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MixSift guide

Choosing a local audio file for stem separation

Check rights, genuine source quality, supported input extensions and local access before adding a recording to MixSift.

Start with a file you can actually access

Use a local audio recording you are entitled to process. MixSift is not a streaming-service downloader or a way to bypass DRM. A track visible in a subscription player is not necessarily an accessible, unprotected audio file.

The current Mac scope is Apple Silicon M1 or later with macOS 14 or later. Supported input extensions are WAV, AIFF (.aif/.aiff), FLAC, MP3, M4A, AAC and OGG. A matching extension is not a guarantee: the file’s codec, protection or condition can still prevent decoding.

Choose a genuine source, not a renamed copy

If you have several authorized copies, prefer a trustworthy original or a genuine lossless copy when available. Avoid unnecessary conversions before separation. Changing a filename extension does not convert its audio, and converting an already compressed recording to WAV does not recover detail that was discarded.

Listen to the source itself for missing sections, distortion or an unwanted edit. A separation tool cannot infer which version you meant to use. Source quality also does not promise perfect stems: bleed and artifacts remain possible.

Check before importing

  1. Confirm the intended file is available locally and opens in an appropriate player. If it is stored through a cloud-drive provider, make the authorized file available on the Mac first; that download is separate from MixSift’s local separation.

  2. Choose the intended first result, format and output folder before adding files. The queue captures these settings at import, so later default changes do not rewrite an existing job.

  3. Use Add File(s) or drag the local file onto Home, then Split Tracks. Keep the input and output locations available while processing.

  4. If a job fails, check file access and available disk space. Follow a safe support code if one is shown rather than repeatedly renaming or converting the file.

For a full four-part practice project, choose Full Stems. See the shared separation walkthrough for opening the completed result.

Input, stem output and custom mix are separate choices

An accepted MP3 input does not mean Export Mix offers MP3. Ordinary stem outputs support FLAC, MP3, AAC (M4A), WAV and AIFF. Export Mix supports WAV, AIFF and FLAC for a confirmed full-song mixer balance.

You do not need to convert the input to the desired output extension first. Keep a backup of the original and choose the appropriate output workflow. File and export support covers the same limits without a fixed processing-time or storage guarantee.