Stem separation now ships inside Pro Tools, Cubase, Logic Pro and Ableton Live 16912. Only one of them added it this month. Apple brought Stem Splitter to Logic in 2024 11, Steinberg introduced AI stem separation in Cubase 15 Pro in November 2025 45, and Ableton built it into Live Suite with version 12.3 the same month 12. In November 2026, Avid added its own Stem Separator to Pro Tools 2026.11 123, and Cubase 16 expanded Steinberg's version to six stems 678.
That's useful for composers working from temp tracks or pulling apart a director's reference cue (our guide to how film scoring works explains why temp music matters so much), and for producers and beatmakers flipping samples or building remixes. The four implementations aren't identical, though, and the differences matter on a client job.
| DAW | Stems | Who gets it | Where it runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pro Tools 2026.11 | Up to 6: vocals, drums, bass, guitar, keys, other 12 | Every version, including the free Pro Tools Intro 13 | On your computer, per Avid 12; no internet connection needed 1 |
| Cubase 16 | 6: vocals, drums, bass, piano, guitar, other 678 | Cubase Pro 67 | Not stated in the reports we read 678 |
| Logic Pro 13 | Drum stem can split again into kick, snare, hi-hat, toms, cymbals, other 910 | Logic Pro 910 | On device, per Apple; needs M-series Apple silicon 11 |
| Ableton Live 12.4 | Vocals, drums, bass, others 12; time selections and stem merging added in 12.4 1213 | Live 12 Suite 1213 | Locally, per Ableton 12 |
The details that matter on a client job
Where your audio goes. Three of the four makers say separation happens on your machine: Avid 12, Apple 11 and Ableton 12. Steinberg's Cubase 15 announcement and the Cubase 16 reports we read don't say where processing runs 4678. If you're separating an unreleased cue under NDA, check the maker's documentation for where processing happens and how your audio is handled.
Which tier you're on. Cubase 16 keeps stem separation in Pro 67, as Cubase 15 did 45. Ableton's is Suite-only 1213. Avid includes its Stem Separator in every version of Pro Tools, including the free Intro 13.
How granular it gets. Logic 13 goes one level deeper on drums: once the drum stem is out, it can be split again into individual kit pieces 910. Cubase 16's upgraded algorithm splits six stems, with piano and guitar among them 678.
What's next for Live. Ableton announced Live 13 on November 10, with a public beta now and release set for early 2027 1415. The headline for editing work is ARA 2 support, which lets plug-ins like Melodyne work on audio inside Live 1415.
It's in instruments now, too. Native Instruments' Massive XL, which we covered in our Fall 2026 Plugin Haul, has a Preset Generator that turns an audio reference into an editable synth patch, with stem separation included 1617.
Separation isn't generation
None of this writes music. These tools take apart audio somebody already recorded. That distinction matters for the AI debate around scoring. When AFM Local 47 backed the AB 2319 post-production tax credit bill in August, it asked that California money not fund productions that swap human art for AI-generated film scores 18. Stem separation is the opposite case: it starts with human-made audio and gives a composer more control over it.
The practical advice is boring and correct. Know where the processing happens, know which edition you're paying for, and keep the original files.
Correction, Nov 15, 2026: an earlier version said Steinberg added stem separation this month; Cubase 15 Pro introduced it in November 2025, and Cubase 16 separates six stems.