First, the disclaimer -- this process doesn't actually take two databases and merge them. It assumes you'll be using your own music on two (ore more) different computers. If you use Dropbox to sync your music between computers, great, you're saving yourself a step, but if not, you need to either have your music stored on an external drive (or multiple external drives), so each computer has access to the same music collection.

After a forum user, Uhre, asked about using Rekordbox + Dropbox, I thought it was a bit silly since I'd have more music than their packages offer in terms of sync. But then I thought about it a bit more ... a user doesn't need to sync their music collection, just the Rekordbox database! Uhre gave it the ol' "college try" but came up with his database not synchronising and I figured out why ... he changed his "Location of Track Analysis Files" within Rekordbox. All that does is move the waveform data for any newly analysed songs into that folder, it doesn't house the database itself.

I dug deeper but my initial plan of simply setting my Pioneer folder as my "Dropbox" folder was foiled since Dropbox wanted to put its folder inside the Pioneer folder. Surely there was another way ... a method of synchonising folders outside of Dropbox.

I found the answer on a couple of websites and tried a test between two virgin installations of Rekordbox on fresh boots of Vista and Windows 7, and here are your step-by-step instructions for setting it up!

If you follow these instructions you should not encounter any problems in setting it up. Failure to read-ahead may result in missing something so I take no responsibility if you inadvertently delete your Rekordbox database. Please be sure to read the entire instruction set before you start and download the necessary linked files / programs as one of the steps to avoid problems, as suggested by a forum member, is to disable your internet connection.

1) This method only works PC/PC or Mac/Mac, it WILL NOT WORK for mixed OS's simply because of the difference in how each operating system indexes files. This guide will also assume that you have your music files located in the same location on each computer. It doesn't matter if that's on an external drive or an internal folder, it must have the same name / folder / location on BOTH COMPUTERS or your files will show up as "not found". If you need assistance with this, please ask BEFORE completing the steps below.

2) Install Rekordbox on each computer. If you already have it installed, great. You'll have to pick one of them to be the "master" for the start of this project. Run Rekordbox at least once if it's a fresh install.

3) Install Dropbox on each computer. You can place the "My Dropbox" folder anywhere you want. Yes, anywhere. I suggest under My Documents (Windows) or under your Home directory (Mac) so it's easy to locate later.

4) Step four is broken into Windows / Mac, please read the appropriate sections below and we'll meet back together at step five.

Windows

4a) You'll need to create symbolic links between the old Pioneer directory and thankfully, there's a utility to do it with. Do this on your SLAVE computer first, not the one with your MASTER database or it will be overwritten later. Go and grab Directory Linker. The program is self-executable so no installation is required.

4b) Running the program gives you this screen:



The settings shown above are for an XP installation, here are your file locations based on your OS:

XP: C:\Documents and Settings\YourUsername\Application Data\Pioneer
Vista: C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Pioneer
7: C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Pioneer

Clicking the folder button to the right of the field will allow you to browse for that folder, but if you don't have your hidden files visible, you may not be able to locate them so typing them in directly is an alternative to enabling the hidden files.

Be sure to replace YourUsername with the user name for your current profile.

Note that the destination is ...\My Documents\My Dropbox (or whatever you called it or placed it) >> DO NOT add \Pioneer to the end or it will not work.

Ensure "Copy contents..." is ticked and click "Go!". It will now move your Pioneer folder into your Dropbox.

4c) Repeat step 4b as above for your MASTER computer EXCEPT! when you get to the last line above, add a check to the box "Overwrite Target Files", this will now copy your master Rekordbox database into the Dropbox folder.

Mac

4a) You don't need a 3rd party app (well, technically Windows doesn't either, it's just easier with a GUI), just fire up Terminal from your applications folder. Do this on your SLAVE computer first, not the one with your MASTER database or it will be overwritten later.

4b) Type the following in Terminal:

ln -s ~/Library/Pioneer ~/Dropbox
(yes, that's an LN at the start)

If you happen to use any folder names that have spaces (like My Dropbox), you need to put quotation marks around that thing, for example: "~/My Dropbox"

4c) Do the same on your Master computer. You thought there was more? Nope.

5) Let Dropbox do its magic from your MASTER computer and once it's sync'd the files, move to your SLAVE computer and open Rekordbox. As noted below in the Caveats, you should see Rekordbox asking for your license key. If this happens, you're part-way to knowing it worked. After you re-enter your key, Rekordbox should show your collection of files. (If Rekordbox asks you for your key EVERY time, on a PC, you'll need to try running it as administrator, on a Mac, you may need to try locking your licence file. If you need help with this - just ask!)

6) There is NO NEED to change the location of your track analysis files within Rekordbox. It should remain default; if you ever changed it or plan on changing it, this system will no longer work as intended and you're on your own for that!

Caveats
I haven't verified this on Mac, but I'll assume it's the same ... Windows hates that you updated your license key file so it will tell you the key is invalid and to enter it again EVERY time you open the program. I have not found a way around this, the easiest solution is to keep a text file on-hand and copy/paste any time you run the program. I know it may seem like a nuisance, but I will remind you that you're now doing a seamless sync of your Rekordbox database between two computers (something it wasn't designed for), so suck it up. ;) You could go to the hassle of linking individual files but the problem there is if you don't link the folder, any new files created within will not be linked ... and trouble will ensue.

Don't run both copies of Rekordbox at the same time. They will create a conflict with the database as they'll each try to change the file on Dropbox and you'll just ask for problems.

Don't open Rekordbox on your computer until after Dropbox has synchronised the files from your last use on the other computer. If you open it before the sync is completed, you'll open it with an old file and risk wiping any changes you made.