Applies to: DJ.Studio 4.1 and later.
DJ.Studio doesn't copy your music into its database. It remembers where each file is stored. If a file is no longer at that location, or can't be reached, the track shows as missing. This article covers the most common symptoms and how to fix them.
Also called: missing files, file not found, track not found, missing audio, DJ.Studio can't find my music files.
What you might see
DJ.Studio asks you to locate a file when you open a project.
An export fails or reports that tracks can't be found.
A project shows many tracks, but only a few of them load.
DJ.Studio stops responding when you select a file location by hand.
How do I fix it?
Work through these in order.
1. Was the file moved, renamed or deleted?
When DJ.Studio asks you to locate a file, select the file at its new location to reconnect it. If you can, move the file back to where it was, or restore its old name.
2. Is your music in a cloud-sync folder?
Check whether your music, or the DJ.Studio folder, is inside a folder synced by OneDrive, iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive or a similar service. Sync tools can make files temporarily unavailable, move them, or turn them into online-only placeholders, even when "keep on device" is on. DJ.Studio then loses the track. In the worst case, mixes and mashups can be damaged beyond repair.
Move your music to a normal folder on a local drive that is not synced, then relocate the tracks in DJ.Studio when it asks. If your projects already look damaged (for example, a project shows many tracks but only one loads), stop editing them and contact us first (see step 5).
3. Is your music on an external drive or USB stick?
Connect the drive before you open the project. If it is connected but tracks are still missing, check that the drive has the same name (Mac) or drive letter (Windows) as when you added the tracks.
4. On a Mac: does DJ.Studio have permission to read the folder?
If tracks are missing or exports fail on macOS, check the DJ.Studio app permissions. See macOS can't find music files/export fails.
5. Still not working? Send us the details
Please send us:
Log file: Help > Send log file.
Project backup: Export > Backup creates a .DJS file. Share it with a Google Drive, WeTransfer or Dropbox link (for Google Drive, turn on view access).
A short description: the exact message you see, how many tracks are affected, and where your music is stored (internal drive, external drive or a cloud-sync folder).
Prefer to talk to a person? Start a chat and type DJS.
How do I prevent it?
Keep your music on a local drive that is always connected.
Don't move, rename or delete music files after adding them to a project.
Don't keep your music or the DJ.Studio folder in a cloud-sync folder. Use cloud storage only for backups (Export > Backup).
More on where DJ.Studio keeps its files: Where is the DJ.Studio database stored, and how do I free up disk space?