Stem Mixing
For when a stereo master can't reach the problem. Working from your grouped stems — kick, bass, drums, music, vocals, FX — means the low end, the dynamics and the balance can be corrected at source instead of worked around. Fully online, wherever in the world you are.
How Stem Mixing Works
Stem mixing sits between a full mixdown and a stereo master. You get some of the control of a mix with the finish of a master — the right call when a track is nearly there but something in the balance is holding it back.
Group Your Stems and Send Them
Seven groups is the standard: Kick (always on its own), Low-End Percussion (toms, lower perc), High-End Percussion (hats, claps, toppers), Bass, Music (synths, melodic), Vocals, and FX. Export them all from bar one at your project's sample rate, with no master bus processing except anything that is genuinely part of the sound. Seven groups sits comfortably inside the 4-8 stem band the £250 covers.
The Stem Session
With the stems separated, the fixes a stereo master cannot make become available: tightening kick and bass independently of each other, opening the top end without dragging the midrange up with it, resetting the balance between the drums and the music bed. That is the whole reason to mix from stems rather than a bounce.
Revisions and Delivery
You get the finished stereo master back, ready for release. A session typically runs 1 to 1.5 hours. An instrumental or acapella taken from the same arrangement comes with it.
What's Included
- ✓Individual stem-level EQ, compression, and saturation
- ✓Low-end tightening on kick, bass, and sub independently
- ✓Drum transient shaping without affecting the full mix
- ✓Vocal and FX balance correction at the stem mixing stage
- ✓Club and streaming loudness targets
- ✓Final stereo master included
- ✓4-8 grouped stems included; each additional stem +£35 (22 stem maximum)
- ✓Same-arrangement instrumental & acapella included
- ✓Ideal for house, techno, drum & bass, and electronic
- ✓Full-resolution WAV delivery
- ✓Fully online — stems in, master back, from anywhere
Stem Mixing
£250
Covers 4-8 grouped stems, ex. VAT. No hourly rate. Each additional stem is £35, up to a maximum of 22 stems — beyond that a Full Mixdown at £750 gives you more for less. Final invoice in GBP, converted to your local currency at current rates. Final master and same-arrangement instrumental/acapella included.
Get a QuoteStem mixing is the middle ground between a full mixdown and a stereo master. Where stereo mastering works from a single finished file, stem mixing gives Sam individual control over grouped elements: kick, bass, drums, synths, vocals and FX. This allows corrections and enhancements that simply are not possible from a stereo file.
It is the go-to choice when a stereo master is not quite cutting it. Muddy low-end, a kick that is not punching through, a vocal sitting awkwardly in the mix. These are all problems stem mixing can solve without sending the track back for a full mixdown.
Typical sessions run 1 to 1.5 hours. The final stereo master is included, and £250 covers 4 to 8 grouped stems. If your track needs more separation, additional stems are £35 each, up to a maximum of 22. Fully online, with artists submitting stems from anywhere in the world.
Related Services
Complement your project with our other professional audio services.
Stereo Mastering
The final polish for a mix that is already sitting right — one stereo file in, release-ready master out.
Learn More→Full Mixdown
When the track needs more than stems can fix. £750, the mix built from scratch, master included.
Learn More→Stem Mixing in London
The same service for house artists working with London labels, from the room at Wired Masters.
Learn More→From the Studio
Guides and insights from Sam at Wired Masters.
Stem Mixing vs Stereo Mastering
Stem mixing is always better. Here's why, what it costs, and when stereo still makes sense.
Read Guide→How to Get Your Low End Right
Kick and bass fighting each other? Here's how to fix it before mastering.
Read Guide→How Much Does Mastering Cost in 2026?
Honest pricing breakdown including stem mixing and mixdown rates.
Read Guide→What Is Stem Mixing and When Do You Need It?
What stems actually are, when they're worth booking, and how to prepare them properly.
Read Guide→Should I Master My Own Music?
You can. Should you? The honest take on DIY mastering and what fresh ears catch.
Read Guide→Send Your Stems Over
Get in touch to discuss your project, turnaround, and pricing.