NAUPLY

Separate vocals and music on Android, offline

3 min read · Updated

Separating the vocals of a song no longer necessarily needs a server: a recent phone can do the processing itself, in airplane mode if needed. Here is what really happens, what to prepare before you cut the connection and what to expect from the result.

In short

  1. Use an audio file that is actually on the phone (MP3, M4A, WAV, FLAC) or a video.
  2. Sign in once with a network, and download the Fast mode model if you plan to use it.
  3. Prefer Quality mode, and plug the phone in for a long song.
  4. Check free space: about 37 MB per minute and per stem.
  5. Keep separated songs in the app's library to reopen them without processing again.

How a phone can split a song

A mixed song no longer contains the studio tracks: there is only a stereo signal. A separation model, trained on many songs, estimates what belongs to the voice and what belongs to the rest, then rebuilds two stems. This processing is heavy, but recent phone processors do it in a few dozen seconds per minute of music.

The result is a reconstruction, not the original track: very clean on a clear mix, sometimes with a few traces of voice or cymbals on a dense mix.

What to prepare before going offline

The song must be a file stored on the phone. Tracks downloaded in a streaming app are usually protected and can't be imported elsewhere: use files you own, your own recordings or royalty-free tracks.

With the NAUPLY Stems app, you sign in to your account once with a network. Quality mode is built into the app; the Fast mode model is downloaded the first time you use it, so do that before going offline.

How many separations without a network

In the NAUPLY Stems app, the free version counts 10 separations a month, up to 15 minutes per song. Without a connection, 2 separations a month remain possible; they are counted when you're back online. Listening, mixing, singing, exporting and reopening a song you already split all work offline without counting anything.

Battery, heat and storage

Separation keeps the processor busy for its whole duration: the phone warms up a little, which is normal. For a long song, plug it in and keep it out of the sun; a phone that gets too hot slows itself down.

Each separated stem takes about 37 MB per minute of music. A 4-minute song split into vocals and instrumental therefore takes around 300 MB; "My songs" shows the space used and lets you free some up.

And on desktop

On a phone, memory limits the size of the models: the app currently splits into two stems, vocals and instrumental. NAUPLY Stems for desktop, also fully offline, goes up to 10 stems and three quality levels.

StemsAvailableSplit any song into separate tracks: vocals, drums, bass, instruments.

The NAUPLY Stems app for Android

Vocals and instrumental separated on the phone, nothing uploaded. Free with a NAUPLY account.

Discover the app

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a high-end phone?
No, but you need Android 8.0 or later, a 64-bit ARM processor and 4 GB of memory (6 GB recommended). A more powerful phone processes faster.
Does airplane mode prevent separation?
No. In the NAUPLY Stems app, 2 separations a month remain possible without a network, counted when you're back online.
Is my song sent anywhere?
Not with on-device separation: the audio and the file names stay on the phone. The internet is only used for the account and the monthly counter.
Why doesn't Fast mode work offline?
Its model is downloaded the first time you use it. Once it's on the phone, it works without a network.

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