What is a stem?

[TBird]

This is a term I see everywhere and I am never quite sure what it means.

Is it simply a raw, unprocessed, unmixed individual track from a multitrack recording or is it more complicated than that?

And why is it useful?

[MarkOne]

Generally it refers to a mixed and balanced group of tracks, for instance, the drums, guitars, bass instruments, strings, brass, etc. The movie industry relies on stems a lot to manage the hundreds of tracks that make up a soundtrack.

Stem mastering isn’t uncommon, where the final mix is delivered to the mastering engineer as a handful of stems rather than a stereo mix.

[Aled Hughes]

It’s a word that has recently changed its meaning, which annoys me a bit.

I’ve always used it to describe a submix of individual tracks (ie a ‘drum stem’, ‘guitar stem’, ‘vocal stem’ etc)
But nowadays it’s just as often used to describe the individual multitrack files.

Almost every time I’m asked for ‘stems’ these days, they want the individual multitracks.

[Folderol]

I find the terminology highly confusing. Expressions like 'individual multitracks' seem to suggest both one and many at the same time So what exactly do you mean by a multitrack - and does everyone understand it as the same thing.

Also how does 'submix' fit in with that. These may seem basic questions, but I wonder how many people have their own (conflicting) interpretation of the terms.

[RichardT]

In this context, I think 'individual multitracks' is actually referring to mixer channels, so a stem is / used to be a render of the sum of a number of mixer channels, possibly with some processing being applied to the summed signal.

As I use it, a stem is something that is rendered to audio, and a submix is not, but I think that's ambiguous and others won't agree. In my mind, if you render a submix, you get a stem!

[BJG145]

I’ve always used it to describe a submix of individual tracks (ie a ‘drum stem’, ‘guitar stem’, ‘vocal stem’ etc) but nowadays it’s just as often used to describe the individual multitrack files

...yes, the original meaning has been lost through misuse.

SOS - What is a submix

(Elf previously remarked that when someone asks for stems, he now has to check what they want.)

[Hugh Robjohns]

I agree, confusion has arisen through misuse.

In practice you'll need to confirm meaning with your client.... but the original meaning is/was a submix of a logical collection of channels, allowing someone to adjust the final balance as necessary.

So in the film/TV world you might have stems for dialogue, music, and FX – and those stems could be mono, stereo, surround sound or whatever format is appropriate.

In a music context, you might have stems for drums, rhythm, leads, vocals, bvox, and do on. Whatever logical grouping of elements is appropriate.

Stems are NOT individual tracks!!!!! We already have a sensible name for those: INDIVIDUAL TRACKS. A stem is always a submix of multiple source elements – although there may only be one element active at times.

[Folderol]

Thanks a lot. This is just what I needed. One person I've collaborated with in the past always asks for stems, when what he actually want's is a set of individual tracks.

[sonics]

In my experience the word was always used to mean a stereo (sub)mix. As a mix engineer I was never asked to make mono submixes (but sometime complete mono mixes), and surround projects usually requested stereo submixes and/or individual tracks. We didn't tend call them stems though; they were submixes.

We need to keep fighting to ensure the clarity of these terms!

Why would someone call a track bounce a stem? Did this start in one particular piece of software? Is there a DAW that exports tracks and calls them stems?

[Moroccomoose]

My understanding of stems was that they were a simplified set of tracks consisting a collection of submixes and/or individual tracks but, to differentiate from 'tracks', they are printed post fx or post processing.

Thus some artistic decisions have been made and are committed, while giving the opportunity to finesse the mix, or allow mastering wizards more scope to perfect the final output.

An example that typifies what stems are to me, were Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now' stems were made available for a remix competition a few years ago.

They were a fascinating listen as individual tracks. Now in the final mix I hear the hidden gems revealed in those stems that I had never heard before.

Stu.

[BJG145]

We need to keep fighting to ensure the clarity of these terms!

I agree.

̶M̶y̶ ̶u̶n̶d̶e̶r̶s̶t̶a̶n̶d̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶s̶t̶e̶m̶s̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶y̶ ̶w̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶s̶i̶m̶p̶l̶i̶f̶i̶e̶d̶ ̶s̶e̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶r̶a̶c̶k̶s̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶s̶i̶s̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶ ̶c̶o̶l̶l̶e̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶s̶u̶b̶m̶i̶x̶e̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶/̶o̶r̶ ̶i̶n̶d̶i̶v̶i̶d̶u̶a̶l̶ ̶t̶r̶a̶c̶k̶s̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶,̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶d̶i̶f̶f̶e̶r̶e̶n̶t̶i̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶'̶t̶r̶a̶c̶k̶s̶'̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶y̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶p̶r̶i̶n̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶p̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶f̶x̶ ̶o̶r̶ ̶p̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶c̶e̶s̶s̶i̶n̶g̶.̶

̶T̶h̶u̶s̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶a̶r̶t̶i̶s̶t̶i̶c̶ ̶d̶e̶c̶i̶s̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶b̶e̶e̶n̶ ̶m̶a̶d̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶m̶i̶t̶t̶e̶d̶,̶ ̶w̶h̶i̶l̶e̶ ̶g̶i̶v̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶o̶p̶p̶o̶r̶t̶u̶n̶i̶t̶y̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶f̶i̶n̶e̶s̶s̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶m̶i̶x̶,̶ ̶o̶r̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶o̶w̶ ̶m̶a̶s̶t̶e̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶w̶i̶z̶a̶r̶d̶s̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶s̶c̶o̶p̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶f̶e̶c̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶i̶n̶a̶l̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶p̶u̶t̶.̶

Stu.

FTFY

[Zukan]

https://www.soundonsound.com/glossary

[BJG145]

@Moroccomoose ps just kidding. Good point about whether people would expect stems to have the FX for that group printed or not...not sure.

[Drew Stephenson]

I suspect that some of this change of terminology has come about because of how music production is changing.
Thirty years ago a record might have been based around drums, bass, guitars, keys, vocals and 'other stuff'. Being able to control a mix at this level, and share it for other people, made sense.
Now a production might be a stereo beat track, a lead vocal track, and a couple of tracks of ad libs. Hence in this context a stem (as a useful sub-mix) will also be a single track (probably with printed effects).
So it's easy to see how the meaning is shifting.

(Whether we like it or not.)

[shufflebeat]

https://www.soundonsound.com/glossary

Aagh, no!

Rabbit Hole Alert!

[tea for two]

Plant with Stems then Leaves and Fruits.
Their corresponding meaning with regards to
Plant = whole project : band, orchestra, tv filum games multimedia.
Stem = grouped parts of the project.
Leaves, Fruits = individual tracks stemming from, within Stems.

[BJG145]

Yep, and the drummers are the pits.

[orange]

So it's easy to see how the meaning is shifting.

(Whether we like it or not.)

agreed - to me a stem=submix but it's not a scientific term and no point in fighting the evolution of language (even the OED gave up on 'literally' - and I personally still wince at 'very' unique). That's the beauty of an evolving language.

Lots of audio terms have subtly or even dramatically changed meaning over the years as technology has changed. Sometimes the exact meaning of the word changes according to where in the world you are or what branch of audio you are in (recording/broadcast/movies).

As always, context is important, as everybody has pointed out, if it's not clear then ask.

[Zukan]

https://www.soundonsound.com/glossary

Aagh, no!

Rabbit Hole Alert!

It's my job to add some spice to your day...

[shufflebeat]

Mmm... spicy rabbit.

[N i g e l]

I use stem as in "group" on a mixer.
mixer channel = track.

easy stuff but in a DAW {I once read } that you might have 30 tracks for the lead vocal, in which case the lead vocal stem may also sound like a just a vocal track.
Perhaps that or similar is where the divergence started ?

[The Elf]

Stems are NOT individual tracks!!!!! We already have a sensible name for those: INDIVIDUAL TRACKS. A stem is always a submix of multiple source elements – although there may only be one element active at times.

Oh, the times I've tried to explain this, only to be told that <insert some goddawful 'prudooser' name here> uses the word, so they're right and I'm wrong. Sigh...

[N i g e l]

Its progress.

Some drum machines can now cope with rolls & flams per step but they have a new jargon that calls them subs !

:shrug: Its just nice to have the feature

[sonics]

See next post (finger trouble, sorry). Cat, actually

[sonics]

Oh, the times I've tried to explain this, only to be told that <insert some goddawful 'prudooser' name here> uses the word, so they're right and I'm wrong. Sigh...

An there's another term that's rather misused (and overused) these days.

Its progress.

Change, yes. Progress, no.