The question before the function
Your own devices: that is what Cloud Library Sync is built for. The manual describes it as the function by which tracks and playlists from other computers and mobile devices are synced to your computer via a cloud storage service. It is configured in the [MY PAGE] window under [LIBRARY SYNC]; a track is uploaded by right-clicking it and choosing [Cloud Library Sync] > [Upload tracks]. The associated storage is called rekordbox Cloud Unlimited and runs on Dropbox.
Other people: that is what the Collaborative Playlist is for. According to the manual it lets you share a playlist’s tracks, cue points and playlist edits among users. The owner invites; whoever joins is a shared member. On the FIRST join, details such as track title and artist name plus CUE and grid are transferred; adding, deleting and reordering tracks are synchronised at any time afterwards.
The two functions side by side
Every figure in this table is in the rekordbox manual — the source line below names the version.
| Function | What it is for | What it transfers — and what it does not |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud Library Sync | Your library onto your own devices | Syncs tracks and playlists from other computers and mobile devices via cloud storage. Setting: [MY PAGE] > [LIBRARY SYNC]. |
| Collaborative Playlist | One list together with other people | Shares tracks, cue points and edits among users. Invitation via the AlphaTheta account address; up to 5 shared members, up to 1000 tracks. |
| USB stick (export) | The route that works without a subscription and without a connection | No subscription, no cloud, no basement Wi-Fi needed — but no collaborative editing either. For the club it remains the most reliable route. |
The trap: not everything syncs by itself
The manual clearly distinguishes two kinds of change. Adding, deleting and reordering tracks is synchronised at any time and shared among members. Changes to title, artist name, CUE and grid, by contrast, are only shared once the list is UPDATED — via [Playlists] > [Collaborative Playlist] > [Update playlist].
In practice: anyone setting cue points for a b2b and trusting that they reach the other person has to update. The order arrives on its own, the cue points do not — and that is exactly the kind of difference you only notice in the club.
A Collaborative Playlist in 5 steps
The menu paths come from the manual. Depending on your subscription plan the function may not be available.
Select the list and share it
Select the playlist, then [Playlists] in the upper window > [Collaborative Playlist] > [Share playlist]. Depending on your subscription plan the function may not be available.
Invite via the AlphaTheta address
Enter the AlphaTheta account address of the person who should join. They receive a notification and an invitation email; until it is accepted the owner’s list sits in a waiting state.
Wait for the first join
On the first join, details such as track title and artist name plus CUE and grid are transferred. That is the moment your preparation arrives — not before.
Update after cue changes
Order and new tracks arrive on their own at any time. Changes to title, artist name, CUE and grid only via [Playlists] > [Collaborative Playlist] > [Update playlist]. The edit history is behind the button to the right of the list title.
End the share when the gig is over
After the gig you end the share again: via [Playlists] > [Collaborative Playlist] > [Cancel sharing Playlist]. The owner can also remove individual members; once all are removed the list becomes a regular playlist again. To see the members: [Check Shared members of Playlist].
Mistakes that break shared lists
Treating a backup as a complete copy
When backed up, Collaborative Playlists become regular playlists, and when restoring, the share has to be cancelled first.
Trusting cue points to transfer automatically
Order and new tracks synchronise at any time. Changes to CUE and grid only after [Update playlist] — that is a separate action.
Two owners for the same idea
Two people cueing the same tracks differently create the confusion the function is meant to prevent. One person runs the list.
Relying on the connection in the club
A cloud sync that only starts backstage is not a plan. What gets played is local before the gig — or on a stick.
Leaving the share open after the gig
A shared list stays shared even when the night is over. Tidying up means ending the share instead of forgetting it.
Run through this before sharing
A shared list multiplies your preparation — the sloppy kind included.
Titles and artist names tidied
They are transferred on the first join — typos and all.
Cue points set AND updated
Setting them is not enough: CUE and grid only reach the members via [Update playlist].
Stayed under 1000 tracks
That is the upper limit of a Collaborative Playlist according to the manual.
Settled who runs the list
One owner, one order. Otherwise two people sort against each other.
A stick along as fallback
Every cloud solution presupposes a connection. The stick does not.
⚠️ What is NOT here, and why: for Cloud Library Sync the rekordbox manual repeatedly points to a separate „Cloud Library Sync Operation Guide“ on the manufacturer’s site. That document is not in our source archive, so this page carries no step-by-step instructions, no storage sizes and no plan prices for that part — only what the manual itself states. Better a gap than a figure we cannot evidence.
Frequently asked questions
How many people can I share a list with?
According to the manual, with up to 5 shared members, and a Collaborative Playlist holds up to 1000 tracks. That is plenty for a b2b or a small crew; the function is not built for an open collection list with twenty people.
What happens to shared lists in a backup?
They become regular playlists — that is what the manual says. And when restoring, the share has to be cancelled first. So anyone treating their backup as a complete copy has not preserved the collaboration but dissolved it.
Are my cue points shared automatically?
On the first join yes — CUE and grid are among the details transferred then. Later changes to CUE and grid need an [Update playlist] to follow; only adding, deleting and reordering tracks synchronises on its own at any time.
What if I only want to sync my laptop and my phone?
Then a Collaborative Playlist is the wrong route — that is Cloud Library Sync. The manual describes exactly this case: syncing tracks and playlists from other computers and mobile devices to your computer via a cloud storage service. Configured under [MY PAGE] > [LIBRARY SYNC].
Does this work without a subscription?
Both functions depend on the subscription plan according to the manual, and which plan contains what changes from time to time — which is why there is no plan list here that would be wrong tomorrow. The reliable route without a subscription is still the USB stick: export onto two sticks and the material is independent of any connection.
How do you use this sensibly for a b2b?
One list, one owner, and settle beforehand who sets the cue points. Two people cueing the same tracks differently create exactly the confusion the function is meant to avoid. And update once after setting them, otherwise the work only exists on one machine.
Tidy up first
A shared list is only as good as its cue points
Cue points, beat grids, clean titles — what you share is your preparation. The learning path is what builds it.
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