How to beatmatch and phrase two tracks

Beat, bar, phrase: counting like a DJ

Before you line anything up, you need to know how to count. Three units are all you need.

• The beat: each pulse of the track, the kick drum in house or techno. BPM is the number of beats per minute.
• The bar: a group of 4 beats. The first one, the “1”, is the strongest.
• The phrase: a group of bars, usually 8, 16 or 32. Most club tracks change something at the start of each phrase: a vocal comes in, an instrument joins, the break arrives.

Beatmatching two tracks means lining up their beats. Phrasing them means lining up their phrases. You need both for a transition to sound natural.

How to beatmatch in five steps

This is the first of the two moves: getting both tracks to the same tempo, beat for beat.

1. Set the tempo. Read the BPM of the track that's playing, then use the pitch fader to bring the next track to the same tempo.
2. Set a cue on the first beat. Put the next track's cue point on the “1” of its first bar.
3. Start on a “1”. Launch the next track right on the first beat of a bar in the track that's playing.
4. Listen in your headphones and adjust. If the two kicks don't land together, they “gallop”. Briefly slow down or speed up the next track with the jog wheel until they merge into one.
5. Fine-tune the pitch. If the tracks drift apart again after a few bars, their tempos aren't quite equal. Move the pitch one notch in the direction you keep nudging.

To practice, start with two tracks from the same genre, with a simple, steady beat, like house or tech house. Then move on to genres with busier percussion.

Phrasing: when to bring in the next track

Two perfectly beatmatched tracks can still sound wrong if their phrases don't line up: the next track's chorus then lands in the middle of a phrase in the other one, and the whole transition feels off.

The rule is simple: start the next track at the beginning of a phrase in the track that's playing, usually at the start of a 16 or 32 bar block, for example at the start of its outro. The next track's intro then plays over the first track's outro, and their changes land together.

How long is a phrase? It depends on the tempo. Here's how long 1 bar, 16 bars and 32 bars last at the median tempo of ten genres:

At 128 BPM, 32 bars last exactly one minute: that's the typical length of an extended mix intro. In the Nocti Pool catalog, an extended version has a median length of 5:15, compared with 3:29 for a radio edit. Those extra minutes are mostly intro and outro, the raw material of phrasing. The guide Extended, radio edit, intro, clean, dirty covers these versions in detail.

The transition itself

Once both tracks are beatmatched and phrased, three rules keep the mix from turning to mush.

• Never two basslines at once. Cut the lows on the incoming track, then swap the bass in one move, on the first beat of a phrase: you close the lows on one track and open them on the other.
• Avoid two vocals at once. Let one vocal finish before the other comes in, or mix over an instrumental section.
• Keep the keys compatible during long blends. The Camelot wheel tells you which ones.

In house or techno, a transition often lasts 16 or 32 bars. In open format, with short versions, it can happen in 4 or 8 bars, or even on a hard cut.

Sync or by ear?

The sync button matches the tempos on its own, as long as the track's beatgrid is right. It frees up your attention for what matters: choosing the track, phrasing and EQ.

Beatmatching by ear is still worth knowing. Tracks recorded with a live drummer, like a lot of disco, funk or rock, have a tempo that varies slightly: sync struggles to follow, your ears don't. And a badly placed beatgrid fools sync, never your headphones. The Organize your DJ library guide explains how to check your beatgrids.

Common beatmatching mistakes

• The galloping track: the kicks don't land together. Correct with the jog wheel, then with the pitch.
• The chorus at the wrong moment: the phrases aren't lined up. Restart the next track at the beginning of a phrase.
• Two basslines together: the sound gets muddy. Swap the lows on a “1”.
• The offset beatgrid: sync locks onto the wrong beats. Check the beatgrid before you play a new track.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to learn to beatmatch?

With regular practice, most DJs can beatmatch two house tracks by ear within a few weeks. Phrasing comes after that, from listening closely to how tracks are structured.

Should you learn to beatmatch by ear if you use sync?

Yes, at least the basics. Sync depends on the track's beatgrid, and it struggles with tracks that have a variable tempo. Beatmatching by ear lets you step in when it gets it wrong.

What is a phrase in DJing?

A group of bars, usually 8, 16 or 32, at the start of which the track changes something. Phrasing means starting the next track at the beginning of a phrase so the changes in both tracks happen together.

Why do my tracks drift out of sync after a few bars?

Because their tempos aren't exactly equal. At 128 BPM, a 0.1 BPM difference is enough to push them about 50 milliseconds apart after 32 bars, and you can hear it. Move the pitch one notch, or check that the track doesn't have a variable tempo.