Fix a drifting beatgrid in Rekordbox

Updated 16 October 2026

The first blend is tight. Thirty seconds later, the kicks start pulling apart. Before you move another grid marker, work out whether the grid is wrong or the recording actually changes speed.

Three problems that look like drift

Test the beginning, a middle section and a late chorus against the click. Watch the grid, but trust the sound. A waveform peak is not always the beat.

If the recording stays steady, fix its grid in Rekordbox. If the music itself wanders and you want it to hold a rigid loop, BPM Lock can stretch the audio between beats. These are different jobs. Read more about telling them apart.

Tracks that seem impossible to grid

If the intro, breakdown and drop use different tempos, decide whether the DJ grid should follow those changes or whether you want a new file that stays at one speed. Correcting the grid and rewriting the recording solve different problems.

Large corrections can noticeably stretch one section. Listen through every transition before using the result in a set. A misplaced marker, an unusual meter or an intentionally loose passage can need manual work, even when automatic detection handles the rest.

Make a steady version of the recording

1. Keep the original. The corrected export is a new audio file. Existing cue points and playlists do not transfer automatically.
2. Drop the full track into BPM Lock. It finds the beats and rounds the detected tempo to a whole BPM.
3. Check the markers. Listen to Original with the click. If the tracking misses the pulse, try the additional tracker. Move misplaced markers; skip an anchor only where you do not want a timing correction.
4. Listen to BPM locked. Check an early section and a late one. Listen for stretched cymbals, vocals or long notes before committing the file to your library.
5. Render a new file. Choose WAV, AIFF or MP3. Leave the intro intact unless you deliberately want the export to start at your chosen bar 1.

Bring it back into Rekordbox

The simplest route: add the corrected audio as a new track, check its BPM and first downbeat, then test a long loop. The timing is already written into the audio; XML is optional.

To use BPM Lock's grid: select Rekordbox XML (ZIP) before downloading, then extract both files to a permanent folder. In Rekordbox 7, enable the XML library under Preferences > View > Layout. Under Advanced > Database, point Imported Library to the extracted XML. Open the XML library, find All Tracks, then add the track to your Collection. Check the imported downbeat before reanalyzing it.

The browser cannot know the final location of your downloaded audio. If Rekordbox marks it missing, relocate that entry to the extracted audio file. Keep its filename unchanged. If XML import is awkward in your version, use the audio-only route above.

The menu locations above follow the official Rekordbox 7 manual, Using rekordbox XML. Labels can vary by version.

Check the result before the next set

Loop a clear drum section, jump forward several phrases and listen again. Confirm the first downbeat and beat count, then protect the checked grid from unwanted reanalysis. Keep a backup of the original track.

A grid lock protects analysis data. It does not change a drifting recording. Likewise, a good tempo fix cannot rescue a wrongly detected beat: inspect the grid before rendering.

Next: prepare older records and live recordings, or browse all guides.