Onboarding
The Setup Wizard
Section titled “The Setup Wizard”The first time you sign in to Now Playing, the onboarding wizard launches automatically. It walks you through selecting your hardware and DJ software, configuring the right connection, tuning transition detection, and running a live test — everything needed to get Now Playing capturing your tracks.
The wizard is designed to be completed in under five minutes. For most software-based DJ setups, no additional hardware configuration is needed. If you use network-connected hardware like CDJs, make sure your devices and computer are on the same local network before you begin.
A horizontal progress bar at the top of the wizard shows five numbered stages: 1. Equipment, 2. Music, 3. Connection, 4. Mix Style, and 5. Finish. Step 3 Connection is a single stage in the progress bar but may include several screens in a row depending on the hardware and software you selected in Steps 1 and 2.
Step 1: Equipment
Section titled “Step 1: Equipment”
Heading: “What DJ equipment do you use?”
Subtitle: “Select all the hardware you have. This helps us configure the best connection method for your setup.”
What it does: Asks what DJ hardware you use so Now Playing can determine the best connection method for your setup. Your selection here controls which Connection sub-screens appear in Step 3.
The hardware catalog contains devices from these manufacturers: Akai, Allen & Heath, AlphaTheta (Pioneer DJ), American Audio, Behringer, Denon DJ, DJ-Tech, Electrix, Gemini, Hercules, Ion, Korg, Mixvibes, Novation, Numark, Other, Reloop, Roland, Stanton, and Vestax.
Filtering options:
- Brand filter — A scrollable row of brand tiles lets you narrow the catalog to one or more manufacturers. Click a tile to toggle it; use the left/right arrow buttons above the row to scroll.
- Category filter — Four pill buttons filter by device type: Controllers, Players, Mixers, and All-in-One. Only one category can be active at a time.
- Search box — Type any part of a device or brand name to filter results instantly.
Selecting equipment: The main area shows a grid of device cards grouped by brand. Each card shows a top-down product photo, the device name, and a category badge. Clicking a card toggles its selection. Selected devices show a white checkmark in the top-right corner and a “N devices selected” summary panel appears above the filters with a Clear all button and a removable chip for each selection.
If a connected USB device is detected by the desktop app and its name matches a catalog entry, the matching card shows a green Detected badge in the top-left corner.
You can select multiple devices. If you do not see your equipment or do not have any hardware, a line at the bottom of the step reminds you that you can still continue.
Step 2: Music
Section titled “Step 2: Music”
Heading: “Where is your music library?”
Subtitle: “Select all the sources you use to manage and play music. Most DJs use more than one.”
What it does: Asks where your music library lives so Now Playing can connect to the right track source.
The screen is divided into two sections.
DJ Software — “Running on your computer”
| Software | Supported versions |
|---|---|
| Rekordbox | 6.x, 7.x |
| Serato DJ | Pro 3.x |
| Traktor | Pro 3.x, 4.x |
| VirtualDJ | 2024+ |
| djay Pro | 5.x |
| Mixxx | 2.4+ |
| DJUCED | 6.x |
| Engine DJ | 3.x, 4.x |
Standalone Playback — “No laptop required”
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| USB Drive | Export tracks to USB and play directly on CDJs, XDJs, or all-in-ones without a laptop connected. |
Each source is shown as a card with the software logo on a black background and (for DJ software) a version range in the bottom-right corner of the info footer. Clicking a card toggles its selection; selected cards show a white checkmark in the top-right. You can select multiple sources if you use more than one setup.
Step 3: Connection
Section titled “Step 3: Connection”Step 3 is a single stage in the progress bar that may include up to seven screens in a row depending on the hardware and software you picked in Steps 1 and 2. Each sub-screen appears only when its conditions are met, so most users will only see one or two of them.
The screens, in order of appearance:
| Sub-screen | Appears when |
|---|---|
| Track Loading | Rekordbox is selected and hardware is CDJs or an all-in-one. |
| Rekordbox Location | Rekordbox is selected, track loading is Export mode, and hardware has ethernet Pro DJ Link (CDJs or full-PDJ AIO). |
| Packet Capture Setup | Rekordbox Location is “on this computer.” |
| Serato Library | Serato DJ is selected. |
| djay Pro Library | djay Pro is selected. |
| USB MIDI Connection | Any MIDI-capable DJ software is selected (Serato, Traktor, VirtualDJ, djay Pro, Mixxx, DJUCED). |
| Identify Your Controller | MIDI software is selected and at least one selected hardware item is a controller with channel faders. |
Track Loading
Section titled “Track Loading”Heading: “How do you load tracks onto your hardware?”
Subtitle: “This helps us understand how Rekordbox connects to your DJ equipment.”
Two image cards ask whether tracks reach your Pioneer hardware over the network or via USB from Rekordbox on this computer.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Export mode (Link Export) | Rekordbox sends tracks to your hardware over the network. The standard way to load music onto CDJs or all-in-one systems. |
| Performance mode | Your hardware acts as a controller for Rekordbox running on this computer. Decks are controlled via USB. |
Click a card to select it; a radio button and a small dot in the top-right corner indicate the selection. A “Not sure?” hint panel below the cards explains the difference. Next is disabled until you make a selection.
Rekordbox Location
Section titled “Rekordbox Location”Heading: “Is Rekordbox on this computer?”
Subtitle: “This helps us avoid conflicts between Now Playing and Rekordbox when connecting to your DJ network.”
Two image cards:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Yes, on this computer | Rekordbox is installed and running on the same computer as Now Playing. |
| No, on a different computer | Rekordbox runs on another laptop or computer on the network. |
A “Why does this matter?” panel below the cards explains that when both apps run on the same computer they share network resources carefully. Next is disabled until you make a selection.
Packet Capture Setup
Section titled “Packet Capture Setup”Heading: “One More Thing”
Subtitle (macOS): “When Rekordbox and Now Playing run on the same computer in Link Export mode, macOS needs your permission to let Now Playing read track info from Rekordbox.”
Subtitle (Windows): “When Rekordbox and Now Playing run on the same computer in Link Export mode, Now Playing needs a small networking tool called Npcap to read track info from Rekordbox.”
Because Rekordbox and Now Playing cannot both own the same Pro DJ Link network port, Now Playing passively monitors UDP traffic on ports 50000–50002 instead. This step grants the required permission.
A single status card auto-refreshes every two seconds with one of the following states:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Permission Needed (macOS) | Requires your admin password to enable BPF packet capture. |
| Restart Required (macOS) | Permission granted but a logout (or reboot) is needed to finish setup. |
| Npcap — Needed (Windows) | Npcap is not installed. Use the Download & Install Npcap button below. |
| Npcap — Installed (Windows) | Npcap is installed but configuration is incomplete. |
| Npcap — Restart Required (Windows) | Installed; a logout or system restart is needed to finish setup. |
| All Set | Packet capture is active and working. |
On macOS an expandable “Why is my admin password needed?” section is shown under the status card.
macOS action: Click Grant Permission to trigger an admin password prompt. Once approved, the status card turns green and shows “All Set.”
Windows action: Click Download & Install Npcap. A progress bar tracks the download (“Downloading Npcap… N%”), then the Npcap installer launches automatically. Follow its steps and return to Now Playing.
You can click Next to continue without completing this step, but track data will not be captured until the permission is granted.
Serato Library
Section titled “Serato Library”Heading: “Serato Library”
Subtitle: “Now Playing reads your Serato history to detect which tracks are playing.”
The screen automatically scans the default Serato library location on startup and shows a detection row for each of Serato DJ Pro 3 and Serato DJ Pro 4. Each row shows a green checkmark (found) or grey X (not found) along with the file path when found.
When at least one library is detected in the default location, a “Which library should Now Playing use?” section shows three selectable options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Auto Detect | Use whichever library was updated most recently. |
| Serato DJ Pro 3 | Always use the Serato 3 library (disabled if not found). |
| Serato DJ Pro 4 | Always use the Serato 4 library (disabled if not found). |
Custom library path: If no library is found in the default location, an amber “Serato library not found” warning panel appears with a Select Serato Library Folder button that opens a folder picker. After selecting a custom folder, Now Playing validates it and shows green “Serato N library found” or red “Not a valid Serato library.” Use Change Folder to pick a different path, or Clear to revert to the default.
djay Pro Library
Section titled “djay Pro Library”Heading: “djay Pro Library”
Subtitle: “Now Playing reads your djay Pro history to detect which tracks are playing.”
The screen automatically scans the default library location on startup and shows a single detection row with a green checkmark or grey X and the file path when found.
If the library is found: A “Using default location” note lets you know the default is being used. A Select Custom Library button lets you point Now Playing to a different location (for example, if the library is synced via OneDrive to a non-default path).
If the library is not found: An amber “djay Pro library not found” panel appears and a full-width Select MediaLibrary.db button lets you browse for the file directly.
After selecting a custom path, Now Playing validates the file and shows “djay Pro library found” (green) or “Not a valid djay Pro library” (red). Use Change File to pick a different file, or Clear to revert to the default.
USB MIDI Connection
Section titled “USB MIDI Connection”Heading: “USB MIDI Connection”
Subtitle: “Now Playing can read fader and knob data from your controller via USB MIDI for more accurate transition detection.”
This is an informational screen — no configuration is required.
A status card at the top reports MIDI compatibility:
| Status | Platform |
|---|---|
| MIDI is supported | macOS (always supported) or Windows 11 with Windows MIDI Services available. |
| MIDI not available | Windows without MIDI Services. Transition detection falls back to audio analysis. |
Below the status, a “How it works” section explains the flow in three rows:
- Connect your controller — Your DJ controller connects via USB as usual.
- Real-time fader data — Now Playing reads crossfader and channel fader positions.
- Accurate transitions — Track changes are detected precisely based on your mixing.
No additional configuration is needed; MIDI capture starts automatically when you begin DJing.
Identify Your Controller
Section titled “Identify Your Controller”Heading: “Identify Your Controller”
Subtitle: “Select which USB device corresponds to each of your controllers so Now Playing can read fader data accurately.”
What it does: Links each of your selected controllers to the USB device name reported by your operating system. This prevents failures when the OS-reported name does not exactly match the MIDI mapping catalog entry.
For each controller in your selection, the step shows:
- A controller header with the device name. If Now Playing has no MIDI mapping for that device, an amber “No MIDI mapping available for this controller” notice is shown and the USB device list is hidden for that controller.
- A Connected USB Devices list showing every USB MIDI device currently detected by the system. A Refresh button in the list header rescans on demand.
Selecting a device: Click any row in the USB device list to link it to the controller. The row turns green with a checkmark and the controller header shows “Linked to [device name].” A device that is already mapped to a different controller appears dimmed and cannot be selected.
You can click Next without selecting a device — a note at the bottom reminds you that the mapping can be updated later from Settings → Desktop App → MIDI Devices.
Step 4: Mix Style
Section titled “Step 4: Mix Style”
Heading: “What’s your mixing style?”
Subtitle: “This tunes how aggressively Now Playing detects track transitions based on your genre and mixing approach.”
What it does: Selects the mixing style that best matches how you DJ. Now Playing uses this to tune how aggressively the mix processor detects track transitions based on fader movement and genre conventions.
Seven styles are available:
| Style | Description |
|---|---|
| Open Format | Nicely balanced for genre-hopping |
| House / Techno | Long mixes with bass swapping |
| Trance / Progressive | Very long layered transitions |
| Drum & Bass | Fast doubles and quick switches |
| Bass / Dubstep | Quick drops on the 1 |
| Hip-Hop / R&B | Crossfader cuts and scratching |
| Hardstyle | Quick slams and hard cuts on the kick |
Each style is displayed as a card in a three-column grid with a large genre icon on a dark background above and a small radio button plus label and description below. Click a card to select it.
A line below the grid reminds you that you can always change this later in Settings.
Step 5: Finish
Section titled “Step 5: Finish”
Heading: “Test your setup”
Subtitle: ‘Click “Test Setup” to verify everything is connected.’
A large circular refresh icon is centered above the heading. When a configuration is available, a Your Configuration panel appears below listing every track source and connection component Now Playing will use, based on your selections.
Items that can appear in the panel depend on the configuration:
| Item | What it checks |
|---|---|
| Pro DJ Link | Whether your Pioneer hardware is visible on the network |
| Rekordbox | Whether Rekordbox is running |
| StageLinQ | Whether your Denon hardware is visible on the network |
| Serato | Whether Serato DJ is running |
| Traktor | Whether Traktor is running |
| VirtualDJ | Whether VirtualDJ is running |
| djay Pro | Whether djay Pro is running |
| Mixxx | Whether Mixxx is running |
| DJUCED | Whether DJUCED is running |
| USB Controller / USB Device | Whether your controller or CDJs/all-in-one is connected via USB |
| VirtualDJ History | Whether VirtualDJ’s writeHistory setting is enabled |
Test Setup button: Click Test Setup in the top-right of the panel to apply your configuration and begin a live connection test. Each item shows a spinner while checking, then turns green (Connected) on success or amber on failure.
- All tests pass: A green “All connections verified! You’re ready to go.” bar appears at the bottom of the panel.
- A test fails: An amber “Some connections failed. Expand the help sections above for troubleshooting tips.” bar appears, and each failed row shows a Help toggle. Click it to expand inline troubleshooting text for that specific connection. When you have resolved the issue, the panel button re-labels as Retest so you can run the check again without going back through earlier steps.
A “You can change any of these settings later. Open Settings to adjust your configuration at any time.” note sits at the bottom of the panel.
Dead-end setup: If your hardware/software combination has no supported way for Now Playing to read tracks (for example, USB-drive-only playback on hardware with no network connectivity), the Finish screen is replaced with a “Limited track detection” warning that lists two suggestions: use Rekordbox Link Export, or add DJ software.
Footer buttons (Finish step):
- Start Over — Returns to Step 1 with your selections reset.
- Back — Returns to the previous sub-screen.
- Get Started — Saves your configuration, closes the wizard, and opens the dashboard.
Exiting the Wizard Early
Section titled “Exiting the Wizard Early”On every step except Finish, the footer includes a Exit button on the left, a Back button (after Step 1), and a Next button. Clicking Exit opens a “Exit Setup?” dialog with the message:
You can always come back to this wizard by going to Settings → Desktop App → Onboarding Wizard.
Click Exit Setup to confirm or Cancel to return to the wizard. Exiting without completing the wizard means Now Playing will not capture any tracks until you configure a source; the app and your account remain active, but no track data will be broadcast until a source is connected.
Re-Running the Wizard
Section titled “Re-Running the Wizard”If you switch to a different DJ software, add new hardware, or need to reconfigure your source from scratch, you can re-run the onboarding wizard at any time:
- Open the Now Playing dashboard.
- Navigate to Settings → Desktop App.
- Find the Onboarding Wizard section.
- Launch the wizard to restart the guided configuration from the beginning.
Your existing overlay settings, track history, and account data are not affected when you re-run the wizard. Only the track source configuration is updated.