Basics · 4 min read

What Is a Stem in Music?

Published 8 March 2026

Short answer

A stem is an isolated layer of a song, such as just the vocals, just the drums or just the instruments. Stems let you remix, make karaoke versions, or balance a mix. Autunes, powered by the Zori models, includes built-in stem separation so you can split a track into its parts without extra software.

A finished song is a mix of layers. A stem is one of those layers pulled out on its own, so you can work with the vocals or instruments separately.

Why stems matter

Stems let you make karaoke tracks, remixes, or rebalance a mix. Autunes has stem separation built in, so you don't need extra tools.

  • Vocals, drums and instruments separated.
  • Useful for karaoke and remixes.
  • Built into Autunes.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I get a vocals-only stem?

Yes, Autunes can separate the vocals from the rest of the track.

Do I need extra software for stems?

No, stem separation is built into Autunes.

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