Music Library Doctor
Playlist migration

djay Pro → Engine DJ

One-pass migration from djay Pro JSON library into Engine DJ m.db. Playlist groups, smart playlists, history sessions preserved end-to-end, format gotchas handled on both sides, nothing leaves your machine.

The problem

Moving from djay Pro to Engine DJ normally means an XML round-trip: export from djay Pro, hope Engine DJ parses it correctly, manually rebuild playlist groups, smart playlists, history sessions, discover cues didn't translate. djay Pro syncs library data through iCloud on Mac, which means the canonical library may live in a hidden iCloud Drive folder rather than the local app support folder. And on the destination side: Engine DJ expects matching analysis files (.dat) next to each track for performance — pure path writes without analysis miss waveforms and cues.

How Music Library Doctor does it

  1. 1 Install Music Library Doctor on the machine with djay Pro and Engine DJ. MLD detects both libraries automatically.
  2. 2 MLD opens djay Pro JSON library directly without needing djay Pro to be running.
  3. 3 Select the djay Pro playlists or folders you want in Engine DJ. MLD maps playlists and collections into playlist groups, smart playlists, history sessions sensibly.
  4. 4 Choose Engine DJ as the destination. MLD writes Engine DJ m.db natively.
  5. 5 Open Engine DJ — playlists are already there with hierarchy intact, paths pointing at the right files.

Supported today

Rekordbox · Serato DJ · VirtualDJ (incl. Favorite Folders) on Windows 10+ and macOS (Apple Silicon + Intel).

Why native integration matters

djay Pro and Engine DJ speak completely different languages: djay Pro JSON library (djay Pro integrates tightly with Apple Music and Spotify streams alongside local files — tracks that came from a stream have no portable file path) versus Engine DJ m.db (Engine DJ libraries live on the player USB/SSD itself as a per-drive Engine Library folder, not just on the home machine). XML export-import is the usual bridge — and it's lossy on both ends. MLD treats both formats as first-class, reads djay Pro's structure natively, and writes Engine DJ's native format directly, so playlist groups, smart playlists, history sessions survives and the target app doesn't re-import anything. A timestamped backup of each app's library is taken before any write.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to install djay Pro and Engine DJ on the same machine?

Yes. MLD reads both libraries locally, so both apps (or at least their library files) must be accessible on the same computer. Nothing uploads anywhere — all scanning is local.

Will nested playlist groups, smart playlists, history sessions transfer correctly?

Yes. MLD reads playlists and collections and writes playlist groups, smart playlists, history sessions natively so the structure survives the migration.

What if my music files moved after I built the djay Pro library?

Run Fix Missing Tracks for djay Pro first. MLD scans your drives, matches moved/renamed files, and repairs links in djay Pro before the transfer — so Engine DJ receives a clean library.

Does it back up my libraries before writing?

Yes. djay Pro and Engine DJ libraries are both copied to timestamped backups before any write. Rollback is always one folder away.

Can I go the other way, Engine DJ back to djay Pro?

Yes — see the Engine DJ to djay Pro guide. MLD supports every direction between supported apps.

Does this work with the latest djay Pro version?

Yes. MLD tracks djay Pro version compatibility and updates with each new release. See the changelog for the version matrix.

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