Mixxx Setup for Live Online Radio Broadcast

Mixxx is a free open-source piece of DJ software for Mac, Windows, and Linux systems like Ubuntu. As the old saying goes “nothing comes for free“, but that’s not necessarily true when it comes to Mixxx. With no price tag it’s certainly something worth trying. Yes there are other similar free pieces of software on the market, but Mixxx has something others don’t, and that’s quality. You can manage media, beat sync with 4 decks, input multiple microphones and other devices, and map broadcasting decks with MIDI controllers. Let’s look at these and other features that make Mixxx stand out.

The first thing you notice with any piece of new software is the way it looks. First impressions are everything, something Mixxx gets right.

On startup Mixxx shows basic windows as to not confuse and clutter the screen. 2 DJ desks, a music library, and a few other things are on display. Hidden windows like the mixer, mics/aux, and effects can be revealed with a few button clicks.

Adjusting the window doesn’t break the structured layout, this way your workflow isn’t disrupted when juggling several windows at once. Decks, media library, waveforms, and EQ sections are resized to fit, a cool bonus for broadcasters with multiple things going on at once.

A crucial aspect of any broadcasting software is the ability to easily add and edit tracks without it being a headache. Luckily you can manage your entire back catalogue of music with ease within Mixxx. Update track information like title, artist, and album using the ID3 tag editor. Alternatively you can use the MusicBrainz option, which is an open music encyclopaedia, to pull all metadata for your track, including album artwork.

Track information is sent directly to your station and out to your listeners, this way they know what’s currently being played. You can even adjust it to send custom details for mixes or hourly long shows.

Broadcasts don’t have to be lost to the airwaves as you can record your shows, there are even keyboard shortcuts (CMD+R (recording) & CMD+L (broadcast) on Macs) to record and connect to your station.

As Mixxx is supported by multiple operating systems you can download it for the following:

The LAME MP3 encoder is needed to connect to your online radio station. It establishes a path to stream to your server.

Grab the latest version of the LAME MP3 encoder here.

Unzip the file and run the installer package, then run through the installation wizard.