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Use Stems in Traktor.

Stems in Traktor split a track into four parts, so you can drop the vocal or keep only the drums during a live set. Here is how to load Stems files onto a Stem Deck, mix the parts, and separate regular tracks in Traktor Pro 4, plus how to keep your stem-ready tracks organized before you play.

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Vibes library showing tagged tracks ready for a Traktor Stems set

Tag and crate your Stems tracks in Vibes, then export straight into Traktor.

Use Stems in Traktor, step by step.

Traktor Stems is a four-part audio format that gives you independent control over four musical elements of a track from a single file, typically drums, bass, vocals, and a fourth part such as melody or synths. Pre-made Stems (.stem.mp4) files have played on Stem Decks since the format launched on Traktor Pro 2, so any current Traktor Pro 3 or 4 install handles them, and Traktor Pro 4 can also separate a regular track into stems inside the app. You control the parts from the software mixer, a Traktor controller with stem controls, or a MIDI mapping.

01

Get Stems files

Stems files use the .stem.mp4 extension and are sold by select labels and stores that carry the Stems format, such as Bleep, Juno, Traxsource, and whatpeopleplay. Download them to a folder on your drive. A standard MP3 or WAV does not turn into a Stems file on its own. If you run Traktor Pro 4 you can skip this step and let Traktor generate Stems from a regular track instead (see step 5).

02

Add your Stems folder to Traktor

Open Preferences, then File Management, and click Add under Music Folders. Then right-click Track Collection in the browser tree and choose Import Music Folders. Traktor analyzes the .stem.mp4 files next to your regular tracks, which matters because a Stems file has to be analyzed before it can be loaded onto a Stem Deck. After that you can search, tag, and playlist them like any other track.

03

Load a Stems track onto a Stem Deck

Drag the file onto a deck. Traktor switches that deck to the Stem Deck flavor and shows the Multi-Track Waveform with the four stems. If you want a deck set up as a Stem Deck permanently, open Preferences, then Decks Layout, and set the Deck Flavor to Stem Deck. Each stem has its own Volume knob with a Mute button, a Filter knob, and an FX Send knob.

04

Mix and isolate stems live

Pull the vocal stem's Volume knob down on the incoming track while its drums keep running, or leave only the bass of the outgoing track for a clean handover. The Filter knob on each stem sweeps one part without touching the rest, and the FX Send knob sets how much of that part is sent to the FX Units. The rest of the deck operates like a Track Deck, so transport, sync, cue points, and loops work the way you already know.

05

Separate regular tracks in Traktor Pro 4

Traktor Pro 4 adds stem separation, so you no longer need to buy Stems versions. Right-click (Windows) or ctrl-click (Mac) the track in the Track Collection and choose Generate Stems. Traktor separates the track on your computer and stores the Stem version in the Stem Files Location set in Preferences, linked to the original track, which stays in your collection. Separation takes between one and two thirds of the track's playing time depending on your CPU, so prepare the tracks you plan to split before the set rather than in the middle of a transition. Once generated, dragging the track onto a deck loads the Stem version on a Stem Deck automatically; hold Shift while dragging to load the original instead.

The catch

Pre-made Stems files are a separate purchase, so your existing MP3 and WAV collection does not become Stems unless you buy Stems versions or run Traktor Pro 4 and generate Stems there. Separation in Traktor Pro 4 runs on your computer and takes a good fraction of each track's length, so it needs a reasonably fast machine, and separated parts are never as clean as a producer's own multitrack export: reverb tails, backing vocals, and layered synths can bleed between parts.

3 selected

Where Vibes fits

Prep your Stems crates before you play.

Vibes does not perform Stems mixing, but it is where you organize the tracks you plan to play. Tag your Stems files by energy, mood, and role so you can find the right one in seconds during a live set, then export clean playlists straight into Traktor.

See how it works
Tag Stems tracks by energy level and vibe so you always know which ones suit your peak-time or warm-up slots
Use Vibe Sort to move quickly through your Stems collection and categorize tracks without leaving the keyboard
Export organized playlists into Traktor NML so your crates are already sorted when you open the software
Combine Stems tracks with regular tracks in the same vibes so you can browse your full arsenal in one place

Organize in Vibes, export to Traktor.

Your playlists, tags, ratings, and cue points travel back to the gear you play on, so nothing you do in Vibes is locked away.

Track 001 by Artist A

Track 001

Artist A

128
3A
Track 002 by Artist B

Track 002

Artist B

124
5B
Track 003 by Artist C

Track 003

Artist C

132
8A
Vibes App
Playlists
Vibes
Mood
Aggressive
Euphoric
Melancholic
Mysterious
Peaceful
Playful
Tense
Function
Arrangement
Sets
Club Night 12/28
NYE Closing Set
Rooftop 01/04

Frequently asked questions

The honest answers, including the trade-offs.

No. Stems mixing is a live performance feature inside Traktor Pro and Vibes does not replicate it. Vibes is a library prep tool: it helps you organize, tag, and export your tracks so your Traktor session is better prepared before you play.
Yes. Vibes can import your Traktor library via NML and will include any .stem.mp4 files that Traktor has already indexed, so let Traktor scan the folder first. You can then tag them with vibes and export updated playlists back into Traktor. Stems tracks sit next to your regular tracks, so a single crate can hold both.
No. You can use Stems with a mouse in Traktor's software, dragging each stem's Volume knob on screen, but a controller with dedicated stem faders gives you much better real-time control, because you can move two or three parts at once. Native Instruments controllers such as the Kontrol S8, D2, and F1 come pre-mapped for Stem Decks, and any other MIDI controller can be mapped to the stem Volume, Filter, and FX Send commands under Deck Common > Submix in the Controller Manager.
You need Traktor Pro 4. Earlier versions only play pre-made .stem.mp4 files, so a regular track stays a single audio file no matter which deck you load it on. In Traktor Pro 4, right-click the track in the Track Collection and choose Generate Stems. Traktor separates it into drums, bass, other, and vocals on your computer, where other is the instrumental remainder without drums and bass. Then load the track, it opens on a Stem Deck, and you mix the parts exactly as you would with a purchased Stems file.
Stem Decks arrived with the Stems format on Traktor Pro 2, so late Traktor Pro 2 builds, all of Traktor Pro 3, and Traktor Pro 4 play .stem.mp4 files. Traktor Pro 4 adds Generate Stems, which separates a regular track into stems on its own. On Traktor Pro 3 or earlier you need actual Stems-format files, either bought from a store that carries them or packaged yourself from the original parts with Native Instruments' free Stem Creator tool.
Yes, if you already have the separate parts. Native Instruments' free Stem Creator tool imports four elements of a track, each prepared as a separate audio file, plus a stereo master of the whole track, lets you name and color each stem, and exports a .stem.mp4. That makes it a producer job: you need the multitrack session, not just the finished master. If all you have is the finished mix, building a proper Stems file is out, and Traktor Pro 4 stem separation is the practical route.

From a Vibes customer

The import worked perfectly. Have created several sets now and my life is so much easier
Danny

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Last reviewed September 2026.

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