What does “ID” mean in a DJ set tracklist?

The short answer: ID means the track has not been identified. In a tracklist it stands where nobody has named the record yet, most often because it is unreleased: a promo the DJ got early, a dubplate, a bootleg or their own edit.

The kinds of ID you will see

• ID – ID: neither the artist nor the title is known.
• Artist – ID: the artist is known, often because the DJ or the label said so, but the title is not yet.
• ID (Artist Remix) or similar: part of the record is known, such as who remixed it.

Why so many tracks in a set are IDs

Recognition only finds released music. A record that is not out yet, or only exists as the DJ's own edit, is in no database, so no app can name it. Sets built on unreleased music can come back with large gaps, however carefully they are scanned. It is also why Shazam cannot name a whole DJ set.

How an ID gets named

• The DJ or the label names it, often in the comments or when the record comes out.
• Someone in the comments recognises it. A question with the exact timestamp gets far more answers.
• Once it is released, recognition databases add it, and a new scan can find it.

The guide to finding a DJ set tracklist has more ways to chase one down.

How Traklyst shows an ID

A stretch where nothing was identified stays in the tracklist as ID, with how long it lasts, so you can jump to that moment and listen. If you know the track, the “Know it?” link next to it lets you say so, and the entry gets fixed. Tracks from a published list that the audio did not confirm are marked unconfirmed: often right, not proven. How it works explains every label.