Skip to main content

Using Artlist’s Stems

Artlist Stems let you take full control of your soundtrack. By separating a track into its elements—such as vocals, drums, or instruments—you can adjust, remove, or mix each part to match your project’s exact needs. This article explains what Stems are, how they work, and how to quickly access and download them from the catalog to create a perfectly tailored audio experience.

What are Stems?

Artlist Stems are individual audio tracks that make up a full music track. Instead of a single, mixed audio file (like an MP3 or WAV), Stems break the song into separate elements.

For example:

  • Drums
  • Bass
  • Vocals
  • Strings
  • SFX

With Stems, you can:

  • Isolate parts: Play only the vocals or just the drums.
  • Edit freely: Lower the volume of one part or remove it completely.
  • Remix: Rearrange the song to better fit your video or project.

Stems give flexibility and creative control over how the music fits with dialogue, narration, or scene changes. You can adjust the volume of different parts, remove elements, or remix the track to better fit your video’s mood and flow.

How to view Stems in the catalog

  1. In the sidebar on the homepage, click Music.
  2. Browse the music catalog or search according to filters and/or keywords.
  3. Songs that have Stems available will have a stem icon in the track bar. Click the stem icon to open a pop-up with all the Stems available.
  4. Click the Play button to play the song.
  5. Click the ‘S’ button to select any 1 or multiple Stems to play, and click the ‘M’ button to mute any 1 or multiple Stems.

How to download Stems

You can download Stems with an active subscription that includes licensed music.

  1. In the sidebar on the homepage, click Music.
  2. Browse the music catalog or search according to filters and/or keywords.

Songs that have Stems available will have a stem icon in the track bar  

  1. Click the Stem icon to open a pop-up with all the Stems available.
  2. To download all Stems, click Download All Stems at the top of the Stems list and select the file type.
  3. To download individual Stems, click the download icon next to the individual Stem and select the file type.


Note: Stems are available for download as an MP3 or WAV file.

Commonly asked questions

Can I edit, mix, render or re-master Stems?

With an active subscription, you can edit Stems from Artlist in any way to fit your video project. However, the license we offer is a license to use the assets, not to own them. This means that you cannot take credit for the new musical compositions.

Which plans include stems?

Stems are included in the following plans:

  • Music Pro
  • Music & SFX Pro
  • Music & SFX Social
  • Music & SFX Teams
  • Artlist Max
  • Max Teams

Still need help? Head back to the Help Center.