Computer basics for DJs
Most problems in the booth start on the computer at home: a track left in Downloads, a stick pulled out too early, a folder moved to another drive. None of it is hard once you've seen it. Here's what a DJ needs to know, on Windows and on a Mac.
Files, folders and playlists
Every track is a file. Files live in folders, and folders can hold other folders. Your music should live in one folder of its own (with as many folders inside it as you like), not spread over Downloads, the desktop and an old drive.
A playlist holds no music. It's a list of where each track is, like D:\Music\House\Low Sun.wav. Move or rename the folder, and the playlist still points at the old place: the player or your DJ software then shows the track as missing. The playlist doctor finds the tracks again.
See what kind of file a track is
The last part of a file's name says what it is: .mp3, .wav, .aiff, .flac, .m4a. Players care about this, so it helps to see it. Both systems hide it until you ask:
| Windows 11 | Windows 10 | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| In File Explorer: View → Show → File name extensions | In File Explorer: the View tab, then tick File name extensions | In Finder: Finder → Settings → Advanced (Preferences on older Macs), then tick Show all filename extensions |
Downloads and record pools
New tracks land in your Downloads folder. Move them into your music folder before you add them to your DJ software or a playlist: your DJ software remembers exactly where a track was when you added it, and moving it later breaks that link. Zipped downloads need unpacking first: on Windows, right-click the zip and choose Extract All; on a Mac, double-click it.
Copying or moving
Dragging a file sometimes copies it and sometimes moves it, and it matters: a move breaks the playlists that knew where it was.
| Windows | Mac | |
|---|---|---|
| Dragging to the same drive | Moves | Moves |
| Dragging to another drive or a stick | Copies | Copies |
| To copy instead | Hold Ctrl while you drag | Hold Option while you drag |
| To move instead | Hold Shift while you drag | Hold Cmd while you drag |
Where a folder is (its path)
Sometimes Playproof asks where your music folder is on the computer, like D:\Music or /Users/you/Music. Your browser doesn't tell websites this, so you copy it once:
- Windows: open the folder in File Explorer and click the address bar at the top: it shows the full path, ready to copy. Or right-click the folder and choose Copy as path (on Windows 10, hold Shift as you right-click).
- Mac: select the folder in Finder and press Option + Cmd + C to copy its path. View → Show Path Bar shows it at the bottom of every Finder window.
Drives and USB sticks
- Finding the stick: on Windows it shows in File Explorer under This PC with a letter, like
E:. On a Mac it appears on the desktop and in Finder's sidebar under Locations. - How much space is left: on Windows, right-click the stick and choose Properties. On a Mac, select it and press Cmd + I.
- Eject before you unplug. The computer may still be writing when copying looks finished, and a stick pulled out early can lose files or stop working in the player. On Windows, right-click the stick and choose Eject. On a Mac, click ⏏ next to it in Finder's sidebar. Wait until it's gone, then unplug.
- Setting a stick up for players is its own topic: Setting up a USB stick.
Hidden files on your stick
A Mac leaves small hidden files on every stick it touches, with names like ._Low Sun.wav. Some players list them as tracks that won't load. Windows adds a hidden folder called System Volume Information, which is harmless. Playproof's stick check finds the Mac ones and can remove them.
Which computer and system you have
Downloads like Stick Maker need a recent system. On Windows, open Settings → System → About. On a Mac, open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac.