Knowing the reason can help you know which fix will work and in the correct order to avoid wasting time.
The most common causes are:
- The artwork is marked as the wrong picture type and cannot be read by rekordbox.
- Rekordbox has not loaded the tags since adding or updating the artwork.
- The artwork is not stored in the file, but in rekordbox’s database cache; and the cache is disconnected.
- The audio file format (FLAC or AIFF) is known to have a compatibility problem with rekordbox’s artwork reader.
- The artwork image is not supported (PNG instead of JPEG) or is larger than what rekordbox is able to reliably handle.
Key Takeaways
- The most frequent cause of rekordbox not displaying album artwork is that the artwork is not in the right ID3 tag type. The artwork must be labeled as “Cover (front)” and NOT “Other”, “Band” or any other picture type.
- In nearly all situations, the first step to take is to re-load the tags in rekordbox (right click on the tracks and select Reload Tag).
- Unlike many other software, Rekordbox does not embed artwork into the audio file, but rather into its own database folder. Even if the tags in the embedded file are still present, artwork can be lost when the database is corrupted or when the collection is moved.
- Rekordbox can import .jpg and .jpeg images as album art. Some tag editors may not display PNG files properly.
- File formats process artwork differently: MP3 has an ID3 APIC frame, FLAC has a separate PICTURE block and AIFF has an ID3 chunk. Rekordbox has reported problems with FLAC/AIFF artwork that don’t seem to be the same as MP3s.
- The permanent solution is to use a tag editor like Mp3tag (Windows/Mac), TagScanner (Windows) or Yate (Mac) to insert the artwork directly into each audio file, which will remain in place through library changes, software updates and database resets.
- Rekordbox will not automatically download artwork from the web if it is missing. It will need to be embedded in the file or added later in rekordbox.
Fix 1: Reload Tags in Rekordbox
This is the first thing to try in any situation of missing artwork and works in most cases.
If you want to view your album art after syncing or tag editing, you have to reload tags. That can be achieved by right-clicking your tracks in rekordbox.
Steps:
- Open rekordbox and click on your collection.
- Choose the songs that do not have any artwork. Press Ctrl+A (Windows) or Cmd+A (Mac) to select all tracks.
- Right click on the tracks selected.
- From the right-click menu, select Reload Tag.
- Wait for rekordbox to re-read file metadata.
- See if the artwork is now visible.
When the artwork was embedded in the file but when the file was loaded, the tags were cached in an older (blank) version, reloading tags should cause rekordbox to read the file data and the artwork should appear instantly.
Fix 2: Check the Artwork Tag Type in Your Files
This is the most technical fix and the one that will solve artwork problems that occur even after reloading tags.
Some cases have the art field tag ‘Other’ for the artwork. It needs to be stored as “Cover” or “Cover (front)” in order to be recognised by rekordbox. After changing the tag type to “Cover (front)” the artwork is displayed properly in rekordbox.
Rekordbox retrieves artwork from the ID3 APIC frame with picture type 3 which is “Cover (front)” in the ID3 standard. Artwork written by a tag editor in one of the other picture types, such as “Other”, “Band”, “Illustration”, will not appear in rekordbox, although other programs, such as iTunes, Windows Media Player, and VLC, will display the image without any trouble.
To check and fix the tag type using Mp3tag (Windows/Mac)
Mp3tag is free and is the most popular program to make this repair.
- Download and install Mp3tag from mp3tag.de.
- Open Mp3tag and load the folder with the affected tracks.
- Choose one of the tracks without a picture.
- Click on the artwork area in the left panel. If there is artwork, it is embedded but the type of tag may be incorrect.
- In Mp3tag, right click the picture of the artwork and click on Edit Cover Art.
- Look in the “Type” drop down. If it does not say “Cover (front)”, then change it to “Cover (front)”.
- Press OK and save (Ctrl+S).
- Return to rekordbox, right click on track and choose Reload Tag.
If you want to remove the current artwork and replace it with a new one in a large library, you can select all of the tracks in Mp3tag, remove the current artwork and add a new one (which is automatically named “Cover (front)”).
How to Fix Using TagScanner (Windows)
On Windows: If you have problems with FLAC artwork, you can switch from Mp3tag to TagScanner. Import all files into TagScanner, mark them all and save without altering any of the fields. This is to rewrite the tags in a format that can be read by rekordbox. Afterwards, reload the tags in rekordbox.
TagScanner is especially useful for FLAC files that might not be processed by Mp3tag’s PICTURE block to be accepted by rekordbox.
How to Fix Using Yate (Mac)
The problem is solved by editing the artwork tag type on Mac to “Cover (front)” and saving the file with Yate. The 1st song is the original one with the “Other” art field, the 2nd song is the modified one with “Cover (front)” and the artwork is displayed after the change in rekordbox.
Fix 3: Re-Add Artwork Manually Inside Rekordbox
There is no need to use an external tag editor to add artwork to the file, as it can be done directly in rekordbox if there is none embedded in the file or the embedded tag fix has not worked.
Steps:
- Locate the appropriate artwork image file on the computer. Make sure it is a .jpg or .jpeg file. If it is a PNG file, convert it to JPEG in any image editor or online converter.
- Inside of rekordbox, choose the track that doesn’t have an artwork.
- Open the track information panel (click the information icon or press Ctrl+I / Cmd+I).
- On the information panel, click on the Artwork tab.
- Drag and drop the JPEG image file into the artwork area. Or click on the folder icon to navigate and choose the file.
- Click Save.
Right click on the track or album without artwork and press Re-import. This can often resolve issues with missing album artwork.
Please keep in mind that the artwork added in this manner is not embedded within the audio file, but rather in the rekordbox database. This means it will not move with your library when you move your library, export to a USB drive for a CDJ, or import into another DJ software. If you want a permanent solution, embed the artwork in the file, which is what Fix 5 does.
Fix 4: Address the Rekordbox Database Location
Artwork is not stored within the audio file, but rather in the database folder under Rekordbox. If the tracks are serialised with a unique ID, then this ID is matched between the file and the artwork data. The artwork-to-track link will be lost when tracks are moved, renamed, or the database is reset.
The rekordbox database is located at:
- Windows: C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Pioneer\rekordbox
- Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Pioneer/rekordbox
If your music has been lost after you have moved your music library to a new drive or renamed folders or reinstalled rekordbox, the database might not have the necessary information to locate the original music files.
Steps to resolve:
- Do not delete the database folder unless absolutely necessary. In addition to artwork, it includes all your cue points, loops, beat grids and playlists.
- In rekordbox, mark the songs that are missing their cover.
- If the tracks are missing (red exclamation mark), right-click and select Relocate. Go to the new location of the file.
- Once rekordbox has re-linked the files, right-click and choose Reload Tag.
- If artwork still does not show up, repeat Fix 3 to add artwork manually.
After a reset of the database, you will have two options to get the waveforms and album art of old music: re-read the metadata and re-analyse, or remove everything and re-import from scratch.
Fix 5: Permanently Embed Artwork into Audio File (The Definitive Fix)
This is the one and only fix that will work forever in any situation, will not be affected by library moves, database resets, will work in rekordbox, on CDJ screens, in Serato, in streaming apps, and anywhere else.
Artwork can be obtained with a tag editor such as Mp3tag or MusicBrainz Picard and added to the ID3 tag of each file. This is the permanent fix: the image is part of the file, and will not be lost when exporting or copying, or when using any software.
Using Mp3tag to embed Artwork
- Start Mp3tag and load your music folder.
- Select all tracks (Ctrl+A).
- Right click and select Extended Tags.
- Remove any old artwork entries that are not marked as “Cover (front)”.
- Click Add, choose your artwork image file and choose the type as “Cover (front)”.
- Save (Ctrl+S).
- In rekordbox select the same tracks, right click and click Reload Tag.
Embedding Artwork using MusicBrainz Picard (Automatic Lookup)
MusicBrainz Picard is free and can automatically match music to MusicBrainz based on an audio fingerprint and fetch the correct artwork from MusicBrainz.
- Download and install Picard from picard.musicbrainz.org.
- Drag your music folder into Picard.
- Click on Lookup or Scan to find tracks.
- For matched tracks, Picard fetches the appropriate artwork from MusicBrainz.
- Save the files. By default, Picard will insert artwork as Cover (front).
- Back to rekordbox and re-load tags.
Fix 6: Update Rekordbox to the Latest Version
Bug fixes may be included in software updates, such as missing artwork. Having the latest version of rekordbox will fix any known bugs related to the display of the artwork that have been reported and fixed by Pioneer DJ’s development team.
To update rekordbox:
- Open rekordbox.
- Click on Help (Windows) or rekordbox (Mac) in the menu bar.
- Press Check for Updates.
- Install any available updates.
- Restart rekordbox and see if the problem with the artwork is fixed.
File Format Specific Issues
Rekordbox treats artwork differently for each type of audio file. If a fix works for MP3 files but not for FLAC files or AIFF files in the same library, you will not be confused by this.
MP3 Files
MP3s can contain an image in the ID3 tag (the picture attached to the file along with the title and artist) which is the most reliable format for artwork in rekordbox. MP3 artworks embedded as ID3 APIC frame with type “Cover (front)” are always played correctly in all versions of rekordbox.
The ID3 tag is located at the beginning of the MP3 file, in the first bytes of the file. Rekordbox decodes the cover art from the APIC frame. Artwork files should be kept below approximately 4 MB or the track will stall to load on some machines.
FLAC Files
Rekordbox has reported that there are problems with FLAC artwork, depending on the way the PICTURE block is written.
The problem with FLAC files is the software that is used to handle the tags. The problem is solved by switching to TagScanner on Windows and re-saving all FLAC files (without changing anything) as TagScanner saves the PICTURE block in a format that is accepted by rekordbox. This is confirmed to work by several users in the Pioneer DJ forums.
AIFF Files
There is a known problem where rekordbox will not display the album art in AIFF files. AIFF files do not contain artwork, and the artwork will need to be added manually, rekordbox has a persistent bug in reading the artwork from embedded AIFF files which has been reported to Pioneer DJ.
The ID3 tag is not located at the file header like it is in an MP3, but rather within an ID3 chunk in the AIFF structure. This structural difference means some AIFF files which show the artwork in iTunes and other applications have been unable to be read by rekordbox.
The solution for AIFF is to either add it manually in rekordbox (Fix 3) or to convert it with a third party tool that can write AIFF tags in a format that is reliably read by rekordbox.
WAV Files
By design, WAV files don’t support much metadata. If you have a lot of problems with artwork, this is one of the reasons why many DJs convert WAV files to MP3 or AIFF to use in their library the metadata support is more reliable in those formats.
Image Format and Size Requirements
Rekordbox has a very clear idea of what it will accept as an album cover.
Some tag editors may include PNG files that do not show up in rekordbox, but do show up in other programs. If the art work source files are PNG, convert to JPEG before embedding.
Artwork specifications for reliable display in rekordbox:
| Specification | Recommended Value |
| File format | JPEG (.jpg) |
| Resolution | 500 × 500 px to 1000 × 1000 px |
| File size | Under 1 MB (under 4 MB for CDJ hardware) |
| Colour mode | RGB (not CMYK) |
| ID3 tag type | Cover (front) / APIC type 3 |
Above 4 MB, the loading of the track and artwork is stalled on some CDJ hardware. It is a good practice to keep embedded artwork below 1 MB, both for software display speed and hardware reliability.
Why Album Artwork Matters for DJs
The album artwork is not a mere decorative element in a DJ’s workflow. The artwork will be displayed on the screen when a track is loaded and a DJ can see at a glance which track is playing without having to look at a tiny screen from a distance to read the track name. Artwork in rekordbox’s collection view greatly speeds up the visual navigation of a large library as compared to using text-only lists.
The visual appearance of a track – the picture that has been made to represent it – is as unique and as carefully conceived as any other part of a record’s release. Cover art can be embedded in the audio file, included in the ID3 tag as an APIC frame, or in your DJ software’s private cache. If it is just in the cache, and not embedded in the music, it doesn’t go with the music.
There is a long history of popular culture’s relationship to the visual art and the music it accompanies. Whether it was the modernist photography of Blue Note albums from the 1960s or the post-punk graphic design of Factory Records, the cover art that accompanied their albums has often been as important as the music itself. Like the album artwork that is preserved in a DJ library, the painting in the middle of the Shani Levni guide to the Boulevard of Broken Dreams painting is itself a product of the visual culture of American music and celebrity.
Workflow: Adding Artwork to a Library That Has None
A batch process is more efficient than making individual fixes if you are creating a new library or a large collection with systematically missing artwork.
Step 1: Library audit. In rekordbox, change the collection view to the Artwork column. Sort by artwork presence to find out which tracks don’t have any artwork.
Step 2: Use an auto-lookup tag editor. MusicBrainz Picard uses audio fingerprinting to match music, and automatically fetches cover artwork for most commercial releases. Mp3tag will also let you add the artwork manually for tracks it can’t detect and also save the artwork in a batch.
Step 3: Save with correct tag type. Make sure all artwork is saved as “Cover (front)” / APIC type 3. This type is used as the default when adding new artwork to both Picard and Mp3tag.
Step 4: Re-load tags in rekordbox. Once saved in the tag editor, choose all tracks in rekordbox and re-load tags. Rekordbox then reads the new data in the file and shows the new artwork that has been embedded.
Step 5: Check on a sample of tracks. Look at the artwork display in the collection view and the waveform view. Make sure the artwork is also displayed properly in a deck when the track is loaded.
The rules for caring for and documenting a physical art collection are the same for a digital music library. As an art collector maintains proper provenance records for their works as discussed in the Shani Levni guide to evaluating artwork value, analysis, and interpretation a DJ’s library can benefit from consistency in metadata that is maintained with the artwork embedded in the file, properly tagged, and backed up.
Troubleshooting Checklist
This checklist should be used to systematically evaluate the most common causes before spending time on more advanced fixes.
| Step | Action | Expected Result |
| 1 | Reload tags in rekordbox (right-click, Reload Tag) | Artwork appears if it was already embedded |
| 2 | Check artwork tag type in Mp3tag — must be “Cover (front)” | Artwork type corrected; reload tags |
| 3 | Convert artwork image to JPEG if currently PNG | File format now compatible with rekordbox |
| 4 | For FLAC files, resave tags in TagScanner | PICTURE block rewritten in rekordbox-compatible format |
| 5 | For AIFF files, add artwork manually within rekordbox | Artwork stored in rekordbox database for that track |
| 6 | Re-add artwork manually in rekordbox info panel | Artwork stored in rekordbox database |
| 7 | Embed artwork directly into file using Mp3tag or Picard | Permanent fix; travels with file |
| 8 | Update rekordbox to latest version | Known bugs resolved by Pioneer DJ update |
| 9 | Relocate files if collection was moved; then reload tags | Database reconnected to current file location |
Conclusion
One of the most common problems reported in the Pioneer DJ community forums is Rekordbox not showing album artwork, and this problem has been reported since many versions of Rekordbox have been released. It’s almost always because of one of a handful of technical problems the wrong type of ID3 picture, out-of-date cached tags, lost file references, or file format that doesn’t support FLAC or AIFF.
The permanent solution to the problem (in all scenarios) is to add artwork as a JPEG image directly to each audio file, using a special tag editor, and attaching it to the “Cover (front)” tag. When artwork is embedded like this it will not be lost with library moves, software updates, database resets or USB exports to CDJ equipment. It is added to the file as the audio and the track name are added to the file.
All other solutions such as reloading tags, adding artwork manually in rekordbox or software updates are partial solutions that may be repeated. The embedding approach is the one that is worth the extra effort, especially for a large library which is going to be used for years.
Visit Shani Levni‘s entire library for more guides on creative tools, art resources and technical problem solving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my album artwork not showing in rekordbox?
The most common cause is that the artwork is embedded in the audio file under the wrong ID3 picture type. Rekordbox requires artwork to be tagged as “Cover (front)” (APIC type 3). Artwork saved as “Other”, “Band”, or any other type will not display in rekordbox even though it appears in iTunes and other media players. The second most common cause is that rekordbox has not reloaded the track tags since the artwork was added right-click the track and select Reload Tag to fix this.
How to replace album art in rekordbox?
Right click on the tracks in question in rekordbox and choose Reload Tag. If that doesn’t work, open the files in Mp3tag, make sure that the artwork is tagged as “Cover (front)”, and resave. Then re-load tags in rekordbox. If the FLAC file, use TagScanner to save the tags again in a format that rekordbox supports. To make it permanent, use Mp3tag or MusicBrainz Picard to embed the artwork into each file.
Is album art for PNG supported by rekordbox?
Rekordbox is designed to work with JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg) format for album artwork. Some tag editors may embed PNG files that are not supported by rekordbox. If your artwork is a PNG, make sure to convert it to JPEG before embedding or adding it in rekordbox.
Why is my album cover in iTunes and not in rekordbox?
This is generally a tag type problem. iTunes shows artwork of any type, while rekordbox only shows artwork that is marked as “Cover (front)”. Open the file in Mp3tag, change the Cover (front) tag type, save, and re-open tags in rekordbox.
When I moved my library, my artwork in my rekordbox is gone, why?
Rekordbox saves artwork references in its own database folder, which is associated with a unique track ID. If files are moved or renamed, the database will lose the reference to the location of the file and the artwork link will be broken. Move files in rekordbox (right click – Relocate) and then re-load tags. To get a permanent solution, embed the artwork into each audio file so that it is carried along with the file wherever it goes.
Which tag editor is the best to repair the artwork in rekordbox?
The most popular and recommended software for general use is Mp3tag (free, Windows and Mac). For FLAC files the preferred tool is TagScanner (free, Windows). MusicBrainz Picard (free, Windows/Mac/Linux) is the best choice if you have a large collection of commercial releases and want to automatically get and embed the correct artwork. Mac users prefer to use Yate (paid) for accurate ID3 tag handling, including artwork type control.
How to manually import album art to rekordbox?
In rekordbox, choose the track, open the track information panel, click on the Artwork tab and drag a JPEG image file into the artwork area. This saves the artwork in rekordbox’s database for this track. Keep in mind that artwork created in this manner is not embedded in the audio file itself and will not accompany the file if you move your library or export it to a USB drive.