Open-source DJ tool for Mixxx
Mixxx DJ Buddy visualizes your DJ set in real time.
Mixxx DJ Buddy is a live companion app for Mixxx. It tracks your BPM flow as you play. It also surfaces the crates behind every song and includes a broadcast server for remote displays.
From a notebook to a real-time visualizer
When I started DJing for swing & blues dance parties as Dr. Beat, I kept a small notebook beside the decks to sketch the BPM arc of my set. It was a rough map of the energy I was trying to build, release, and rebuild throughout the night.
The chart updates live as each track plays. Hover over any point to see the song's crates and playlists. Shared crates with the previous track are highlighted automatically.
Mixxx DJ Buddy turned that notebook into a live chart. It reads directly from the Mixxx SQLite database and updates automatically as you play each track. There's no manual input and no interruptions to your flow.
BPM alone doesn't capture everything, but it's a reliable starting point. The crates and playlists layer makes it genuinely useful for in-set decision making. Future versions will go deeper with perceptual audio metrics.
Key features
Live BPM Chart
A D3.js-powered line chart updates in real time as each new track starts. See the arc of your set's energy at a glance: rises, breaks, and recoveries.
Crates & Playlists Tooltip
Hover over or click any data point to see which crates (your personal song categories: big band, vocals, energy, endings…) and playlists a track belongs to. Shared crates with the previous song are highlighted, helping you spot thematic threads mid-set.
Always on Top
Toggle a "pin" mode so the window stays visible on top of Mixxx. This is ideal when you're DJing on a single laptop screen. Maximise the chart for more real estate when you need it.
Themes
Switch between a dark default theme and the vibrant Jazzy Light theme. This uses expressive colours inspired by jazz's spirit of personal style.
Main interface. Jazzy Light theme
Persistent Settings
All your preferences (theme, always-on-top, axis display, tooltip mode) are saved and restored automatically between sessions.
Settings panel. Dark theme
Broadcast to Mixxx Remote Display
DJ Buddy can wirelessly broadcast track data and cover art to Mixxx Remote Display, an Android app that turns a spare phone into a venue screen. Built as a companion project, it's designed for social dance events where the crowd wants to know what's playing.
View Mixxx Remote Display →
How it works
Mixxx stores its history in a local SQLite database (mixxxdb.sqlite).
DJ Buddy polls this database at regular intervals to detect newly played tracks.
No network connection required. No account needed.
The chart is rendered with D3.js, while the Go backend handles database polling. If enabled, it also hosts a lightweight Bluetooth RFCOMM server to broadcast track metadata.
This architecture keeps the app fast and self-contained. It
runs as a single .exe without the need for a Python
environment or complex setup.
It automatically detects the default mixxxdb.sqlite
location based on your OS. First-run is literally just double-clicking.
Who is it for?
DJ Buddy is built for DJs who curate music for social dance events. Whether you are playing Swing (Lindy Hop, Balboa, Shag), Blues, Salsa, Tango, Bachata, or Forró, this tool helps you manage the energy of a room where tracks are played in full.
In these genres, the DJ's role is focused on curation and energy management rather than beat-matching. DJ Buddy gives you a historical perspective on your current set, making it easier to decide where to take the floor next.
Getting started
- 01
Download
Get the latest
.exefrom GitHub. - 02
Requirements
Ensure Mixxx is installed on your computer.
- 03
Launch
Run
mixxx-dj-buddy.exe. It will find your database automatically. - 04
Play
Start your DJ session and watch the energy chart come alive.
What's coming next
BPM is a useful proxy but not the whole story. The next version of DJ Buddy will move towards perceptual audio metrics. These features better represent how a song actually feels on the dance floor: energy, weight, pulse, dynamics.
- Advanced audio analysis. Metrics that more closely reflect perceived energy and musical character.
- Richer set history. Better visualizations for long sets and patterns across multiple events.
- Remote discovery app for iOS. Expanding the wireless experience to more devices.
Have a feature idea? Open an issue on GitHub.
Explore the full picture
Mixxx DJ Buddy is part of a larger ecosystem of tools built for social dance events.
Mixxx Remote Display
An Android client that connects to DJ Buddy via Bluetooth SPP. Perfect for venues where dancers want to see what track is currently playing.
View remote display →DJ Set Analysis Dashboard
An interactive Python/Dash web app showing the complete history of Alexis's DJ sets under the persona Dr. Beat. Analyze BPM curves, song transitions, and long-term track choices.
Open dashboard →Dr. Beat: Swing & Jazz Sets
Curious to hear the actual music that inspired these projects? Explore the playlists and live set archives that Dr. Beat curates for social dancers.
Listen to sets →