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How to record rekordbox on a Mac, and where the recordings go

Tested on macOS 26.4.1 (Tahoe), Apple M3 Max, 3 Sept 2026. Updated 2026-09-03.

rekordbox on a Mac records your mix with its built-in REC panel in Performance mode. The file is WAV at 44.1 kHz 16-bit, and rekordbox starts a new file every 3 hours. The save folder is shown under Preferences > Recordings > Location of Files. Record outside rekordbox only when you need 24-bit, a microphone or hardware effects in the file.

How do you record a mix in rekordbox?

rekordbox has its own recorder, so for a plain controller mix you do not need a second app.

  1. Switch rekordbox to Performance mode with your controller connected.
  2. Open the REC panel.
  3. Check the master meter while playing your loudest track. Keep the peaks out of the red; a clipped WAV cannot be repaired.
  4. Click the record button before your first track, and stop it after the last one.
  5. Find the file in the Recordings category of the browser tree, and on disk in the folder set under Preferences.

Pioneer DJ's FAQ lists the recording format as WAV at 44.1 kHz 16-bit, so a two hour set is a large WAV that you convert afterwards. At 16-bit 44.1 kHz the author's measured rate is 10.1 MB per minute, about 1.2 GB for two hours.

Where do rekordbox recordings go on a Mac?

The location is not fixed, which is why people lose recordings. Pioneer DJ's FAQ says to check it in Preferences: in Export mode under [Preferences] > [Advanced] > [Recordings] > [Recordings] > [Location of Files], and in Performance mode under the Controller section of Preferences. Click Browse there to move recordings somewhere sensible, for example ~/Music/DJ mixes.

Two behaviours from the same FAQ that surprise people:

If you moved the folder and rekordbox shows nothing, use Finder's search for files ending in .wav modified today; the file is there, rekordbox just lost the path.

What does the rekordbox recorder not capture?

The REC panel records the mix rekordbox itself computes. Anything that only exists in the hardware is missing:

The fix for all three is to record the analog output of the controller or mixer instead: MASTER or BOOTH out into an audio interface, then a recorder on the Mac that reads that input. The general procedure with levels and channel pairs is in record a DJ mix with an audio interface, and the controller specific version in record a Pioneer DDJ controller.

How do you record rekordbox in 24-bit or higher quality?

The rekordbox recorder is fixed at 16-bit 44.1 kHz. If you want 24-bit, or you want to keep the mic and hardware effects, record outside rekordbox from the controller's analog output. The author's setup: Pioneer DDJ-SZ MASTER OUT into line inputs 3 and 4 of a Focusrite Scarlett 8i6, AirCheck set to channel pair 3-4, 24-bit at the interface rate. The longest take in that library is 2 h 5 min at 24-bit 48 kHz and is 2.07 GB.

Whether 24-bit is worth it for a DJ mix is debatable. It gives you headroom to record with peaks well below 0 dBFS and normalize later; 16-bit is fine if your levels are already right. Read 16-bit vs 24-bit before buying hardware for it.

Do not try to "record rekordbox with Audacity" through the Mac's system audio unless you have a virtual driver installed; Audacity cannot see system audio on macOS on its own. A ScreenCaptureKit recorder can capture rekordbox's output directly, but that again gives you the software mix without the mic.

The maximum recording time per a file is 3 hours.

Pioneer DJ, rekordbox FAQ

Recording a rekordbox set: built-in recorder vs external capture

MethodFormatIncludes controller mic and hardware FXExtra hardwareFile split
rekordbox REC panelWAV 44.1 kHz 16-bitNoNoneEvery 3 hours
System audio recorder on the Mac (ScreenCaptureKit)24-bit at 48 kHzNoNoneNone
Controller MASTER or BOOTH out into an interface24-bit at interface rateYesInterface with line inputsNone (disk space only)

rekordbox format and split from Pioneer DJ's FAQ; system audio rate measured on the author's Mac.

Where AirCheck fits

AirCheck ($39, macOS 14 or newer) is the external route: it records any Core Audio input, including an interface fed by the controller's MASTER OUT, at 24-bit with a channel-pair picker, and exports WAV or MP3 320 kbps when the take stops. It has no 3 hour split and no length limit, and it restarts a stalled USB capture into the same file. It can also capture rekordbox's system audio via ScreenCaptureKit without a virtual driver, which is a quick way to get a 24-bit 48 kHz file of the software mix.

When you do not need it: If you mix in rekordbox with no mic and no hardware effects, the built-in REC panel is free and enough. Just move the Location of Files somewhere you will find it.

AirCheck records what your Mac plays, or any input, to one file. $39 once.

Buy AirCheck for $39

macOS 14 or newer. One-off payment. Fourteen-day refund, no questions asked.

Questions people ask

Where do rekordbox recordings go on Mac?

Open Preferences and look under Recordings for Location of Files (Advanced section in Export mode, Controller section in Performance mode). That folder holds the WAV files, named by date and time. Click Browse to change it.

What format does rekordbox record in?

WAV at 44.1 kHz 16-bit, according to Pioneer DJ's FAQ. Convert to MP3 afterwards if you need a small file. At that format the author's measured rate is 10.1 MB per minute, about 600 MB per hour.

How do you record on rekordbox on a MacBook?

Same as on any Mac: Performance mode, open the REC panel, set your levels, press record. On a MacBook make sure the display does not sleep mid set; rekordbox keeps running, but a USB controller on a hub can drop when the Mac idles.

Can I record rekordbox with Audacity on a Mac?

Only with a virtual audio driver such as BlackHole installed, because Audacity cannot capture system audio on macOS by itself. Even then you get the software mix, not the controller mic. Use the REC panel or record the controller's analog output instead.

Sources

Hannes Hennerbichler builds AirCheck and records his own DJ sets with it through a Focusrite Scarlett 8i6. Every step on this page was run on the macOS version stated above. Drafted with AI assistance, checked and edited by the author. About