prefer.

Serato 3 vs Serato 4 streaming

Serato 3 cannot store Beatport/Tidal/etc. tracks in crates. Serato 4 can, as long as the streaming service is enabled in Serato settings. If your Serato library has streaming tracks and you want them in Rekordbox, use Serato 4 and make sure the service is enabled before importing.

Sync Manager incompatibility

Rekordbox's own "Sync Manager" feature can conflict with Lexicon's sync by creating duplicate tracks or ignoring field updates. Recommended workflow: right-click playlists in Rekordbox and export to USB manually instead of relying on Sync Manager. See the Sync Manager note in the manual.

Rekordbox Cloud Sync

Rekordbox Cloud Sync support is in beta. If your library is on Rekordbox Cloud, take a full backup before syncing with Lexicon. Sticking to the XML method avoids Cloud Sync entirely.

Close Serato and Rekordbox completely

Serato exits cleanly, but Rekordbox leaves rekordbox and rekordboxAgent processes running. Kill them via Task Manager / Activity Monitor if the sync hangs.

Frequently asked questions

Do hot cues keep their colors?

Yes when syncing via the Direct method (recommended for Rekordbox 6/7). The XML method loses memory-cue colors because Rekordbox doesn't write them to the XML - hot cue colors still transfer.

What happens to Serato Smart Crates?

They come into Lexicon as smartlists and sync to Rekordbox as intelligent playlists. Rules that don't translate cleanly are simplified.

Will Serato FLIP edits appear in Rekordbox?

No. FLIP is Serato-only and Lexicon does not read or write it. Your FLIP edits will remain in Serato.

Will my streaming tracks from Serato appear in Rekordbox?

If you're on Serato 4 with the streaming service enabled, the tracks come through. Serato 3 doesn't store streaming tracks in crates, so there's nothing for Lexicon to import.

Why does my Rekordbox library show a `_FolderTracks` playlist?

Because Serato allows tracks to sit directly inside a folder (not in a crate), but Rekordbox doesn't. Lexicon collects those into a _FolderTracks playlist per folder so you don't lose them.

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

Because Rekordbox imports a maximum of 8 hot cues from XML, even though it can hold 16 internally. Switch to the Direct sync method on Rekordbox 6 or 7 to avoid the cap, or reorder the cues in Lexicon first so the eight you rely on are the eight that transfer.

Why do I have two copies of an intelligent playlist?

Rekordbox writes intelligent playlists into XML as ordinary playlists with no marker identifying them as smart, so Lexicon cannot tell them apart on import. Ignore or delete the static duplicate - your original intelligent playlist in Rekordbox continues to work and update normally.

What happens if a track has more cues and loops than Rekordbox allows?

Loop cues are dropped first. Cue points take priority over loops when the combined total exceeds the maximum.

Is my Serato library backed up before the sync?

Yes, automatically. Lexicon backs up your Serato database and crates to Music/_Serato_/Lexicon on every drive Serato has tracks on, before it writes anything.

Does this work on macOS?

Yes. The process is identical on Windows and macOS.

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.