Hacking NI Stems Files: How To Extract Instrumentals

[@tamthetamtam]

coming back after 8 years to confirm it works with current stems separation, I've waited so long for this Traktor is baaack baby

[@djmikio]

The gold here for me was a single tip buried 5 minutes in. That trick about pasting a "beat intro" on instrumental tracks was sheer brilliance!!!

[@804E]

reading some comments... this video appears to be in the format of: step1 import STEM into audacity step2 ???? step3 isolation!

[@Lisey_Ann]

ikr step 2 is basically unexplained witchcraft

[@SpencerThayer]

If it can be done with ffmpeg it's likely one could write a BASH script to automate the extraction. I'll take a crack at it later this week.

[@djtechtools]

+Spencer Thayer Awesome!

[@bboymac84]

Wish classic songs and popular songs had stems

[@pauloing1pauloing167]

2:26 His punch sounded exactly at the same time as the drum form the song playing background. Coincidence? On purpose? Feels good anyway

[@AntandraMusic]

Had to update my Audacity, but then it worked great. Thank you.

[@SRFDriver]

I'm here because I'm hoping to figure out a way to isolate the lead guitar from a tune in order to create a backing track into which I can insert my own guitar. I'm beginning to lose hope that this is actually possible.

[@brianmi40]

I did this to create a quick and dirty backing track for a talent show. I used Melodyne and just manually deleted the guitar notes (Rippingtons, Dream of the Sirens) throughout the song. It worked better than I thought as much of it was great, but here and there in a full mix you can't get a grip on just the guitar and it will impact the drums or something in the mix too much to drop a particular note out. I won, so I guess it worked well enough for me!

[@ShaunyWalker]

Excellent Video Demonstration Ean. Thanks for this treat!

[@pearlwhite3000gt]

Yes, possibilities are limitless, that's what stems should be all about ,@//ways!

[@ellaskins]

AMAZING!!!!!

[@moltenpros]

brilliant! It's great when we figure out things. You've earned a new subscriber.

[@joohad]

Hello there, Is there a way to create stems from Imaschine loops?

[@Travs64]

Thanks so much! Great tutorial. So glad someone could explain this so well!

[@tarunkompally120]

Can we remove vocals and just download intrumental!!

[@billybradleyjr1596]

I'm having an issue seeing the stems I'm only getting 2 when I import the audio file.. Please help

[@safetyman4967]

Thank you jared letto I will now remix let it go to make it into black metal

[@paullemayian4928]

Thank you so much. Please help, My Audacity does not have an option of 'Select Stream(s) to import, what do I do?

[@bailey32121]

I'm thinking about doing a prince purple rain piano cover, playing the piano but having prince's vocals over it, how do i take the instrumental out of a song so theres just the vocals?

[@SupernovaSun77]

Can't get the instrumental to split into stems. Is then because the file is not a stem itself? It didn't work but all looks just like you explained. What's the next move from here?

[@billsolomon1]

Thank you so much for the educational video. But one thing you do is "select streams". I have a windows PC not an Apple. But that feature, where might it be located in a windows PC version?

[@beejay2099]

Great video! really appreciate your insight.

[@stevekempo7927]

I now have a stem file using TRAK extension . Audacity does not open them . Is there a way ?

[@XConnerXD3]

Does it have to be a STEM file? or can it be done with just a regular MP3 file?

[@bennyjuanillo9559]

Same question

[@jonodrummer7106]

That's what I would like to know also

[@marnixkillian7574]

If im correct it has to be stem. It is the fact that they can be splitted up in isolated parts what separates them from, for exemple, mp3 files

[@MrDetterz]

Very nice. Don't think you have anything to gain by exporting as WAV/AIFF though, since STEM files are mp4 (therefore already compressed)

[@Nikkie_jurnigan]

can you Help to get stem from song i love show me

[@deadnicetv7720]

Hey great video, but im not sure why you have to do this as I thought stems already come as individual parts or am i just not in the know! any feed back would be much appreciated..

[@jackpost9754]

Worked like a charm...thanks dude!

[@billligon4005]

Can I extract piano solo from orchestral score??

[@flamindigo]

It didn't work for me. Maybe my track was not a stem. But, I never saw that drop down box with invisible stems in it.

[@SRFDriver]

Same for me. I tried it with both an mp3 and an mp4 file. I think that the thing with the .mp4 extension was actually a folder that contained the invisible stems. Am I correct?

[@goodcompanymusic3191]

dude where do you download stem files? is there not a program that can split a master track?

[@lupojacobo9892]

Strax Stems

[@kidkareem6714]

@@lupojacobo9892 whats the link

[@kabukisound]

@@kidkareem6714 xtrax stems

[@szekerespista3758]

Which software is the best in Piano separation/ stem extraction? Thanks!

[@juanh1093]

I tried this and I didn't get the steams option after importing the mp3. What am I missing? Can I just import a regular song and I didn't get the screen shown at 2:15.

[@nachtaktiv]

is it true that the stems are not mastered, that would give not a big sense to play them in a club, or are they to just messing around and "destroy" the track and the arrangement (that is what most of this NI-DJs are going to do)? and is it true that the stems are royality free? so i could "steal" a kick or a vocal and use them legaly in one of my tracks?

[@djtechtools]

+Lukas Süess re: mastering, they do have some basic mastering applied on each stem. Read more here: djtechtools.com/2015/08/24/stem-creator-tool-build-your-own-stem-decks-now/ re: royalties, just like any other track that you buy, using part of a Stem it in your own production without permission is not legal.

[@nachtaktiv]

+DJ TechTools thanks for the answers. i read somewhere else something different about the rights, i was just curious because it sounded weird that it would be legal. but you could make a remix and call it "DJ-set" ;)

[@pearloneentertainment6064]

Cant get the stems to show up once I "import" audio. I do believe i installed ffmpeg correctly. But not sure if it is supposed to be an application. Because when I go to navigate to the folder of ffmpeg I can't open the folder. Even when I set the "format" tab to "all" files. Hope this is making sense. Someone please help!

[@selCIKO84]

thank you! super useful, didn't know that. I'm so happy I can get some proper sound/sample to chop and have fun with!

Ahaha. Mastering 101 with Ean. Slap an ozone preset on the master :D:D

[@djtechtools]

+Jay Anderson here is a great article that we wrote about doing your own "soft" mastering djtechtools.com/2015/01/18/building-your-own-soft-mastering-chain/

[@SYSTMSmusic]

i still Shmaster all my tracks

[@brandonlesner9430]

Classy response to trolling. Thanks for killin it with kindness. Video much appreciated! Audacity strikes again, the unsung hero!

[@stephaniedibello2150]

Where Can I find the file libavformat.55.dylib because I CAN'T

[@ziv7213]

Do you have to use song stems or can you do this with normal songs with out the stems?

[@venator5]

No can't use normal songs.

[@magneto7930]

Yeah that's a real bummer that you can't. I have an old song of mine from decades ago which only exists on a mono video cassette from back in those days. I know there are other ways of pulling it apart to remix it, but this isn't one of them.

[@ethandenholm5238]

So, you can get stems from a full song?

[@jwillbassist]

where to get that stems file... or its just a regular song you used?

[@AykutBilir]

You can use beatport.com. Actually the extension is .stem.mp4 so wav version of the tracks does not work.

[@jonodrummer7106]

@@AykutBilir so are saying it doesn't recognize MP3 or wave but if you convert the MP3 to MP4 it will then recognize the file as a stem file.

[@lavadragon0986Gamer]

Thanks! This is perfect for launchpadding!

[@OmegaVibe]

ikr!

[@samhanbury3805]

@LD986 So is this working with any tracks downloaded from youtube for example? Or does it need`s 2 be an Mp4 from the original source, without any other processing? That`s what I`m wondering about.

[@SRMoore1178]

So, can I take Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" and isolate the drums, guitars, vocals just from the stereo track? Sounds too good to be true. I'm sure it wouldn't sound perfect - there would probably be a lot of artifacts. I imagine it would work better with electronic EDM or stuff like that.

[@meanmachine6574]

Is it possible to extract instrumentals from a non-stem file? I was wondering because I have songs I would like to tinker with but I can't find stem files of it on the internet.

[@WhatTheWhisp]

Jonah Burgos same ;-;

[@ShadowBoxerDNB]

no

[@sgentertainmentcompany]

Audacity has a vocal remover. Adobe Audition has one as well. You will get mixed results from track to track. Sometimes it works beautifully, other times it sounds like you are listening underwater. I wish all artists would release or sell their music in stem/multitrack format.

[@wademcvicker9305]

How would one do this with using FL studio, there's no STEM setting

[@albertotolo]

Nice video Ean ;) in this way i can add some third part track on my live set with ableton :D you're the best thanks

[@mistamontiel00]

Still not enough Chillswitch Engage on here jus the one instrumental >.

[@illedelphian23]

so this only works for stem tracks? then whats the point? if its already a stem track then the s8 would recognize it and you wouldn't have to upload them individually. I thought this video is saying you can take any song and make it a stem.... what a waste of time

[@OneEyedWheeler]

To do that would be like taking a cake and restoring it to the individual ingredients of flour, eggs, sugar, etc.

[@josephfranco1495]

Still dont know how this rip out stems from music.

[@Its_Me_see]

Niiiiice one moi san good shout that!!!

[@goybaba]

how do you do this with a song that ins't a stem file

[@HarryHeck2020]

SpleeterGUI

[@Dennistube001]

you have to rename your stem file to end with .mp4

[@hankhomaomes2830]

So it's a stem creator that requires me to have 3 iso tracks stems and one stereo/ master track of the song that i'm looking for ? PFfff..

[@MrDarthSeriousmixes]

That moment when you realize Ean exported the whole thing with a soloed track... Classic producer struggle

[@djtechtools]

+Sim L HA! nice catch :P - Ean

[@pace033]

Ok sir, .....I have one issue maybe you can help me with. The last time I made a stem file it was of 125 bpm loops. When I loaded it up into my S8 it played super slow around64-65 bpm. any ideas?

[@bboymac84]

I love stems but 2.9 doesn't allow stop play back with blank cells anymore. This sux because I really like stems

[@bboymac84]

Traktor fixed this issue

[@wolvesangles3474]

Do you have to mix and master stems Before using them in a Dj mix?

[@MikeNovelli]

Will this create an actual Stem file when you save from Ableton? After you delete that Stereo mix, is it saving 1 file as another custom stereo mix, or is it saving each individual part into a single file that can be broken into those 4 parts in stems capable programs? also, you said 'command' and again ignored the fact we like to use WINDOWS.

[@MikeNovelli]

Noah James​ ha, it's not that it's difficult dude. It's the fact they continually forget about Windows users. It's more comprehensive to include both. But i appreciate your suggestion

[@frydac]

+Mike Novelli indeed, and I'm pretty sure most of their target audience are windows users (osx on desktop/laptop has a share of about 10% see 'usage share of operating systems' on wikipedia, even is this distribution is a bit different among audio software users)

[@RGE_Music]

having some troubles getting the stem creator into audacity when I open up my song. At 1:13 I am confused. Help would be awesome

[@211southwaverly]

Drag and drop track into..

[@johncaybould3022]

Everytime I load audio it does not allow me to see the stems but it only adds the entire mp3. (I use a mac) I downloaded audacity 2.2.2.dmg and FFmpeg 2.2.2.dmg.. In the preferences.. search.. of audacity.. it has already selected one from the dylib files (also do not know which one should be selected). It seems, however, when I select a new dylib (e.g. libavcodec.55.dylib) it still goes back to the same libavformat.55.dylib. I've also tried different mp3 files. Shame, seems to be a great trick though that works for many.

[@211southwaverly]

Mp3 to WAV

[@strictlyvintagebasketball354]

Could you assist me DJTECHTOOLS once i got to 2.00 on the video i got lost and i've looked at the video 20 times and this one screen will not pop up for me after import audio and i do i select the stem from my desktop and even imported from my stem folder the select stream (s) to import screen does not come up so i can't perform the next step in this process. What do i do in this instance i was able to do everything up until this point no files show up that have need to be modified so that i may extract the stems and them put them in my DAW. Help please thanks !!

[@MAVIDJ]

I have the same problem :(

[@guillermobastosoliva8067]

Is it possible to get a stem audio since a mp3 audio ? Or wich program i might use to convert mp3 audio into a stem files if i cant download stem files directly?

[@keithdarling8290]

Hello Fellow Musicians! I know this is going to be a stupid, as, well as VERY LONG QUESTION/NOVEL. Afterall, I AM JUST A STUPID MUSICIAN!!! ON TO MY NOVEL!!! Unfortunately, I am a Physically Handicapped Musician who's been playing over 45+ years. I was hurt in an accident a few years back, which pretty much ended my Live Performances and left me with limitations being able to stand and perform for very long. Yes, I can still walk, Sing and Play the Heck out of a Guitar. Here's the issue I DO HAVE, and at least where I live, in SW Florida. I'll go audition for a Band, the Band will ask me, " Where in the Hell have you been?" I then proceed to tell them my story I've had to tell to way too many other Bands, Receiving the same response I get, from EVERY BAND I AUDITION FOR.......NO RETURN PHONE CALL!!!.....NO BAND WANTS THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME.....QUASIMOTO.....OR A GUITARIST THAT MAY NEED TO SIT......kinda like Skunk Baxter from the Doobie Brothers, or Jack Bruce from Cream, in their band. I'm Losing my mind because my SKILL SET IS STILL AT THE TOP OF MY GAME. BOTH AS A SINGER AND LEAD GUITARIST. Determined to still get out and perform, I'm looking for an answer to my, NOW Question!! I am wanting Background Tracks, with the FULL BAND, MINUS the LEAD VOCALS and LEAD GUITAR!!! I still want everything else....Backing Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Bass, Drums and Keyboards. I'm looking for that "STUDIO TRACK QUALITY SOUND," NOT something that sounds all DIGITIZED, where I CAN DO THE LEAD VOCALS AND LEAD GUITARS; all while having the opportunity to sit, IF NEEDED, for a few minutes, again, ONLY if I need to. I'm looking for Music from Bands and Artist like Bryan Adams to Black Sabbath....REO Speedwagon to RATT, Styx, Foreigner...Basically, I'm looking for really good Hard Rock, Contemporary Classic Rock from the LATE 70's through the Early 2000's and TODAYS ROCK and BLUES ROCK.....Gary Moore, Robin Trower, Joe Bonamassa...I AM NOT LOOKING FOR GRUNGE BANDS like Nirvana and the HALF MILLION Nirvana wanna be Bands.....Foo Fighters excluded. I love The Foo Fighters!! PLEASE BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY, I hate thinking about doing a ONE MAN BAND because I love the the COMRADARRY of having FRIENDS / friendships of fellow MUSICIANS SHARING THE STAGE WITH ME as well as just hanging out as FRIENDS....those disappeared after I got hurt as well....however, I guess those days are over. I'm guessing a lot a Musicians love saying and hearing themselves or others say MY BAND!! My days of being a " ROCKSTAR " are over. All I want to do is ENTERTAIN PEOPLE PLAYING ROCK/BLUES ROCK MUSIC!!! Does anyone have ANY IDEAS other than a BASHING REPLY, TELLING ME TO GIVE IT UP, SELL MY GEAR, THEN GO BURY YOURSELF?? I'M SURE I'LL GET PLENTY OF THOSE TOO!! Thank you all for reading my NOVEL. I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE TO ACCEPT, at the NOT SO OLD AGE OF 57, that my God given ability to play well nor do I feel in any way my Musical Journey is over!! NO, I AM NOT A GUITAR GOD WITH AN EGO THE SIZE OF THE ENTIRE STATE OF FLORIDA, AS WELL AS THE GULF OF MEXICO. Hopefully, someone out there will read this and point me in the RIGHT DIRECTION and NOT the TROLLS TELLING ME TO GIVE IT UP AND CALL IT A DAY!! Thank you all again for your time!!

[@mojo3398]

from the technical point of view this new STEMS-format is ridiculous. i just got my hands on one file and i hacked in litereally 10 seconds. i once wrote some java program to play mp4 tracks and display the waveform for educational purposes and i had to modify only 1 digit. i think the trick with this new STEMS-file ist the AAC codec which is not free. so everyone who wants to use it commercially has to license it...

[@mojo3398]

+MoJo it is just a mp4 container which has 4 audio tracks instead of 1. could be easily extended to more i guess.

[@marvomusic]

Are you Will Graham?

[@crulag1]

You can also use Stem CREATOR to do. this

[@dfunkgritsngravy]

How?

when iç click import audio i select the track and it simply imports the track. Why dont i get the menu u get?

[@juliouribe1779]

I have the same problem, please help...doing it on Windows 10, Audacity 2.2.2, lame and ffmpeg installed

[@invalid2985]

Uuuuuuuumm it doesn't say "select streams"......

[@gcc_theduke8604]

InVaLiD it will not show you the streams, you just need to select them

[@sethmayo6484]

@@gcc_theduke8604 after i open the file how do i get the window it doesn't even pop up there, even though you can't see them you cannot select streams without the streams window. WHERE IS THE STREAMS WINDOW????

[@gcc_theduke8604]

@@sethmayo6484 on Mack it would appear at the top vrs Windows that you might need to open the file extraction location or extract the files to a compressed zip file then extract them, if you can't find the window to extract them on Windows then try doing it again (the process) wait to see if something happens and then select then extract your stems

[@pearlwhite3000gt]

Share , share and, Share alike. Believe it will be altered! What musician wants to : Milli Vanilli a lick. If we share we all Grow. Isn't that why we do it. For the love of the almighty, Iowaska!

[@jonodrummer7106]

Well if it's your own tune and have the stems you can then put more EQ reverb etc on base drums vocals

[@billbrogger3689]

Couldn't you just extract the stems simply by playing them individually and recording the output of traktor?

[@molinomusicaustria]

Indeed but that takes MUCH more time than dis.....

[@giacroix]

Is this working even with mp4 file instead of stems?

[@WuRealhero]

+Giacomo Gonella yea thats what i want to know also

[@giacroix]

+Wu Realhero 'Cause i need to separate the drums from a song/audio to create launchpad covers finally i found a way to do it :)

[@godzillalikespie]

+Giacomo Gonella No, with a regular mp4 file Audacity would have no way of knowing what each part is. The stems files work because the producer already made a separate file for each part of the music and used the Traktor Stems Creator Tool to put them together into a single mp4 file. That way when Audacity opens the file it can see that it's actually a combination of multiple files, allowing you to get the original 4 files (5 including the stereo mix) that the producer separated their track into.

[@giacroix]

Ok ty :c

[@nostradamus5197]

it say 'ffmpeg library not found' when i locate the zip. file you uploaded?

[@robinsss]

+Nostra damus did you remove the ffmpeg from the zip?

[@804E]

at the beginning of this video he starts off with a single mp4 file. DAFUQ

[@shaikbilaltechguru1980]

Sir how to hack stem sir audiocity in windows plz

[@act2858]

hi there dj techtools. i have followed all the steps as required except there is a minor problem. i've located the ffmeg file and everything, the only thing is that when i import the mp4 file, it doesn't give me the option to select streams. instead it skips that step and goes straight into the import and only imports the stereo version and no other stems, please help, thank you. i have liked and subscribed to your video as i as helped me to what others haven't.

[@GJLCreativeStudios]

me too yet no answer for us

[@MAVIDJ]

I have the same problem :( I think the video has a trap

[@juan75971]

Is it possible to do it for Logic Pro Ean?

[@holobunnyloo6323]

OK OK question will this work if I wanted to like make stems from like a Ariana grande song or something?

[@planetmusicsamos]

this is so cool

[@tamthetamtam]

Could you make a video on how to MAKE stems ? That would interesting as well

[@strictlyvintagebasketball354]

Yea how to make stems out of older music already recorded from Hip-hop to R&B. There is a video on how to make bootleg stems but it is kind of difficult but can be done and is a slightly longer process in Ableton Live i'm attempting to do it !

[@60secondsricher83]

Which version of audasity do you use ?

[@211southwaverly]

Current

[@johnnyblueeyes1555]

does every song have stems in them?

[@deathbloodkittens5675]

+Daryl Hall no it's a new format that only some producers are using

[@jpnumarkpimenta4638]

thank you

[@julesayache3079]

it doesn't work with mac or i dont know

[@211southwaverly]

It Does

[@Prokitch1]

Awesome, thanks

[@musicalfreestyles]

Not a fan of Audacity at all. Not a professional grade quality DAW IMO.

[@blacksunrise1349]

Dopeness...

[@bionicallyacomputer292]

Yessir

[@Ponti408]

who can make an instrumental for me

[@MrWattzOfficial]

Damn yo NI bout to sue the shit out of Dj tech tools lol

[@mjibmichaeljacksoninblack8170]

Guys make sure you download the right file (not the lame ffmpeg) it happened to me

[@osirisofthesouth2853]

fkn hell.... it worked.

[@josephfranco1495]

Going to fast. I don follow at a certain point.

[@UnnecessaryComment.]

This was awesome. Can't wait to find some sexy acapellas

[@richardspillers6282]

is this a decent way to recover stems from an older project that I lost the the stems to? they were corrupted and I had not backed them up.

[@211southwaverly]

Can't

[@nicname92]

this guy got a great body !

[@farley333]

This is exactly the problem. The fact people has to hack this with FFMPEG to get the files back. The format is "open" just from NI's point of view. Nobody has to pay them. But I bet you they'll make sure it's closed from the producer point of view. (So distributors could have no worries to use it as premium way of selling the music.) When DAW's manufacturers make their STEMS support, I believe NI will allow them to make it just export. Not import. It will be funny to watch in Ableton's case as Live is also a widely used playback system. I wouldn't be suprised if they forced them to make STEMS imported tracks uneditable in arrangement view. ...also, if NI continues this way, I can see distributors demanding some kind of protection from such a hacking. ...and that would either not be possible (I'ts a damn mp4, not much more) or it would kill the format (distributors wouldn't use it as it's hackable.) Shame though. It's a pretty cool idea.

[@OneEyedWheeler]

They can close it from the producers'point of view as you put it, it won't make any difference as you can just as easily play and manually record each Stem channel if you really, REALLY can be arsed. Any producer who is wholly concerned with not getting their tracks ripped off is probably better off not releasing Stems tracks.

[@defconsound2565]

lolol y'all don't give a fuukkk. NI must be so pissed rn

[@horowizard]

Am I the only one that needs to point out how bad these tracks sound? As they are now they would be pretty useless to me.

[@211southwaverly]

This is only for ho quality professional DJing not for everyone.

[@jbx907]

friutyloops

[@charliebroadhead9851]

Yeeeeeehaaaaaaaaa

[@chrisbasefm8062]

niiice duyde