How to Make DJ Edits: Intro, Outro and Short Edits Step by Step

You've got a track that goes off on the dancefloor, but it starts with the vocal on beat one and ends with a fade-out. Good luck mixing that. That's exactly why DJs make edits: you keep the song, but you rearrange it so it's easy to mix in and out of. In this guide you'll learn what a DJ edit is, which kinds of edits there are and how to make your first intro edit step by step, in any DAW or in rekordbox.

What is a DJ edit?

A DJ edit is a rearranged version of an existing track. You don't add a new beat and you don't layer a second song on top. You cut, copy and loop parts of the original so the structure works better in a DJ set.

• Edit: same song, new arrangement. For example a longer intro or a shorter breakdown.
• Remix: new production under the original vocal. Read how to make a remix.
• Mashup: two existing songs on top of each other. Read how to make a mashup.

Because you only work with the original audio, an edit is the easiest place to start. You don't need to be a producer. If you can cut on a bar line, you can make an edit.

The most common types of edits

• Intro edit: the track starts with a few bars of drums or beat before the vocal comes in. That gives you time to blend from the previous track.
• Outro edit: the same idea at the end. No fade-out, but a clean stretch of beat you can mix out of.
• Short edit: a long track made shorter. Handy for open-format sets where you play a lot of songs in a short time.
• Extended edit: a short radio version made longer, for example by repeating a chorus or a break.
• Clean edit: words you can't play at a certain event are cut or muted.

What you need before you start

• Software that can cut audio. Any DAW works: Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro and others. Some DJ software has an edit function too (more on rekordbox below).
• The best file you can get. A WAV or AIFF, or at least a high-quality MP3. Converting an MP3 to WAV doesn't bring back what was lost, but you can use our free audio converter if your DAW needs a different format.
• The BPM of the track. Without the right tempo your grid won't line up and every cut will feel off.

How to make an intro edit, step by step

The steps below work in any DAW. The menu names differ a bit per program, the idea stays the same.

1. Find the BPM and key. Drop the track into Beat Lab to estimate the tempo and key right in your browser, without uploading anything. Turn on the click track and listen: if the click stays on the kick, you're good. Prepping a whole folder of edits? The batch BPM and key finder gives you every track in one list. No file at hand? Use tap tempo.
2. Set your project to that tempo. Type the BPM into your DAW so the grid matches the track.
3. Line up the first downbeat. Move the audio so the first strong beat of the song lands exactly on bar 1 of your grid. Zoom in on the first kick for this.
4. Check if the tempo stays steady. Play a part in the middle and at the end with the metronome on. Most modern club and pop tracks stay on one tempo. Older and live recordings can drift. In Ableton Live you fix that with warping: according to the Ableton manual, auto-warp usually gets the tempo right but can misjudge the downbeat, so set a warp marker on the downbeat yourself if it's off.
5. Mark the sections. Put markers where the intro, verse, chorus, break and outro start. Club tracks are usually built in blocks of 8, 16 or 32 bars, so your markers will mostly land on those lines.
6. Find a part you can loop. Look for a stretch with drums or beat and little or no vocal. Often that's the first bars of the song, a break or the bit right before the chorus.
7. Build the intro. Copy that part to the start of your project and repeat it until you have 16 or 32 bars. Then let the original song start right after it, exactly on a bar line.
8. Clean up the cuts. Put a tiny fade on every cut so you don't hear clicks. If you still hear a cut, it's often a reverb tail or a vocal running over the bar line. Try cutting a little earlier or use a short crossfade.
9. Do the same for the outro. Replace the fade-out with 16 or 32 bars of beat, so you can mix out without stress.
10. Export. Export as WAV or AIFF and keep the same sample rate as the original. Don't put an extra limiter on it: the track was already mastered.

Tip for your library: put the edit, BPM and key in the file name, like "Artist - Title (Intro Edit) - 124 BPM - 8A". The Pro version of the batch BPM and key finder can create renamed copies like that for a whole folder.

Making edits in rekordbox

Don't want to open a DAW? rekordbox has its own Edit mode. According to the rekordbox FAQ:

• You can only edit one track at a time, and your edit is saved as a project.
• With the Free or Core plan you can use the edit function. To render your edit as an audio file, you need the Creative or Professional plan.
• Tracks from streaming services, video files and copy-protected music can't be edited.
• M4A files may not play on some CDJ and XDJ players, so pick a different format if you play on those.

Plans and features change, so check the current rekordbox page before you start.

Acapella intros: careful with the source

A popular trick is to start a track with only the vocal. With our free vocal remover you can split a song into an acapella and an instrumental in your browser. The result is an estimate, so reverb and backing vocals can leak. And the same rules apply as for every edit: see the next section.

Can you share or sell your edits?

An edit is based on someone else's recording and composition. According to the US Copyright Office, only the copyright owner may prepare a derivative work or authorize someone else to do so. In practice that means: putting an edit on a streaming service, selling it or offering it as a download needs permission from the rights holders. Uploads to platforms like YouTube can also be matched automatically against the original.

Rules differ per country and per platform, and this is not legal advice. Want to know more about the two sets of rights in a song? Read can you use a sample in your beat.

Common mistakes

• Cutting off the grid. If the first downbeat isn't on bar 1, every cut after it will be off too.
• Looping a part with vocals. A vocal line that repeats eight times in your intro gets annoying fast. Look for drums or beat only.
• An intro that's too short. Four bars is barely enough to blend. Most DJs work with 16 or 32.
• Making it louder. An extra limiter on an already mastered track usually only makes it sound worse.
• Forgetting the key. An edit doesn't change the key. If you want to mix harmonically, check the Camelot code. Read harmonic mixing with the Camelot wheel.

FAQ

How long should an intro edit be?

Most DJs go for 16 or 32 bars. That gives you enough time for a smooth blend. If you mix fast, 8 bars can be enough. Choose what fits your style and test it in a practice mix.

Can I make DJ edits in FL Studio or Logic Pro?

Yes. Any DAW that can cut and copy audio on a grid works. The steps are the same: set the tempo, line up the downbeat, cut on bar lines and export.

What's the difference between an edit and a remix?

In an edit you only rearrange the original. In a remix you make new music around the vocal. Want to know how to use your edit in a set? Check these 6 DJ transition techniques.

Do I need the stems to make an edit?

No. A normal stereo file is enough for most edits. Stems only come in handy if you want to remove or isolate specific parts.

Ready to start? Find the tempo and key of your track with Beat Lab and build your first intro edit today. Would you rather have a custom edit or remix made for your set? Check out ghost production.