Why You Can’t Afford to Get It Wrong
I remember a time, years ago, when I was first getting into computers. I thought RAM and the CPU were interchangeable names for the same component. I was wrong, and I needed to correct my understanding to avoid a world of confusion.
The music production community has a similar problem with multi-tracks and stems. The terms are often used interchangeably by people who should know better, and it creates massive headaches for professional audio engineers. Getting the wrong files can waste time and money for everyone involved. So, let’s set the record straight once and for all.
What is a Multi-track?
Simply put, a multi-track is an individual, raw, unprocessed audio file. It’s the building block of a song.
Think of it like this: If you record a live drum kit, you might have separate microphones on the kick drum, the snare drum, the hi-hats, and the overheads. Each of those microphone recordings is a single track with all of the takes for all of the instruments giving us the term, multi-track. In a typical recording session, you might have dozens—if not hundreds—of multi-tracks for a single song, all with their own dedicated file.
The key thing to remember is that these are the individual, isolated files. They haven’t been mixed, they haven’t been processed, and they don’t have any effects like reverb or delay baked in. A collection of all the multi-tracks for a song is often called a session or track-outs.
What is a Stem?
In stark contrast, a stem is a mixed, grouped audio file. Stems are created after a song has already been mixed and they represent a collection of tracks that belong to a single instrument group.
For that same drum kit example, a “drums” stem would be a single stereo file that contains the combined, processed, and balanced mix of the kick, snare, hi-hats, and overheads. You can’t adjust the snare’s volume independently because it’s already mixed into the single stem file. Other common stems might include “all vocals,” “all guitars,” “all keyboards,” and so on.
Stems are not raw files. They are sub-mixes that contain all the artistic decisions and processing from the mix engineer.
Why the Difference Matters: Saving Time and Money
Knowing the difference between these two types of files is more than just about correct terminology; it’s about efficient workflow. When a client sends the wrong type of file, it can delay a project by days and potentially add extra costs.
The Role of the Mix Engineer
A mix engineer needs multi-tracks. When you’re hired to mix a song from scratch, you need the ultimate level of control. You need to be able to fix a kick drum that’s too quiet or adjust the compression on a vocal take. You need to be able to make every creative decision from the ground up. If a client sends you stems, you’re essentially being handed a finished painting and being asked to change the color of a single brushstroke. It’s impossible.
The Role of Stems
So when are stems used? Stems are essential for remixing and post-production. They are used when a song has already been mixed, and you just need to work with the major components. For example:
- For TV or Film: A sound editor might need to quickly adjust the level of the vocals to duck under dialogue, or they might need an instrumental version of the song. Stems allow them to do this with just a few clicks.
- For Remixers: A DJ or producer making a remix doesn’t want to rebuild the entire song from scratch. They want the finished, polished parts—the “vocals” stem, the “bass” stem, etc.—so they can easily chop them up and integrate them into a new production.
- For Live Performance: A live band might use stems to play along with elements they can’t reproduce on stage, such as a string section or a complex synth arpeggio.
The confusion between the two can turn a simple five-minute export into a tedious, day-long task. It’s a waste of time, resources, and often money. Understanding this distinction is a fundamental part of a smooth, professional music production workflow.
Video Guide to Stems and Multi-tracks
For a visual breakdown of this topic, check out this great video:
Stems vs. Multitracks: What’s The Difference?
I’d Love Your Thoughts…
What’s a production term you’ve found to be commonly misused? Share your experiences in the comments below!