Skip to content
reklawdboxreklawdbox

Batch Import

Turn one incoming batch into consistently tagged, named, and organized files that are ready for a normal Rekordbox file or folder import. Genre tagging stays separate so you can classify it after Rekordbox sees the new tracks.

Start here

Section titled “Start here”

Prepare downloads before adding them to Rekordbox.

Safety: Can change files · asks first

Time
Scope-dependent; batch size, archive contents, lookup gaps, and ambiguity determine the work.
You'll get
A verified, consistently tagged and organized batch ready for normal Rekordbox file or folder import.

Files can change. The assistant must show you its plan and wait for approval. There is no automatic rollback, so keep a recoverable backup.

Online access: Online services are used only when the chosen step needs information that is not available locally.

Copy this prompt and replace the placeholder path:

Process the new music in [/path/to/folder] for Rekordbox import.

What happens next

Section titled “What happens next”
  1. Inspect the batch. Confirm the incoming path, final library layout, and a file backup before anything moves.
  2. Resolve identity. Separate albums from loose tracks and decide ambiguous artists, releases, years, labels, filenames, and artwork.
  3. Approve direct changes. Review the proposed tags, names, destinations, archive handling, and cover choices before writing or moving files.
  4. Verify the result. Re-read representative tags and paths in the final location, then treat the batch as ready for Rekordbox import.

Decisions and approval checkpoints

Section titled “Decisions and approval checkpoints”
  • Confirm the destination layout before the first move.
  • Resolve uncertain metadata rather than accepting a provider guess.
  • For album tracks, decide whether your library uses names such as NN Artist - Title.ext; for loose tracks, a common form is Artist - Title.ext.
  • Choose among multiple artwork images and verify filenames and tags before the final move.

What changes and how to recover

Section titled “What changes and how to recover”

This workflow directly writes audio tags, creates or removes directories, and moves or renames files. It can also extract archives and add artwork. WAV files need Rekordbox-readable RIFF INFO alongside any ID3 data; embedded cover art is not reliably available to Rekordbox for WAV, so keep the chosen image beside the file when manual cover assignment is needed.

Completed file operations are durable, not transactional. Resume from the last verified album or phase only after re-reading its tags and paths. Failed archives are isolated instead of deleted, and no-clobber moves stop on a collision. Use your file backup to undo tag, artwork, rename, or move changes; there is no automatic rollback.

Finish in Rekordbox

Section titled “Finish in Rekordbox”

Import the verified destination files or folder into the Rekordbox Collection. For a WAV with a colocated cover image, add that artwork manually after import. Then use Genre Classification if the new tracks still need genre tags.

Technical details

Section titled “Technical details”
Technical details, safety, and recovery

Complete reference

Workflow contract

Writes and organizes library files

Extract, identify, tag, rename, add artwork to, and organize newly acquired music before Rekordbox import.

Best for
Users preparing downloads, albums, loose tracks, or ZIP archives for a consistent library layout.
Network
Network when neededUncached metadata/artwork lookup or cover download is needed.
Scope
One incoming batch, processed album by album and then as loose tracks.
Time
Scope-dependent; batch size, archive contents, lookup gaps, and ambiguity determine the work.
Resuming
Completed file operations are durable but there is no transactional cursor. Resume from the last verified album or phase after re-reading tags and paths.
Result
A verified, consistently tagged and organized batch ready for normal Rekordbox file or folder import.

What can change

Staged metadata
This workflow does not create staged metadata.
Direct user files
  • Audio tags Always
  • Embedded artwork When needed — A local or remote cover can be identified.
  • Downloaded artwork When needed — No suitable local cover exists and a provider returns an artwork URL.
  • File or directory moves/renames Always
  • Archive extraction When needed — The incoming batch contains an unprocessed ZIP archive.
  • Archive moves When needed — The incoming batch contains a processed or failed ZIP archive.
  • Directory creation/removal Always
Local state
  • Enrichment cache When needed — Metadata or artwork lookup is not already cached.
  • Provider session When needed — Discogs authentication is required for an uncached lookup.
Files created
  • Organized library files Always
  • Artwork file When needed — Downloaded artwork is kept, including the manual-import cover beside a WAV file.

Before you start

  • A confirmed incoming batch path and destination library convention.
  • Permission to write tags, create directories, rename/move files, and extract archives in those locations.
  • User input for ambiguous artists, releases, years, labels, filenames, or artwork.

Approval checkpoints

  • Confirm the detected destination layout before any move.
  • Resolve ambiguous metadata and choose among multiple artwork images.
  • Verify tags and filenames before moving files to their final location.

Recovery

  • Failed archives are isolated instead of deleted; retry them separately.
  • No-clobber moves avoid overwriting an existing target; stop and reconcile collisions.
  • Undo direct tag, artwork, rename, or move changes from the user’s file backup; there is no automatic rollback.

Rekordbox handoff

  1. Import files or folders into Collection Always
  2. Add WAV cover art manually When needed — A WAV file has a colocated cover image that Rekordbox cannot read from embedded tags.

Next steps

Section titled “Next steps”