The stem delivery checklist for producers
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 deliver it through one persistent link rather than a pile of email attachments or an expiring transfer. The recipient gets a single, reachable place for the package — tonight or six months from now.
Levels Flow keeps every delivery on a private link that doesn't expire, with version history, so the right files are always one URL away.