Pioneer DJ's network protocol — how CDJ and XDJ hardware share playback data that TimecodeLink converts to show control timecode.
PRO DJ LINK is Pioneer DJ's proprietary network protocol for connecting CDJ and XDJ players over Ethernet. It enables track sharing between players, beat sync, and — critically for show control — broadcasts real-time playback status from every connected player.
When Pioneer players are connected via PRO DJ LINK, they continuously broadcast UDP packets containing the current track, playback position, BPM, pitch, play state, and on-air status. TimecodeLink listens to these broadcasts and converts the data into SMPTE timecode for show synchronization.
PRO DJ LINK continuously broadcasts playback data from every connected player on the network, including:
When configured for CDJ input, TimecodeLink connects to the PRO DJ LINK network and automatically detects your Pioneer players. It reads real-time playback data from each player, matches the current track against your timecode mappings, and outputs continuous SMPTE timecode over MTC, Art-Net, or LTC.
The entire process is transparent — TimecodeLink works alongside your existing setup without affecting DJ performance or requiring changes to your workflow.
TimecodeLink automatically finds Pioneer players on the network. No IP addresses to configure — just connect to the same switch.
Monitor up to 6 players simultaneously. Deck selection modes (on-air, master, fixed) determine which player drives the timecode output.
TimecodeLink talks directly to the hardware. No need for Rekordbox, ShowKontrol, or any other Pioneer software on the TimecodeLink machine.
TimecodeLink bridges your DJ software with show control systems using professional timecode output.