A trackout is the beat taken apart: every instrument on its own WAV file, all the same length, all starting from the same bar. Drop them into a session at the right tempo and they line up into the beat you heard, except now each part has its own fader.
What is in the folder
| File | What it is | Why you would touch it |
|---|---|---|
| Kick, Snare, Hats, Percs | Each drum on its own | Turn the hats down under a fast verse; sidechain the 808 to the kick |
| 808 / Bass | The low end | Tune it to your vocal, ride it on the hook, cut it for a breakdown |
| Melody, Chords, Pads | The musical parts | Drop the melody in a verse so your vocal has the space |
| FX, Risers, Vox chops | The transitions | Move or remove them to fit your arrangement |
What it lets you do
- Mix the beat around your voice instead of mixing your voice around a finished two-track. This is the main reason engineers ask for it.
- Rearrange. Pull the melody out for the first 8 bars, bring drums in at the hook, make your own breakdown.
- Fix collisions. If a synth sits exactly where your vocal sits, it can be carved or turned down rather than fought.
What it is not
A trackout is not the project file, not the samples on their own, and not a license to sell the beat’s parts. The stems are yours to use inside the song you license, under the same terms as the beat.
Do you need one?
You want the Trackout lease if
4 steps
If none of those apply, the Standard lease’s untagged WAV is the right file. You can come back for the trackout later; the difference in price is the difference between the leases, not a penalty.