Use this guide to turn a typed song list, email, spreadsheet, or copied request list into a crate inside Crate Hackers.

This is useful when a client sends you a list of songs, when you have tracks in a spreadsheet, or when you want to build a crate from plain text without manually searching one song at a time.

If you are importing from Spotify, use the dedicated Spotify Import guide instead. This article is for text-based lists and files.

Fast Fix

  1. Copy your song list from an email, spreadsheet, document, or note.
  2. Open Crate Hackers.
  3. Open the text or list import tool.
  4. Name your crate.
  5. Paste your song list.
  6. Check that artist and title are in the correct order.
  7. Use Flip Artist & Title if needed.
  8. Generate the crate.
  9. Match the songs against your scanned music library.
  10. Add any missing songs you need.
  11. Save the crate to My Crates.
  12. Click Export and choose your DJ software or M3U.

What This Tool Does

The text import tool lets you paste or upload a list of songs and turn that list into a working crate.

Crate Hackers can then compare the list against your music library and show which tracks you already have.

This saves you from manually searching every request one by one like you are being punished by a spreadsheet.

Good Lists to Import

You can use this tool with many common DJ prep lists.

  • Client request lists
  • Wedding playlists sent by email
  • Must-play lists
  • Do-not-play review lists
  • Spreadsheet song lists
  • CSV files
  • Plain text lists
  • Notes copied from a document
  • Old crate lists you want to rebuild
  • Song ideas collected during prep

Best List Format

The cleaner your list is, the better the import will work.

Best format:

Artist - Title
Artist - Title
Artist - Title

Example:

Usher - Yeah!
Dua Lipa - Houdini
Earth, Wind & Fire - September
Morgan Wallen - Last Night

Crate Hackers can still work with messier lists, but clean formatting makes matching easier.

Step 1: Copy Your Song List

Start by copying the list of songs you want to import.

The list may come from:

  • An email
  • A Google Sheet
  • An Excel spreadsheet
  • A CSV file
  • A Word document
  • A notes app
  • A client form
  • A plain text file

If the list includes extra notes, timing, dedications, or comments, clean it up first if possible. Crate Hackers needs artist and title information. It does not need the client’s paragraph about why their cousin loves the song. Touching story. Still not metadata.

Step 2: Open the Text Import Tool

Open Crate Hackers and find the text or list import tool.

  1. Open Crate Hackers.
  2. Look for Text Import, Import from Text, or a similar import option inside the app.
  3. Open the import tool.

If the app menu changes in a future version, look for the import option in the main navigation or crate-building tools.

Step 3: Name the Crate

Give the imported list a clear crate name.

Good names:

  • Julie Wedding Must Plays
  • Smith Cocktail Hour
  • Saturday Club Warmup
  • Clean Pop Requests
  • Corporate Dinner Background

Bad names:

  • New List
  • Final Final
  • Stuff
  • Maybe Songs

Name it like you will need to find it later while slightly tired. Because you probably will.

Step 4: Paste the Song List

Paste your copied song list into the text import field.

  1. Click inside the import field.
  2. Paste the song list.
  3. Review the list before continuing.
  4. Remove obvious junk text, notes, headers, or duplicate lines if needed.
  5. Click Next or continue through the import flow.

Clean input gives you cleaner results. A messy list can still work, but the app may need more review from you afterward.

Step 5: Check Artist and Title

Crate Hackers will try to identify the artist and title from your list.

Before generating the crate, check that the columns are correct.

  • Artist should appear in the artist field or column.
  • Title should appear in the title field or column.
  • If the artist and title are reversed, use Flip Artist & Title.
  • If the list is messy, clean up the lines and try again.

This step matters. If artist and title are backwards, matching gets weird fast. The app is smart. It is not psychic.

Step 6: Generate the Crate

Once the artist and title information looks correct, generate the crate.

  1. Confirm the song list looks correct.
  2. Confirm artist and title are in the right order.
  3. Click Next, Import, or the button shown in the app.
  4. Let Crate Hackers create the crate.

After the crate is created, review it before exporting. Importing is the first pass, not the final inspection.

Step 7: Match Songs to Your Library

Crate Hackers will compare the imported songs against your scanned music library.

Tracks may appear as:

  • Matched: Crate Hackers found a likely version in your library.
  • Missing: Crate Hackers did not find the track in your scanned folders.
  • Needs review: A similar track may exist, but you should confirm the exact version.

Always check versions before using the crate live. Clean, explicit, short edit, intro edit, extended edit, remix, and live versions can all matter.

Step 8: Add Missing Songs If Needed

If songs are missing, add them to your library before exporting.

Depending on your workflow, you may use:

  • Your existing music library
  • A record pool
  • A music store
  • A cloud folder
  • A supported streaming workflow

After adding new tracks, go to Library, open Music Sources, and use Re-sync so Crate Hackers can find the new files.

Step 9: Save the Crate to My Crates

Once the imported list looks right, save it to My Crates.

  1. Review the imported crate.
  2. Remove songs you do not need.
  3. Confirm the matched tracks.
  4. Save the crate to My Crates.
  5. Rename the crate if needed.

This gives you a working crate you can edit, match, and export.

Step 10: Export the Crate

After the imported song list has been saved as a crate, export it to your DJ software.

  1. Open the crate inside Crate Hackers.
  2. Click Export.
  3. Rename the crate if needed.
  4. Choose your DJ software export option if available.
  5. Use M3U if you need a universal playlist file.
  6. Open your DJ software and confirm the crate imported correctly.

You may also see export options like PDF, CSV, or Spotify backup. Those are useful for reference, sharing, or backup, but they are not the same as exporting a playable crate to your DJ software.

Common Use Cases

Wedding Request Lists

Copy the couple's request list from an email, form, spreadsheet, or document and turn it into a working crate.

Client Must-Play Lists

Paste the must-play list into Crate Hackers, match what you already own, and find what is missing.

Spreadsheet Prep

Copy rows from a spreadsheet or CSV and use them to build a crate faster.

Old Playlists

If you have old song lists saved in notes, documents, or emails, import them and rebuild them as usable crates.

Event Prep

Build a crate from a quick list of ideas, then clean it up before exporting.

What Not to Paste

Avoid pasting long notes or messy text that does not contain clear song information.

Try to remove:

  • Paragraphs of client notes
  • Dedication text
  • Timing instructions
  • Duplicate headers
  • Unrelated columns
  • Blank lines
  • Venue notes
  • Notes like “play if there is time” unless you want them in the crate

Keep the import list as close to artist and title as possible. Crate Hackers cannot build a clean crate from emotional debris and seven columns of wedding logistics.

Quick FAQs

Can I Import from Spotify Here?

Use the dedicated Spotify Import tool for Spotify playlists. This article is for text lists, CSV-style lists, copied song lists, and pasted request lists.

Can I Import a Spreadsheet?

Yes. Copy the artist and title information from your spreadsheet and paste it into the import tool. If your file is a CSV, make sure the artist and title columns are clear.

What If Artist and Title Are Backwards?

Use Flip Artist & Title if the app shows the artist and title in the wrong order.

Does This Download Songs?

No. The import tool creates a crate from song information. Crate Hackers then matches those songs against your scanned music library. You still need playable music files for DJ software exports.

What Happens If I Do Not Own the Song?

The song may show as missing. Add the song to your library from a source you use, then re-sync your music folder in Crate Hackers.

Can I Edit the Crate After Importing?

Yes. After importing, review the crate, remove songs you do not need, match tracks, and save the crate to My Crates.

Troubleshooting

The Import Looks Wrong

Check the formatting of your list. Make sure each song is on its own line and that artist and title are easy to identify.

Artist and Title Are Reversed

Use Flip Artist & Title before generating the crate.

Songs Are Missing After Import

Missing songs usually mean Crate Hackers did not find matching files in your scanned music folders.

  • Check that your music folder has been added to Crate Hackers.
  • Re-sync your music folder.
  • Confirm the song exists as a playable file on your computer or drive.
  • Check for alternate spellings, remixes, or different versions.

The Wrong Version Matched

If the wrong version matched, manually review the track and choose the correct file if available.

This is especially important for clean edits, explicit edits, intro edits, short edits, extended edits, remixes, and live versions.

The Exported Crate Has Missing Files

If your DJ software shows missing files, confirm that the original music folder or external drive is connected and available. If you added new files after importing the list, re-sync your music sources before exporting again.

The List Is Too Messy

Clean the list before importing. Remove extra notes, blank lines, duplicate headers, and anything that is not artist or title information.

Best Text Import Workflow

  1. Start with a clean song list.
  2. Use one song per line.
  3. Keep artist and title clear.
  4. Open the text import tool in Crate Hackers.
  5. Name the crate.
  6. Paste the list.
  7. Check artist and title order.
  8. Use Flip Artist & Title if needed.
  9. Generate the crate.
  10. Review the results.
  11. Match songs against your scanned library.
  12. Add missing songs if needed.
  13. Re-sync your music sources.
  14. Save to My Crates.
  15. Click Export.
  16. Choose your DJ software or M3U.
  17. Open your DJ software and test the crate.

That is the clean path. Turn the list into a crate, clean it up, match the files, then export something you can actually use.

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