How to DJ Cue Point Tutorial - Hot Cues VS Memory Cues

Learn the difference between hot cues and memory cues and how to successfully incorporate them into your DJ sets, helping you to make an even bigger impact when you DJ live!

Transform the way you DJ in under a week:

[ClubReadyDJSchool]

I added so much new content and bonus material - I have been devoting so much love and energy to it these past few months, hopefully you like :)

[HuhYouMakeMusic]

Bob Ross of DJing, you're a legend man

[Eric-hbdn]

bro i dont really watch ur vids anymore cus ur course already taught me everything i needed to properly get going, but i just saw this in my feed so i swung bye to say hi lol

[paladinpriest]

Dude your so happy, energetic, enthusiastic, all those kinds words. Quite a lift just listen to you talking

[parchy]

Brother, I have been DJing for 34 years with vinyl and have finally embraced digital over the last year or so, I have found it to be eye-opening and exciting (wish I'd done it sooner). I feel like I have a lot to learn and a lot of catching up to do. I have been checking out a lot of the various DJ schools/teachers on YT but you are by far my favourite. I love your enthusiasm, and energy and value the depth of detail you go into. This video subject is the exact thing I have toying around with of late, so nice one for that, spot on.

Thanks for all you do much love from the UK.

[ElvisJnr]

Cue points are a game changer man especially when you are a recording a mix...I use them them all the time now.... Preparation is a massive part of putting a mix/set together...

[kentonmusic]

Would love if you could make a full CDJ breakdown video/tutorial, especially for the DJs who are starting to play clubs but have only really used their own controllers before. Would be huge!

[mikepenny]

Your attitude and patience is a blessing in today's world. Keep it up. 🙌

[catsarentviolent]

Completely unrelated topic, sort of.
I experiment mixing with many different music genres but i do mainly techno because with techno you can be as constructive as you can possibly imagine. These long drawn out intros and outros make is possible to build your transition basically frequency by frequency or if you have 3-4 decks maybe, make a completely different track on the fly if you carefully pick each song and adjust their eq to fit one another. The fact that you can do this only using eq is my favorite thing about it. Mixing with eq can be so fulfilling an satisfying that once you get the hang of it, you'd never wanna stop. Man i love mixing

[IanDeVos]

I don't use the memory cues to go through the tracks. I use the Hot cues as the "going through the track" and Memory cues as "labels" of where to mix out etc.

If a track starts with 16 bars of beats, the first hot cues are the first beat, 8 bars and the breakdown at 16bars. If there's a vocal "while" that point comes, I put the hot cues on the start of the vocal and a memory cue on that start of the bar.
On the end of the track I put a red memory cue on where I should be completely out (end of bar, or right before the vocals of the next part come in),
An orange memory cue at the start of the 8 bars before that point
A yellow memory cue 16 bars before that point.
It's like a stoplight kind of system.

If there's multiple of these mixout points (cut a track short or let it play) I put multiple of these cuepoint sets.

This is just my default way. It depends on track to track. Some radio edits don't have 16 bars of intro or house stuff has longer intro's etc. So there I adjust it to the track.
Or some tracks even have structures that benefit from doing it completely different.

I always use Rekordbox to DJ anyway, so I don't care that this might not be possible on CDJ's alone.

But this workflow makes DJ'ing way more easy. I do this all in advance when I import the tracks into RB. So when I play I don't have to think about how or where to mix. Just select good tunes and have fun.



Many DJ's feel like this takes the skills out of DJ'ing and that might be true to some extend, but I started out in the vinyl days and use the technology of today to it's fullest. I felt like I stayed on the safe side more when I DJ'ed vinyl or in the beginning of CD days. Now I don't have to know all my tracks completely in and out to mix em up in more interesting ways.

[victorcuchilla]

I like how you explain the philosophy behind the techniques it puts more context into what I feel I am trying to do with technically what I am doing

[TheGaryinWales]

i recently signed up to the DJ ready school and have to say the way you teach is amazing, i've learnt so much so fast. I watched a few other people before i stumbled across your videos and then bought your full teaching course. Looking forward to years of mixing great tunes ahead. thank you!

[guidox]

Hot Cue was the therm used by Denon when they released the dual cdj 2000(1992), that meant you didnt need to long press the button to activate it but a fast push like it was kind of Hot!Thats why the CUE used to be red and Play green! Back in the days the Denon 2000 was the Technics 1200 of the cd players(cdj was a therm used later only with the pioneer cdj 100´s).

[erik]

By far the best DJ courses i've found on youtube

[ericd]

Awesome content, awesome human! I bought the course this last Spring and it is worth every penny!

[tahneeanderson]

Byron Bay my home! Loving loving your course!

[Ammar_jr]

Exactly the topic I was looking for.. Not only you're the best teacher, you're a mind reader too 😁 can't thank you enough for all the content you're putting out there. I'm considering buying the full Dj course, maybe on Black Friday ;)

[krazywabbit]

Love the line about a core foundation not solid, not even the tastiest frosting will save it.

Also I’ve been bedroom dj for a few years. Maybe it’s time to look into your course and strengthen my core :)

[cglo]

Thank you for this video! I look forward to watching more. Your passion and enthusiasm is infectious! I appreciate your teaching style, and clearly, a love for what you do! 🙏🎧

[DJEL]

I love you, Andrew!!! I’d LOVE to go across the Pond.
I’m afraid to fly. I hope they have fun!!!