Rekordbox Mobile vs. Rekordbox Desktop: Which is best for DJs?

Rekordbox is one of the biggest names in DJ software. It’s one of the most popular choices for DJ performances as it works with loads of different gear from beginner to pro, and it’s the software powering club-standard CDJ setups. Basically, pretty much every DJ will end up using rekordbox to some extent or another.

There’s also a rekordbox app that’s been around for a while, bringing this powerful DJ software to mobile users as well. At first, this was just focused on library management so you could keep track of your tracks on the go, but in recent years, Pioneer DJ has added loads of performance features to make it a fully-fledged DJ software.

So, how does it compare to its desktop older brother? We’ll compare the desktop and mobile versions of rekordbox to see if it really stacks up and is a viable replacement or if you’re best just sticking with a computer.  

Library Management & Preparation

One of rekordbox’s biggest draws is its library management. Even if you never touch any of the performance features, you’ll need to analyse and manage your tracks in rekordbox to get them to play on Pioneer/AlphaTheta gear like CDJs you’ll find in pretty much every club. 

Rekordbox Mobile gives you a more stripped-back and streamlined approach to library and track management. It’s more focused on quickly preparing a few tracks while you’re on the go rather than any major en-masse library management. You can, however, still import tracks, create playlists, set cue points, and adjust beat grids directly from your mobile device.

In terms of exporting tracks, you’re limited to just using Cloud Library Sync or Wi-Fi-based transfers to compatible Pioneer DJ hardware. With Mobile Library Sync, you can connect to a device on the same network and transfer tracks over. Any edits you’ve made to metadata, like cue points, will be saved and transferred across as well. However, you can’t directly export to storage devices like USB drives or SD cards.

Rekordbox Desktop, on the other hand, offers you the complete set of library management tools. The track analysis is much more in-depth and allows you to add ‘Intelligent Cues’ and will point out where vocals are in a track, as well as give an indication of the overall energy level. The organisation side is more fleshed-out as well and lets you add custom tags, colours, ratings and ‘Intelligent Playlists’, which automatically update with tunes based on rules you can set.  

Another big difference on the desktop version is being able to batch analyse and edit your tracks. This means you can adjust the meta data of multiple different tracks simultaneously, which if you’ve got a biug library of tunes is a hige time-saver.   

When it comes to cloud management on desktop, you’ve got mopre options as well. You can, unlike on mobile, directly upload tracks to the clioud from your device with Cloud Library Sync and you get the option to either move tracks to local storage or the cloud. 

Performance Features

Rekordbox Mobile has evolved beyond simple track preparation and now gives you a surprisingly powerful DJ setup with all the performance features you’ll need to get mixing. 

You can mix two tracks on the app, with controls for EQs, faders, cues, loops, filters and a range of effects – basically, everything you’d expect to find on a proper DJ setup. You’ll find many of the same beat FX as in the full desktop version. There’s also a built-in sampler that lets you play back sounds at the tap of a finger. 

You can use the rekordbox app in ‘standalone’ mode. That means you can just start mixing directly on there without connecting up a DJ controller. This is great for complete beginners who want to try out mixing for the very first time, but it can end up feeling pretty fiddly. We’d also say that if you are looking for just a purely standalone DJ app, you might be better off with djay Pro, which feels like a more user-friendly option for beginners. 

Due to the more limited screen space on a mobile device, many of the controls, such as filters and FX, are in different sections that you have to click to access. 

Rekordbox desktop gives you a much more complete package in terms of performance tools. You get control over up to 4 decks at once, with additional effects, including Beat and Sound Color FX taken from their industry-standard hardware. The desktop version is also much more customisable than the mobile app, and you can set things up to suit your particular DJ preferences. You can MIDI map your DJ controller so that the controls affect different things than they would by default. 

On top of this, you get video mixing and lighting control, which works with certain controllers like the DDJ-FLX-10. This transforms rekordbox from just a DJ mixing platform into a much more powerful multimedia tool that will be super useful for event and karaoke DJs.

You also get access to rekordbox Stems. This allows you to separate the different elements of a track – the drums, vocals and instrumental – and mix them individually. This is a super powerful tool and really unlocks loads of new creative mixing opportunities. 

Hardware and Streaming Support

Currently, rekordbox Mobile only offers official hardware support for four controllers – the DDJ-FLX2, DDJ-FLX4, DDJ-GRV6 and the discontinued DDJ-200. As these are all also made by Pioneer/AlphaTheta, all the controls map perfectly to control the functions on the rekordbox app. They’re all ‘plug-and-play’ which means you won’t have to worry about setting up all the different controls – just connect them up, and it’s all already sorted. The big exception is the DDJ-GRV6’s signature feature – the Groove Circuit. As the rekordbox app doesn’t feature stems, this won’t work. 

The full version of rekordbox on desktop offers support for much more hardware – check out the full list on rekordbox’s website. These are all Pioneer/AlphaTheta gear, which is good in that they’ll all natively map all controls. However, unlike some other software options, rekordbox doesn’t work with third-party controllers.

It also offers DVS (digital vinyl system) support. This means that you can hook up turntables and use special vinyl to control the software in a similar way to a conventional DJ controller. 

In terms of streaming support, both the desktop and mobile options are fairly similar. On Android, you get to stream songs from SoundCloud and Tidal, while on iOS, you can also use Beatport. The desktop version has support for all of these, as well as Beatsource.

Rekordbox Mobile vs Desktop: Which One Should You Use?

Ultimately, the question of whether rekordbox mobile or desktop is better is pretty reductive. They’re both excellent bits of software, and most DJs will want to use both. The mobile app is really handy for managing your music on the go and can double up as a pretty powerful performance tool for a super portable setup. But unless you’re an absolute beginner who’s only using streaming sites for your music, you won’t just be using rekordbox mobile by itself.  The desktop version unlocks more functionality and is a much more serious tool that will comfortably take you from a complete beginner to a pro DJ.

Learn to DJ with rekordbox

If you want to learn how to use rekordbox to DJ, we’ve got you covered – whether you’re a complete beginner or a pro levelling up your skills. We’ll take you through everything from the absolute basics of setting up and performing your first mix, right through to super creative advanced tricks and techniques.

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Rekordbox Mobile vs Desktop Feature Comparison