How do you use the Prepare panel in Serato?

What the Prepare panel is for

Serato’s own description is the record bag: tracks you have pulled halfway out because they might come next. In practice that means a short, changing list during a set. You spot a track that would work after the next one, press Ctrl+P, and carry on digging without losing it. When it is time, you load it straight from the panel instead of searching again.

It is also useful when a request comes in mid-set: add it to Prepare so you do not forget it, and play it when the energy fits.

Prepare panel vs a crate

• The Prepare panel is temporary. Played tracks drop out by default, and the whole panel is emptied when you quit. Use it for the next few tracks.
• A crate is saved. Use it for anything you are planning ahead: a set for Saturday, a warm-up list, a wedding’s formalities.

The two work together. Build the set in a crate before the gig, then during the night drag the next few tracks from that crate into Prepare as you go. For crate structure, see how to organize your Serato crates.

Why tracks disappear from Prepare

There are two reasons, both by design. First, a track leaves the panel once it has been played, unless Tracks remain in Prepare Panel is ticked under Setup > Library + Display (the option arrived in Serato DJ 4.0). Second, Serato discards everything in the panel when you exit. If you built a list you want to keep, save it as a crate before you quit.

Prepare panel shortcuts

• Ctrl+P: add the selected track or tracks to the Prepare panel.
• Ctrl+Z: eject a track you loaded and put it back in the panel.

Many controllers also have a Prepare or Add to Prepare button that does the same from the hardware; check your controller’s quickstart guide.

Get the set right before it reaches Prepare

Prepare is the last step, and it only holds what you give it. If a track in your gig crate is missing, damaged or the wrong version, you find out when you load it. Crate Cleaner’s Pre-Gig Check, which is free, audits a whole crate before the gig: missing and corrupt files as blockers, fake bitrates and duplicates inside the set as warnings, and unanalyzed or explicit tracks as information. The routine around it is in the DJ pre-gig checklist for Serato.

Try Crate Cleaner free →

FAQ

Why does my Serato Prepare panel empty when I close Serato? That is how Serato works: everything in the Prepare panel is discarded when you exit. Save the panel as a crate first by selecting its tracks and dragging them onto the new crate button.

How do I stop tracks leaving the Prepare panel after I play them? Tick Tracks remain in Prepare Panel under Setup > Library + Display. Tracks then stay until you remove them.

What is the shortcut to add a track to Prepare? Ctrl+P adds the selected track or tracks to the Prepare panel.

Can I save the Prepare panel as a crate? Yes. Select everything in the panel and drag it onto the new crate button.

Should I build my set in the Prepare panel? Only the next few tracks. Plan the full set in a crate, which is saved, and use Prepare during the night.