Custom practice tracks
Build drills that focus on one instrument or vocal part at a time. Remove the instrument your student plays so they fill the gap.
For music teachers
Stem separation for music teachers
Make custom practice tracks and lesson materials from any song in minutes. Upload, separate, preview, and export what works for your students.
- lesson prep
- student practice tracks
- custom drills
- free browser test
Drop a song here — or tap to try it on your track
Free, in your browser. No signup. MP3, WAV, FLAC, M4A, OGG, or video.
Choose a file
Want 5-stem (drums, bass, piano)?
iOS App
Android App
What teachers use this for
Song deconstruction
Use stems to teach arrangement, phrasing, and active listening. Students hear how each part contributes to the whole.
Faster lesson prep
Make your own materials instead of searching for rare backing tracks online. Any song becomes a teaching tool.
Lesson plan ideas
Concrete ways to use separated stems in your teaching.
Ear training exercises
Play individual stems and ask students to identify instruments, intervals, or chord progressions. Compare what they hear with the full mix.
Rhythm isolation drills
Remove everything except drums for rhythm exercises. Students clap, tap, or play along to just the rhythmic foundation of real songs.
Arrangement analysis
Play stems in sequence to show how a song is built up. Start with drums, add bass, then piano, then vocals. Teaches layering and arrangement.
Active listening sessions
Have students listen to individual stems first, then the full mix. This trains them to hear parts they would otherwise miss.
Classroom workflow
How to work stem separation into your teaching routine.
Prep at home
Upload songs and test separation quality before class. Export the stems that work and skip the ones that do not. Build a library over time.
Play in class
Use exported stems during lessons. Students follow along with sheet music, charts, or by ear.
Student assignments
Students can use the free browser tool at home on any computer. Assign them to separate a song and write about what they hear in each stem.
Three ready-to-use lesson structures
Generic 'use it in class' advice doesn't help you plan Monday. These three structures are ready for the age group in front of you.
Elementary (K–5): Rhythm discovery with drum stems
Pull the drums stem from a familiar song ('Happy' by Pharrell, 'Single Ladies' by Beyoncé). Students first clap or tap the pulse, then layer in bass. Next session, add piano, then vocals. Teaches Orff-based layered listening without extra worksheets. Aligns with National Core Arts Standards MU:Cn11 (connecting music to other domains). A 30-minute lesson fits Session 3 of most elementary units.
Middle school (6–8): Form and arrangement analysis
Separate a song students know (Dua Lipa 'Levitating', Bruno Mars anything). In class, solo individual stems to identify verse/chorus/bridge structure by what changes. Great pairing with Kodály-style call-and-response work. For a 45-minute period, budget 10 minutes per stem (vocals, drums+bass, harmony) plus 15 minutes of full-mix analysis. Extends to written reflection as homework.
High school & college: Production study
Compare multiple tracks' stems to teach production technique: Michael Jackson 'Billie Jean' (sparse arrangement) vs Beyoncé 'Formation' (layered Southern hip-hop) vs Billie Eilish 'bad guy' (minimal mix). Students discuss why each approach works for its genre. Pair with DAW demonstrations in Logic or Audacity. Fits AP Music Theory arrangement units and college-level recording arts courses.
Test it on your own track
Upload any song and hear the separated stems in seconds. Free, no account needed.
Tips for better results
Build a stem library at semester start
Prep stems for your most-used songs before classes begin. Having materials ready saves class time and lets you swap songs on the fly.
Always test before class
Not every song separates well. Test the specific tracks you plan to use and have backups ready for sections that do not work.
Students can use this for homework
The browser tool works on any computer with no installation. Assign students to separate a song and analyze what they hear in each stem.
Pair with sheet music or lead sheets
Play individual stems while students follow along with notation. This connects what they see on the page with what they hear in isolation.
Unmix: Stem Separation with AI
Unmix is a perfect tool that lets you split any song into instrumental tracks and vocals with help of artificial intelligence. After that, you will be able to export and edit those separated tracks as wav or mp3 files.
FAQ
Can I use this for student karaoke practice?
Yes. The instrumental output works well for singing and ensemble drills.
Do I need to be technical?
No. Upload a file, click separate, preview, and download. That is the whole workflow.
Can students do this at home?
Yes. The browser tool works on any computer with no installation.
Is this free for educational use?
Yes. The browser tool is free for everyone, no signup needed.
What grade levels does this work for?
Any level from elementary through university. Adjust which songs you use and how deep the analysis goes.
What songs should I use with elementary students?
Songs with clear rhythmic structure and age-appropriate lyrics work best. Reliable picks: 'Happy' (Pharrell), 'Single Ladies' (Beyoncé), 'Can't Stop the Feeling!' (Justin Timberlake), movie soundtracks (Disney, Pixar), or traditional folk songs that translate well. Avoid songs with explicit content or dense production — kids' ears track simpler arrangements better. Check lyrics on Common Sense Media or Genius before assigning.
Does fair use cover educational use of separated stems?
In the US, non-commercial classroom use generally falls under fair use under the TEACH Act and Section 110 of copyright law, which specifically covers educational performance of copyrighted works. Making materials available to students through a password-protected LMS (Canvas, Google Classroom) is typically acceptable. Public posting, YouTube uploads, or outside-classroom distribution isn't. When in doubt, check your district's music licensing policy.
What tech setup do I need for a classroom?
Minimum: a laptop or tablet, classroom speakers (not headphones — you want whole-group listening), and a projector or screen to show stem waveforms visually. For whole-class control, Audacity on a laptop or GarageBand on iPad gives you scrubbing and solo/mute controls students can see. For older students doing their own work, a Chromebook or shared iPads plus the Unmix browser tool is enough.
Explore more tools
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Karaoke Maker
Create backing tracks for singing and practice.
Stem Splitter
Split a song into individual instrument stems.
Instrument Remover
Remove drums, bass, or piano from a track.
Audio From Video
Extract and separate audio from video files.
Apps
Full 5-stem separation on iOS, Android, and Mac.