← Main site Get Pro — £14.99

Getting Started

macOS 13+ · Apple Silicon v5.5 Beta 5 min read
ℹ️

What CrateflowDJ does not do: It does not mix or play music. It does not manage cue points or beatgrids inside DJ software. It does not work on Windows (coming soon) or Intel Macs. It does not recover deleted files. It is a library management and metadata tool — not a DJ performance application.

CrateflowDJ is a professional macOS application for DJs and music professionals who need to scan, enrich, organise and export their music collections. It combines metadata enrichment, audio fingerprinting, Gemini AI and multi-platform DJ export in a single no-setup-required tool.

⚡

CrateflowDJ is currently in beta. You can purchase a launch-price licence at crateflowdj.com — Standard at £9.99 or Pro at £14.99, both one-time payments.

Installation

  1. 1

    Purchase & download

    Buy your licence at crateflowdj.com via Gumroad. Your licence key and download link are delivered instantly by email.

  2. 2

    Open the DMG

    Double-click the downloaded .dmg file and drag CrateflowDJ into your Applications folder.

  3. 3

    Launch & activate

    Open CrateflowDJ. When prompted, paste your licence key. The app is Apple-notarised — it opens without warnings on any Mac.

  4. 4

    Point at your library

    Click Browse next to the Source Folder field and select the folder you want to scan. Then click Scan Folder.

System Requirements

RequirementDetail
Operating systemmacOS 13 Ventura or later
ArchitectureApple Silicon only (M1, M2, M3, M4)
Devices per licenceUp to 3 Macs
InternetRequired for Discogs, MusicBrainz and Gemini AI enrichment
WindowsComing soon

The Four-Step Workflow

01 — Import

Point CrateflowDJ at any folder. It walks every subfolder, reads ID3/MP4/FLAC tags and detects duplicates. Nothing moves yet.

02 — Organise

Sort by any tag — Artist, Genre, Year, Label, BPM, Key, Encode Quality and more. Preview every move before it happens.

03 — Enhance

Discogs, MusicBrainz, AcoustID and Gemini AI enrich your tags and identify tracks with no metadata at all.

04 — Export

One click exports your organised library to Rekordbox, Serato, Traktor, Engine DJ, VirtualDJ and djay Pro.

Scanning Your Library

Core feature

The scan is the first thing CrateflowDJ does with your music. It reads every file in a folder tree, extracts metadata, detects duplicates and presents a live preview — without moving or modifying a single file.

How to Scan

  1. 1

    Choose your source folder

    Click Browse next to the Source Folder field. You can select your entire music drive, your Downloads folder, or any subfolder.

  2. 2

    Set Sort By

    Choose how you want files organised — Artist, Genre, Year, Label, Album, Style, Country, Format, File Size or Encode Quality. You can change this at any time before confirming.

  3. 3

    Click Scan Folder

    CrateflowDJ walks every subfolder recursively. You can cancel at any point with the Cancel Scan button in the toolbar.

What the Scan Reads

Supported formats

MP3, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, AAC, M4A, OGG. ID3v2, MP4 and FLAC tag containers are all read natively.

Duplicate detection

Detected by filename, file size and optionally by AcoustID fingerprint. Duplicates are moved to a named _Duplicates/ subfolder — never deleted.

Stats bar

After scanning, the toolbar shows total files, artists detected, duplicates found and percentage of tracks tagged.

Sample filter

Set a minimum file size per format to exclude DAW samples and one-shots from your DJ library scan.

ℹ️

The scan is read-only. CrateflowDJ never writes to your files during a scan. No changes happen until you click Organise Files after reviewing.

The Preview Tab

After scanning, the Preview tab shows every proposed file move grouped by the sort field you chose. Each row shows the current file path and the proposed destination. Untick any row to exclude it from the organise operation.

Organising Your Files

Core feature

CrateflowDJ reorganises your music files into a clean folder structure based on any ID3 tag field. Every move is previewed before it happens and can be fully reversed with a single click.

Sort Fields

You can sort your library by any of the following fields:

FieldResultExample path
ArtistA–Z / Artist /A / Aphex Twin / Xtal.flac
GenreGenre /Techno / Aphex Twin - Xtal.flac
YearYear /1992 / Aphex Twin - Xtal.flac
LabelLabel /Warp Records / Xtal.flac
AlbumAlbum /SAW 85-92 / Xtal.flac
StyleStyle /Ambient / Xtal.flac
CountryCountry /UK / Xtal.flac
FormatFormat /FLAC / Xtal.flac
File SizeSize tier /Large / Xtal.flac
Encode QualityTier /Lossless / Xtal.flac
💡

Run Discogs Enrichment before organising by Genre or Label. Files with empty tag fields will be sorted into an _Unknown/ folder.

Reviewing Before You Organise

After scanning, click the Preview tab to see every proposed move. Untick any row to exclude files. When you are satisfied, click Organise Files. The undo log is saved automatically — see Full Undo to reverse any operation.

Encode Quality Sort

Available in the Pro licence. Files are graded into three tiers based on format and bitrate:

TierFormats
LosslessFLAC, WAV, AIFF (any bitrate)
HighMP3 ≥ 256kbps, AAC ≥ 256kbps
StandardMP3 < 256kbps, all other compressed

DJ Software Export

Core feature

CrateflowDJ exports your organised library to six major DJ platforms in their native formats. Your crates, playlists or collections appear automatically on next launch — no manual importing required.

Supported Platforms

RekordboxXML✓ Supported
Serato DJ.crate✓ Supported
Traktor ProNML✓ Supported
Engine DJ (Denon)SQLite✓ Supported
VirtualDJXML✓ Supported
djay ProM3U8✓ Supported

How to Export

  1. 1

    Click DJ Export

    Find the DJ Export button in the bottom toolbar, or select it from the Export tab.

  2. 2

    Select platforms

    The export dialog shows all six platforms. Select one or more. CrateflowDJ detects which software is installed on your Mac.

  3. 3

    Click Export

    CrateflowDJ writes the native format files. Smart export only re-copies changed or new tracks — unchanged files are skipped.

  4. 4

    Open your DJ software

    Launch Rekordbox, Serato or whichever platform you exported to. Your organised library will appear automatically.

⚠️

CrateflowDJ is independent and not affiliated with AlphaTheta, Serato, Native Instruments, inMusic, Atomix or Algoriddim. Rekordbox, Serato DJ, Traktor, Engine DJ, VirtualDJ and djay Pro are trademarks of their respective owners.

CrateflowDJ Library

Core feature

The CrateflowDJ Library is your permanent, curated DJ archive. Unlike a simple folder sort, the Library maintains a persistent record of your collection and intelligently manages exports — only copying files that have changed.

How It Works

When you export to the CrateflowDJ Library, tracks are copied to a dedicated output folder in the structure you chose during organising. On subsequent exports, CrateflowDJ compares the current state of your source files against the Library and only re-copies new or modified tracks. Tracks removed from your source are marked as orphaned.

Smart delta export

Only new and changed tracks are copied. Unchanged files are skipped — saving significant time on large libraries.

Orphan detection

Tracks in the Library that no longer exist in your source are flagged so you can decide whether to keep or remove them.

Library limit

Standard licence: up to 5,000 tracks. Pro licence: unlimited.

Works alongside DJ export

Use the Library as your master archive and still export from it to Rekordbox, Serato and other platforms.

Discogs & MusicBrainz Enrichment

Standard + Pro

CrateflowDJ connects to the two largest open music databases on the internet and writes comprehensive metadata directly into your files. Both services require a free API key entered in Settings before first use. Setup takes under two minutes.

⚠️

API keys required before use. Both Discogs and MusicBrainz enrichment require you to register a free account and enter an API key in CrateflowDJ Settings. Neither service will work until this is done. Setup instructions are below.

Step 1 — Set up your Discogs API key

  1. 1

    Create a free Discogs account

    Go to discogs.com and register. Your account is free and takes under a minute.

  2. 2

    Generate a personal access token

    Log into Discogs → click your username (top right) → Settings → Developers → click Generate new token. Copy the token string — it will only be shown once.

  3. 3

    Paste into CrateflowDJ Settings

    Open CrateflowDJ → click Settings (bottom right) → find the Discogs API Token field → paste your token → click Save.

ℹ️

Discogs allows approximately 60 API requests per minute on a personal token. CrateflowDJ throttles automatically to stay within this limit. For large libraries, enrichment runs in the background and may take several minutes.

Step 2 — Set up your MusicBrainz user agent

MusicBrainz does not require an API key but does require a registered application name and contact email to comply with their rate-limiting policy. Without this, requests may be throttled or blocked.

  1. 1

    Create a free MusicBrainz account

    Go to musicbrainz.org and register for a free account.

  2. 2

    Enter your details in CrateflowDJ Settings

    Open CrateflowDJ → Settings → find the MusicBrainz section → enter your registered email address. CrateflowDJ uses this to identify itself to MusicBrainz as a legitimate application.

What Discogs Enrichment Adds

Discogs holds over 15 million releases. Once your API key is configured, enrichment matches each track against the database and writes:

Artist

Canonical artist name as it appears on the original release.

Label

Record label name and catalogue number.

Genre & Style

Discogs genre and sub-genre tags — Electronic, Techno, Deep House etc.

Year & Country

Original release year and country of origin.

What MusicBrainz Enrichment Adds

MusicBrainz operates at the recording level rather than the release level. It adds:

ISRC codes

International Standard Recording Codes written directly to the ISRC tag field.

MusicBrainz IDs

Unique identifiers for tracks, releases and artists.

Recording data

Precise recording dates, alternate titles and disambiguation information.

Album & Track No.

Album name and track number where available.

💡

Run enrichment after fingerprinting. Discogs and MusicBrainz match against artist and title — the better your existing tags, the more accurate the matches. Fingerprinting first gives both services the best possible input data.

Audio Fingerprinting

Pro licence

Audio fingerprinting identifies tracks by analysing the actual audio waveform rather than relying on existing tag data. This means files with completely wrong, missing or corrupt tags can be correctly identified and enriched.

How It Works

CrateflowDJ uses AcoustID — the same acoustic fingerprinting technology used by MusicBrainz — to generate a unique fingerprint from each audio file. This fingerprint is compared against the AcoustID database of over 100 million recordings. Matches are returned with a confidence score and linked to MusicBrainz recording IDs, from which full metadata is then retrieved.

✓

Fingerprinting works on files named track (1).mp3, FINAL_v3.flac or anything else with no useful tags. As long as the audio content is intact, it can be identified.

Running Fingerprint Identification

  1. 1

    Click the Fingerprint tab

    After scanning, select the Fingerprint tab in the main panel.

  2. 2

    Select tracks to fingerprint

    Use the filter to show only untagged or partially-tagged tracks, or fingerprint your entire library.

  3. 3

    Click Run Fingerprinting

    CrateflowDJ processes each file. Status updates live in the results panel. Processing speed depends on file size — expect 2–5 seconds per track.

  4. 4

    Review suggestions

    Matches appear in the right panel with confidence scores. Click Apply Selected or Apply All to write the metadata.

BPM & Key Analysis

Pro licence

CrateflowDJ detects the tempo and musical key of each track directly from the audio and writes the results into your file tags — ready for harmonic mixing in any DJ software.

What Gets Written

Tag fieldContentExample
TBPMBeats per minute (integer)128
TKEYMusical key — Camelot and standard notation8A / Am

Camelot Wheel

CrateflowDJ writes keys in Camelot Wheel notation — the standard used by professional DJs for harmonic mixing. Both the Camelot code (8A) and the standard musical key (Am) are written where tag fields support both formats.

💡

BPM and Key data written by CrateflowDJ is fully compatible with Rekordbox, Serato DJ, Traktor Pro and Engine DJ's harmonic mixing features — no re-analysis needed after import.

Gemini AI Features

Pro licence v5.5 New

CrateflowDJ Pro is powered by Google Gemini AI to bring intelligent, context-aware capabilities to your library workflow — from natural language search to automated metadata suggestions.

AI Natural Language Search

Instead of building complex tag queries, describe what you want in plain English and Gemini AI finds it. For example:

"dark minimal techno around 130 BPM from the early 2000s"
"melodic deep house tracks in a minor key"
"anything by UK labels from the 90s with ISRC codes"

Results are ranked by relevance across all tag fields in your library, not just keywords.

AI Metadata Suggestions

When Discogs and MusicBrainz return no match for a track, Gemini AI analyses the filename, existing partial tags and audio characteristics to suggest likely metadata. Suggestions are presented for your review — nothing is written automatically. Apply individual suggestions or apply all with one click.

ℹ️

AI features require an active internet connection. Gemini AI processing is handled server-side. No audio data is transmitted — only text metadata is sent for analysis.

Smart Fixes & Bulk Cleaning

Standard + Pro v5.5 New

Smart Fixes are one-click bulk operations that clean and standardise the most common metadata problems across your entire library in seconds.

Available Smart Fixes

Remove promo tags

Strips [PROMO], (Promotional), FREE DOWNLOAD and similar prefixes from titles and filenames.

Standardise case

Applies consistent title case or sentence case across Artist, Title, Album and Label fields.

Remix tag standardisation

Normalises remix credits — e.g. converts (Ben UFO Rmx), [Ben UFO Remix] all to (Ben UFO Remix).

Custom find & replace

Define your own rules — find any text in any tag field and replace it across your whole library.

💡

Smart Fixes always show a preview of changes before writing. Use the Full Undo feature to revert any fix operation instantly.

Full Undo

Standard + Pro

Every organise operation in CrateflowDJ saves a complete undo log. You can reverse any sort, move or bulk operation — returning every file to its exact original location.

How to Undo

  1. 1

    Click Undo Sort in the toolbar

    The Undo Sort button appears in the bottom toolbar after any organise operation.

  2. 2

    Confirm the revert

    CrateflowDJ shows how many files will be moved back and where they'll go. Confirm to proceed.

  3. 3

    Done

    All files are returned to their original paths. The undo log for that operation is cleared.

⚠️

Undo reverses file moves. It does not revert tag edits made by Discogs, MusicBrainz or Smart Fixes — those write directly to the file metadata. Always review enrichment results before applying.

FAQ

v5.6 10 sections · 45 questions

The most common questions from CrateflowDJ users, covering getting started, workflow, fingerprinting, enrichment, library management and data safety. If your question isn't answered here, contact support@crateflowdj.com.

1. Getting Started

What is CrateflowDJ?
CrateflowDJ is a professional DJ music library organiser for macOS. It scans your music folders, identifies duplicate tracks, enriches your metadata using Discogs and MusicBrainz, identifies tracks by audio fingerprint using AcousticID and Shazam, analyses BPM and key, and organises your files into a clean, searchable library ready for use in Rekordbox, Traktor or any DJ software.
What are the system requirements?
CrateflowDJ requires macOS 13 or later on Apple Silicon or Intel. No additional software needs to be installed — all audio processing tools are bundled inside the app.
What music file formats does CrateflowDJ support?
CrateflowDJ supports MP3, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, M4A and OGG. All tag reading and writing uses the industry standard ID3 and Vorbis comment formats.
Do I need an internet connection?
Scanning, duplicate detection, BPM analysis, Smart Fixes and file organisation all work offline. Discogs enrichment, MusicBrainz enrichment, AcousticID fingerprinting, Shazam fingerprinting and AI Search all require an internet connection.
How do I get started with an untagged library?
The recommended workflow for a fresh untagged library is: (1) Scan your folder, (2) remove duplicates, (3) run Smart Fixes to clean existing tags, (4) run Fingerprint ID using AcousticID + Shazam to identify tracks by audio, (5) run Discogs enrichment for release metadata, (6) run MusicBrainz for track titles and ISRCs, (7) run BPM & Key analysis, then (8) organise and export. For 300 tracks at 70% untagged, expect 20–30 minutes of active time plus background processing.

2. Workflow — Scanning & Organisation

What does Scan Folder do?
Scan Folder reads all music files in your chosen folder and subfolders, extracts their existing tags, detects exact and likely duplicate tracks, and builds a working library session. Nothing is written to your files during a scan. The stat pills at the top show files found, artists, duplicates, likely duplicates and percentage tagged.
How does duplicate detection work?
CrateflowDJ detects two types of duplicate. Exact duplicates share identical artist and title tags. Likely duplicates share similar tags but may differ in format, bitrate or filename — for example a WAV and MP3 of the same track. Both types are shown in the Duplicates tab for your review before any action is taken.
Should I remove duplicates before enriching?
Yes. Always deal with duplicates before running enrichment. There is no point spending API calls tagging files you intend to remove. Scan first, remove duplicates, then enrich the clean set.
What does Organise Files do?
Organise Files renames and restructures your files within the source folder based on the Sort By setting you have chosen — typically Artist then track, or Label then Artist then track. It creates a clean, consistent folder hierarchy. Every file operation is logged to a hidden metadata file so the Undo Sort function can reverse it.
What is the difference between Organise Files and Export to CrateflowDJ Library?
Organise Files restructures your existing source folder in place. Export to CrateflowDJ Library creates a new organised copy of your tracks in a separate location. After exporting you have two copies — your original source folder and the new library. Your originals are not deleted unless you explicitly choose to remove them.
Can I undo a file organisation?
Yes. Use Undo Sort to reverse all file moves and renames from the current session. This works by reading the hidden .crateflowdj_metadata.json file in your source folder, which records every file operation. Undo Sort works as long as the files are still in the organised location and the metadata file has not been deleted.
What is the last point at which I can fully revert to my original configuration?
The last safe revert point is immediately before you delete your source files. As long as your original source folder exists with its metadata file intact and the organised files are still in place, Undo Sort will restore everything. Once you delete your source folder or the metadata file, that undo chain is broken and only a system backup or Time Machine can restore your original state.

3. Fingerprint Identification (AcousticID & Shazam)

What is fingerprint identification?
Fingerprint identification analyses the audio content of a track and looks it up in a database to identify the artist and title, regardless of what the filename or existing tags say. It works even on completely untagged files as long as the audio is a known recording.
What is the difference between AcousticID and Shazam?
AcousticID uses Chromaprint, an open source audio fingerprinting algorithm, matched against a community-maintained database with excellent coverage of electronic music, DJ edits, remixes and underground releases. Shazam uses Apple's proprietary recognition service, which has broader coverage of mainstream commercial music but weaker coverage of underground and white label releases. For DJ libraries, AcousticID is almost always the better primary tool. Running both together gives the best overall coverage.
Why does the Shazam option say it is unofficial?
Shazam is owned by Apple. They have never released a public API for third party developers. CrateflowDJ uses a reverse-engineered client that mimics how the official Shazam app communicates with Apple's servers. Apple could change their internal API or block third party access at any time without notice. Shazam carries a warning for this reason — it works well when it works, but has no commercial licence and no guarantee of continued availability.
Which fingerprint method should I choose?
For most DJ libraries, start with AcousticID + Shazam to get the broadest coverage. If your library is almost entirely mainstream commercial releases, Shazam only can be faster. If your library is underground electronic music, AcousticID only is usually sufficient and more reliable.
Fingerprinting found a match but it looks wrong. What should I do?
Every fingerprint result is shown as a reviewable suggestion before anything is written to your files. Check the suggested artist and title against what you know about the track. If it looks incorrect, reject the suggestion. You are always in control — nothing is applied without your explicit approval.
Fingerprinting is not finding matches for some of my tracks. Why?
Database coverage varies. AcousticID covers commercially released tracks submitted by the music community — very obscure releases, unreleased tracks, DJ-only edits and custom remixes may not be in the database. Shazam has broader coverage for mainstream releases but weaker coverage for underground music. Tracks with no match will show no Shazam match or no AcousticID match in the Activity Log. These will need to be tagged manually.
Can I run fingerprinting from the post-scan prompt?
Yes. After a scan completes, CrateflowDJ will offer to run fingerprint identification automatically. You can also run it at any time from the Fingerprint tab. The cancel button is available during any fingerprint scan.

4. Discogs & MusicBrainz Enrichment

What does Discogs enrichment add to my tracks?
Discogs is a release database. It adds release-level metadata: artist, album, year, genre, style, label, catalogue number, country and format. It works best after fingerprinting because it needs accurate artist and title to match against the Discogs database.
Why doesn't Discogs fill in track titles?
Discogs stores album and release information, not individual track data. Individual track titles require matching the file to a specific position in a tracklist, which is unreliable for DJ libraries that often contain edits, remixes and alternate versions. Track titles come from MusicBrainz, not Discogs. Run both services together for complete metadata coverage.
What does MusicBrainz add that Discogs does not?
MusicBrainz operates at the recording level rather than the release level. It adds precise track titles, ISRC codes, track numbers, and MusicBrainz IDs that link your files to the global music metadata network. It also cross-references what Discogs found and fills in gaps.
What is the recommended enrichment order?
Run in this order: Fingerprint ID first to identify artist and title, then Discogs for release metadata, then MusicBrainz for track-level data. Each step builds on the previous one.
Do I need a Discogs account?
Yes. You need a free Discogs account and a personal access token, which you enter in CrateflowDJ Settings. Discogs allows approximately 60 requests per minute. CrateflowDJ throttles automatically to stay within this limit.
Will enrichment overwrite my existing tags?
Enrichment respects the Write Tags setting. If Write Tags is enabled, enrichment will update fields where it finds better data. All changes are shown in Review Changes before they are committed and can be undone from that screen.

5. BPM & Key Analysis

How does BPM and Key analysis work?
CrateflowDJ analyses the audio content of each track directly using librosa, an audio analysis library. It does not rely on existing tags. BPM is calculated by detecting beat patterns in the audio. Key is detected using chromagram analysis. Results are written to the BPM and Key tag fields.
How accurate is the BPM detection?
BPM detection is highly accurate for music with a consistent, strong beat. It may be less accurate for tracks with variable tempos, live recordings, or very sparse rhythmic content. Always cross-check results on tracks where timing precision is critical for your mixes.
Why does BPM analysis take longer than other features?
BPM and Key analysis reads and processes the full audio content of each file. It is CPU intensive. Run it after your metadata is in good shape so you only process files you intend to keep in your library.

6. AI Search

What is AI Search?
AI Search lets you describe what you are looking for in natural language rather than searching by specific tag values. Instead of filtering by genre and BPM, you can type something like 'something dark and hypnotic to open a set at 2am' or 'soulful house with female vocals around 124 BPM' and the AI interprets your intent across your enriched library.
How is AI Search different from standard search?
Standard search is a precise filter against your tag data — fast and exact but requires you to know what field values you are looking for. AI Search understands intent, mood, context and combinations of criteria that no single tag field captures. It bridges the gap between how DJs think about music and how it is catalogued.
Does AI Search work on an untagged library?
AI Search is only as powerful as your enriched metadata. On a completely untagged library it has very little to work with. Running Discogs, MusicBrainz and fingerprinting first makes AI Search significantly more useful — the richer your tags, the smarter the search results.
What powers AI Search?
AI Search uses Google Gemini to interpret your query and match it against your library's enriched metadata. An internet connection is required.

7. Smart Fixes

What does Smart Fixes do?
Smart Fixes is a rule-based cleaning engine that removes tag content that is objectively wrong or extraneous. It strips promotional text such as FREE DOWNLOAD, OUT NOW and PROMO ONLY from title and artist fields, removes URLs and email addresses embedded by labels and distributors, cleans up duplicate information across fields, and normalises capitalisation.
How do I use the Custom Fix feature?
Custom Fix lets you define your own find-and-replace rules that run across your library at field level. The most powerful uses are standardising label name variants (Kompakt vs KOMPAKT vs Kompakt Records all becoming Kompakt), normalising artist name spelling, collapsing genre vocabulary inconsistencies, and cleaning comment field formatting. Always use Search first to preview how many tracks a rule will affect before applying it.
When should I run Smart Fixes?
Run Smart Fixes both before enrichment (to clean input that enrichment will use for matching) and after enrichment (to standardise the data that Discogs and MusicBrainz returned). Running it after enrichment gives you a richer dataset to clean and produces the most consistent results.
Can Smart Fixes delete entire tag fields?
The current version of Smart Fixes cleans content within fields but does not bulk-clear entire fields. A Bulk Field Clear feature is planned for a future update that will allow you to select a field and clear it across a folder or selection, with a full confirmation and approval flow before anything is written.
Will Smart Fixes write changes without asking?
No. Every Smart Fix result is shown as a reviewable suggestion before anything is written. You can approve individually or use Apply All. Nothing is committed until you confirm.

8. Library Management & DJ Export

What is the CrateflowDJ Library?
The CrateflowDJ Library is an organised copy of your tracks exported into a clean folder hierarchy based on your enriched tags. Exporting creates a new copy — it does not move or delete your originals. You can have both your source folder and the organised library at the same time.
What DJ software does CrateflowDJ export to?
CrateflowDJ exports to Rekordbox (XML), Serato DJ (.crate), Traktor Pro (NML), Engine DJ (SQLite), VirtualDJ (XML) and djay Pro (M3U8). All formats are native — no manual importing required. Your enriched metadata, BPM and key data carry through into your DJ software automatically.
Can I undo tag changes?
Yes. The Review Changes screen shows all tag modifications made in the current session. You can undo individual changes or revert the entire session. Tag undo and file organisation undo operate as separate independent systems.

9. Data Safety, Deletion & Liability

⚠️

Read this section carefully. Deletion operations in CrateflowDJ are permanent. CrateflowDJ cannot recover deleted files.

Can CrateflowDJ delete my music files?
CrateflowDJ has two operations that can result in files being deleted: duplicate removal from the Duplicates tab, and deletion of source files after migration to the CrateflowDJ Library. Both require explicit confirmation from you before any files are removed. Both show you exactly what will be deleted before you confirm.
What happens when I remove a duplicate?
When you mark a track for removal in the Duplicates tab, CrateflowDJ shows you the exact file path being deleted, the file being kept, and the file size. You must actively confirm the deletion. This operation is permanent — CrateflowDJ cannot recover a deleted file. Only your system backup or Time Machine can restore deleted files.
What happens when I delete source files after migration?
After exporting to the CrateflowDJ Library you may choose to delete your original source files to free up space. This is the highest risk operation in the application. Before proceeding you must verify that your CrateflowDJ Library copy is complete and correct. The confirmation dialog shows the full source folder path, the number of files to be deleted, and the total data size. For large deletions you will be required to type CONFIRM before proceeding.
Can CrateflowDJ undo a file deletion?
No. File deletion cannot be undone by CrateflowDJ. The undo system covers tag changes and file moves and renames — it does not cover deletion. If you delete files in error, your only recovery options are a Time Machine backup, an external hard drive backup, or cloud storage backup.
What is CrateLogic Ltd's liability for data loss?
CrateLogic Ltd accepts no liability for permanent loss of data resulting from user-initiated deletion operations within CrateflowDJ. Users are solely responsible for maintaining adequate backups of their music libraries before performing any deletion operation. The use of deletion features in CrateflowDJ is entirely at the user's own risk.
What backup should I maintain?
We strongly recommend maintaining at least one external backup of your complete music library that is independent of CrateflowDJ — Time Machine on an external drive, a cloud storage service, or a manual copy to a separate drive all work. Do not delete your source files until you have verified your organised library is complete and you have tested it in your DJ software.
How long should I keep my source files after migrating?
We recommend keeping your source files for at least one full DJ session after migration. Play through the organised library in your DJ software and verify that all tracks load correctly, BPM and key data is intact, and the metadata looks right. Only once you are confident the library is complete should you consider removing the source files.
Is the Shazam integration safe to use?
Shazam is used for identification only — it does not write to your files directly. All Shazam results are shown as reviewable suggestions. The unofficial nature of the integration means it may stop working if Apple changes their API, but it cannot damage your files or library. CrateLogic Ltd accepts no liability for any disruption to the Shazam feature resulting from changes made by Apple.

10. Returns, Refunds & Your Statutory Rights

ℹ️

CrateflowDJ is sold as a digital download. Your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 apply in full and are not affected by anything stated here.

What are my rights if CrateflowDJ does not work as described?
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, digital content must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. If CrateflowDJ does not meet those standards on a supported system (macOS 13+, Apple Silicon), you are entitled to a remedy — initially repair or replacement, and where that is not possible, a price reduction up to and including a full refund. Please contact support@crateflowdj.com in the first instance so we can investigate and resolve your issue.
What is the 14-day cooling-off period and does it apply?
Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, you have a 14-day cooling-off right for purchases made at a distance (online). For digital content, this right can be waived when you explicitly consent to the download beginning immediately and acknowledge that doing so ends your right to cancel. Where no such waiver was given at the point of purchase, the 14-day right applies. If you are unsure whether your purchase included a waiver, contact support@crateflowdj.com and we will review your case.
What if CrateflowDJ does not run on my system?
CrateflowDJ requires macOS 13 or later running on Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3 or M4). If your system meets those requirements and the software still does not function, that constitutes a failure to conform and you are entitled to a remedy under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. If your system does not meet those requirements, the software has been accurately described and no statutory right to a refund arises on that basis alone. System requirements are stated clearly before purchase at crateflowdj.com.
How do I raise a concern or request a remedy?
Contact support@crateflowdj.com with your order reference (from your Gumroad receipt), your macOS version, your Mac model, a description of the issue and any relevant Activity Log output from within the app. We aim to respond within 2 business days. Where a remedy is agreed, any refund will be processed via Gumroad within 14 days of agreement, using the same payment method you used to purchase.
Does CratelogicLTD offer refunds for change of mind?
There is no statutory right to a refund for digital content purely on a change-of-mind basis, provided the software has been accurately described and functions as stated. We encourage all customers to use the free 7-day trial before purchasing to ensure CrateflowDJ meets their needs. If you have concerns, please contact support@crateflowdj.com before purchasing — we are happy to answer questions.
Where can I find further information about my consumer rights?
Citizens Advice provides free, independent guidance on your consumer rights at citizensadvice.org.uk. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 are publicly available at legislation.gov.uk. Nothing in this document restricts your statutory rights.

11. Licences & Account

What licence types are available?
CrateflowDJ is available as a one-time purchase. Standard at £9.99 and Pro at £14.99 — both are lifetime licences with no subscription. Current pricing is always shown at crateflowdj.com. Your licence is validated against your email address via a secure Cloudflare-hosted service.
How do I activate my licence?
Enter your licence key in the Settings screen. CrateflowDJ will validate it against the licence server. An internet connection is required for first activation. Once activated, CrateflowDJ stores your validation status securely in your macOS Keychain.
What happens if I exceed my trial period?
The trial period allows you to evaluate CrateflowDJ with a limited number of scans. Once the trial expires you will need a valid licence to continue using the app. Your library files and any tags already written are not affected — they remain yours regardless of licence status.
Can I use CrateflowDJ commercially?
Yes. CrateflowDJ is designed for professional DJ use and is fully commercially licensed for individual use. For multi-seat or venue licences contact support@crateflowdj.com.
Where can I get support?
Email support@crateflowdj.com. Please include your macOS version, CrateflowDJ version number (shown in the top right of the app), a description of the issue and any relevant Activity Log output.

Release Notes

Reference
v5.5 April 2026 Latest · Beta
  • Gemini AI natural language search — Pro licence
  • AI metadata suggestions with one-click apply — Pro licence
  • Smart Fixes — bulk metadata cleaning, promo tag removal, case standardisation
  • Prefix / promo / case / remix standardisation rules
  • Custom find-and-replace rules engine
  • UI scale modes — Default / Medium / Large / XL
  • Full GDPR disclosures and privacy policy in-app
  • Performance improvements to fingerprinting pipeline
  • Bug fixes and stability improvements
v5.1 February 2026 Stable
  • AcoustID audio fingerprinting — Pro licence
  • BPM & Key analysis with Camelot Wheel notation — Pro licence
  • Encode Quality sort (Lossless / High / Standard) — Pro licence
  • CrateflowDJ Library — permanent DJ archive with delta export
  • Tag search engine with field:value query syntax
  • VirtualDJ XML export added
  • djay Pro M3U8 export added
  • Full Undo with complete revert log
  • Live preview before any file is moved
  • Duplicate detection and quarantine to _Duplicates/
v4.0 November 2025 Stable
  • Initial public beta release
  • Discogs enrichment — Artist, Label, Genre, Year, Style, Country
  • MusicBrainz enrichment — ISRC codes, MusicBrainz IDs
  • Rekordbox XML export
  • Serato DJ .crate export
  • Traktor Pro NML export
  • Engine DJ SQLite export
  • Sort by Artist, Genre, Year, Label, Album, Style, Country, Format, File Size
  • Apple Silicon and Intel Mac support
  • Apple notarisation — opens without security warnings