Before you send the archive
Confirm whether the recipient wants grouped stems or individual multitracks; they are different deliverables.
- Agree the file format, sample rate, bit depth, start point and required wet/dry versions.
- Import the exports into a blank session to check alignment, missing files and unwanted silence.
- Include a reference mix and a short text file with tempo, version and export details.
- Open the final archive and test its download link. Tell the recipient when the link expires.
Stems are where sloppy handoffs cost everyone time. Mislabeled files, mismatched sample rates, and clipped exports turn a five-minute import into an email tennis match. A consistent checklist makes you the engineer people like working with.
The checklist
- Export every stem from the same start point (bar 1), so they line up on drop-in.
- Match the session's sample rate and bit depth — typically 24-bit, and the project's rate (44.1 or 48 kHz).
- Leave headroom: no stem should be clipping. Peaks a few dB below 0 dBFS are safe.
- Print effects that are part of the sound; keep mastering-style processing off the individual stems.
- Include a printed reference mix so the recipient knows the intended balance.
Naming conventions
Future-you and the next engineer will thank you. Use a consistent pattern: SongName_StemName_Key_BPM. "Drive_LeadVocal_Am_120.wav" tells someone everything at a glance. Avoid spaces and version soup like _FINAL_final2.
Formats & sample rate
WAV or AIFF, never MP3 for stems. Keep the bit depth and sample rate consistent across the whole set. If the destination needs a different rate, convert deliberately and say so — don't leave it to chance.
The handoff
Zip the set and send one clearly labelled package. Include its expiry date and ask the recipient to confirm the download. Keep your own backup so you can resend the agreed deliverables when needed.
Levels Flow supports private sharing and file transfers. Choose the appropriate delivery method, check its access settings and expiry, and ask the recipient to save a copy. Transfer links are time-limited; they are not a permanent backup.