Anyone know of a better way to get updated playlists from Itunes into Engine prime? Each time I ‘Update Library’ the import and artwork sync feature goes through ALL tracks taking something like 30m + to complete. Is there a way for it just to go through the tracks that have changed rather than everything each time?
If you are on MacOS, there exists an alternative that only transfers selected iTunes playlist(s) and/or playlistfolder(s).
Sure . Take a look at Rekordcloud. It’s really good. Windows and Mac and does lots of things, like stripping acapellas and music from ordinary tracks and a whole bundle of more rather than just simple conversion
@S_Anderson Rekordcloud (RC) is great software, made by a very helpful fellow Dutch developer. But in essence it’s a collection manager with a lot of extra functionality. RC lacks native Engine Prime support, which is not part of the RC roadmap.
Even when using RC as collection manager, sooner or later you have to rely on EP’s native “conversion” capabilities to get that data in the Prime ecosystem. iTunes is not part of the software supported by RC. So this is no solution or relevant for @cstennett’s original question.
You’re Wrong.
I have been speaking/emailing with the developer of Rekordcloud just a few days ago and he’s looking at adding not just a bit of compatibility, but a full integration of Engine Prime. At the moment, I’ve used Rekordcloud to convert to Serato and then let Engine Prime read the serato database into engine. The extra functions in Rekordcloud are really astounding.
I heard about Rekordcloud on another site recently where it’s being talked about really positively by a lot of people. I emailed the developer just two days ago about engine prime compatibility being added to his program, which is like a Swiss Army knife for digital DJs , and his reply was very positive and mentioned “in a few months”.
The Rekordcloud program, which has dozens of utilities has a monthly charge, which I don’t usually like, but if or when you cancel the monthly subscription then, nothing in your music or data gets undone. So if you just want to convert and tidy up your tracks and tags etc and that tidying up takes you two months you only subscribe for two months.
In a few months time, when Rekordcloud adds full engine prime integration, in both its windows and Mac versions, it’s going to be the first significant engagement tool for a lot of DJs including windows.
No exact date given for Engine prime full integration, but we’re used to that from Denon 
. But all prime users can use Rekordcloud right now for all its utilities and load their iTunes data into engine prime via Rekordclouds conversion to serato or traktor which engine prime already reads in.
Not quite sure how that makes it easier than the ATGR solution which already offers two-way sync between the other major DJ software platforms and EP. Sounds like you have to go iTunes to Rekordcloud, then to Serato/Traktor, then to EP. How about the other way back? I think that is a major issue. If you add something/change something when playing out, you want that stuff to change in your original environment too, right?
The thing here -imho- is that there are two separate “tools” us digital DJ’s use:
- Collection management tool. This is where we make sure our tracks are tagged correctly, title, artist, genre, label art, and so on. This is also where we make our playlists, crates and the likes.
- Track preparation tool. Here you set cues, loops and other annotations that you want to enhance the usability of the track once in a media player (whichever kind). It’s also where we can try out mixes, key changes and such (not a chance of doing that in good ole iTunes/Music app).
There are several options for 1), from iTunes to various third-party options. With iTunes being available for both Windows and Mac, independent of any and all DJ software and hardware manufacturer, yet with full integration with all DJ software, this is certainly a viable platform. Also the option to do collection management, like creating a crate for tomorrow’s gig from your iPad sitting on your couch is a plus in my opinion. You CAN of course forego iTunes or any other collection management tool entirely and do all that stuff in your DJ software of choice. Also totally feasible and easy. It’s a personal choice, I think, and everyone should pick the one they prefer.
For 2) any self-respecting DJ software will do. EP, Serato, RekordBox, Virtual DJ, Traktor, DJay Pro, Mixvibes Cross (certainly a contender now that version 4.x has plug-in FX support!) and more all will do the trick. Each with it’s own beat gridding algorithm, key detection (if you are not using the venerable Platinum Notes), cues and loops with or without color and naming options. Again, totally personal preference.
What makes these times so interesting, is that it is becoming increasingly feasible to have your preferred workflow, based on the choices for your 1) and 2) type tool, while making it relatively easy to take your gig “crate” or your entire collection, including all your track prep work, to another platform.
And that is where 3rd party software still comes in. Even with the big steps I see EP making, it still may never be your personal favorite, but that is really more and more irrelevant. Prepare your collection and tracks the way you were already used to, create a medium to use in a Denon DJ environment (or one that allows you to also play on the “other” brands with only one USB-stick 
). Make changes on the gear and then sync those changes, as well as your history back to your preferred environment.
I really love the freedom that gives. And no longer feeling like the hardware/software manufacturers are hijacking your hard work to keep you limited to playing on only their gear/software.
That said, it seems that RekordBox 6 is locking up their database to do just that again. In my most personal and modest opinion it’s a sign of weakness and fear if a manufacturer feels they need to lock their customers down this way to keep them from using other platforms. You should have confidence that your customers like your stuff so good that they will voluntarily stay with you, even with the option of venturing out and trying/working other platforms if curiosity and/or need presents itself.
Just my three cents as usual.
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