Separating instruments from a song: drums, bass, piano and guitar
What stem separation is, which instrument layers the models can pull out, and why guitar has no dedicated layer yet. Includes 4-stem vs 5-stem.
What is stem separation?
Stem separation splits an already-mixed song into several independent files, each holding one instrument group or the vocal. A "stem" is one such independent layer, for example the drums alone, the bass alone, or the vocal alone.
A model estimates each layer from the final mix; it does not retrieve the original per-instrument studio files. The result is always a reconstruction, never the original session.
Which instrument layers can the AI separate?
On Tách Nhạc's vocal remover online, the two live engines separate a fixed set of layers, not an adjustable count: Spleeter separates 2, 4 or 5 layers, HTDv4 separates 2 or 4 layers. This is each model's real capability, distinct from how many free runs or minutes each tier allows.
In 4-layer mode both engines split a song into: vocals, drums, bass and everything else (guitar, keys, strings and horns combined in one file). 5-layer mode currently runs only on Spleeter and pulls an additional piano layer out of that remaining group, for five files total: vocals, drums, bass, piano, and other instruments.
| What you want | Pick this mode | Supported engine |
|---|---|---|
| Drums | 4 stems (or 5 stems) | Spleeter, HTDv4 |
| Bass | 4 stems (or 5 stems) | Spleeter, HTDv4 |
| Piano separate from other instruments | 5 stems | Spleeter only |
| Guitar on its own | No dedicated layer on either engine | None yet |
Why is there no dedicated guitar layer yet?
Neither engine running on Tách Nhạc has a layer named guitar. Guitar currently lands in the "other instruments" group along with keys, strings and everything else, whatever stem count you pick. This is a real limit of the models themselves, not something Tách Nhạc blocks.
A dedicated guitar layer needs an entirely different model checkpoint trained to output a guitar source, not a setting change on the current engines. That has not been deployed on Tách Nhạc.
How do 4 stems and 5 stems differ?
The 5-stem mode (server-side engine, currently a paid tier once free runs are used up) is designed to pull an extra piano layer out of the remaining instrument group. The only difference between the two modes is the remaining instrument group: 4 stems keeps piano bundled with guitar and other instruments in one file, 5 stems pulls piano out of that group. Vocals, drums and bass separate identically in both modes, neither is cleaner because you picked 5 stems.
If a song has no piano, 5 stems gives you nothing beyond 4 stems except one nearly-silent extra file.
The 5-stem server pipeline exists in the UI and model, but the Tách Nhạc team has not fully verified it end-to-end for every case. If a returned piano file is not what you expected, try 4 stems for the combined instrument group instead of relying on the piano layer alone.
What are separated instruments used for?
For a deeper look at individual layers, see removing drums from a song and isolating the bass line, which cover the how-to and limits of each layer in depth.
- Practising along with the exact drum or bass part from the original, without other instruments in the way
- Using the remaining instrument group (which includes guitar) as a bed to play or record over
- Comparing arrangement across layers when studying orchestration
- Recombining files to build a custom mix, for example keeping bass and drums while dropping the other-instruments group
Primary sources
Can instrument separation pull out guitar on its own?
Not yet. Both engines running on Tách Nhạc bundle guitar into the "other instruments" group in every stem mode, because neither current model has a dedicated guitar layer.
Which mode isolates piano?
Pick 5 stems on the Spleeter engine, the only mode with a dedicated piano layer today. This pipeline is not yet fully verified end-to-end, so try 4 stems if a result looks off.
Do 4 stems and 5 stems separate drums and bass differently?
No, neither is cleaner. Vocals, drums and bass separate identically in both; the only difference is that 5 stems pulls piano out of the remaining instrument group.
Do I need to install software to separate instruments?
No. Upload the file or paste a link, choose the stem count, the server or your browser processes it, then download each layer.