Track-out files

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dcmusicproductions

New member
Hi guys,

How do you guys manage the track-out files for your customers?

Example: if I have 20 layers of drums and percussion like, hits, cymbals, 2-3 snares, some percussion. Every single sound in a different track. Should I export for track-out each one of these tracks individually for the beat buyer, or is it enough if I bus all these "Beat/Drums" sounds to one bus and then export it?

I know it can make sense to export each sound individually, but personally it does not make much sense to me. If I would buy a beat I would rather have the most important files as track out, instead having 50 files, and some files would have just a snare rim, the other one a clave, and so on.

How you guys do it?

Need some advice.

Thanks
 
You could ask them what they prefer?

They'll either ask for individual tracks or "stems" which groups channels like you said where you would have a "drums stem", a "bass stem" etc.
 
@jrace thanks for your reply. Yes, that is an option if the buyer contact me directly. But I asked this because on my beatstore I have my files uploaded and zipped ready for instant download. So if an artist purchase a track out license, he'll get instantly the zip file. Of course I can send him afterwards other files he wishes.

I wanted to understand how you guys handle this track out "problem" ... what is the best way to do it for instant beat stores.
 
As a mix engineer, I can tell you, track them all out. 50 tracks isn't really all that much. I routinely mix records with far more music tracks than that. If you layered your snare and kick, then you can submix the snare and submix the kick. But don't submix your main snare and your accent snare. Don't submix your kick and your 808. Don't submix more than one drum element together (like hat and cymabals, or kick and snare - and if you submix all the drums you'll get shot).

Nobody will ask for submixed stems. They will only ask for the 2tracked beat (the amateurs and broke kids) or the fully tracked out beat with each element on a separate track. Sometimes in rap we'll track vocals to the 2track and then the artist/label will decide if it's worth pursuing and then they'll contact you for the multitracks.
 
Thanks Chris, really interesting. So about the submix thing you are saying if I have a vst like battery to make drum beats, I should route all individual sounds to a new track and in the end export each individual sounds to a file, right? even if this clave or bell will only play 2 or 3 times in the full beat/song?

what about synths layered to make one unique sound? should I export each individually as well?
 
Yes, each different sound should be a different file in the end. Even if it's just a cowbell that plays only once in the whole song.

If you have two synths layered to make ONE sound, and you are happy with the blend, then go ahead and print them together in one file. But if they play different things, make two different files - one for each part.
 
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