If you’ve ever been curious about giving DJing a go but were put off by the expensive gear, complex software and need for a big music library, there’s now a super easy way to get started.
Rekordbox has long been the industry standard for pro DJs and club-standard gear, but now they’re making big moves to make DJing as accessible as possible to anyone who wants to start mixing. With the launch of the new rekordbox Lite mode on iOS and Android, AlphaTheta (formerly Pioneer DJ) has created an entirely free, beginner-friendly way to start DJing using just your smartphone or tablet.
Let’s dive into what makes this new mode different from the original rekordbox app and why it’s perfect for beginners.
What Is rekordbox Lite Mode?
rekordbox Lite mode is a new major update to the rekordbox mobile app that gives you a stripped-back version of DJ software that’s built specifically for newcomers.
Instead of bombarding you with loads of complex menus and options, rekordbox Lite strips everything down just to the absolute essentials. You get a colourful layout that sort of mirrors traditional decks and DJ software layouts, but feels much more like an interactive music game. It includes:
Two virtual turntables with animated, beat-synced jog wheels
Automatic beat matching with intelligent tempo transitions
High-pass filters and crossfader effects that are triggered automatically
32 beat-synced effects and samples across two pages
Single Deck Mode for vertical use and track exploration
Visuals that react to your music, matching the colour of your album artwork
To make Lite super accessible, you don’t need to know how to beatmatch to start mixing. Instead, this is all done automatically. And when you use the crossfader to transition between tracks, rekordbox applies smart effects (like echo fades or filter blends) to make the mixes sound more polished.
And you don’t even need to own any tracks or build a music library in advance. Instead, it works with major streaming services like:
Apple Music
TIDAL
SoundCloud Go+ / DJ
Beatport Streaming (iOS only)
Just log into your streaming account within the app, and you’ll have instant access to the music catalogue and your playlists. Everything is tempo-analysed and beat-synced automatically, so you can start mixing without needing to download any music.
Built to Get You Started
rekordbox Lite mode is designed as an easy, straightforward introduction to DJing for people who’ve probably never had any experience before. It’s not about pulling off any fancy techniques or learning detailed skills right away. Instead, it’s more about just having fun mixing tracks that you love together, trying stuff out and seeing if DJing is something for you. And with the streaming support, user-friendly features and fun game-style visuals, absolutely anyone could start DJing in minutes with it.
While the app won’t teach you much about ‘proper’ DJing, it’s enough to get to grips with the absolute essentials and get a feel for what DJing is all about.
And crucially, it’s built to grow with you. One tap takes you out of Lite mode and back into the full rekordbox app experience. Then you can connect a controller like the DDJ-FLX4, and the app automatically unlocks a whole new level of features and performance tools with no subscription required. That makes the rekordbox app a really handy bit of kit that can genuinely go with you from the first time you ever mix two tunes together to performing a proper gig.
Check it out on the official rekordbox site
