Tango-DJ

Tango-DJ User Guide

This guide covers Tango-DJ 1.4.0.

Getting Started

Tango-DJ is a DJ application made for Argentine tango milongas. It helps you organise and play tango music in tandas (sets of 3-4 songs) with cortinas (short musical breaks) between them. You build the evening as a set of tandas, put them in order, and the music plays through with automatic crossfades.

The main window

The main window: the menu on the left, the player and the set in the middle, and the Tandas panel on the right.

Installation

  1. Download the latest version from the website
  2. Open the .dmg file and drag Tango-DJ to your Applications folder
  3. Open Tango-DJ. The first time, the app asks for access to your music folders if it needs it

System Requirements

  • macOS 15.5 or newer
  • Minimum 4 GB RAM
  • 500 MB free disk space

Quick Start

  1. Add your music folders in Settings → Music Folders, then rescan the Library
  2. Tag tracks by genre (Tango, Vals, Milonga or Cortina) in the Library
  3. Create tandas in the Tandas view: 3-4 songs that go well together
  4. Open the Set view and add tandas and cortinas in the order you want to play them
  5. Press Play. The set plays in order and crossfades from track to track
  6. Optionally connect an iPad to show dancers what is playing

The Sidebar

  • Set: the main screen, with what is playing and what plays next
  • Library: all your tracks, with genre tagging and analysis
  • Playlists: saved sets you can reload
  • Tandas: your saved tandas
  • iPad Companion: shows what is playing on an iPad
  • License, Settings and Help

The button at the top of the sidebar collapses it to icons only. The version number is shown at the bottom of the sidebar.

Music Library

Importing Music

Tango-DJ imports music from folders you choose and keeps watching them for changes.

  1. Go to Settings → Music Folders
  2. Click "Add Folder"
  3. Give the folder a name and click "Browse..." to choose where it is
  4. Click "Add"
  5. Go to the Library and click "Rescan Folders" to import the music

Use "Rescan Folders" whenever you have added new music to your folders. A progress bar shows how far the scan has come.

Settings

Settings is organised in sections: DJ Information, Waveform, Audio Settings, Music Folders and About.

Tango-DJ supports MP3, M4A, WAV, AIFF, FLAC and AAC.

File naming: Once you have created tandas or playlists, avoid renaming files. Tango-DJ uses metadata (artist, album, duration) to keep track of files, but it is best to organise your files before you create tandas.

Genre Tagging

Give each track a genre. Tandas and cortinas are built from these tags, so it is worth doing right after an import.

  1. Go to the Library
  2. Select one or more tracks by clicking the circle at the start of the row. The numbers show the order you selected them in
  3. Click a genre at the top of the Library (Tango, Vals, Milonga or Cortina)
  4. The selected tracks are tagged with that genre

Use the search field or the genre filter to narrow the list first. The genre buttons show how many tracks each genre has.

Library Views

  • Artist/Album: organised by artist, then album, then tracks. Click a row to open or close it
  • All Tracks: every track in one list
  • Genre filter: show only one genre
  • Search: find tracks by title or artist

The Library

The Library. Select tracks with the circle at the start of a row, then click Add to Set. In a wide window the set is shown on the right.

Preview

Click the play button at the end of a row to listen to a track. If you have set a separate preview output in Settings → Audio Settings, previews play there (for example in headphones) while the main output keeps playing for the dancers.

Tandas

A tanda is a set of songs played together during a milonga.

Type Songs Notes
Tango 3-4 songs Most common, can have 3 or 4
Vals 3 songs Always 3, rarely 4
Milonga 3 songs Always 3, more energetic

Creating a New Tanda

  1. Click "Tandas" in the sidebar
  2. Click "New Tanda"
  3. Browse the library and click "Add to Tanda" on each track. The order you add them in is the playing order
  4. Select the tanda type (Tango, Vals or Milonga)
  5. Give the tanda a descriptive name (for example "Di Sarli - Romantic")
  6. Click "Save Tanda"

New Tanda

New Tanda. Choose tracks in the library on the left. The tanda you are building is on the right.

Good names include orchestra and style ("D'Arienzo - Energetic"), orchestra and singer ("Troilo with Fiorentino") or orchestra and years ("Canaro - 1940s").

Editing a Tanda

  1. Select a tanda in the list. Its tracks are shown on the right
  2. Click "Edit"
  3. Change the name, type or description
  4. Drag tracks to reorder them, click ✕ to remove one, or click "Add Tracks…" to add more
  5. Click "Save"

Tandas

The Tandas view. Your tandas are on the left. The selected tanda and its tracks are on the right.

Click "Add to Set" to put the tanda into the set. If the tanda is already in the set, the button shows "In Set".

Building Good Tandas

  • Keep songs from the same orchestra or a similar style
  • Match energy levels: don't mix slow romantic songs with fast energetic ones
  • Consider BPM: songs should be within 5-10 BPM of each other
  • Listen to the full tanda before using it at a milonga

Playing the Set

The Set view is your main screen during a milonga. The top shows what is playing, and below it is the set: the tandas that will play, in order.

What You See

  • Title and artist of the current track, with the tanda name and position (for example 2 / 4)
  • A waveform with the elapsed and remaining time. Click or drag in the waveform to jump to another position
  • The BPM of the track
  • Play/Pause and "Fade to next", with the crossfade length next to them
  • Next up: the following track, and Set ends: when the whole set is expected to finish

Playing

  1. Add tandas and cortinas to the set (see Building the Set)
  2. Press the Play button, or the space bar
  3. The set plays in order. When a track ends, the next one starts automatically
  4. Press Pause or the space bar to pause. Press again to continue

Crossfade

  • "Fade to next" fades out the current track over the crossfade time and starts the next one. Use it to leave a track early, for example a cortina
  • The crossfade slider sets the length from 1 to 10 seconds
  • To stop the music from continuing on its own, open the ⋯ menu above the set and turn off "Auto-play Next Track"

"Set ends" shows when the music will run out. Cortinas are counted as 1 minute, since you normally don't play them in full.

Keyboard

Key Action
Space Play / Pause

Window Size

Tango-DJ adapts to the window. In a small window the player is on top and the set below. In a wide window the Tandas panel appears on the right, so you can drag tandas straight into the set.

Building the Set

The set is a list of tandas and cortinas. It plays from top to bottom, and you can change it at any time, even while music is playing.

Adding to the Set

  • Tandas panel (wide window): drag a tanda into the set, click +, or double-click it. Use the filter to show Tango, Vals, Milonga or Cortina, and the search field to find a tanda or an artist. Tandas already in the set are dimmed and marked
  • The Add menu above the set: Saved Tanda…, Cortina…, Single Track… and Empty Tanda
  • From the Library: select tracks and click "Add to Set". Three or four selected tracks of the same genre become a tanda. In a wide window the set is shown beside the Library, so you can also drag tracks into it
  • From Tandas or Playlists: use the "Add to Set" button

Drop a tanda or cortina onto a tanda in the set to place it before that one, or in the empty area to place it last. Cortinas always become their own entry in the set and never end up inside a tanda.

Building the set

The first tanda is open. Tracks can be dragged to a new place, removed with the cross, or added with Add track.

Changing the Order

  • Drag a tanda up or down to move it
  • Or open the ⋯ menu on the tanda and choose Move Up or Move Down
  • The tanda that is playing, and tandas that have been played, cannot be moved or removed. They are kept at the top

Opening a Tanda

Click the arrow in front of a tanda, or double-click it, to open it. The tanda that is playing opens by itself. In an open tanda you can:

  • Drag a track to a new position, also to another tanda
  • Click ✕ to remove a track
  • Click "Add track…" to add more tracks, or drop a track from the Library onto the tanda
  • See each track's BPM and length

The ⋯ menu on a tanda also lets you rename it, change its type (Tango, Vals or Milonga), add a track or remove the whole tanda. A tanda with the wrong number of tracks for its type shows a warning triangle.

Played Tandas

When all tracks of a tanda have been played, it moves into a closed "Played" group at the top of the set. Open it to see what has been played.

More Actions

The ⋯ menu above the set contains:

  • Session History: every track played this session, newest first
  • Save Set as Playlist
  • Auto-play Next Track: on or off
  • Collapse All
  • Clear Set: stops the music and removes everything from the set

Playlists

A playlist is a saved set. Use playlists to prepare a milonga in advance, or to keep a set you want to use again. A typical 3-hour milonga has 15-20 tandas.

Creating a Playlist

  1. Click "Playlists" in the sidebar
  2. Click "New Playlist"
  3. Give the playlist a name (for example "Saturday Milonga - March 2026") and an optional description
  4. Click "Create"

Select the playlist and use the Add menu: Tanda… adds a saved tanda as a group (recommended), and Tracks… adds individual tracks. Click "Edit" to rename the playlist, drag tracks and tandas to reorder them, or remove them.

A tanda added to a playlist stays grouped. Moving one track moves the whole tanda.

Playlists

A playlist. Tandas are shown as groups that can be opened and closed. Use the search field to find a playlist.

Saving the Set as a Playlist

In the Set view, open the ⋯ menu and choose "Save Set as Playlist". Tandas are saved as tandas, so the structure is kept when you load the playlist again.

Using a Playlist

  1. Select a playlist in the list
  2. Click "Add to Set" to add it after what is already in the set
  3. Or open the ⋯ menu and choose "Use as Set…" to replace the whole set. This stops playback
  4. Go to the Set view and press Play

Tandas saved in the playlist stay tandas. Loose tracks are grouped by genre: three or four of the same genre in a row become a tanda. Tracks that are already in the set are skipped.

To delete a playlist, open the ⋯ menu and choose "Delete Playlist…". A bar at the bottom lets you undo for a few seconds. Your tracks and tandas are not deleted.

Cortinas and Cue Points

A cortina is a short piece of music (30-60 seconds) played between tandas, so dancers can thank their partners and find new ones.

Cortinas in the Set

  1. Tag the track as Cortina in the Library
  2. Add it from the Tandas panel (filter: Cortina), from the Add menu, or from the Library
  3. A cortina is its own row in the set, between tandas
  4. Use "Fade to next" to leave a cortina early

Setting a Cue Point

A cue point tells Tango-DJ where to start a track. It is most useful for cortinas: you skip a long intro and go straight to the part you want the dancers to hear.

  1. Go to the Library and right-click the track
  2. Choose "Set Cue Point…"
  3. Choose where the track should start and save
  4. The track now shows an orange flag in the Library

Use "Clear Cue Point" in the same menu to remove it. Tracks with a cue point start from it when they are played, and when you preview them in the Library.

iPad Companion (Tablet Display)

Tango-DJ can show what is playing on an iPad or another tablet for the dancers to see.

Setup

  1. Click "iPad Companion" in the sidebar
  2. Click "Start Server"
  3. On the iPad, open Safari
  4. Go to the address shown in Tango-DJ
  5. Add the page to the Home Screen for easy access

The Mac and the iPad must be on the same Wi-Fi network.

iPad Companion

The iPad Companion view. Start the server, and see a preview of what the iPad shows.

What Is Displayed

  • Now playing: the current track
  • Up next: the next track from the set, shown with the tanda name if it belongs to a tanda, otherwise the artist
  • Your DJ name, set in Settings → DJ Information → DJ Name

The iPad Companion view shows a live preview of what the iPad displays. Dark mode on the iPad gives the best result. Turn on Guided Access on the iPad to prevent accidental navigation away from the page.

BPM and Volume Analysis

Tango-DJ can analyse the tempo (BPM) and loudness of your tracks. BPM helps you match songs when building tandas, and volume normalisation prevents sudden volume changes between songs.

Running Analysis

  1. Go to the Library
  2. Select the tracks you want to analyse
  3. Click "Analyze BPM & Volume"
  4. Wait for the analysis to complete
  5. BPM is shown for each track, and a volume adjustment (in dB) appears in the list

Analysis takes a few seconds per track. The results are saved, so you only need to analyse a track once.

Volume Normalisation

Turn on normalisation in Settings → Audio Settings → Volume Control ("Enable Normalization"). Tracks are then adjusted towards a common loudness of -14 LUFS. Analyse your tracks in the Library first, so each track has a volume adjustment.

BPM in Tandas

  • Tango: typically 50-65 BPM
  • Vals: 55-65 BPM (faster feel due to 3/4 time)
  • Milonga: 60-80 BPM
  • Keep songs in a tanda within 5-10 BPM of each other

BPM is a guide, not a rule. The feel of the music matters more than the exact tempo.

Audio Setup

Tango-DJ can use two audio outputs:

  • Main output: the sound for the dance floor
  • Preview output: what only you hear, for example in headphones

Choose the outputs in Settings → Audio Settings.

Tips and Tricks

During the Milonga

  • Always preview your tandas before using them at a milonga
  • Build the set a tanda or two ahead of what is playing. You can still change everything that has not started
  • Open the tanda that is playing to see what comes next within it
  • Keep an eye on "Set ends" so you don't run out of music
  • Have backup tandas ready in case you need to extend or shorten the evening
  • Test the iPad display before the milonga starts

Preparing

  • Use a wide window while preparing, so the Tandas panel is always in view
  • Save sets you like as playlists and reuse them
  • Tag genres as soon as you import music
  • Build a collection of tested tandas you can reuse

Performance

  • Close other applications during a milonga
  • Turn off system notifications and automatic updates
  • Connect to power instead of relying on the battery
  • Test your audio output before the dancers arrive

Troubleshooting

Sound Is Not Working

  1. Check that the correct output is selected in Settings → Audio Settings
  2. Check the volume both in Tango-DJ and in the macOS sound settings
  3. Try restarting the app

Tracks Are Not Loading

  1. Check that the files are in a supported format (MP3, M4A, WAV, AIFF, FLAC or AAC) and not DRM-protected
  2. Check that the music folder is listed in Settings → Music Folders. If Tango-DJ asks for access to a folder, allow it
  3. Click "Rescan Folders" in the Library

iPad Display Is Not Updating

  1. Check that the iPad and the Mac are on the same network
  2. Check that the server is started in the iPad Companion view
  3. Check that no firewall is blocking the connection
  4. Reload the page on the iPad

License and Trial Period

  • Tango-DJ can be used free for 30 days. Register with your name and email in the License view to start the trial
  • After the trial you need a license. Click "Purchase License" in the License view, or buy one on the purchase page. You can pay with Stripe, PayPal or Vipps, depending on the plan
  • Your license key is sent by email. Enter it with your email address under "Activate License" in the License view
  • An expired license can be renewed with "Purchase License". Your tandas, playlists and library are kept
  • To move your license to another computer, install Tango-DJ there and activate it with the same email and license key

Support

Need help? Email terjelundemotangen@me.com

Good luck with your DJing! 🎵

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