No more XML export in Rekordbox 6, blocks Denon Prime users to access their Rekordbox collection

Legacy Products Engine PRIME
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XML implications/limitations of the new Rekordbox 6 essential read if you convert between Rekordbox and other DJ software!

Pioneer DJ just released the long-awaited Rekordbox 6. I’m not going to dive into the latest features of RB, I’m sure Pioneer DJ will take care of that.

There is one feature missing from Rekordbox 6 which is essential to artists who convert between various DJ software and use Rekordbox as their base of operation:

The possibility to export the collection to XML

No longer can the Rekordbox collection be exported to an XML file, which can then serve as a blueprint for further conversion. All conversion apps are hit by the demise of the XML export, not just my tools but also tools like Engine Prime’s native XML import and Rekordbox.

Side note: for now the reading of a Rekordbox prepared CDJ USB drive still works.

Because Rekordbox 6 has a completely new database format that is encrypted, there is no way to access your Rekordbox collection data anymore outside the Pioneer DJ realm.

To complicate things even more, the now-famous Rekordbox XML import bug still exists as well.

Tracks that are already part of the Rekordbox collection won’t import metadata from the XML. Regardless of where that XML file originated from, including XML’s generated by Rekordbox itself see this demonstration

Pioneer DJ has acknowledged the existence of the bug back in October 2019 https://forums.pioneerdj.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/360053170652-Rekordbox-5-7-0-stil-got-XML-import-issues-, and promised me to fix it asap.

Because the database of Rekordbox 6 differs from Rekordbox 5.X there is no way to use the old workaround of using two Rekordbox versions on one computer:

  • Rekordbox 5.6.0 to import XML data
  • Latest version of Rekordbox 5.8.X to do all daily jobs

This was only possible because all versions of Rekordbbox 5.X shared the same database.

Call to arms:

I ask all DJs regardless if they use my tools or not, ask Pioneer DJ to bring the export to XML function back, and while at it, ask them to fix the XML import. Don’t go mad at Pulse of the Pioneer DJ forum, he is strongly in the “bring XML import back camp” already. We need to convince Japan about the importance of this feature.

For those who want to go to Rekordbox 6, I’ve developed a procedure you can use to import XML data kind of reliably. It is not as smooth as the 5.6.0 old import was and, with the release version of Rekordbox 6 I was capable to make it crash 100% reproducible the 2nd import round. Of course, Pioneer DJ has been informed.

the new import XML procedure can be viewed here:

To everyone who relies on multiple DJ software, I can only recommend to stay on Rekordbox 5.6.0.

Don’t forget, tonight

Ask Me Anything collection management and conversion for DJ’s

Meet me at this link:

Tuesday, April 14th at 7:00 PM CET (=Amsterdam Time)

End time depends on the number of questions.

The previous streams can be viewed here:

The stream’s Facebook event page is here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/241173213596387/

Leave any questions you may have in the comment section prior to the stream and I’ll be happy to answer them

If you can’t attend the stream, it will be available on YouTube at the link above.

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Won’t this mean that any pioneer machine that ever used rekordbox, like some 15 year old pioneer DJ-XYZT is going to need new firmware releases by pioneer to read the new rekordbox data format?

The way pioneer release new models every few months with tiny difference on them, they might have to release new firmware for 20 to 30 models, if that’s the case.

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For now the desktop software database seems to be encrypted. I presume the export to USB-stick is still in the old format.

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This is about the Rekordbox collection, not CDJ USB performance drives.

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So, that’s the end of desktop “convert my whole library from rekordbox” applications then? They won’t convert rekordbox any more. I think pioneer have shot themselves in the foot, and possibly the head too. …

If I could chop and change between several formats EXCEPT one, I’d just avoid that one format in hardware, software and loyalty terms. Pioneer have actively made themselves an ATM/cash point that gives out notes that can only be spent in the store chain that the ATM was outside of. That’s crazy. The odd bit of loyalty that they’re trying to enforce will be tiny compared to the thousands that yell “foul !!!”

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That’s really bad news for anyone using rekordbox to prepare music that is going to be played on the prime gear.

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It looks like the high end users (with CDJs and DJMs) are all up in arms about RB6 because they’ve now been locked out and will need to pay a subscription to use their hardware with RB6.

Cue Pioneer users “changing their rider”?

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Yep. It depends on which hardware, but most shall need subscription.

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Not really… prepare and export USB in Rekordbox -> Plug into Prime gear and convert.

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There is one feature missing from Rekordbox 6 which is essential to artists who convert between various DJ software and use Rekordbox as their base of operation:

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In theory, that’s fine. But using the conversion software that gets censored here (really?!) works way better and faster than having to rely on the Prime’s internal analysis of rekordbox drives.

Truth is, rekordbox is lightyears ahead of Engine Prime. No diss, they just started a few years earlier :slight_smile:

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Can I diss? They did started in 2012, they just suddenly decided in 2016 to start from scratch.

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A great power move would be to buy Dropbox, then Pioneer would have to work with Denon DJ or rewrite part of Rekordbox 6.0.

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For many years I have been advocating that DJ software developers would “free” the work that DJ’s put into their collections, rather than keep them hostage by preventing any kind of conversion.

It isn’t all that long ago that if you wanted to switch from one hardware platform (i.e. Traktor) to another (i.e. Pioneer) that you needed to start your collection from scratch. At that time Serato for example was tied to only a very select collection of hardware. So if you wanted to use Serato, you needed to buy that exact kind of software.

The last few years has seen tremendous developments, more and more allowing DJ’s to have that freedom to use the platform(s) they prefer for their collection management and track preparation workflow on the one hand and preparing portable sets to work in the specific hardware/software they are faced with when playing out. This was done through both manufacturers work and through third-party tools.

It really felt like we had permanently turned the page and our hard work in setting beat grids straight, marking cue points and loops and all the other things we do with our collection was finally ours. To use independent of what brand hardware or what software we wanted to use. To not feel locked in by manufacturers in some nasty ploy to make the effort of switching so high that it becomes very inhibitive to make the switch.

Now, however, Pioneer seems to make a u-turn and wants to go back to the stone ages of digital DJ’s by locking in their customers through kidnapping of all their hard work.

I can only say one thing: S H A M E O N Y O U ! ! !

These are modern times, what should make your customers stay your customers is producing a product they want to continue using, not building roadblocks to prevent them from easily migrating to something else should they so desire.

A former employer once told me, as a young sales rep: “I only want customers that want to be our customers”.

And I am sure there will be tons of discussions about how they want to protect their intellectual property and thus have encrypted their database. But really, we don’t want to know about their database. All we need is a proper 2-way XML synchronization in place. We (the marketplace) will take care of the rest.

I hope they come to their senses really quick.

My 3 cents as usual and my totally personal opinion.

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Pioneers nasty sneaky U-turn on the database conversion is yet another thing that makes me think that they are feeling insecure and don’t have any new hardware coming out to maintain or win customers.

If pioneer had some new replacement for the nexus two (shall we refer to it as a nexus 3, as pioneer show even less innovation in their product names as they do in their products) then they wouldn’t need to make lockouts in their databases to try and imprison customers, the customers would stay and come onboard because of the new toys, not because they didn’t fancy having to start from scratch on hot cues and loops.

Still pioneers dirty tricks doesn’t stop a prime reading a pioneer memory stick, so for pioneer users wanting modern technology, buy a prime.

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I seen a lot of complaints already from rekordbox users and especially from the dvs and video package. They need subscriptions in order to use 6th version if the want to keep the video plugin running or stick to last 5th release, that will not be developed further. So I think that, many users will jump to serato dj + video - pioneer loses their customers once again… A good example of bad marketing…

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I think the topic / title should be corrected to “…blocks Engine Prime users”… rather than “blocks Denon Prime”

A usb stick prepared in Rekordbox 6 will still work in Engine OS SC5000, Prime4, Prime2 etc right?

Engine Prime is the desktop app

Engine OS is the hardware

Denon Prime ? Hardware? Desktop? Entire ecosystem?

:ok_hand:t5:

Musings

XML import times in Rekordbox is the worst thing in life.

I remember using the excellent conversion utility to convert my Serato library to a Rekordbox ready xml . That took me 30 mins.

Then to import that XML into Rekordbox…it took a Week. (I cant even remember if i completed it)

I started on Sunday and by Friday it was still importing :sweat_smile:. My library was 60k tracks.

That and the fact they didn’t offer mix media playlist then was the reason i never switched.

Perhaps when the smoke clears, developers will find a way to read the new database.

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Hi all,

I’m using Rekordbox 6 only and want to move to prime. I can’t believe they removed export xml

I’m wondering if I export my entire collection to a SSD and plug that into a sc5000 and let it convert, would I then be able to plug that drive into my Mac and import everything into engine prime? I really don’t want to lose all my cues and loops you see

Any advise on this would be greatly appreciated

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if you mean you export your collection to a SSD as CDJ USB then this will work. But you are going to miss out on a lot:

  • Hot cues (no hot loops)
  • Memory loops (no memory cues)
  • no grid /bpm from Rekordbox (Rekordbox doesn’t write the analyzed BPM value to the track’s file tags so only if that tag was populated from some other software EP has something to hang it’s hat on)

You can even take it a step further. and import that SSD into Rekordbox 5.6.0 (the most compatible version) and you have XML export back.

I take it you are aware that there is an alternative to EP’s native conversion that will convert all cues/loops and the (static!) RB beatgrid with exact BPM.

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Hi Peter

Thanks for your very quick response. I don’t mind if I lose memory cues but I would need my hot cues and playlists to remain.

If I were to export my RB6 collection to an SSD just like a CDJ stick and then download version 5.6.0, can I then import everything into RB5 and use the export xml into engine prime?

I am aware of your products and used one of your utilities a few years ago when engine prime was first released. I think it was ■■■■ but that was on a old machine I no longer use

I am just trying to work out the easiest way to move my complete library into engine prime