If you're not sure about the advantages of purchasing beat stems for your song, then read on to find out how they will elevate your next tune.
Licence Levels
When you find the right beat for your next song, there is generally a few different licences that you can purchase from the producer to legally be able to use (and profit from) their production in your own song.
How to choose
There are a few different aspects to be aware of when choosing a licence. Every producer might structure their licence contracts differently, so be sure to go over the contract for every beat you purchase so you are aware of the terms and conditions that you are getting into.
Generally, a basic/level 1 licence will include the beat as an Mp3 file. This is a stereo file, also referred to as a "two-track". Although this is usually the most affordable option, we suggest that our clients avoid this because an Mp3 file provides the lowest quality sound; it's a degraded file.
MP3's are meant to be space-saving, so they are compressed in size and result in a less dynamic, duller sound. We only recommend them for demos.
When you upload your song to Youtube and streaming sites, the processing (from uploading) generally degrades the song on a small level, although still audible. So we suggest to start with a higher quality file (or stems) so that we aren't starting with a degraded file, and then having it degraded again when uploaded. That's like double degradation!
Well, how do we get higher quality then?
This is where the second and third level licences come in. These generally cost more and include a higher quality file called a WAV or the beat stems.
A WAV is also a two-track file like an Mp3, although it is uncompressed (lossless) and is usually much larger in size. This means that WAV's sound better than Mp3's because no degradation or compression is taking place.
Purchasing the beat stems is the best case scenario for achieving the best sounding result. This provides you all the different pieces of the beat (Kick, snare, melody, bass, etc.) separately. This allows you to, one, structure the beat however you'd like, and two, unlocks the ability for your mix engineer to actually mix the beat. You see, when you purchase a WAV or Mp3, you are essentially stuck with both the structure (to an extent) and the mix that the producer gave you.
So realistically, the stems open up a ton of potential for the creativity and the sound quality of your song.
Can you hear a difference?
Even to an untrained ear, the difference between a song using a two-track and stems can be substantial. Having stems can completely change the atmosphere of your song, where it can draw the listener in with more depth of field, paint a more vivid "picture" in their head, and allow them to hear exactly what you imagine in your mind.
So to recap:
Just say no to Mp3's, unless you're making demos.
Consider WAV's to be the minimum to achieve a high quality, professional result
Track stems are the only way to achieve a proper mix on a song
Track stems allow you to edit each part of the beat, however you'd like
We hope this has helped clear any confusion about the audio files included in various licence levels, and the importance of getting the instrumental stems. If any more questions arise, please don't hesitate to contact us.
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