What is a Hot Cue?

A hot cue is a type of cue point used in DJing that allows a DJ to instantly jump to a specific position in a track while it is playing. Unlike a standard cue point, which is often used when a track is paused, a hot cue can be triggered at any time during playback. This makes it useful for live performance and creative mixing techniques.

Hot cues are typically assigned to dedicated buttons on DJ controllers, CDJs, or DJ software. Each button corresponds to a marked position in the track, such as the start of the intro, a drop, a vocal phrase, or a breakdown. Pressing the button immediately jumps the playback to that point in the song.

DJs use hot cues to remix tracks live, repeat sections, trigger drops, or create quick transitions between songs. Because they allow instant access to important parts of a track, hot cues are a powerful performance tool in modern DJing. They are widely used in electronic dance music, hip hop, and other genres where creative live mixing is common.