# Stems or multitracks: what to send for a song mix > Avoid exporting twice: find out what your mix engineer needs and prepare a handoff with clearly labeled files, effects, and references. Author: Roye URL: https://wuse.works/en/blog/stems-or-multitracks/ ## The short answer: confirm what the person mixing needs For a mix that needs separate control over each instrument, you’ll usually send individual tracks, or multitracks. Stems are groups of audio already combined, such as drums, bass, and vocals. Before exporting, ask which groups or tracks the person receiving the song needs. In wuse, you can keep the files and versions inside the music project. In a discussion on r/audioengineering, people share experiences of handoffs being delayed because the word stems was used to ask for different things. The practical fix is to describe the files as well as give them a label. A request like “kick, snare, bass, and vocal as separate files” leaves less room for confusion than “send me the stems.” ## An example that makes the difference clear Imagine a song with a kick, snare, hi-hats, bass, and two vocals. If you send six separate files, the engineer can adjust each element. If you combine the kick, snare, and hi-hats into one drum file, you’ve created a stem: the balance within that group is already set. This is just an example. There’s no required number of stems for every song. Decide how to separate things based on the job: a new mix, a remix, or a handoff for a live show may each need different material. ## Agree on processing before exporting Identify which effects are part of the creative sound and which you want the engineer to be able to change. For a vocal with an important effect, you can agree to send one processed version and another without that effect, both clearly labeled. Don’t automatically strip out all the processing: explain the intention behind the sound first. Also check how your DAW exports groups, returns, and effects on the master bus. Those options can change the result. Keep a reference mix to show how the project sounded before the handoff. - Confirm whether to send individual tracks or groups, with a list of names. - Agree on the format, sample rate, and bit depth with the recipient. - Define which effects should stay and which alternatives they need. - Clearly identify the reference mix and the files to work with. ## Check that the files line up Export the files from a common start point and keep the silence at the beginning of instruments that come in later. Check that the end includes any effect tails you need. In Live, check Render Start and Render Length to make sure they cover the whole arrangement. Try importing the files into an empty session before sending them. This check can catch mislabeled files, missing elements, or parts that come in out of sync. Don’t promise that summing the files will recreate the mix exactly if you’ve changed the processing during export. ## A handoff template you can copy Example note: “Song: Horizonte. Handoff: multitracks v03. Tempo: 92 BPM. Common start point: bar 1. Reference: Horizonte_mix_v03.wav. The vocal includes an alternate version with the creative delay. We need to confirm receipt before starting the mix.” Adjust the fields to fit your project. - Song and source version. - File list and the purpose of each alternate version. - Tempo and any tempo changes. - Agreed format and common start point. - Reference mix and next step. ## Keep the handoff with the project In wuse, you can bring versions and stems together inside the music project. Use names and notes that make it clear which mix each handoff belongs to. If you change a file after sharing it, label the new handoff and let the team know. The tool supports the process; clarity starts with agreeing on what the person receiving the files needs. ## Frequently asked questions ### Are stems and multitracks the same thing? No. A stem combines several tracks into a group; multitracks keep the tracks separate. Confirm how the person receiving the material needs it split up. ### What should I send if someone is mixing my song from scratch? Ask the engineer which tracks they need. If they want to adjust each instrument independently, agree to send individual tracks and a reference mix. ### Should I remove all the effects? Agree on which ones are part of the sound and which ones the recipient needs to be able to change. Label the processed alternatives and the versions without the relevant effect. ### Why export from the same start point? So tracks with parts that come in at different times can be placed at the agreed start point and stay in time with each other. Don’t trim the silence at the beginning without explaining it. ### Can I organize those files in wuse? Yes. You can bring stems, files, and versions together inside the project. Identify the source version and explain what your collaborator should do with each handoff. ## About Roye Roye writes wuse’s guides on music production and collaboration. Under the name Dibo Roye, he has public production credits for ALE ALAS and songwriting credits for Tillaz.