Guide · delivery done right
How to deliver stems to clients without the mess
Plenty is written about prepping stems for your mix engineer. Almost nothing covers the other direction — you, delivering stems to the client who paid for them. Here's the checklist.
First, agree on what "stems" means
Half of all stem disputes are vocabulary. Some clients mean grouped submixes (drums, bass, music, vocals); others mean every individual track. Confirm the count, whether processing and bus FX are printed, and whether they expect wet and dry versions — before you bounce anything.
Put the agreement in writing inside the project, not in a text thread you will never find again.
The delivery checklist
Consistent naming
ARTIST_SONG_BPM_STEMNAME_v1.wav beats "Kick 2 FINAL.wav" every time. Pick a scheme and never improvise mid-project.
Same start point, full length
Every stem starts at bar 1 beat 1 and runs the full song length, so anything dropped into any DAW lines up instantly.
Print the tails
Let reverbs and delays ring out past the last note. Cutting tails to save space is the classic amateur tell.
Match the session format
Deliver at the session's sample rate and bit depth (typically 24-bit WAV at 44.1/48 kHz) unless the client asks otherwise. Say what it is in the delivery note.
Mono where mono belongs
A mono source printed as stereo doubles file size and invites phase questions. Print channels honestly.
Include a manifest
A short note listing every stem, the format, the tempo, and what processing is printed. Thirty seconds for you; hours saved downstream.
Choosing the delivery method
A zip over WeTransfer works until the link expires, the client loses it, or a revision creates two competing zips. Cloud drives keep files alive but flatten everything into a folder with no notion of versions or sign-off.
A client portal treats the stem package as part of the project: stems live in their own folder next to Mixes and Masters, each re-delivery is an immutable version, the client confirms receipt by approving, and — if the balance isn't settled — the folder can stay locked until payment clears.
Keep the receipts
Months later, someone will ask which stem package was final. If your delivery lives in a portal with immutable versions and file-level approvals, the answer is a link, not an argument. That alone has paid for more than one engineer's subscription.
Common questions
WAV or FLAC for stem delivery?
WAV is the universal ask; FLAC halves the size losslessly and any serious DAW or converter handles it. When in doubt, ask — and note it in the manifest either way.
Should stems be mastered?
Stems are normally delivered pre-master-bus (or with the mix-bus chain printed but no limiter), so downstream engineers have headroom. Confirm expectations with the client.
Can I charge separately for stems?
Many engineers do — stems are a deliverable, not a courtesy. Per-folder payment gating makes a stems fee straightforward: the folder unlocks when its balance clears.
Deliver stems like a deliverable
Organized folders, immutable versions, approvals, and optional payment gating — in the same link your client already uses.
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