Hot Cues

By the end of this Mission, you’ll know:

• what Hot Cues are
• how to set a Hot Cue
• how to jump to your favorite parts of a song fast
• how to use Hot Cues while mixing and practicing

What Are Hot Cues?

Hot Cues are like bookmarks in a song. They let you jump to a spot instantly. Think of them as teleport buttons for music.

DJs use Hot Cues to jump to the intro, the best beat, the chorus, or a fun part they want to repeat. You can set multiple Hot Cues in one song.

Where Should You Put Hot Cues?

• Cue 1: The very beginning (the intro)
• Cue 2: Where the beat drops in
• Cue 3: A fun part you want to jump back to
• Cue 4: A clean spot for mixing out (near the end)

Hands-On Task (Checklist)

• Load a song onto Deck A
• Press Play and listen for the first beat
• Pause right on a beat you like (or use the jogwheel to land on it)
• Press Hot Cue 1 (or click Hot Cue 1 in the app) to set it
• Press Play, move forward in the song, then set Hot Cue 2
• Set Hot Cue 3 on your favorite part
• Now press Hot Cue 1, 2, and 3 to jump between them
• Try pressing a Hot Cue exactly on beat 1 (count 1–2–3–4)

Mixer Buttons You’ll Use

• Deck A: Load, Play/Pause
• Hot Cues 1–4: set + jump
• Jogwheel: move to the exact spot (controller)
• Waveform: see where you are in the song

Keyboard-Only Option

No controller? No problem. Use the on-screen Hot Cue buttons. If your app supports it, Hot Cues often map to number keys like 1, 2, 3, 4. (If not, clicking works perfectly.)

Try This (Mini Challenge)

Hot Cue Beat Jump Game:

• Play the track and count 1–2–3–4 out loud.
• On the next beat 1, press Hot Cue 2.
• Try again, but this time press Hot Cue 3 on beat 1.

If it sounds messy, that’s normal. Try again a little closer to beat 1. This is how DJs get accurate.

Mission Complete

If you can jump to your Hot Cues on purpose, you’re using a real DJ superpower. Hot Cues help you practice faster and mix smarter.