What counts as a stem
A stem is one continuous bounce per element (or sensible group) from song start to finish, without master-bus compression on the export. Think kick, snare, overheads, bass DI, bass amp, rhythm guitars L/R, lead vocal, backing bus — not a single stereo print of the whole session.
For Mixing we need every part that should remain audible in the final balance. Do not mute problems away; flag takes in your notes instead. MIDI without audio should be rendered unless we agreed to receive the project file.
Technical baseline
- Format: WAV or AIFF, preferably 24-bit, one sample rate for the whole project (44.1 or 48 kHz).
- Alignment: every file starts at the same timeline point with identical length.
- Headroom: peaks well below 0 dBFS; no limiter on the stem bus.
- Mono for mono sources; stereo only when the source is truly stereo.
Avoid mp3 for mixing unless it is the only source; lossy files waste time and mislead balances in our control room.
Naming that scales
Use a song prefix, then instrument and optional take:
Song01_Drums_Kick.wav, Song01_Vox_Lead.wav, Song01_Gtr_Rhythm_L.wav
Skip spaces and exotic characters in file names; underscores or hyphens are fine. Add a README.txt or PDF with BPM, key, references and a contact name.
From Ableton, Logic or FL: export all individual tracks with normalisation off. Re-import once to confirm alignment. If you bounce through external hardware, note the round-trip latency so we can nudge tracks if needed.
Folder layout and delivery
| Folder | Contents |
|---|---|
01_Stems | All WAV/AIFF per song |
02_Refs | Reference mixes (mp3 ok) |
03_Notes | Lyrics, markers, brief PDF |
Upload via the link we send after contact, or drop an SSD at Czaar Peterstraat 213 by appointment. We operate 48 TB of internal archive; your delivery stays available 24 months after completion unless agreed otherwise (privacy policy).
Stems from our sessions
Tracked at Labsterra (Band recording or Vocal recording)? Ask after the session which multitrack export you need. We can build a stem pack per song; extra export time may bill at €125 or €95 if it falls outside the original booking.
Live room takes through 16 preamps arrive with consistent gain staging. Say if you want click and guide vocals for an external mixer.
Frequent mistakes
- No printed reverbs/delays — send dry and wet if effects are not recallable.
- Double bass DI plus amp without phase check.
- Mismatched lengths because one track was trimmed early.
- Folders full of “Audio 1_01” without a legend.
Fifteen careful minutes at export often saves a full revision round. Rates: mixing budget guide.
Rights and confidentiality
Stems may contain unreleased work. Share password-protected links with expiry; avoid public drops without agreement. Labsterra B.V. treats uploads as confidential within the project; commercial release requires that you (or your label) hold exploitation rights — for bands see rights in band recording.
For B2B processing, the data processing agreement may apply when filenames or notes contain personal data.
Pre-send checklist
- All stems aligned, one sample rate.
- No limiter on exports; generous headroom.
- Clear names plus README with BPM/key.
- References and mix notes in one document.
- Report corrupt zips via [email protected].
After receipt we confirm within 2 business days whether mixing can start. Pricing: Mixing and contact.
