The Caddie Notebook
Short, practical reads on playing the right next track in Serato — built around your own crates, keys and history, not other DJs’.
Serato DJ Pro 5 and your play history: what we checked, and where History lives now
Serato 4 stopped writing the old History session files and keeps your play history in its own database. What that means for your library, crates and tools, what we checked on Serato DJ Pro 5.0.0, and how to back up before you update.
October 19, 2026 · 4 min read · Read →What to play next in rekordbox: let your own History decide
rekordbox already records every set you play. Here is how to use that History to choose your next track — proven transitions, key and tempo, rested favourites — and the one setting that makes it work live.
October 3, 2026 · 5 min read · Read →How to name and mark your rekordbox playlists so a copilot can learn from them
A few small habits — a date in the playlist name, one symbol for real gigs, a mark for your best nights, star ratings for favourites — turn your rekordbox library into something a next-track copilot can learn from.
October 3, 2026 · 4 min read · Read →How to stop playing the same songs at every gig
Every DJ falls into the rut of reaching for the same tracks. Here's why it happens — it's a decision problem, not a taste problem — and five practical ways to break it, using the library you already own instead of buying more music.
September 25, 2026 · 5 min read · Read →Serato key colours explained: harmonic mixing with the Camelot wheel
What the colours next to your tracks' keys mean, how the Camelot wheel makes harmonic mixing a glance instead of a calculation, and how to read key at a glance while you're choosing the next record.
September 25, 2026 · 4 min read · Read →Want a DJ copilot trained on other DJs, or on you?
Tools trained on other DJs, like PulseDJ, suggest the next track from millions of other DJs' sets. Here's the case for a copilot that learns only from your own Serato library and gigs — offline, with your library staying on your Mac — and when each one is the right tool.
August 25, 2026 · 5 min read · Read →The DJ copilot that reads your library, not other DJs’ data
A DJ copilot should know how you play — not how everyone else does. Here's what a copilot built on your own Serato library and history gets right, and why it works offline.
July 24, 2026 · 4 min read · Read →How to organize Serato crates so your sets stay coherent
Your crates are your taxonomy — the single best description of how you group music. Here's how to file them so your sets flow and a caddie can read your intent.
July 24, 2026 · 5 min read · Read →Serato's Prepare panel: the request tool you're underusing
The Prepare panel is where tonight's requests should live — not a dumping ground. Here's how to use it so the right request surfaces at the right moment.
July 24, 2026 · 4 min read · Read →Why Serato's play count lies — and what to trust instead
That play-count column feels like data, but it quietly misleads. Here's why it's unreliable and what actually tells you what you're playing now.
July 24, 2026 · 4 min read · Read →What to play next in Serato — let your own crates decide
The best 'what to play next' engine isn't a chart or other DJs' sets — it's your own Serato library and play history. Here's how a caddie for your crates actually works.
July 24, 2026 · 4 min read · Read →Harmonic mixing from your own library (not other DJs')
Camelot wheel, key matching, and why harmonic mixing works best when it's scored against tracks you actually own and play. A practical guide for Serato DJs.
July 24, 2026 · 5 min read · Read →Your Serato history is a goldmine — here's how to mine it
Your Serato play history quietly records every proven transition you've ever made. Here's how to turn those past sets into better decisions on your next one.
July 24, 2026 · 4 min read · Read →
Deck Caddie is a floating panel for Serato DJ Pro that tells you what to mix next — from your own library. No other DJs’ data. Works offline.
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