How to use Stem Splitter in Logic Pro

What Stem Splitter does

Stem Splitter is Logic Pro's built-in source separation. Apple's user guide describes it as isolating "the different vocal and instrument parts in a multitrack mix" and extracting them to individual audio regions. It can extract vocals, drums, bass, guitar, piano and other instrumental parts, and it comes with presets that pick common combinations.

It needs a Mac with an M1 or later Apple silicon processor. On an Intel Mac the command is not available; use the browser method at the end of this guide instead.

Split a song into stems

1. Put the song on an audio track in the Tracks area.
2. Control-click the region, then choose Processing > Stem Splitter.
3. In the Stem Splitter window, either choose a preset from the Preset menu or tick the checkboxes for the stems you want. Each ticked stem becomes its own region.
4. Stems you leave unticked are combined into a submix, shown at the bottom of the window. Tick Submix to extract it as well. Click the More button beside it to leave individual stems out of the submix.
5. Click Apply.

Logic creates a summing stack below the original track. Its subtracks hold the extracted stems, and the original region is muted so you hear the stems straight away. You can solo, move, copy and edit each stem like any audio region.

Once you have a combination you use often, a preset can also be applied from a key command without opening the window. The preset key commands start unassigned.

Remove the vocals

For an instrumental, the quickest route is a two-part split: tick Vocals only, so everything else lands in the submix, then tick Submix too and apply. Mute the vocal subtrack and you have the backing track; mute the submix and you have the acapella. With every stem ticked instead, you can also lower the drums, pull out the bass for practice, or leave only guitar and piano.

Tips for cleaner stems

• Start from the best copy. A lossless file separates more cleanly than a low-bitrate MP3, whose artifacts end up in every stem.
• Split only what you need. A preset with two or three stems is quicker to review than six.
• Listen in context. Faint traces of the other parts are common in any separation; they are usually masked once the track plays with a new vocal or instrument.

Without Logic Pro

On an Intel Mac, a Windows PC or a phone, StemVocal's stem splitter does the job in a web browser: choose the song, pick Four stems for vocals, drums, bass and other, and download the tracks as WAV or MP3. The vocal remover gives just the instrumental. Two songs a day are free, with credits for more. For Audacity and Ableton Live, see the Audacity guide and the Ableton Live guide.

Sources

Checked September 30, 2026:

• Apple, Extract vocal and instrumental stems with Stem Splitter in Logic Pro for Mac.
• Apple, Extract vocal and instrumental stems with Stem Splitter in Logic Pro for iPad.