How to Connect Tidal to Rekordbox to Mix Tidal Music Offline/Online

Part 1. How to Connect Tidal to Rekordbox Online [DJ Extension Required]

With the latest Rekordbox Tidal integration, you can DJ with Tidal with over 110 million songs. Before that, you should have a valid Tidal account with an add-on Tidal DJ extension. Tidal Individual and Student plans provide this extension. A new Tidal user can get a 30-day free trial of these two plans. Also, you need to have the latest version of the Rekordbox software and have a stable internet connection.

✨ A limited TIDAL Voucher Code Giveaway Campaign for DJ Extension

Step 1. Launch the Pioneer DJ Rekordbox software and enable the "Performance mode". You will see a bunch of dropdowns in the left "Collection" column.

Step 2. Select "TIDAL", click the "Log in" button, and log in with your Tidal account. It will link Tidal to Rekordbox for you automatically.

Step 3. Once logged in, you can browse "My Collection" of Tidal on Rekordbox. You can also find inspiration in playlists compiled by Tidal and search the platform's robust music catalog. However, you don't have control over them in Rekordbox, such as adding or deleting tracks from a certain Tidal playlist. Of course, adding tracks to your Rekordbox collection is allowed.

Step 4. Afterwards, you can mix it with files stored in your Rekordbox library. You can even choose whether to play Tidal songs in AAC format or the higher-quality FLAC format.

Part 2. How to Add Tidal to Rekordbox Offline [Without a DJ Extension]

Although Rekordbox does not support Tidal offline, it allows users to import local music files. So, there is a way to use Tidal on Rekordbox offline as long as the Tidal songs are local files. Tidal only allows users to download songs as cache files, not as local files. To make matters worse, there is no download option on the Tidal desktop app. Therefore, you should use a professional tool, AudFree Tidal Music Converter, to help you.

AudFree Tidal Music Converter is specially designed to download and convert Tidal HiRes songs, playlists, and albums to popular audio formats on Mac & Windows. You can choose to store Tidal as local Lossless, FLAC, MP3, AIFF, WAV, M4B and M4A files. After the conversion, you can make Rekordbox Tidal offline for streaming and mixing.

With advanced technology, AudFree Tidal Music Converter is intelligent enough to keep the original quality. It can detect and preserve all ID3 tag information, such as artist, title, genre, and album art. What's even better is that you can personalize audio parameters for the output music.

2.1 How to Rip Music from Tidal for Offline Use on Rekordbox

Before getting started, you can install the AudFree Tidal Music Converter free version via the 'Download' button above. Now, you can start with us to see how to DJ with Tidal in Rekordbox offline.

Step 1. Load Tidal music to AudFree Tidal Music Converter

Launch the AudFree Tidal Music Converter and you can see the built-in Tidal web player. Go to the web player to find the track, album, or playlist you wish to play in Rekordbox DJ offline. Once found, please click the "+🎵" icon and tap 'Add to list' to add Tidal music to the "Converting" list.

Step 2. Adjust Tidal output parameters for Rekordbox

Please head to "Menu" from the upper-right corner, and then select the "Preferences" > "Conversion" option. Here, you are able to customize the audio format and other audio parameters for Rekordbox. For your information, most Rekordbox versions support MP3, AIFF, and WAV. Finally, click "OK" to apply all settings.

Step 3. Download Tidal music locally for Rekordbox

In this step, you can click the "Convert" button at the bottom-right corner of "Converting". Then, the AudFree Tidal Music Converter will download Tidal music at 37X speed. When it finishes, you can hit the "Converted" button to locate and check the downloaded Tidal music files on your computer.

2.2 How to Add Tidal to Rekordbox for DJing

You can get Tidal on Rekordbox for offline use now. Because the converted Tidal music is saved to computers, but Rekordbox has both desktop and mobile versions, we show two ways to add Tidal music to Rekordbox.

On Desktop

Step 1. Open Rekordbox on your computer and click 'File' at the top left. Select 'Import' > 'Import Folder'.

Step 2. Select the folder on your computer where the converted Tidal music is stored. Choose and add the tracks to Rekordbox. Alternatively, you can drag and drop the converted Tidal files into the track window at the bottom of the Rekordbox interface.

Step 3. Then Rekordbox will analyze these local music files. When the analysis finishes, you can mix Tidal music on Rekordbox Pioneer DJ with ease.

On Mobile

Step 1. Firstly, you should transfer the Tidal downloads from your computer to your mobile phone using a USB cable.

Step 2. Launch the Rekordbox mobile app on your device. On the app's main screen, touch the 'Down Arrow' logo in the top-left corner.

Step 3. Then, tap the 'Import songs' option and select 'All songs'. Just find and upload the Tidal music you transferred to the phone for DJing.

Part 3. Advanced Mixing Tips to Mix Tidal on Rekordbox DJ

Mixing music on Rekordbox DJ is a versatile process that allows DJs to create seamless transitions between tracks. After integrating Tidal music into your Rekordbox DJ sets, you can start DJing them within the application seamlessly. In this part, we will explore some essential tips and techniques to show you how to use Tidal with Rekordbox effectively.

Tip 1: Correcting "Beatgrid Shift" in Tidal Streaming Tracks

Songs on streaming platforms like Tidal, especially remixes or remasters from various labels, often begin with a brief period of silence (lasting just a few milliseconds). This can cause Rekordbox's auto-analysis to misidentify the position of the downbeat.

So, do not rely blindly on auto-analysis after importing Tidal tracks. Zoom in on the waveform to locate the actual first kick drum hit, open the "GRID edit" panel, and manually align the grid using the "Set first beat to current position" button (indicated by a red-and-white striped icon). For converted local Tidal files, use Rekordbox's "Lock Grid" function to prevent grid data loss during re-analysis.

Tip 2: Managing Multiple Versions of Tidal Tracks (Radio Edit vs. Extended Mix)

Tidal is known for its vast library, but searching for popular singles often yields a dozen or more versions. For a DJ, accidentally loading a two-and-a-half-minute "Radio Edit" when intending to play an "Extended Mix" can be disastrous.

In this case, make a habit of using Rekordbox's "My Tag" system when working with streaming tracks. Create dedicated tags for your Tidal library (e.g., "Tidal-Extended", "Tidal-Acapella"). If converting files using software like AudFree Tidal Music Converter, organize them into clearly labeled playlists within Tidal beforehand to ensure metadata is preserved during import.

Tip 3: Balancing Tidal Hi-Res Audio with Rekordbox Stems Performance

Tidal offers high-resolution (Hi-Res) FLAC audio quality, but this consumes significant CPU resources during real-time mixing, particularly when using Rekordbox 7's Stems (track separation) feature, which can lead to audio stuttering.

If you frequently use the Stems feature during live performances to isolate vocals or drums, go to Rekordbox's "Preferences" > "Audio" and increase the Buffer Size (e.g., from 256 to 512 samples). While this introduces a very slight amount of latency, it ensures greater stability when processing Tidal Hi-Fi audio.

Part 4. How to Fix Rekordbox Tidal Issues

If you're experiencing some issues, like "Can't see Tidal in Rekordbox" and "Tidal Rekordbox track loading error", there are some solutions.

Rekordbox Tidal Not Showing

🔹 Ensure Rekordbox Version Supports Tidal. Tidal is only available in Rekordbox 6 or later. Update to the latest version.

🔹 Enable Tidal in Preferences. Go to 'Preferences > View > Layout' and ensure Tidal is enabled.

🔹 Check Internet Connection. A weak or unstable connection may prevent Tidal from appearing.

🔹 Restart Rekordbox. Sometimes, simply restarting the application can resolve minor glitches or connectivity issues.

Tidal Not Working with Rekordbox

🔹 Re-login to Tidal. Go to 'Preferences > DJ System > Tidal', log out and sign in again.

🔹 Check Tidal Subscription. Why is my Tidal not working on Rekordbox? Ensure you have a valid 'Tidal + DJ Extension' subscription.

🔹 Disable VPN/Firewall. Some VPNs or firewalls may block Tidal's connection. Try disabling them temporarily.

🔹 Update Rekordbox & Tidal. Make sure you are using the latest versions of both Rekordbox and Tidal, as outdated versions may have compatibility issues.

Tidal Rekordbox Track Loading Error

🔹 Verify Internet Speed. For the Rekordbox track loading error Tidal issue, please ensure a stable internet environment to make Rekordbox Tidal work.

🔹 Check Tidal Server Status. Sometimes, Tidal servers may be down. Visit Tidal's status page.

🔹 Clear Rekordbox Cache. On Mac, close Rekordbox app, go to Finder, press 'Cmd + Shift + G', type ~/Library/Application Support/Pioneer/rekordbox/, then find and delete Rekordbox cache folder. On Windows, press 'Win + R', type %APPDATA%\Pioneer\rekordbox\ and delete Rekordbox cache files.

🔹 Change Streaming Quality. Set a lower quality in 'Preferences > DJ System > Tidal' to reduce buffering issues.

Some Tidal Songs Greyed Out in Rekordbox

🔹 Refresh Tidal Library. Right-click the Tidal icon in the left-hand tree menu in the Rekordbox app, then tap 'Refresh'. If it remains greyed out, the track has been officially locked.

Part 5. In Conclusion

With the online Rekordbox Tidal integration, you can connect your Tidal to Rekordbox and use Tidal on Rekordbox with a Tidal subscription. For offline access, you need the professional AudFree Tidal Music Converter. It allows you to download Tidal music as local files. Then you can easily import the local offline Tidal tracks to the Rekordbox software for mixing. Besides, you can also transfer music from Tidal to Traktor and more DJ software.