Drastic changes to the sound of a song shouldn't be made throughout the stem mastering process, these are still reserved for a mix session.

The stem mastering model provides mastering engineers greater control over the balance of the track, though ideally most balance issues should be mitigated during the mix session. Stem mastering balances mixed stem files, and stereo mastering balances a single stereo mix of multitracks. To put it plainly: the difference between the two types is Stem mastering takes multiple stems provided by the mixing engineer to complete the process. The main difference between stem mastering and stereo mastering is that stereo mastering involves mastering the final stereo mix. The Difference between Stem Mastering and Stereo Mastering Therefore, you might have all of the lead vocals contained within one stem, or a drum stem might contain the kick, snare, and hi-hat sounds within a single file. Stems are composed of individual componentsĪll within a similar grouping. Your master channel in stem mastering may be divided by each stem's individual track, with each stem receiving its own level of processing. So, what is stem mastering exactly? Stem mastering is mastering utilizing multiple stems as opposed to mastering a single stereo file or the entire mix of a song.

We'll also break down the specific cases in which an engineer might opt to use stem mastering as opposed traditional final mix mastering. Today, we'll be decoding stem mastering and detail how beginners can get started with their own stem mastering session. That being said, it's important to understand different mastering philosophies so that you can communicate effectively throughout the music industry. Every mastering engineer has their own mastering process - That's part of what makes mastering an art form.

Music mixing and mastering