Music production is full of technical terms that sometimes leave new producers feeling puzzled. One such term is stems. It might sound like we’re talking about plant parts or gardening, but in the world of music, it’s something quite different. That said, we have to admit that digital waveforms can sometimes resemble squiggly branches.
Anyway, what are stems in music recording, remixing and other musical contexts? Let’s jump right in.
What Are Music Stems?
Stems are individual audio files that break down a song into separate components, such as melody, instruments, bass, and drums. They allow for precise control over each part of a track. When played together without changes, stems should closely resemble the original finished track.
Originally, stems referred to multiple stereo mixes of a track used in mixing and mastering. Today, they represent individual or grouped tracks within a mix, and they help producers and engineers work with specific parts of a song.
Each stem can be a single element, like a snare drum, or a collection of elements, such as vocal harmonies. Some tracks may have only a few stems, while others, especially complex ones, can have many.
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What’s the Difference Between Stems and Multitracks?
Multitracks give you the most detailed control over your mix because they involve working with each audio element separately. You could have dozens of individual files, each representing a different part of the song, like every harmony, drum mic, and effect. With this setup, you’ll tweak each sound element independently, which is great for making precise adjustments. However, it gets pretty complex and overwhelming because you’re managing a lot of separate files.
On the other hand, stems music simplifies things by grouping related audio elements together into fewer files. This means you’re not dealing with every single vocal harmony separately; instead, you have one file that represents the whole vocal section. Stems are more like pre-mixed bundles, which makes the mixing process quicker and more manageable.
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What Are Stems in Music Production, and How Exactly Are They Used?
When mixing a track, a producer might start with audio stems that group similar elements together, like all the vocals or all the drums. Instead of adjusting each individual track (which could be dozens of files), the producer will focus on the broader groups. For instance, if the vocal stem includes all vocal parts, harmonies, and effects, the producer can adjust the overall vocal presence and balance in the mix without having to tweak each vocal layer separately.
If a producer needs to refine a track, stems make it easier to isolate and modify specific elements. For example, if the drums in a song need more punch, the producer will work with just the drum stem to make adjustments like EQ or compression. This won’t affect other elements like vocals or guitars.
For remixing, stems allow the producer to take key elements from the original track and rearrange or alter them. The producer might use the vocal stem and combine it with new beats or instrumental stems to create a completely new version of the song. Consider it a fun way to create fresh versions of a track while keeping some of the original elements intact.
How Else Can You Use Stems?
Song stems aren’t just for music production or remixing, and here are just a few ideas of how you can use them:
Music licensing and sync
In terms of music licensing and sync opportunities, stems are useful for adapting a track to fit different media needs. For example, if a TV show or film requires a specific version of a song — like an instrumental or a version with only vocals — the stems allow for these customized versions to be created quickly and easily.
Music analysis
If you’re studying a track’s structure or production techniques, stems are a great tool for analysis. By isolating different elements, you can closely examine how each part of the mix was created, and how they applied the effects and achieved the overall sound.
Educational purposes
Stems help learn about music production and mixing. They let students practice tweaking different parts of a song — like the vocals, drums, or guitar — to see how each element fits into the overall mix.
Plus, using stems is a great way to break down and understand how professional songs are made. Students see deeper into various production techniques and how different sounds are layered together.
Custom content creation
You can also create custom content for various media platforms. For example, you can use stems to create personalized background music for videos, social media posts, or other digital content.
How to Extract Song Stems Yourself
Let’s say you’ve got a track and want to separate just the percussion, here’s how you can use LALAL.AI, an AI-powered tool, to isolate the drums from any song or video quickly:
- Open your browser and go to the LALAL.AI site. Or try the tool right here with this widget.
- Click on the Vocal and Instrumental button to see your options. From the list, choose Drums.
- Hit Select Files and pick the audio or video file you want to work with.
- After uploading, listen to the preview of your separated stems. You can mute one stem by clicking the crossed-out speaker icon and hit play to hear the other.
- Click Split in Full to process the stems. To download, click Download All to save everything at once, or click the download icon next to each stem to save them individually.
If the sound isn’t right, you can turn off the Enhanced Processing feature. Click the settings icon next to the preview, find Enhanced Processing in the menu, turn it off, and then click Create New Previews.
Where to Find Available Music Stems
Looking for music stems to remix or work on your own projects? Here’s where you can find them:
Explore sample libraries
Many online sample libraries offer stems you can use. Sites like Splice, Loopmasters, and Sounds.com have collections of stems across various genres. These libraries regularly update their selections, so you’ll find fresh and diverse stems to work with.
Join online music communities
Look up online music forums and communities to discover stems. Websites like Reddit’s r/WeAreTheMusicMakers or Gearslutz have users sharing and discussing stems on a regular basis.
Look for stem packs and bundles
Many producers and sound designers sell stem packs or bundles, which are collections of stems for specific genres or styles. You can find these on sites like ADSR, Producer Loops, or Beatport Sounds. These packs come with high-quality stems and can be a good investment for building your remix library.
Contact artists directly
One effective way to get stems is to reach out to artists. Try to build connections with musicians and wait for opportunities to exchange stems and collaborate.
Keep in mind that if you’re trying to get stems from well-known artists, it will be more challenging. You may need to contact their management or label, and there’s only a small chance you’ll get a response. To improve your chances, be polite and persistent.
Best Uses of Stems in Music
Some of the best examples of stems are in electronic music, especially techno and house. These producers are known for taking parts of existing tracks and giving them a fresh, new twist.
Tips for Handling Stems Like a Pro
When exporting stems, being organized will save you a lot of time. If you’re spending too much time doing multiple exports, muting tracks, or turning off plugins manually, these tips will simplify the process.
Group your tracks with busses
A straightforward tip is to route your tracks into bus groups instead of sending them straight to the master channel.
For example, you can use main groups like Vocals and Instrumental, and break those down into smaller groups like Drums, Guitars, or Background Vocals. This way, you export multiple groups at once and avoid the need to export each track separately or manually turn off plugins. You won’t miss any sounds.
Keep effects separate for each group
Using the same reverb for vocals, guitars, and drums might sound good in the mix, but it creates problems when exporting stems. To keep vocal reverb out of your guitar stem, just duplicate the effect settings for each group. You’ll be able to customize the effects for each part and keep everything sounding clear and well-balanced.
Archive your stems
If you’ve ever gone back to an old project, you know how useful this is. Export the main stems at the end and save them with your project files. Even years later, you’ll still use the project without problems, even if software or plugins are outdated.
