Cue sheet

Cue sheets are used to provide index information for a large audio file. Cue sheets have the file extension ".cue", and are simple plain text files.

Cue sheets are especially useful for DJ mixes where the resulting audio file is one long mp3. With a tracklist a cue sheet can be created that will allow you to access the tracks very easily. Remember though: cue sheets only work with compatible software.

Playing Cue sheets

Cue sheets are only useful if you can play them! Here is a list of compatible software players:

• Foobar2000 has native support for cue sheets (Windows)
• Winamp
• MPlayer (Windows/Linux)
• 1by1 player (Windows)
• Amarok (Linux)

Winamp Plugins

• Cue Player Plugin for Winamp (Windows)
• mp3cue Plugin for Winamp (Windows)
• mp3cue Plugin for Winamp with XMMS (Linux)

For the plugins all you have to do is have the cue and the mp3 file in the same folder and ideally with the same filename:

• for most players just drag the cue sheet inside the main or playlist window, and it works just fine
• for the mp3cue plugin it's different - here you drag the mp3 file inside the Winamp window and the cue will open in a separate window.

All plugins will show up the track name, and at the end of each track it will keep on playing without any gaps at the end of song, coz it will keep on going smoothly throughout the whole mix, coz you gotta remember its playing one mp3.

Creating Cue sheets

To understand the make-up of a cue sheet please see the Hydrogenaudio.org Cue Sheet wiki.

Cue sheets are just text files with the file extension set as .cue. Thus, one of the easiest ways to create a cue sheet is to use a text editor like Notepad and create a template:

REM GENRE Dubstep/IDM/Electronica
REM DATE 2008
REM COMMENT Excellent
TITLE "Electronic Explorations - 001 - Milanese"
FILE "ElectronicExplorations_001_Milanese.mp3" WAVE
  TRACK 01 AUDIO
    TITLE "Intro"
    PERFORMER "Electronic Explorations"
    INDEX 01 00:00:00
  TRACK 02 AUDIO
    TITLE "Sneak Up"
    PERFORMER "215 T.F.K."
    INDEX 01 00:33:36
  TRACK 03 AUDIO
    TITLE "Three Drops (Original Mix)"
    PERFORMER "October"
    INDEX 01 04:02:39
  TRACK 04 AUDIO
    TITLE "Sissy Spacek (Ruff)"
    PERFORMER "Bong-Ra"
    INDEX 01 06:28:56
  TRACK 05 AUDIO
    TITLE "Miserere"
    PERFORMER "Quark Ruckspin and Planas"
    INDEX 01 10:40:37

All you have to do is then amend the FILE and TITLE at the top of the cue sheet as appropriate. Also, amend the individual TRACK TITLE and PERFORMER and INDEX values.

Guide To Making A Cue Sheet Work

The following is a step-by-step guide to help the uninitiated make use of a cue sheet (on Windows):

1. On your Windows PC go to 'My Computer' >

Cue Sheet Creation Tools

You can always use tools such as CueMaster, to edit & create cue sheets, here are the links for that:

• Liveset cue-sheet editor
• cue master - cues from CDDB/FreeDB entries
• cue generator
• cuesheet compiler
• another cue generator
• cue maker
• convert CD descriptions into cues
• CD Wave, instructions for creating cue sheets with CD Wave

Most cue sites with cue sheet generators also allow the upload of cues in this way building cue-sheet collections.

Finding Cue sheets

Here are some good websites to help ya search for cue sheets:

• Cue Sheet Heaven
• Trainspotted
• Spandel
• lindmiks cuesite
• anugas cuesite

Burning Cue sheets to an audio CD

• Burrrn
• ImgBurn

Looking for tracklistings (as a precondition for preparing cues)

Sometimes you will find a few cues as well...

• FreeDB
• Tracklistings.net
• Essential Mix Tracklistings
• TranceAddict tracklistings
• Tracklistings Progressive/Breaks
• And check for more on our Links page as well.

Misc

CUE_Tools

Also check the Wikipedia entry for more info on the cue-sheet syntax and for some info about using cue-sheets with CD images [1]!