What Is Stem Separation?
Updated October 2026
Stem separation splits a finished mix into its parts, called stems: usually vocals and instruments, or drums, bass and other parts too. It uses a model trained to recognise each part.
The short version
- A stem is one part of a finished mix, such as the vocal or the drums.
- A model learns to recognise each part and separate it from the mix.
- Separation is never perfect: expect some bleed between stems.
- Use separated stems only with music you have the right to use.
The short definition
A stem is one part of a mix, and stem separation pulls those parts apart from a finished song. The common split is a vocal and an instrumental, but many tools also separate drums and bass.
How it works
A model trained on many songs learns what a voice sounds like and what drums and bass sound like, then estimates each part in the mix. Dense mixes with many instruments in the same range are harder to split.
What to expect
Some bleed is normal: a little drum in the vocal, a little voice in the instrumental. Artifacts show on cymbals and reverb. Listen critically before you use a stem.
Where it is used
Karaoke tracks, practice, remixing and cleaning a vocal. The Tunedzy vocal remover is one tool that does it on your PC.
Split a song on your PC
Tunedzy separates a vocal from a song on your PC. Use it with music you have the right to use.
Free tools for this
Frequently asked questions
Is a stem the same as a track?
A stem is a part of a finished mix. A track is one part of a project.
Does separation keep full quality?
Separated parts are never identical to the original. Listen for artifacts.
Is stem separation legal?
It depends on the rights to the music and how you use the parts.
Keep going
Best AI Stem Splitter Tools
How to Isolate a Voice From Background Music
How to Export Stems for Your DAWAll guides and comparisons · Tunedzy Go on your phone · Pricing