To export stems in FL Studio, route your sounds to separate Mixer tracks, go to File → Export → Wave file, and enable Split mixer tracks in the export window. FL Studio will render separate WAV files you can send to an engineer or open in another DAW.
The setup matters, though. If your kick, snare, and hi-hats all share one Mixer track, they’ll come out together. Here’s how to prepare your project and check that you’re sending the right files.
Stems vs. Trackouts: What Are You Exporting?
Artists often use “stems” to mean all the separate audio files from a song. More precisely:
Multitracks or trackouts are individual parts, such as the kick, snare, bass, lead vocal, and vocal doubles.
Stems are groups of parts combined into audio files, such as all drums together or all background vocals together.
Before exporting, ask the person receiving your files which they need. A mixing engineer may want individual vocal recordings, while a performer might need a few grouped backing tracks.
This tutorial focuses on exporting separate Mixer tracks.
1. Save a Copy of Your Project
Save your current project before changing routing or removing effects. If you’re preparing a different version for mixing, use Save As and give it a clear name.
For example:
SongName_ForMixing.flp
That gives you room to make export changes without losing the version you’ve been listening to.
2. Route Each Part to Its Own Mixer Track
Open the Channel Rack and Mixer. Use each sound’s Mixer track assignment to send it to a separate insert.
A basic arrangement might look like this:
| Mixer track | Sound |
|---|---|
| 1 | Kick |
| 2 | Snare |
| 3 | Hi-hats |
| 4 | Bass |
| 5 | Main melody |
| 6 | Lead vocal |
| 7 | Vocal doubles |
| 8 | Ad-libs |
Putting sounds on separate Playlist lanes doesn’t automatically give them separate Mixer routing. Check where each instrument and Audio Clip actually sends its audio. Sounds sharing a Mixer insert will share that insert’s exported file.
Play the song and watch the Mixer meters to confirm your assignments.
Rename the tracks so you can identify them later. Names like Lead_Vocal and Bass are much easier to work with than a folder full of numbered inserts.
Watch for buses and send effects
Your session may also contain a drum bus, vocal bus, or shared reverb return. These can contain audio already represented elsewhere in your exports.
For example, playing an exported drum bus alongside all its individual drum tracks can double up the drums. Decide whether you’re delivering individual parts or grouped stems, and label shared effects clearly.
3. Decide Which Effects to Keep
Ask your engineer whether they want dry files, processed files, or both.
A useful approach is to separate effects that define the sound from effects you added while trying to mix it. A distorted synth may depend on its processing. A vocal drenched in temporary reverb may be easier to work with without that reverb.
For important creative choices, provide two clearly labeled versions:
Lead_Vocal_Dry.wav
Lead_Vocal_FX.wav
Include a reference mix so the engineer can hear how you intended everything to fit together.
Turning off Mixer effects cannot undo processing already recorded into an audio file. If you recorded a vocal with an effect permanently printed into it, you’ll need the original unprocessed recording to supply a truly dry version.
4. Open the WAV Export Window
Choose File → Export → Wave file, create a dedicated folder, and name the export.
Use these settings as a starting point, adjusting them to the recipient’s requirements:
| Setting | Starting choice |
|---|---|
| Mode | Full song |
| Format | WAV |
| Bit depth | 24-bit, or 32-bit float if requested |
| Sample rate | Match your session unless instructed otherwise |
| Tail | Leave remainder |
| Split mixer tracks | On |
| Enable insert effects | On for processed exports; off to bypass insert effects |
| Trim PDC silence | On |
Clear unintended timeline selections. Leave remainder preserves decaying effects after the song ends. Trim PDC silence removes leading delay introduced by plugin delay compensation.
Split Mixer exports bypass the Master effects chain. Enabling master effects won’t apply that chain to each individual file. Export a separate full mix when you need a reference containing your mastering processing.
5. Export and Check the Files
Start the render, then check the results before sending anything.
Open a blank project at the same tempo and import the files at the same starting position. Keep the silence before a part enters: a vocal that begins at the first verse needs that space to stay aligned with the instrumental.
Listen for:
Missing instruments or vocal layers.
Parts starting in the wrong place.
Clipping, crackles, or unexpected distortion.
Missing delay or reverb endings.
Duplicate audio from buses or a full reference mix.
Check the beginning, a busy section, and the ending. If the song uses sidechain processing, listen specifically for whether the exported audio preserves the movement you intended.
Avoid loading your reference mix alongside the separate files during this test. Use it for comparison.
Common FL Studio Stem Export Problems
Why did multiple sounds export together?
Check their Mixer assignments. Separate Playlist lanes can still feed the same Mixer track. Give each part its own insert if you need separate files.
Why do my stems sound different from the finished song?
Your reference may include Master processing that the individual Mixer exports bypass. Shared bus processing and effects returns can also change how the exported files reconstruct the mix.
Can I export separate drums from a single beat file?
Split mixer tracks won’t separate instruments already combined inside one WAV or MP3. Ask the producer for the original trackouts. Audio separation tools are a different process and may introduce artifacts.
Should every file start with audible sound?
No. Exported parts should share a common starting point, even when some begin with silence. Trimming each file to its first sound makes the recipient rebuild the arrangement manually.
What to Send Your Engineer
Put the exports in one clearly named folder and include:
The requested individual tracks or grouped stems.
A separately labeled reference mix.
The song’s BPM and any tempo changes.
The key, if known.
Notes about creative effects you want preserved.
Zip the folder and check that your download link works before sending it. A clean export lets the next person open the files, line them up, and get straight to the music.