What Are Trackouts (Stems)?
If you’re an independent artist and you’ve ever downloaded a beat from YouTube or bought one online, you’ve probably come across something called a license. Maybe you even purchased one.
Here’s the thing: most licenses come in tiers.
The lower tiers usually give you an MP3 or maybe a WAV file.
But when you start moving into the higher tiers, like Professional or Trackout, that’s when you get access to stems.
So what are stems?
Stems are the individual exported tracks from a beat.
Instead of just getting one file where everything is already mixed together, you get all the separate elements:
- Kick on its own
- Snare on its own
- Hi-hats on their own
- Melodies split into piano, synth, strings, etc.
Compared to a simple MP3 or WAV - which is already mixed down and locked - trackouts give you full control. 🎛️
Why does this matter?
Because with stems, your engineer (or yout) can mix your vocals into the beat properly, adjusting volumes, EQ, effects, and balance between the instruments.
Instead of just “vocals on top of a beat,” you end up with a professional mix where everything works together. 🎤🔥
The Limitations of a Single File (MP3/WAV)
Chances are, if you’ve made songs in the past using just a beat file (MP3 or WAV) and your vocals, you didn’t notice a huge problem at first.
That’s normal. When you’re just starting out, you’re more focused on getting songs done than on the fine details of sound quality.
But here’s the truth: having only one mixed file of a beat comes with some serious limitations. 🚫
With just a single MP3 or WAV, what can you actually do?
- You can rearrange the song a little. For example, you can copy and paste sections to make the hook longer, cut down a verse, or swap out the intro. It works… kinda. But it’s not perfect. You’ll often run into leftover sounds (like a swoosh or crash getting cut in half), and it won’t feel as clean as working with stems.
- In mixing, there’s only so much you can do. As a producer, when I receive just one beat file and vocals, I can EQ the beat a bit, adjust dynamics slightly, maybe throw some subtle reverb or distortion on an aux, or widen the stereo image a little.
But here’s the catch: I can’t dig into the details. (and you or your engineer won't be able too)
If the kick is too loud and clashing with the vocal? Tough.
If the snare is harsh and overpowering? Hard to fix.
I can try to mask it, but I can’t separate it.
The result?
You might end up with a decent mix, but getting that polished, professional, radio-ready sound becomes way harder. 🎧
The Power of Trackouts in Mixing
Here’s where stems (trackouts) really shine: control.
When you have every element of the beat separated - kick, snare, hi-hats, bass, piano, synths, bells - suddenly the whole project is in your hands.
Instead of being stuck with a single mixed file, you get to shape the instrumental around your vocals. 🎙️
For example:
- Rearranging the melody. Maybe in the second half of your verse a new instrument comes in and clutters the vibe. With stems, you can mute it and save it for the hook, making the chorus hit harder.
- Fixing drums. Let’s say the beat has a wall of drums running for 32 bars straight. You can carve out pauses every 8 bars, creating space for your lines to breathe. Or you can even drop all the drums (and bass!) at a key lyric for dramatic effect.
- Choosing what stays and what goes. Imagine the beat has both a piano and a bell melody, but the bell clashes with the topline you wrote. No problem - mute the bell in the chorus and keep only the piano. Throw the bell in the intro instead, and suddenly the whole arrangement feels tighter.
- Creative mixing moves. With stems, your engineer can treat each element separately. Want more reverb on the piano? Easy. Too many melodies stacked in the center? Pan some left, some right, and leave the middle open for your vocals.
- Grouping and processing. You can group all the drums together, or all the instruments, and control them as one. You can even sidechain the instrumental to the vocal, so the music ducks slightly every time you rap or sing - making your voice always sit on top.
Basically, trackouts give you flexibility.
They let you fix problems, enhance ideas, and make your track sound intentional instead of random.
And here’s a fact: any professional engineer will 100% deliver a better result when they’re given trackouts instead of a single file. 🎶
In short: stems take your music from “good enough” to fully professional. 💎
Cost vs. Value: Are They Worth It?
By now you’ve probably guessed it – stems usually cost more than a simple MP3 or WAV license. 💸
And that’s true.
But with that higher price, you get a lot more value.
Quick note before we go deeper: if you can’t afford stems yet, please - whatever you do - don’t buy MP3 licenses. 🙏
At least grab a WAV file. MP3s are compressed, lower quality, and not something you want to build your whole song on.
Alright, back to stems.
Yes, they’re more expensive, usually in the range of $60–$120 compared to $30–$50 for a single file license.
But that extra money buys you flexibility, control, and ultimately a better record.
Think about it like this:
With an MP3 or even a WAV, you’ve got one single stereo file. It’s “locked.” If you or your engineer want to rearrange or tweak the beat, your options are super limited. You can chop sections, maybe add a little EQ or compression, but you can’t actually get inside the beat.
With stems, you can.
Maybe you hear a sound you don’t like in the YouTube preview. Maybe you’ve already demoed your verse and realized the snare fights with your vocals. Or maybe you want to mute a melody in the verse and bring it back big in the hook.
All of that becomes possible with stems.
So the real question isn’t whether stems are “too expensive.” The question is: how serious are you about the track?
If it’s just a quick freestyle kind of song when bars are back to back and you don't have any ideas for rearrangement, okay - save money and grab a WAV.
But if you’ve got a record you know is special, a track you want to sound polished, professional, and ready to compete with anything out there, stems are the best investment you can make. 📈
When Should You Buy Trackouts?
So when’s the right time to actually spend the extra money on stems? 🤔
Here’s my take.
If you’ve got a beat from YouTube or a producer’s store, and you love the overall vibe as it is - arrangement feels right, mix sounds solid, and your vocals sit okay on top of the stereo file - you might not need stems right away.
A quick test: if you’re not sure whether the mix is “good enough,” send the beat to a producer friend or engineer you trust. Let them tell you if the stereo version already leaves space for your vocal, or if it’s going to be a nightmare to work with.
Now, here’s when you should seriously consider trackouts:
- If the mix of the beat feels questionable. Maybe it sounds muddy, maybe certain instruments are too loud, maybe there’s no space for your voice. With stems, your engineer can fix all of that.
- If you already know you want to rearrange the beat. Maybe you like the sounds but not the structure - you want to shorten the hook, mute a melody in the verse, or add some pauses in the drums. Stems give you that flexibility.
- If you want the song to feel like yours. Once you start moving parts around and tailoring the instrumental to your performance, it becomes unique to you. 🎤
From my side, whenever I upload beats, I mix them in a way that they sound loud and polished online, but still leave headroom for an artist to record.
That way even if someone buys just a WAV, it works.
But let’s be real - if you hear a beat you love but the mix isn’t sitting right, or you’ve already got ideas for how you’d rearrange it, that’s the moment to invest in trackouts.
Because stems let you take a producer’s concept and transform it into your song. Not just a demo on a pre-mixed file, but a track shaped fully around your vision. 💡
Wrapping It Up
At the end of the day, stems (trackouts) aren’t just “extra files.”
They’re the difference between dropping a song… and dropping a song that sounds polished, professional, and fully yours.
A single MP3 or WAV can get the job done, sure. You can write, record, and even release music on it.
But if you’re serious about standing out, if you want your engineer to have full control, if you want to rearrange and shape the beat around your voice - trackouts are worth every dollar. 🎯
Think of it like this: non-stem licenses are a great way to start, but stems are what take your music to the next level. They give you flexibility, quality, and a final product that sounds like your record.
So next time you find a beat you really connect with, think twice before you choose your license.
Maybe one day we’ll work together, I hope so.
Take care,
Baxon 👊
