Resources · 8 min read

How to make a tracklist from a DJ set video

Practical ways to identify the tracks in a recorded DJ set, add timestamps, and publish a tracklist in your video description.

A tracklist turns a long DJ set video into something people can navigate and share. Viewers jump to the part they like. Fans ask for track names in the comments. Artists whose tracks were played notice and sometimes reshare. For videographers it is also a way to show a client careful work.

Building a tracklist from a recording is slow if you do it from memory, and doable if you follow a method. This guide covers what you need, three ways to identify tracks, how to format timestamps, and the points where tracklists go wrong.

Nothing here requires special software. Where a tool helps, we say so plainly.

Start from a ready timeline

Before you identify anything, mark where one track ends and the next begins. Play the set at normal speed with headphones and drop a marker at every transition. A set with long blends will have fuzzy boundaries, so place the marker where the new track clearly takes over.

If you edited the set, use the finished timeline so the timestamps match what viewers will see. If you cut sections out of the original, the timestamps from the raw recording will be wrong. Always build the tracklist from the final video.

Method 1: ask the DJ

This is the most accurate and often the fastest. DJs usually keep their set lists in their software. Rekordbox, Serato, Traktor and similar programs can export a history of played tracks. A DJ who knows you are building a tracklist can send the list, and you only need to match times.

If the DJ shares a list with no times, line it up against your transition markers by listening to the first few seconds of each track.

Method 2: audio recognition

Apps that listen and name a song, such as Shazam, can identify many released tracks. Play a clean section of the music near the speaker or from the video, and let the app listen.

Tips:

• Choose a moment with vocals or a clear melodic hook, not a heavy bass section or a blend of two tracks.
• Try several points in the same track if the first attempt fails.
• Expect misses. Unreleased tracks, edits, bootlegs, mashups and live remixes will not match.

Recognition apps are a good first pass and not a final answer. Always check the result by listening, because a blend can return the wrong track.

Method 3: community help and manual search

For unknown tracks, post a short clip in a community that identifies music, or search lyric fragments and descriptions in a search engine. Credit the people who help you. Mark any track you could not identify as "ID" or "unknown" rather than guessing.

Writing the timestamps

Timestamps in a video description work on major platforms when written in a clear format. The usual pattern is:

```

00:00 Artist - Track Title

04:12 Artist - Track Title (Remix)

09:30 ID

```

Use minutes and seconds under an hour, and hours, minutes and seconds beyond it, such as 1:02:15. Put each on its own line. Check the platform's behavior after you publish, because the platform may turn timestamps into clickable chapters, and rules for that vary. Verify in the player.

What to include

• Artist name and track title in a consistent format.
• Remix or edit information in brackets when you know it.
• The label, if it matters to the artist or the DJ.
• A link to the release if you have one.
• The DJ's name and the venue or event at the top.

What to leave out or handle with care

Do not invent or guess track names. If you are not sure, mark it as unknown. A wrong tracklist damages trust, and artists notice.

Do not publish a tracklist for a set you do not have permission to share. Tracklists themselves are factual lists, but whether you may post the video is a separate question tied to the DJ, the event and the rights holders. This is general information, not legal advice.

Combining a tracklist with your clips

A tracklist and your short clips support each other. When you post a drop clip, add the track name in the caption if the DJ is happy with it. People who like the clip can then find the full set. Our guide on drop clip length shows how to cut clips that make people want more.

A simple workflow

• Finish the edit so the timeline is final.
• Mark every transition.
• Ask the DJ for their history. If it exists, match times.
• For gaps, run audio recognition at a clean point in each track.
• Listen to confirm every result.
• Write the list in the standard format, mark unknowns as ID.
• Publish and check that timestamps work as links.
• Update the description if you identify more tracks later. Viewers often help in the comments.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need the DJ's permission to post a tracklist? A list of track names is information, but check the DJ's wishes. Some prefer not to publish IDs for unreleased music.

How accurate is audio recognition on DJ sets? It varies a lot. Released tracks with clear sections often match. Blends, edits and unreleased music often fail, so verify.

Should I time-stamp to the second? Yes, to the second the new track clearly begins, not the start of the blend.

Can Setclipper make the tracklist for me? Partly, on the Mac app. An experimental tool tries to name the song at each drop and exports a numbered list as plain text. It misses tracks that are pitched or tempo-shifted, so check it by ear. Setclipper does not make chapters or write your description.

Next step

Take your last set, mark every transition, and see how many tracks you can name from the DJ's history and one recognition pass.