Understanding Hot Cues

If you're new to DJing or just getting started with DJ software, you may have come across the term "Hot Cue" and wondered what it means. In this article, we'll explain what Hot Cues are and how you can use them to enhance your DJ sets.

Hot Cues should not be confused with the Headphone Cue, which is a feature found in many audio devices and software applications that allows users to listen to a specific audio channel or track before it is played through the main output. To learn more about the Headphone Cue, please see our article Understanding and Utilizing the Headphone Cue.

What is a Hot Cue?

• A Hot Cue is a marker or point within a track that you can set and jump to instantly during your DJ performance.
• It allows you to quickly access specific parts of a track, such as the chorus, drop, or breakdown, without having to manually search for them.

How to use Hot Cues:

• To set a Hot Cue, simply play the track to the desired point and press the designated Hot Cue performance pad on your DJ controller or software interface.
• Once the Hot Cue is set, you can jump back to that point in the track at any time by pressing the corresponding Hot Cue button.

Benefits of using Hot Cues:

• Hot Cues can help you create seamless transitions between tracks by allowing you to jump to specific sections of a song on the fly, greatly improving the speed of your workflow. 
• Hot Cues are a great tool for live remixing and mashups, giving you the ability to trigger different parts of multiple tracks for ultimate creativity in your DJ sets. 

In conclusion, Hot Cues are a powerful tool in DJ software that can help you take your performances to the next level. By understanding how to use Hot Cues effectively, you can enhance your creativity and deliver a more dynamic and engaging DJ set.