Unlocking Music Stems: A Producer’s Guide to Vocal Isolation and Audio Splitting.

Music producers, DJs, and remixers often face a common challenge when creating their music, which is how to extract individual components from a track? (vocals, drums, other instruments etc).

No matter where you are in your journey of music production mastery, knowing how to split and separate audio into its individual parts can be a game-changer. In 2025 we are lucky enough to have multiple tools and techniques to achieve this, and these tools have made this process accessible and surprisingly efficient.

In this guide, we’ll explore the best methods for working with music stems and help you unlock the full potential of your remix projects.

Understanding Music Stems

Music stems are essentially the building blocks of a track. They’re isolated audio files—vocals, instruments, or drums—that allow producers to manipulate individual elements.

Unlike a fully mixed track, stems give you complete control over each layer. This control is key for tasks like remixing songs, producing DIY karaoke versions, and for analysing the production of a song and learning how songs are constructed.

Having access to stems is like knowing all of the ingredients that comprise your favourite dish. 

Tools for Splitting and Isolating Audio

The right tools make all the difference when working with music stems. Here are some of the best options available:

AI-Powered Stem Separation Tools

AI has become a powerful force in all forms of music production. AI tools typically offer highly accurate audio separation and are easy to use. Here are some standout tools that are available right now:

ControllaVoice - Controllavoice is a powerful and accessible audio tool that excels at clean vocal and instrumental isolation. Controllavoicr also allows you to make your own AI voice swaps.

Spleeter by Deezer - Spleeter is an open-source tool that is a favorite among producers for its speed and precision.

Lalal.ai - Known for its user-friendly interface, Lalal.ai separates audio into high-quality stems with just a few clicks, making it a great option for both beginner and pro producers.

Plugins for DAWs

For those working in Digital Audio Workstations like Logic Pro X, Ableton Live, or FL Studio, plugins can offer more seamless integration of this process. Some notable options include:

iZotope RX: Known for its professional-grade audio repair and restoration functions, this plugin also excels at stem isolation when used for this purpose.

Vocal Remover Pro: A simple yet reliable tool for isolating vocals directly within your DAW.

Free and Open-Source Solutions

If you’re just starting out or have a limited budget, these tools can help you find a solution:

Audacity: While not AI-based, Audacity’s vocal remover feature is a great entry-level option for producers and remix creators.

Demucs: This deep-learning-based tool offers impressive results and is completely open-source.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Isolating Stems

Here’s how to get started with stem isolation using AI tools such as Controllavoice:

Choose Your Tool - Select an AI stem separator like Controllavoice or Lalal.ai.

Upload Your Track - Import the audio file you want to split.

Select Components - Specify which parts you want to isolate (e.g., vocals, backing track, bass, drums).

Process the File - Allow the tool to analyze and separate the song into its individual components.

Download and Refine - Once the stems are ready, download them and make adjustments as desired using the DAW of your preference. 

Creative Applications for Audio Stems

Working with Isolated stem tracks opens up a world of possibilities. Here are just a few:

Remixes - You can use stems to create fresh reimaginings of your favourite songs and showcase your creative flair.

Karaoke Tracks - Strip out vocals to make instrumentals for birthday parties, pubs and sing-alongs with your friends.

Sampling - Use isolated parts as the building blocks for producing new tracks. Ideal for use in genres such as hip-hop, drum n bass and jungle. 

Study & Practice - You can isolate a specific instrumental part from your chosen song to study the musical performance and help to improve your musical skills. For example, isolate the guitar track from a Smiths song to focus on the subtle details that make Johnny Marr's guitar performance so unique. 

Navigating Ethical Considerations

While stem isolation is a powerful tool for enhancing your creative output as a music producer, it’s important to use it responsibly.

Avoid using stems from copyrighted tracks for commercial purposes unless you have secured the correct licensing. Failure to do this can lead to legal ramifications further down the line, so don't overlook this aspect and always respect the rights of original creators.

Thanks for checking out this blog post. Hopefully you will now see that with the right tools and techniques, anyone can unlock the hidden layers of their favorite tracks!