The Rekordbox XML import bug
Rekordbox version 5.8.5 status: Not fixed
Rekordbox version 6.5.2 status: Not fixed
This a quick blog post about the Rekordbox XML import bug and how to work around it.
This bug has been in Rekordbox since version 5.6.1 and Pioneer has given no indication when and if they are going to fix it. Initially everyone thought it would be fixed soon enough since it is a rather large bug but now that a few months have passed, it's time to dedicate some time to working around it.
The bug
So anyone who is importing XML files into Rekordbox has probably encountered this in the last few months. This occurs when you try to import playlists from the XML tab into your collection. Normally Rekordbox will import and overwrite all tracks in the playlist you selected but now, it is done instantly. The fact that the import takes no time at all regardless of playlist size should be enough indication that something is wrong. And when you check your imported tracks, they weren't updated.
The bug here is that Rekordbox (for some reason) thinks that existing tracks don't need to be updated. So only tracks that did not yet exist in your collection are imported now. Any track that already exist but was changed (e.g. you generated cue points), will not be updated and your new cue points won't show up.
There's no other choice than to work around this bug right now.
Workaround
There are two workarounds for this problem. The most reliable workaround is to download the last version that did not have this problem, which is Rekordbox 5.6.0. You can download it below.
You can install this old version next to the newer version on the same computer. All Rekordbox installations use the same database so anything you import in the old version, will show up in the new version. With the old version you can simply right click a playlist and "Import To Collection" and your tracks are imported properly. After the import you can exit the old version and start up the latest version of Rekordbox, your tracks will be updated there too.
The second workaround is to first right click a playlist and select "Import To Collection". This will only import tracks that did not already exist. Now go into your playlist on the XML tab and select all tracks (CTRL+A or CMD+A), right click and select "Import To Collection". This will force Rekordbox to import all these tracks and overwrite them.
Now your playlist will be updated by the first step and your tracks will be updated by the second step.
Download links
If you want to install the old version, you can download them here:
When will this be fixed?
Great question! It's already been reported to Pioneer but there is no indication when and if this will be fixed.
If you want to help, report this bug on the rekordbox forums so it gets their attention.