How to Extract Accompaniment and Separate Vocals
Quick Answer
Audio Jam uses AI to separate songs into individual tracks (stems):
- Vocals (lead and backing)
- Instruments (guitar, bass, drums, piano, etc.)
How to use:
- Import song → Choose separation settings
- Select quality: Standard / HQ / SQ (recommended)
- Select mode: Preset / Custom (recommended)
- Choose which stems to separate
- Wait for processing
- Mute/solo/adjust any stem
Result: Practice with custom backing tracks, isolate instruments, create karaoke tracks.
What is Stem Separation?
Stem separation splits a song into individual tracks:
- Vocals (lead and backing vocals)
- Guitar (lead, rhythm, acoustic, electric)
- Bass (bass guitar and bass synth)
- Drums (complete drum kit)
- Piano (piano and keyboards)
- Other (strings, brass, synths, etc.)
Uses: ✅ Remove vocals for karaoke ✅ Isolate instruments for learning ✅ Practice with backing tracks ✅ Study arrangements ✅ Create custom mixes
How to Separate Stems
During Import (Recommended)
Step 1: Import Song
- Tap "+" button
- Select audio source
- Choose song
Step 2: Choose Quality
Standard (128 Kbps)
- Fastest processing
- Smaller files
- Good for quick practice
HQ (192 Kbps) ⭐ Recommended
- Balanced quality and speed
- Good for most users
- Very good quality
SQ (320 Kbps) ⭐ Best
- Highest quality
- Longer processing
- Best for serious practice
Step 3: Choose Mode
Preset Mode
- Quick standard separation
- All common stems
- Fastest option
Custom Mode ⭐ Recommended
- Select specific stems
- More control
- Saves storage (only selected stems)
Step 4: Select Stems (Custom Mode)
Available stems:
🎤 Vocals
- Tap to expand options:
- All vocals (lead + backing combined)
- Lead vocals + Backing vocals (separated)
🎸 Guitar
- Tap to expand options:
- All guitar
- Lead guitar + Rhythm guitar (separated)
- Acoustic guitar + Electric guitar (separated)
⚡ Bass
- Bass guitar and bass synth
🎹 Piano
- Piano and keyboards
🥁 Drums
- Complete drum kit
Tip: Only select stems you need - faster processing, less storage!
Step 5: Start Processing
- Tap "Start" button
- Wait for processing (30 seconds - 2 minutes)
- Processing time depends on:
- Song length
- Quality setting
- Number of stems
- Device performance
Or: Tap "Skip separation and import directly" to separate later.
Specialized Separation Models
🎤 Lead Vocals + Backing Vocals
What it does:
- Separates main vocals from harmonies
- Two separate tracks: lead and backing
Perfect for:
- Singers: Learn lead and harmony parts separately
- Vocal study: Understand vocal arrangements
- Practice: Focus on specific vocal parts
- Production: Create custom vocal mixes
Example use:
- Separate lead + backing vocals
- Solo backing vocals to learn harmonies
- Mute lead vocals to practice lead part
- Adjust balance for custom mix
🎸 Lead Guitar + Rhythm Guitar
What it does:
- Separates solo parts from rhythm parts
- Two tracks: lead and rhythm
Perfect for:
- Guitarists: Learn solos and rhythm separately
- Study: Understand guitar roles
- Practice: Focus on specific parts
- Teaching: Demonstrate lead vs rhythm
Example use:
- Separate lead + rhythm guitar
- Solo lead guitar to learn solo
- Solo rhythm guitar to learn chords
- Practice each part separately
🎸 Acoustic Guitar + Electric Guitar
What it does:
- Distinguishes acoustic from electric
- Two tracks: acoustic and electric
Perfect for:
- Tone study: Compare guitar types
- Arrangements: Understand layering
- Practice: Focus on specific guitar type
- Learning: See how guitars complement each other
Example use:
- Separate acoustic + electric
- Study acoustic fingerpicking
- Study electric riffs
- Understand how they work together
Using Separated Stems
View Stems
After processing:
- All selected stems appear in interface
- Each stem has controls
- Waveform shows all tracks
Control Individual Stems
For each stem:
Mute/Unmute
- Tap stem icon to mute
- Tap again to unmute
- Muted stems are greyed out
Adjust Volume
- Drag volume slider
- Balance stems as needed
- Create custom mix
Solo
- Hear only that stem
- All others muted
- Tap again to unsolo
Common Practice Setups
Karaoke (Remove Vocals):
- Mute: All vocals
- Result: Instrumental backing track
Guitar Practice:
- Mute: Guitar stems
- Keep: Drums, bass, other instruments
- Result: Play guitar with band
Bass Practice:
- Mute: Bass
- Keep: Everything else
- Result: Play bass with band
Drum Practice:
- Mute: Drums
- Keep: Everything else
- Result: Play drums with band
Vocal Practice:
- Mute: Lead vocals
- Keep: Backing vocals and instruments
- Result: Sing lead with backing track
Learn Harmonies:
- Mute: Lead vocals
- Solo: Backing vocals
- Result: Hear harmony parts clearly
Learn Lead Guitar:
- Mute: Rhythm guitar
- Solo: Lead guitar
- Result: Focus on solo parts
Combine with Other Features
🎵 Stem Separation + Speed Adjustment
Perfect for learning difficult parts!
Workflow:
- Separate stems
- Mute your instrument
- Slow to 0.5x - 0.75x
- Practice with backing track
- Gradually increase speed
🎵 Stem Separation + AB Loop
Master specific sections!
Workflow:
- Separate stems
- Mute your instrument
- Loop difficult section
- Practice repeatedly with band
- Perfect the section
🎵 Stem Separation + Smart Metronome
Build timing with backing track!
Workflow:
- Separate stems
- Mute your instrument
- Enable Smart Metronome
- Practice with click and band
- Develop rock-solid timing
🎵 All Features Combined
Ultimate practice setup:
- Stem Separation - Mute your instrument
- AB Loop - Focus on difficult section
- Speed Adjustment - Start at 0.5x
- Smart Metronome - Keep steady timing
- Chord Analysis - See harmony
Result: Most effective practice possible!
Export Stems
To export individual stems:
- Long-press on stem
- Select "Export"
- Choose format (MP3, WAV, etc.)
- Choose quality
- Save or share
Use cases:
- Create karaoke tracks
- Share with band members
- Use in other apps
- Archive for later
Quality Settings Guide
Standard (128 Kbps)
Best for:
- Quick practice
- Preview/testing
- Limited storage
Quality: Good for practice Processing: Fastest File size: Smallest
HQ (192 Kbps) ⭐ Recommended
Best for:
- Regular practice
- Most use cases
- Good balance
Quality: Very good Processing: Moderate File size: Medium
SQ (320 Kbps) ⭐ Best
Best for:
- Serious practice
- Professional use
- Critical listening
Quality: Excellent Processing: Longest File size: Largest
Choosing the Right Stems
For Singers
Separate:
- Lead vocals + Backing vocals
Why:
- Learn lead and harmonies separately
- Practice with or without vocals
- Study vocal arrangements
For Guitarists
Separate:
- Lead guitar + Rhythm guitar
- Or: Acoustic guitar + Electric guitar
Why:
- Focus on specific guitar parts
- Understand guitar roles
- Practice solos or rhythm separately
For Bass Players
Separate:
- Bass
Why:
- Isolate bass lines clearly
- Practice with band minus bass
- Study bass techniques
For Drummers
Separate:
- Drums
Why:
- Hear drum parts clearly
- Practice with band minus drums
- Study drum patterns
Tip: Combine with Smart Metronome!
For General Practice
Separate:
- Vocals + Accompaniment (standard)
Why:
- Simple and fast
- Good for most needs
- Creates karaoke tracks
Quality & Limitations
What Affects Quality?
✅ Better Results:
- High-quality source audio
- Clear, well-produced recordings
- Modern pop/rock productions
- Studio recordings
⚠️ Challenging:
- Low-quality audio files
- Heavy reverb/effects
- Dense arrangements
- Live recordings
- Very old recordings
Typical Results
Excellent (95%+ clean):
- Lead vocals in pop music
- Clear lead guitar parts
- Modern studio tracks
Good (80-95% clean):
- Backing vocals
- Rhythm guitar
- Bass lines
- Drum patterns
- Most instruments in good recordings
Fair (60-80% clean):
- Complex orchestral pieces
- Jazz with many instruments
- Heavily processed sounds
- Live recordings
- Very dense mixes
Tips for Best Results
✅ Use High-Quality Source Files
Better source = better separation:
- FLAC or WAV (lossless) best
- High-bitrate MP3 (320 kbps) very good
- Avoid low-bitrate files
- Studio versions better than live
✅ Select Only Needed Stems
Benefits:
- Faster processing
- Less storage used
- Cleaner interface
- More focused practice
Example: Guitarists might only need:
- Guitar stems (lead + rhythm)
- Drums (for timing)
- Skip vocals, bass, piano if not needed
✅ Choose Appropriate Quality
For casual practice: Standard or HQ For serious learning: HQ or SQ For professional use: SQ only
✅ Experiment with Models
Try different separation types:
- Some songs work better with certain models
- Test to see what works best
- Learn what works for different genres
Troubleshooting
Separation Quality Poor
Try:
- Use higher quality source file
- Try SQ quality setting
- Check if source is low quality
- Some songs are more challenging
Processing Takes Too Long
Solutions:
- Choose Standard quality (faster)
- Select fewer stems
- Close other apps
- Ensure device has enough storage
Stems Sound Weird
Common causes:
- Very complex arrangements
- Heavy effects in original
- Low-quality source
- Challenging for AI
Solution:
- Try different quality setting
- Use different source file
- Some songs are inherently difficult
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many stems can I separate? A: In Custom mode, select as many as you need from available options.
Q: Can I separate vocals into lead and backing? A: Yes! Select Vocals → Choose "Lead Vocals + Backing Vocals."
Q: Can I separate different guitar types? A: Yes! Choose "Lead + Rhythm" or "Acoustic + Electric."
Q: Which quality should I use? A: HQ (192 kbps) for most users, SQ (320 kbps) for best quality.
Q: Can I change settings after import? A: You may need to re-import. Check app for re-processing options.
Q: How long does processing take? A: 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on song length, quality, and number of stems.
Q: Can I skip separation? A: Yes! Tap "Skip separation and import directly" - add stems later if needed.
Q: Does it work offline? A: Yes, processing happens on your device. No internet needed.
Q: Can I export stems? A: Yes! Long-press stem → Select "Export."
Q: Which separation model should I use? A: Depends on your instrument and goals. Singers: Lead + Backing vocals. Guitarists: Lead + Rhythm or Acoustic + Electric.