Resources · 6 min read

How to cut a DJ set into reels

A practical way to turn one multicam DJ set into a batch of short vertical clips: pick the drops, keep clips short, cut on the beat, and export.

A two-hour set holds maybe a dozen moments worth posting. The job is to find them quickly and package each one. This is the order that works.

1. Find the moments first, edit second

Scrub the set once for drops, crowd peaks and transitions. Note timestamps. Do not edit while you scan; you will over-polish the first clip and run out of energy for the rest. A tool can help: Setclipper's Drop Finder suggests drop positions and costs 1 credit per started minute of audio analysed (minimum 1). Treat its suggestions as candidates and confirm each by ear.

2. Start the clip before the drop

Open on the build, not on the hit. Viewers need two to four seconds of tension to feel the release. A clip that starts on the drop has nothing to pay off.

3. Keep it short

Aim for 15 to 30 seconds for a drop reel. Shorter if the footage is weak. One moment per clip.

4. Cut on the beat

Cuts that land on the beat feel intentional; cuts between beats feel like a mistake. With several cameras, switch angle every one to two bars worth of beats at most, and hold longer on the wide shot at the drop. Setclipper's Auto Edit builds a first-pass multicam timeline with cuts on the beat; you then delete or adjust what you dislike, including individual drops.

5. Frame for vertical

Reels are 9:16. Check that the DJ and the hands stay inside the centre of the frame. Setclipper offers an optional reels crop layout; check the framing on every clip yourself.

6. Export and hand off

Export each clip. If you want to finish in Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve, Pro and Studio plans export a timeline as XML (try a short project first; we have not confirmed it in every version of those apps). (Final Cut Pro XML: structure checked, not yet confirmed in Final Cut Pro.)

7. Post in batches

Cut ten from one set in a sitting, then schedule them across weeks instead of posting all at once.

Try it

Setclipper runs on macOS 14 or later, and the web clipper at clip.setclipper.com handles clips in the browser. 7-day trial (card required; trial exports carry a watermark). After the trial your card is charged and the plan renews until you cancel. Cancel any time in Account. [GATE: publish this sentence only after QC proves the watermark plan and Stripe confirms the trial charge timing; no "free clip" wording. Link to the pricing page.]

Not claimed here: audio sync, face tracking, colour grading, 4K or 8K, tracklist accuracy.

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