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MacBook Pro M1
Version of operating system (e.g. macOS 14.4.1): macOS 15.7.1
Version of djay (e.g. 5.1.2): 5.5.2
Hardware/controllers used (e.g. Reloop Mixon 8 Pro): N/A
Hardware firmware version (e.g. 1.0.1): N/A
So far I’ve been using MP3TAG to edit my tags. I’ve even learned a lot about how djay Pro reads or interprets some of those tags, and I’ve set up MP3TAG so it extracts the info correctly and is recognized by both programs. Up to that point, everything works great and I’m happy with it.
But now I want to take my sets and my preparation workflow a step further by adding the track’s energy level. I could do it manually — there are websites that provide that info — but with a library built over so many years, going track by track to look it up and edit the tag is extremely time-consuming.
And that’s where my question for the community comes in: does anyone use or has anyone used Mixed in Key for metadata or set preparation? How well does it integrate with or get interpreted by djay Pro?
MIK Energy levels go into comments field. Djay should read those ones by default. Try it - as I could be wrong, maybe it’s my serato that ported them into djay but they are there
But…
I find those MIK energy levels 1-6 not very helpful in live sets - I had to delete mine from entire library after afew years of trying to relie on them and failing me
After 20+ years as a professional DJ, I know how to read the crowd — that part doesn’t worry me. What does worry me is how tech keeps “evolving” in ways that sometimes make our job look easier than it really is. Tools like djay Pro and MP3TAG are great and help a lot, but in genres like Latin and ballroom, promoters could easily replace a DJ with a Spotify playlist if they wanted to. And nobody pays us for all the offline hours spent maintaining our libraries.
That’s why I considered giving my sets an extra edge by using Mixed in Key. But after researching it (and thanks to @Armigo’s input), I realized MIK writes data into different fields depending on the settings, and after spending so much time cleaning my metadata, I’m not willing to risk it — especially for something as subjective and unscientific as “energy levels.” No software can measure the energy of the crowd anyway.
Still, I’m leaving this thread here because the info shared is valuable, and it may help others decide whether MIK is worth using.
Thanks a lot for your input @Armigo, really appreciate it!
The only thing mixed in key is good for is key detection which it does better than anyone else.
All other features like auto cue generator and energy level detection are awful and all over the place.
I use MIK for two reason, having a consistent key across all DJ apps I use and the energy level which can be saved in different columns.
Personally I put the key and energy level at the end of the track title.
The energy level is a nice indicator, but I do modify tracks when MIK gets is “wrong” and also put in separate playlist. BPM can also be used as an energy indicator. I’ve also used the star rating in the past to indicate energy.
