Stems
Grouped mixes delivered for remix or mastering — not the raw tracks
Related
Stems are grouped mixes: typically drums, bass, guitars, keys, vocals and effects, each as one stereo file, so that playing all stems together reconstructs the full mix. They are used for film re-mixing, adaptive game audio, mastering and rights delivery.
They differ from raw multitracks: raw tracks are individual instruments or microphones, while stems are already mixed and summed by group. The usual mistake is to call "export every track" stems — real stems have their internal balance fixed and align with one another; before delivery, confirm sample rate, bit depth, start point and loudness reference.
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Sources
- stems 的交付规范与用途，参通行录音教材与影视/游戏音频交付惯例；本文为原创表述
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