Guides / Recording DJ sets, vinyl and instruments
How to record a Traktor mix on a Mac
Tested on macOS 26.4.1 (Tahoe), Apple M3 Max, 3 Sept 2026. Updated 2026-09-03.
Traktor Pro records a mix with its Mix Recorder, opened from the Audio Recorder panel in the Global Section. Set the Mix Recorder Source to Internal for internal mixing, or External with the mixer's REC OUT cabled into an input pair for external mixing. Files land in ~/Music/Traktor/Recordings. The Loop Recorder is a different tool and never writes your set to disk.
How do you record in Traktor with internal mixing?
Native Instruments' support article gives four steps, quoted here because the menu names matter:
- "Set the Mixing Mode to Internal in the Output Routing tab of the TRAKTOR Preferences."
- "In the Mix Recorder Preferences, set the Source to Internal."
- "Open the Audio Recorder Panel in TRAKTOR's Global Section. It's at the same place in the user interface as the second FX Panel." Click the tape symbol to reveal it.
- "You can now start your recording by hitting the Record button."
On a Mac the default directory is Macintosh HD > Users > your user name > Music > Traktor > Recordings, and the takes also appear in the Audio Recordings node of the Traktor browser. The directory can be changed under Preferences > Mix Recorder.
One limit from the same article: "TRAKTOR's Mix Recorder function is not available in LE versions of the software." If your controller shipped with Traktor LE, you record externally or upgrade.
Why is the Loop Recorder not recording my set?
Because it is not meant to. Traktor has two recorders side by side in the Global Section and their names confuse people. The Loop Recorder captures a short loop of the running mix so you can play it back and layer it live; it is a performance tool, and it never saves a two hour mix. The Mix Recorder (the Audio Recorder panel with the tape symbol) is the one that writes a file of the whole set.
Symptoms that you pressed the wrong one: the recording stops by itself after a few bars, a loop starts playing back over your mix, or there is no new file in ~/Music/Traktor/Recordings afterwards. The fix is simply to open the Audio Recorder panel instead, check that the Mix Recorder Source in Preferences matches your mixing mode, and press its Record button.
If you did record a set and cannot find it, check Preferences > Mix Recorder for the directory first, then the Audio Recordings node in the browser, before assuming the take is lost.
How do you record in Traktor with an external mixer?
With external mixing, Traktor's decks go to separate outputs of your audio interface and the mix happens in a hardware mixer. Traktor then has to be fed the mixed signal to record it. NI's article for the AUDIO 8 DJ shows the pattern, which applies to any interface with a spare input pair:
- "Connect the recording output (REC OUT) of your external mixer to Input 7/8 (Channel D) of the AUDIO 8 DJ." On another interface, use any free line input pair.
- "Go to Preferences > Input Routing and Set Input Channel D to Input 7 and Input 8."
- "In the Preferences > Mix Recorder, set your Source to External and External Input to Input Deck D."
- Open the Audio Recorder panel and press Record.
This costs you an input deck and two interface inputs. It also means Traktor only records if Traktor is running and healthy. The alternative is to record that same REC OUT pair with a separate app on the Mac, which keeps recording if Traktor crashes; the general method is in record a DJ mix with an audio interface.
When should you record Traktor with a separate app instead?
Three cases:
- You run Traktor LE, which has no Mix Recorder.
- You mix externally and would rather not give up an input deck and the Input Routing setup.
- You want a file that includes a mic, hardware effects on the mixer, or a turntable, and you want it to survive a Traktor crash.
In all three you take the mixer's REC OUT or BOOTH OUT (or a controller's spare MASTER pair) into two line inputs of a USB interface and record that pair with a recorder that lets you choose the channels. The author does this with a Pioneer DDJ-SZ into line inputs 3 and 4 of a Focusrite Scarlett 8i6, channel pair 3-4, 24-bit. At 24-bit 48 kHz that is 16.5 MB per minute, about 2 GB for a two hour set.
Do not expect Mac system audio capture to help: with Traktor's output assigned to an interface or controller, nothing plays through the Mac's default output and a ScreenCaptureKit recorder hears silence. Serato behaves the same way, see record Serato on a Mac. The interface choice itself is covered in which audio interface you need.
Open the Audio Recorder Panel in TRAKTOR's Global Section. It's at the same place in the user interface as the second FX Panel.
Native Instruments, Recording in Internal Mixer Mode in TRAKTOR
Ways to record a Traktor set on a Mac
| Method | Works with Traktor LE | Mixing mode | Uses an input deck | Survives a Traktor crash | Includes mixer mic and hardware FX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mix Recorder, Source Internal | No | Internal | No | No | No |
| Mix Recorder, Source External (REC OUT into interface) | No | External | Yes | No | Yes |
| Separate recorder on the same REC OUT input pair | Yes | Either | No | Yes | Yes |
| Loop Recorder | n/a | Either | No | n/a | Does not save a set |
Mix Recorder behaviour from Native Instruments support articles linked below.
Where AirCheck fits
AirCheck ($39, macOS 14 or newer) is the separate-recorder option in the table: select the interface, pick the channel pair the REC OUT is cabled to (pair 3-4 on the author's Scarlett 8i6), and record 24-bit with no length limit; export to WAV or MP3 320 kbps when you stop. It runs independently of Traktor, so a Traktor crash or a LE licence does not cost you the recording, and its watchdog restarts a stalled USB capture into the same file.
When you do not need it: If you mix internally in Traktor Pro with no mic and no external gear, the Mix Recorder with Source set to Internal is free and records the same software master. Use that.
AirCheck records what your Mac plays, or any input, to one file. $39 once.
macOS 14 or newer. One-off payment. Fourteen-day refund, no questions asked.
Questions people ask
Where does Traktor save recordings on a Mac?
By default in Macintosh HD > Users > your user name > Music > Traktor > Recordings, per Native Instruments. The takes also show under the Audio Recordings node in the browser. Change the folder under Preferences > Mix Recorder.
What is the difference between the Loop Recorder and the Mix Recorder in Traktor?
The Mix Recorder (Audio Recorder panel, tape symbol) writes your whole set to a file. The Loop Recorder captures a short loop of the mix for live playback and layering. Only the Mix Recorder produces a recording of the set.
Can Traktor LE record a mix?
No. Native Instruments states the Mix Recorder is not available in LE versions. Record the mixer or controller output through an audio interface with a separate recorder, or upgrade to Traktor Pro.
Why is my Traktor recording silent in external mixing mode?
The Mix Recorder Source is still Internal, or the REC OUT is cabled to inputs that are not assigned in Preferences > Input Routing. Set Source to External and select the input deck that receives the REC OUT.
Sources
- Native Instruments: Recording in Internal Mixer Mode in TRAKTOR
- Native Instruments: Record a mix in TRAKTOR using an external mixer and the AUDIO 8 DJ
- Focusrite: Scarlett 8i6 3rd Gen (line inputs 3-6)
Related guides
- How to record a DJ mix on a Mac with an audio interface
- How to record Serato DJ Pro on a Mac
- What audio interface do you need to record a DJ set on a Mac?
- How to record rekordbox on a Mac, and where the recordings go
- How to record vinyl to a Mac
- How to record a Pioneer DDJ controller on a Mac
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