How to Add Tags on Rekordbox: A Complete Guide to Organizing Your Music Library
Rekordbox is Pioneer DJ's music management and performance software, and its tagging system is one of its most powerful organizational tools. Whether you're preparing for a live set, managing hundreds of tracks, or building smart playlists, understanding how tags work — and how to use them effectively — can dramatically change how you interact with your library.
What Are Tags in Rekordbox?
In Rekordbox, tags serve as flexible labels you can apply to tracks to help categorize, filter, and recall music quickly. Unlike fixed metadata fields (like BPM or key), tags are user-defined, which means you decide what categories matter to your workflow.
Tags sit alongside other organizational tools in Rekordbox:
- My Tags — customizable labels you create and assign manually
- Rating — a star-based system (1–5 stars)
- Color labels — visual markers applied to tracks in the browser
- Comments — free-text fields for notes
The My Tag feature is the most flexible of these, and it's what most DJs mean when they talk about "adding tags" in Rekordbox.
How to Create and Add My Tags in Rekordbox 🎧
Step 1: Open the My Tag Panel
In Rekordbox (version 6 and later), navigate to the My Tag section in the left sidebar under the library panel. If it's not visible, go to View > My Tag to enable the panel.
Step 2: Create a New Tag Category
Right-click within the My Tag panel and select Create My Tag. You'll be prompted to:
- Name the tag (e.g., "Peak Time," "Warm-Up," "Vocal," "Techno")
- Assign a color to the tag for visual distinction
Tags can be grouped into categories, so you might create a Mood group containing tags like "Dark," "Uplifting," and "Groovy," or an Energy group with "Low," "Medium," and "High."
Step 3: Apply Tags to Tracks
There are two main methods:
Method A — Drag and Drop: Select one or more tracks in your library, then drag them onto a tag in the My Tag panel. The tag is applied immediately.
Method B — Right-Click Menu: Right-click a track (or a multi-selection), hover over My Tag, and click the tag you want to apply. You can assign multiple tags to a single track.
Step 4: View Tagged Tracks
Click any tag in the My Tag panel to filter your library and show only tracks with that tag applied. This is particularly useful during live sets when you need to find the right track quickly.
Adding Tags via Track Edit / Properties
You can also add or edit tag-related metadata directly through a track's properties panel. Right-click any track and select Track Info or Edit. From here you can modify:
- Comments (useful for informal tagging notes)
- Label and Genre fields (fixed metadata that acts tag-like)
- Color label (a quick visual tag system)
These aren't "My Tags" in the strict sense, but they contribute to searchable, filterable metadata across your library.
Color Labels as a Tagging Layer 🎨
Color labels offer a fast secondary tagging method. Rekordbox provides several colors you can assign to tracks — typically used to represent energy level, status (e.g., "Not yet reviewed"), or genre at a glance.
To apply a color label:
- Right-click a track in your library
- Hover over Color
- Select a color
You can then filter by color in the browser. Many DJs use color labels in combination with My Tags for a two-layer organizational system — for example, color for energy level and My Tags for genre or mood.
Variables That Affect How You Should Use Tags
How tags work best depends on several factors specific to your situation:
| Variable | How It Affects Tagging |
|---|---|
| Library size | Small libraries may need fewer tags; large ones benefit from structured tag categories |
| DJ style | Open-format DJs typically use more genre/mood tags; specialist DJs may tag by sub-genre or BPM range |
| Software version | Rekordbox 6+ has an expanded My Tag system; older versions have more limited options |
| Performance setup | CDJ users need tags exported to USB; software-only DJs can filter live in the app |
| Workflow preference | Some DJs tag during import; others tag retrospectively or during practice sessions |
Exporting Tags to USB for CDJ Use
If you perform on Pioneer CDJs, your tags need to be exported along with your library. When you export a playlist or collection to a USB drive via Rekordbox, My Tags and color labels are included in the exported database. However, the CDJ hardware interface displays tags differently than the Rekordbox software — check your CDJ model's firmware version, as older units may not surface all tag data in the same way.
Syncing Tags with Rekordbox Cloud Library
Rekordbox's Cloud Library Sync feature (available on certain subscription plans) syncs your library metadata — including My Tags — across devices. This means tags you apply on a home machine can appear when you log in on a different computer. The completeness of this sync depends on your subscription tier and which metadata fields are included in the sync scope for your account.
The Spectrum of Tagging Workflows
DJs use tags across a wide range of complexity:
- Minimal approach: A single set of 5–10 energy or mood tags applied loosely
- Structured approach: Nested tag categories covering genre, mood, energy, tempo range, and occasion — applied systematically to every import
- Hybrid approach: Color labels for quick visual sorting, My Tags for more nuanced filtering during set prep
Each approach suits different use cases. A DJ with 500 tracks in a single genre doesn't need the same system as someone managing a 20,000-track open-format library spanning decades and styles.
How granular your tag system should be — and which fields you actually rely on during performance — depends entirely on your library size, how you browse under pressure, and what information you genuinely need at the moment you're cuing up the next track.