Pro Tools stem export is typically Bounce to Disk from selected tracks or mix buses, with solo/mute and timeline selection set correctly.
Before export
- Route to aux/submix buses (Drums, Bass, Vocals, FX)
- Set timeline selection from song start to end — same for every bounce
- Note BPM and key
- Check I/O — no accidental mute on buses
Method 1: Bounce buses (recommended)
- Create aux tracks for stem groups; route tracks to aux inputs
- Cmd+Option+B (Mac) / Ctrl+Alt+B (Win) — Bounce to Disk
- Bounce source: Bus or selected aux tracks
- Format: WAV, Interleaved or Multiple Mono as needed
- Bit depth: 24-bit
- Sample rate: session rate
- Offline bounce: on for speed
- Repeat per stem bus
Method 2: Bounce all tracks
- File → Bounce → Track (or export multi-track stem workflows in your PT version)
- Export individual tracks if engineer requested multitrack
Rename and zip clearly before upload.
Commit / consolidate
- Commit MIDI/instrument tracks to audio before bounce if plugins are session-dependent
- Consolidate clips to bar 1 if starts are messy
Stereo mix for mastering
Bounce main mix bus with headroom — no brick-wall limiter.
→ How loud should a mix be before mastering?
Common Pro Tools mistakes
- Timeline selection not identical → length mismatch
- Bouncing with master compressor on stems
- Wrong bounce source (physical output vs bus)
- Forgetting to include AudioSuite processing before bounce