Traktor Pro

Overview

Traktor Pro is Native Instruments’ professional DJ software, popular across club, open-format, and techno DJs. Unlike some other software integrations, Traktor does not expose now-playing data through a shared file or direct inter-process communication. Instead, Now Playing connects to Traktor using Traktor’s built-in broadcast output, a feature designed to stream audio and metadata over a network connection. Now Playing reads the metadata portion of that stream to capture real-time track changes. Traktor broadcasts directly to Now Playing’s cloud service, so both the desktop app and Traktor must be on the same network with the same public IP address.

This requires a one-time setup step inside Traktor’s preferences before the connection will work.

Compatible Versions

• Traktor Pro 3 (all current versions)
• Traktor Pro 4 (all current versions)

What Gets Captured

Field	Notes
Track title	From the Traktor library
Artist	From the Traktor library

Requirements

• Traktor Pro must be installed and running
• The Now Playing desktop app must be open and signed in on the same network as Traktor (same public IP address)
• Traktor’s broadcast feature must be enabled and pointed at shoutcast.nowplayingapp.com:8000 (see setup below)
• No additional plugins or third-party tools are needed

Setup

Step 1: Configure Traktor’s Broadcast Output

Traktor needs to be set up to broadcast its metadata before Now Playing can receive it. This is a one-time configuration:

1. Open Traktor Pro.
2. Click the gear icon in the top right to open Preferences.
3. Navigate to Broadcasting in the left sidebar.
4. Enable the Broadcast toggle.
5. Set the Format to Ogg Vorbis (this is the format Now Playing reads).
6. Set the Server Address to shoutcast.nowplayingapp.com.
7. Set the Port to 8000.
8. Set the Mount to / (forward slash).
9. Leave the Login and Password fields blank.
10. Click OK to save.

Note

The server address must be shoutcast.nowplayingapp.com and the port must be 8000. A mismatch on either field is the most common cause of connection failures.

Step 2: Configure Now Playing

1. Open the Now Playing desktop app.
2. Go to Settings, expand Sources, and select Traktor.
3. Enable monitoring for the Traktor source.

Step 3: Start Broadcasting in Traktor

After you’ve saved settings in both apps:

1. In Traktor Pro, click the broadcast icon in the Master section of the main interface (it looks like a radio tower or antenna). This activates the broadcast output.
2. The icon will light up when broadcasting is active.
3. Load and play a track in Traktor. Now Playing should detect the stream and begin capturing track updates within a few seconds.

How It Works

Traktor’s broadcast feature was originally designed to stream audio to internet radio servers (like Icecast). When you configure Traktor to broadcast to shoutcast.nowplayingapp.com:8000, it sends an Ogg Vorbis stream to Now Playing’s cloud service. The service extracts the metadata (track title and artist) and discards the audio. Authentication is handled automatically by matching the IP address of the broadcast against the IP registered by your desktop app, so both Traktor and the Now Playing desktop app must be on the same network.

Play Detection

Traktor’s broadcast output does not include deck numbers. Because of this, the mix processor always uses the BYPASS strategy for this source. The overlay updates immediately when Traktor broadcasts a track change, regardless of any other connected sources. There is no mix processor gating for Traktor: connecting a MIDI controller or mixer alongside it has no effect on when the overlay updates.

Troubleshooting

Now Playing is not receiving updates

• Verify that the broadcast toggle in Traktor is on (the broadcast icon in Traktor’s interface should be illuminated).
• Confirm the Server Address in Traktor’s Broadcasting preferences is shoutcast.nowplayingapp.com and the Port is 8000.
• Make sure the Now Playing desktop app is open and signed in. Your public IP must be registered before Traktor’s broadcast can be matched to your account.
• Confirm that Traktor and the Now Playing desktop app are both on the same network (same public IP address).
• Restart both Traktor and Now Playing, then re-enable the broadcast in Traktor.

Connection refused error

This typically means Traktor has not started broadcasting. Ensure the broadcast toggle is active in Traktor’s main interface. The broadcast only runs when explicitly enabled and does not start automatically when Traktor opens.

Track title shows but artist is blank

Some tracks in Traktor libraries have incomplete metadata. The missing fields are pulled directly from what Traktor has stored for that track. Select the track in Traktor’s browser and use Edit then Edit Track Info to fill in missing tags, then reload the track to a deck.

Updates stop mid-session

If the broadcast connection drops (for example, if Traktor restarts or crashes), Now Playing will attempt to reconnect automatically. If it does not, go to Settings, expand Sources, select Traktor, and disable then re-enable monitoring to reinitiate the connection.