Stem mastering is the hidden gem between mixing and mastering. You bundle your mix into 4 to 8 stems — drums, bass, synths, vocals, FX — and we rebalance, colour and finalise each group before the mastering chain. The result: commercial loudness and polish, with the depth and control of a mix rework.
How Stem Mastering Works
1. Stem Preparation
You print 4 to 8 stems from the same session as your stereo mix, all starting at bar 1, all at 24-bit with headroom. We compare the sum of the stems to the stereo reference to verify phase coherence.
2. Group Balance
We tweak the relative level and tonal weight of each stem — a touch more kick, more air on vocals, a tighter bass — in ways a stereo master cannot. This is where the magic happens.
3. Mastering Chain
Once the stems are shaped, the track is printed through the full analog-hybrid master chain: tonal EQ, compression, saturation, stereo enhancement and limiting.
4. Revisions & Delivery
24-bit WAV master, alternative versions on request (clean / instrumental / acapella). Two revision rounds included.
Who Stem Mastering Is For
Stem mastering is ideal when your stereo mix is close but not perfect — when you want a second pair of ears to fine-tune the balance without rebooking a full mix. It is also the best choice for remix releases, collaborations between producers, and final polish before a major-label delivery. Standard turnaround: 4 to 6 business days, rush 48h on request.
Frequently Asked Questions
Between 4 and 8 is the sweet spot. A typical split is: Drums, Bass, Synths, Vocals, FX. For instrumental techno, 4 stems (Kick/Drums, Bass, Synths, FX) is usually enough. More than 8 stems is back to mixing territory.
Regular mastering treats your track as a single stereo file. Stem mastering lets us nudge individual groups — turn the bass down 0.5 dB, add air on vocals, tighten kick transients. It bridges mixing and mastering.
Yes — each stem should contain the instrument plus its effects (reverb tails, delays, saturation). The mix bus processing, however, should stay off.
On request we can deliver both versions so you can pick — though in 95% of cases the stem-mastered version wins on translation and depth.
Yes, roughly 40% more — because we essentially do a focused mini-mix before the mastering chain. Most producers tell us it pays back the first time they hear their track on a club system.
