Stems and exports other people can actually open

Before zipping, use “export all audio files” or your equivalent workflow so samples live under the project tree. Write a short README text file with BPM, key, and anything weird (custom tuning, alternate sample rates). Stem names should include role and section: vox_verse_raw, not Audio_04.

When collaborators use different DAWs, stems beat project files. Print effects you love to avoid “sounds different on their machine” disputes · but keep dry safety copies when re-mixing is likely.

Decide export depth once and write it in the README: 24-bit WAV at the session rate is the usual handshake; 32-bit float is kind to headroom but not every downstream tool likes it. Add at least half a second of silence (more if long reverbs or delays trail) so the last tail is not cut by impatient batch exporters.

For stem passes, solo-safe routing matters: if a send-only reverb disappears when they solo the vocal stem, print an FX stem or a dedicated “vox_wet” alongside vox_dry. Label “tail included” vs “dry only” in the filename so mastering engineers do not stack room twice by accident.

• Folder layout: Stems/, References/, Project/ mirroring how you work in FL.
• Consolidate start at bar 1 for every stem · no mystery pre-roll unless you document it in the README.
• MP3 or AAC “phone check” is optional but defuses “I cannot open WAV on this device” texts.
• Zip using plain paths; avoid unusual Unicode in folder names if the client is on older Windows tools.
• Note whether automation (mutes, filter sweeps) was printed into stems or left in the project · surprises at mastering are never the fun kind.
• For round-trips back into FL, include a lossless rough mix stem labeled mixref_print so level context survives even if faders moved.

Realtime bounces catch manual fader rides; offline batch wins pure CPU marathon sessions. If timing must be sample-accurate with analog-captured hardware, bias realtime; if you are printing digital stems for stem mastering, offline is usually enough. Say which you chose in the README so no one assumes a miracle gap at bar 47.

Unzip your own archive into a scratch folder before emailing “all set”: empty Stems folders and double-nested zips are human typos, not mysterious corruption. Sixty seconds of self-QA kills hour-long threads.

Cloud upload quirks truncate silently on flaky Wi-Fi · note total zip size in the README and confirm the recipient sees the same byte count. When someone says “the archive is corrupt,” half the time it is an incomplete download, not your bounce.

“Normalize to peak” on stem batches is a footgun: it destroys intentional headroom between drums and vocals and breaks level recalls. Print stems at honest fader relationships; let mastering ask for a loudness pass if they need it.

Date your handoff folders in ISO form (2026-05-16) when multiple rounds go out · “latest” is not a version system, it is a prayer. Human sorting beats inbox archaeology.

Prefer ASCII filenames for stems when Asia“EU passes are likely: umlauts and emoji in titles are cute until someone’s Apache server mangles the zip on unzip. Keep the art name in README.txt, keep the files boring.