6. The Mixxx Library
6.1. Overview of the Library features
The library manages all of your music files. This is where you can find the tracks you want to play and load them into a deck or sampler; see Loading Tracks. Mixxx imports your music library automatically when it is run for the first time, see Importing your audio files for more information.
The sidebar on the left contains different collections of music. The track list view on the right displays the tracks in those collections.
Sidebar:
Search: Search for tracks in your Mixxx library.
Library: View and edit your whole collection.
Auto DJ: Automatically load and crossfade tracks for unattended mixing.
Playlists: Arrange tracks in a set order.
Crates: Organize tracks in (unordered) collections.
Browse: Browse and load tracks from your file system and connected devices.
Recordings: Record your mix and view previous recordings.
History: Browse lists of tracks played in past mixing sessions.
Analyze: Generate Mixxx-specific data for tracks before a gig.
External Libraries: Access your existing iTunes, Traktor, Rhythmbox, and Banshee libraries.
Track List:
Sort: Display and sort track collections by different criteria.
Load: Drag tracks you want to play to the waveform display.
Edit: Rate tracks and edit track properties.
6.2. Library - View and edit your whole collection
The Library displays a sortable list of all the tracks in your music library.
- Customizing the view
Move columns by clicking a column header and dragging it to another position. Right-click on a column header to show or hide individual columns. Adjust the column width to fit the contents of the rows by double-clicking on the separator between two column headers.
- Sorting Tracks
Tracks are automatically sorted by the active column. Click on the active column header to reverse the sort order. Click on another column header to change the active column.
Multi-Column sorting
Nuevo en la versión 2.0.
You can sort multiple columns by clicking up to three column headers you wish to sort your tracks by. This makes searching for tracks in a large list more efficient. Clicking twice on a column header will reverse the sort order.
Example:
Click on the BPM column header -> list is sorted by BPM
Click on the Year column header -> list is sorted by year. If year is equal, it is still sorted by the last criteria, e.g. BPM.
Click on the Genre column header -> list is sorted by genre. If genre is equal, it is still sorted by year. If genre and year is equal, then it is sorted by BPM.
- Rating tracks
Make sure the Rating column is not hidden. Rate tracks by hovering over the rating field and clicking the stars.
- Track Inline editing
Mixxx reads metadata from the tracks to fill the columns of the library. Double-click on a field, edit the data, and hit Enter when you are done. Go to the chapter edit metadata for detailed information.
- Loading tracks
To load a track into a deck, you can either drag it to the waveform display or use the context menu. Go to the chapter Loading Tracks for detailed information.
- Importing tracks
Mixxx imports your music library automatically when it is run for the first time. Go to the chapter Importing your audio files for detailed information.
- Previewing Tracks
To pre-listen to tracks in your headphones without loading them to a regular deck, click the icon in the Preview column. Go to the chapter Previewing Tracks for detailed information.
Cover/Album Art
Mixxx can display cover art it finds for a track in the library. It will search for available cover art in the following places in order and will use the first one it finds:
The first image saved in the track’s ID3v2/Vorbis tags
An image file in the track folder (if there is only one image file there.)
%track-file-base%.jpg
in the track directory for%track-file-base%.mp3
%album%.jpg
cover.jpg
front.jpg
album.jpg
folder.jpg
Mixxx supports the following image types: jpg, jpeg, png, gif, bmp
- Rescan Library
If you want to manually refresh your library without exiting (for example because you added or moved files) you can do this with
in the menu at the top of the application window. You can prompt an automatic rescan when Mixxx is started under .
6.2.2. Missing Tracks
The Missing Tracks view is accessible by expanding the Library tree item in the sidebar. Any tracks that were previously loaded into your library but were later not found on your drive will appear here. Mixxx does not automatically delete records of missing tracks so that extra metadata Mixxx might have (such as hot cues and beat grids) will not be lost in case the file is replaced.
The features in detail:
Select All button: Selects all tracks in the current view.
Purge button: Purges the selected tracks from the Mixxx library, but does not remove them from your computer. This will delete all metadata Mixxx has for a track.
6.3. Loading Tracks
Nuevo en la versión 2.0: You can drag tracks from deck to deck.
Tracks can be loaded into a deck in several ways:
Right-click the library track table: Right-clicking on a track in the table will present the options Load in Deck 1 and Load in Deck 2, among others. Making either selection will load a track into a deck.
By Using a Keyboard to load the selected track in the library track table.
Drag-and-drop from library track table: Dragging-and-dropping a track from the track table onto a waveform display will load the track into that deck.
Drag-and-drop from deck to deck: Once you’ve loaded a track to deck, sampler, or preview deck, click on the track title and drag it to another deck or sampler.
Drag-and-drop from external file browser: Dragging-and-dropping a track from an external file browser directly onto a waveform display in Mixxx will load that track. This function also works with some other applications. For example, on Mac OS X, dragging-and-dropping a track from iTunes onto one of Mixxx’s waveform displays will load it into that deck.
6.4. Finding Tracks (Search)
The search function filters the currently displayed list (e.g. a playlist, a crate, or even the whole library) for tracks that match your search query.
Activate the search input field by clicking in it or pressing CTRL + F (Windows/Linux) or CMD + F (Mac).
Type your search term(s). Mixxx filters the tracks as you type and shows only those matching the search term(s). Search terms can include an artist’s name, a song title, BPM, etc.
To clear the search string hit ESC or click the clear button right next to the input field.
Hit TAB to cycle between the search and the list of results in the library. Use the ARROW UP and ARROW DOWN keys to scroll in the list of results.
Nota
If the search input field has focus, the Mixxx keyboard shortcuts are disabled, see Using a Keyboard.
6.4.1. Using search operators
Search operators allow you to form more complex search queries. They allow you to limit certain search terms to particular properties of your tracks.
Nuevo en la versión 2.0: Adds location, album_artist, and key search keywords. Supports
human-readable time suffixes in time-based search query filters, e.g.
1:30
, 1m30s
, 1m30
, 90
, 90s
. Supports negative search
filters.
Mixxx supports the following filters:
Text filtering: artist, album, album_artist, genre, title, composer, comment, key, location
Numeric filtering: year, track, bpm, played, rating, bitrate, duration
Special filtering:
Supports fuzzy matching of key searches. The following example list tracks with harmonically compatible keys to C# minor.
~key:c#m
You can combine operators but there’s no way to do an “OR” search right now. The following example list all tracks by “Danger” over 3 minutes long that are rated 4 or 5.
artist:Danger duration:>3m rating:>=4
Negative search filters. Use the
-
prefix as negation operator. The following example would find “hip-hop“ from any year but 1990.genre:hip-hop -year:1990
Examples for text filtering |
Examples for numeric filtering |
Examples for duration filtering |
---|---|---|
artist: “com truise” |
bpm:140 |
duration:2m10 |
album:Danger |
bpm: >140 |
duration:<2:10 |
genre: Trance |
year: <2010 |
duration:>1m35s |
title: foo |
bpm: >=140 |
duration:>62 |
composer: foo |
rating: <=4 |
|
comment: foo |
bpm: 140-150 |
|
genre:hip-hop -genre:gangsta |
played: >10 |
|
Note it doesn’t matter if you have space between the colon and the argument or not. Quotes must be used for multi-word text arguments. |
Note that you can put a space after the colon but currently there must be no space between the operator and the number. |
Note that you can put a space after the colon but currently there must be no space between the operator and the number. |
6.5. Previewing Tracks
To pre-listen to a track, activate the Preview column in a library view. Clicking the icon in the library’s Preview column loads the selected track into a special Preview Deck that will only output sound in the headphones channel. Click the icon to stop the playback.
Alternatively, select a track from the track list of the Mixxx library, drag the track to the waveform view of the Preview Deck and click the Play button next to the waveform.
To display the Preview deck, press CTRL + 4 (Windows/Linux) or CMD + 4 (Mac).
6.6. Edit metadata of audio files
Mixxx reads relevant metadata from the tracks and displays them in the library columns. You are free to edit most metadata, and Mixxx offers a number of different ways to do so. Note that some information can not be edited, such as bitrate, size, length, type, filename, and location.
Nota
Mixxx does not support editing the metadata of many tracks at a time (bulk editing).
Advertencia
Changes to a track’s metadata will be saved to the Mixxx library, but not to the track itself. Mixxx wont touch your audio files to prevent data loss.
6.6.1. Manual Edit
- Track Inline editing:
Double-click on a field in the library. If the field is editable, it will become an editable text box. Enter a value and hit Enter when you are done.
- Properties editor:
Click on a single track in the library and select Properties to open the editor. Add or change values in the editable fields, and save your changes as explained below.
OK: Accept the changes and close the editor.
Apply: Accept the changes and leave the editor open.
Cancel: Discard the changes and close the editor.
Previous/Next: Load the previous or next track in the current library view.
Reload Track Metadata from File: Prompts Mixxx to re-read the metadata of the selected track (such as when you have modified it externally with another application.)
Reload Track Metadata from MusicBrainz: Look up metadata on-line by searching the MusicBrainz database. See below.
6.6.2. Using the MusicBrainz online database
Musicbrainz is an open-source music encyclopedia that collects music metadata and makes it available to the public.
The MusicBrainz wizard in Mixxx allows searching the MusicBrainz database and applying the results to your tracks.
Click on a single track in the library and select Get Metadata from MusicBrainz. Mixxx fetches track data from the MusicBrainz database and displays the search results.
Select the best match from the search results by clicking on it in the list.
Apply: Apply the selected MusicBrainz metadata to the track.
Close: Close the wizard.
Previous/Next: Load the previous or next track in the current library view and perform a MusicBrainz lookup on it as well.
- Fetching track metadata from MusicBrainz can fail:
if Mixxx is unable to find the specified track in the MusicBrainz database,
if Mixxx cannot reach the MusicBrainz servers (if they are down,)
or if you are not connected to the Internet.
Consejo
The MusicBrainz service has been designed for identifying full audio files. If a track is less than 2 minutes long, identifying the file will likely fail. Identifying a layered mix-track or mash-up may produce false positives in the result list.
6.6.3. Using third-party software
If you have modified file metadata in third-party software, select
in the menu on top of the application window. This prompts Mixxx to re-read the metadata from all tracks in the library.6.7. Auto DJ - Automate your mix
The Auto DJ queue is a special playlist that contains extra controls for automatic mixing. This is useful when taking a break from live mixing or for using Mixxx as media player.
The Auto DJ features in detail:
Shuffle button: Randomizes the order of tracks in the Auto DJ playlist.
Add Random button: Add random track from Auto DJ track sources.
Skip track button: Skips the next track in the Auto DJ playlist.
Fade now button: Triggers the transition to the next track.
Transition time spin-box: Determines the duration of the transition. A negative value will add a pause between tracks.
Enable Auto DJ button: Toggles the Auto DJ mode on or off.
The Skip track, Add Random and Fade now buttons are only accessible if the Auto DJ mode is enabled. The Search field in the upper left corner is disabled in Auto DJ. By default, Auto DJ removes tracks after playing them but if you want it to play the same tracks over and over again, you can activate the Auto DJ Requeue option in .
Auto DJ Crates
Nuevo en la versión 2.0.
It is possible to add random tracks to the bottom of the Auto DJ playlist. The tracks are chosen from a set of crates that you have set as a source for Auto DJ, or from the standard library. Mixxx will normally try to select tracks that haven’t yet been played. You can set a minimum number of tracks that are always available for selection no matter when they were last played in
.Ver también
For more information, go to the chapter Using Auto DJ For Automatic Mixing.
6.8. Playlists - Arranging tracks in a set order
Playlists are ordered lists of tracks that allow you to plan your DJ sets. Some DJs construct playlists before they perform live; others prefer to build them on-the-fly.
Playlists are not directly loadable into decks as Mixxx is primarily intended for live, attended performance use. However, you can right-click a playlist to queue it to Auto DJ, so in a sense you can «play» it.
Create a playlist: Right-click on the Playlists sidebar item and select New playlist. Name the playlist and click OK.
Add Tracks: Add tracks to a previously created playlist by dragging-and-dropping a selection of tracks from the library or playlists onto the name of a playlist in the sidebar. Alternatively, use the right-click context menu in the library’s track list.
Nuevo en la versión 2.0.
Analyze Playlist option in the context menu.
Import playlists by dragging-and-dropping them into a playlist in the sidebar.
Import playlist and Export playlist context menu options remember the last selected playlist directory.
The total number of tracks and total duration are displayed next to the playlist’s name.
Right-click on an existing playlist name to access the different features in the context menu:
Add to Auto DJ: Adds the content of the playlist to the Auto DJ queue for automatic mixing.
Rename: To rename a playlist, just enter a new playlist name and click OK.
Duplicate: Sometimes you want to build a playlist based on an existing one. Select the playlist you would like to duplicate, choose Duplicate Playlist, name the new playlist and click OK.
Remove: Removes an unlocked playlist. Tracks that were in the playlist remain in the library for later use.
Lock: This icon indicates a locked playlist. If a playlist is locked, you cannot add tracks, rename or delete the playlist. Choose Unlock from the context menu to unlock the playlist.
Analyze entire playlist: Forces the analysis of the tracks in the playlist in the Analyze view.
Import playlist: Import tracks from external playlists in various file formats to a new Mixxx playlist. For more information, go to iTunes, Traktor, Rhythmbox, Banshee - Using external libraries.
Export playlist: Export a playlist to various file formats such as
m3u
,pls
, orcsv
. This allows you to use the data in other applications.
6.9. Crates - Organizing tracks into collections
Crates are unordered collections of tracks, just like DJ cases holding your favorite records.
Create a crate: Right-click on the Crates sidebar item and select New Crate. Name the crate and click OK.
Add Tracks: Add tracks to a previously created crate by dragging-and-dropping a selection of tracks from the library or playlists onto the name of a crate in the sidebar. Alternatively use the context menu in the library’s track list.
Nuevo en la versión 2.0.
Analyze Crate and Auto DJ Track Source context menu options.
Import crate and Export crate context menu options remember the last selected playlist directory.
Displays the total number of tracks and the total duration next to the crate’s name.
Right-click on an existing crate’s name to access the different features in the context menu:
Rename: To rename a crate, enter the new crate name and click OK.
Duplicate: Just like playlists you can duplicate an existing crate. Select the crate you would like to duplicate, choose Duplicate Crate, name the new crate and click OK.
Remove: Removes an unlocked crate. Tracks in the crate are still available in the library for later use.
Lock: This icon indicates a locked crate. If a crate is locked, you cannot add tracks, rename or delete the crate. Choose Unlock from the context menu to unlock the crate.
Auto DJ Track Source: Use this crate as a source for random tracks in Auto DJ, see Auto DJ crates .
Analyze entire crate: Forces the analysis of the crate in the Analyze view.
Import crate: Import tracks from external playlists in various file formats to a new Mixxx crate.
Export crate: Export a crate to various file formats, such as
m3u
,pls
, orcsv
. This allows you to use the data in other applications.
6.9.1. Crates vs. Playlists
Crates are unordered collections of tracks. Unlike playlists, they cannot contain duplicate entries and do not support arranging tracks within them.
Often DJs group tracks by genre, keep lists of favorite tracks, and/or prepare lists of tracks they want to play at a particular party. In these cases they rarely care about the order since they will choose it at the party based on the dance floor and mood. They certainly don’t want duplicates in these lists. Crates serve these purposes. You can think of them like labels in GMail or Web 2.0 tags for your music.
If however you want to plan out a specific set and practice the transitions, you will want an ordered list of tracks. Playlists serve this purpose.
6.10. Browse - Loading remote tracks
Browse mode works like a file manager and allows you to load tracks from anywhere on your computer that are not necessarily already in your Mixxx library.
Nuevo en la versión 2.0: Add music directories directly from the Browse sidebar item.
Click the Browse sidebar item to navigate the computer and find your music. Depending on your operating system, your music will usually be found in the “My Music” or “Music” folder. Drag the files you want to import to the Library icon or directly to the Waveform Displays.
Nota
Currently you can only drag files (not folders) to the Mixxx library.
Right-click on a folder and choose Add to Library to add the folder as an additional music directory. Mixxx will watch this directory and its subdirectories for new tracks.
Ver también
For more informations, go to Changing music directories.
6.10.1. Quick Links - Bookmark your favorite folders
Using the Quick Links sub-menu you can bookmark folders for direct access. Click the Browse sidebar item and navigate to the folder you would like to bookmark. Right-click and choose Add to Quick Links. The folder is now pinned below the Quick Links. To un-pin that folder, right-click and choose Remove from Quick Links.
6.11. Recordings
In this section of the library you can start and stop recording your session as well as view previous recordings and the dates they were made.
Ver también
For more information, go to Recording Your Mix.
6.12. History - Keep track of your sessions
The history section automatically keeps a list of tracks you play in your DJ sets. This is handy for remembering what worked in your DJ sets, posting set-lists, or reporting your plays to licensing organizations. Every time you start Mixxx, a new history section is created. If you don’t play any tracks during the session, it will be discarded.
This icon indicates the current session.
Nuevo en la versión 2.0.
Create new history playlist context menu option.
Export playlist context menu option remember the last selected playlist directory.
Click on the History icon in the sidebar to switch to the History view, then right-click on a session’s name/date to access the different features:
Add to Auto DJ: Adds the content of the session to the Auto DJ queue for automatic mixing.
Rename: Rename a session. The default is the calendar date (YYYY-MM-DD).
Remove: Remove a previous (unlocked) session. (You cannot remove the current session.)
Lock: Protect a previous session against accidental merge or deletion. An icon indicates a locked session.
Create new history playlist: Split off the current history session and add a new session without having to restart Mixxx. The current history must contain at least one track for this option to be available.
Join with previous: Append the selected history session to the end of the previous one.
Export playlist: Export a session in various file formats. This allows you to use the data in other applications.
6.13. Analyze - Prepare your tracks
This section allows you to analyze your tracks in advance of loading them into a deck. Analyzing tracks requires considerable CPU power and may cause skips in the audio while performing, so it helps to have your tracks analyzed before you play. See Analyze your library for details.
6.14. iTunes, Traktor, Rhythmbox, Banshee - Using external libraries
Supported libraries:
iTunes (Windows, Mac OS X)
Traktor (Windows, Mac OS X),
Rhythmbox (GNU/Linux)
Banshee (Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux)
Nuevo en la versión 2.0: Support for Banshee music player
The external library views allow you to use music libraries you have created in these third-party applications. You can access music as well as playlists. If available, Mixxx automatically loads the external libraries from their default locations on your hard drive.
Nota
Playing a track from an external library will add it to your Mixxx library.
Right-click on the iTunes icon in the Library tree and select
Choose Library to load the iTunes Music Library.xml
from a
different location. Select Use Default Library to reset.
Right-click on a iTunes/Traktor/Rhythmbox/Banshee playlist and choose Import Playlist to import it into a new Mixxx playlist.
If you have an iTunes configuration file (
*.xml
) from a Windows or Mac partition mounted in Linux, you can load it and use your iTunes tracks and playlists as well.
Ver también
External libraries can be disabled under
.