How to Export Stems for Mixing (Any DAW)
Clean, well labelled stems save hours in a mix session and avoid the most common problems. Here's how to export them, whatever DAW you use.
Yuval Miller
Stems, multitracks, what's the difference?
For mixing, I usually want multitracks: every individual track exported separately, kick, snare, bass, each vocal, each synth. For stem mastering, you send a handful of grouped stems instead. When in doubt, more separation is better for mixing.
The rules that matter
- Same start point. Every file starts at bar 1 (or the same timecode), even if the instrument only comes in at the chorus. That way everything lines up when I import it.
- Same length. Export every file to the end of the song, including reverb tails.
- Format. WAV or AIFF, 24 bit or 32 bit float, at your session sample rate.
- No master bus processing. Bypass everything on the master channel before exporting.
- Keep sound design, remove mix moves. If a distortion or filter is part of the sound, print it. Generic EQ and compression you added to balance the mix can usually come off.
- Effects separately. Export important reverbs and delays as their own tracks, or tell me they're printed into the dry sound.
- Label clearly. 01_Kick.wav, 02_Snare.wav, 14_LeadVocal.wav.
- Include your rough mix and a note with the tempo.
Where to find the export in your DAW
- Ableton Live: File, Export Audio/Video, then Rendered Track: All Individual Tracks.
- Logic Pro: File, Export, All Tracks as Audio Files.
- FL Studio: Export WAV, with Split mixer tracks enabled. Route each sound to its own mixer insert first.
- Pro Tools: consolidate clips from the session start, or bounce tracks individually.
- Cubase: File, Export, Audio Mixdown, with Channel Batch Export.
Check before you send
Drag all the files into an empty session at the same tempo and press play. If it sounds like your mix and everything lines up, you're ready. Send them over, or read more about mixing in Berlin.