Split any track into stems
Lyro’s stem splitter separates a finished track into stems, in one of two modes. Pro, the default, puts every instrument it finds on its own track, up to 12 (vocals, drums, bass, guitar, piano, strings, synth and more), with a MIDI file for each instrument. Standard gives vocals, drums, bass and other, plus the instrumental. It works on songs you generated and on audio you upload. Use it to make an instrumental or an a cappella, to rebalance a mix, or to pull a vocal out for chopping. Pro costs 40 credits and Standard 6 credits, one price per song whatever its length, and both are part of the Creator plan.
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How it goesThree steps
- Pick a trackChoose a song from your library or upload your own audio: MP3 or M4A up to 10 MB, or WAV or FLAC of any size, which Lyro converts.
- Split itPick Pro, the default, for every instrument on its own track with a MIDI file for each, or Standard for vocals, drums, bass, other and the instrumental.
- Use the stemsThey arrive as WAV files in your library. Open them in the mixer to rebalance, mute or process each part, or download them for your own music software.
The details
How it works under the hood
Stem separation is done by a neural network that has learned what voices and instruments sound like. It listens to the finished mix and estimates each source. The stems have the same length as the original and start at the same point, so they line up at zero in the mixer or in any DAW (digital audio workstation, the software used to record and mix).
In Pro mode each instrument also comes with a MIDI file, the notes it played, so you can load the part into a DAW and change its sound.
The separation model runs at our model provider, like the music models. It is not the same thing as having the original session files: the stems are a reconstruction, which is why quality depends on the mix you feed it.
What each mode gives you
Pro, the default, finds the instruments in the track and puts each on its own track, up to 12: vocals, drums, bass, guitar, piano, strings, synth and more. How many you get depends on what the song holds. Each instrument also comes with a MIDI file.
Standard gives five files:
- Vocals: lead and backing voices together, usually with some of their reverb.
- Drums: kick, snare, hats and most percussion.
- Bass: bass guitar, synth bass and, usually, 808s and log drums.
- Other: everything else in one file, including guitars, keys, synths, pads, strings and effects.
- Instrumental: everything but the vocal, in one file.
Mute the vocals stem and you have an instrumental. Solo it and you have an a cappella.
Where the limits are
- Separation leaves artefacts: faint cymbals or reverb in the vocal, a watery sound in the high frequencies, bass notes leaking into other.
- Clean, sparse mixes separate best. Dense, distorted or heavily reverberant mixes separate worst.
- Low-bitrate MP3 sources give worse stems than WAV or FLAC.
- In Standard mode, guitar, piano and the rest all sit inside other. Pro mode puts them on their own tracks.
- A longer file takes longer to split, but costs the same.
Artefacts that are obvious on a solo stem are often masked once the parts play together again, so judge the result in the mix.
Credits, plan and rights
Stem separation costs 40 credits a song in Pro mode and 6 credits in Standard mode, whatever the length. It is part of the Creator plan. If a separation fails, the credits come back automatically. Stems can be downloaded as often as you like.
Only upload recordings you have the right to use. Separating a track does not give you any rights in it, and uploading other people’s music without permission breaks our acceptable use policy. If you believe a track on Lyro uses your work, see copyright and takedowns.
Questions
How many stems do I get?
In Pro mode, the default, one for every instrument the splitter finds, up to 12, each with a MIDI file. In Standard mode, five: vocals, drums, bass, other and the instrumental. Other holds everything that is not voice, drums or bass, such as guitars, keys, synths and effects. All stems have the same length, so they line up when you import them anywhere.
Can I remove the vocals from a song?
Yes. Split the track in Standard mode and download the instrumental, or mute the vocals stem. Expect a faint trace of the voice in busy passages. You need the right to use the recording you upload.
How good is the separation quality?
Good enough for remixing, practice, rebalancing and vocal chops, and not identical to the original multitrack. Expect small artefacts, mostly in high frequencies and reverb tails. Clean modern mixes give the best results. More under stem separation.
What does stem separation cost?
40 credits a song in Pro mode and 6 credits in Standard mode, whatever the length. It is included in the Creator plan, $24 a month for 300 credits. Mixing the stems afterwards costs no credits. See the pricing page.
Can I split a song I did not make?
Only if you have the right to use that recording, for example your own release or a track you have permission to remix. Splitting a track gives you no rights in it, and our acceptable use policy does not allow uploading music you have no rights to.
Related: Mixing and mastering, Add a beat to your vocals, AI beat maker