-**Free, local stem separation. No account. No upload. No subscription.**
@@ -28,459 +27,236 @@
-Drop in an MP3, WAV, FLAC, OGG/Opus, MP4, or M4A file, or paste a YouTube URL, and StemDeck splits the audio into up to six stems (vocals, drums, bass, guitar, piano, other). Play them back in a DAW-style multitrack mixer: mute, solo, balance levels, zoom the waveform, loop a region, and export individual stems or a custom mix. Everything runs locally on your own machine. +
+ Drop in a song. Get every instrument on its own track. Practice with them.
+ Runs on your own computer: no account, no subscription, and your audio is not uploaded.
+
+ 
+ Download · + What you can do · + Honest comparison · + We Recommend · + For developers +
- +
+ 
+
Download
-**Downloadable selected mix.** A single `mix.wav` of just your selected stems, summed via ffmpeg amix.
+Each link downloads the latest release. [Release notes](https://github.com/stemdeckapp/stemdeck/releases/latest) · [Every version](https://github.com/stemdeckapp/stemdeck/releases)
-**Per-stem mixer** with volume fader, mute, solo, and "monitor" (solo-only) per stem. State syncs between the preview mixer and the stems sidebar.
-
-**Live VU meters** per stem. Post-gain RMS via Web Audio analysers with peak hold and slow falloff.
-
-**Song analysis** including BPM (librosa beat tracker), key, scale, and confidence (Albrecht-Shanahan profiles), integrated LUFS (BS.1770), and sample peak in dBFS.
-
-**Cancellable jobs.** Cancel mid-pipeline and the runner terminates the active subprocess immediately, deletes the partial job dir, and returns to ready.
-
-**Library panel** with folder-based track organisation, drag-and-drop, search, and trash.
-
----
-
-## Honest Comparison
-
-StemDeck is not trying to compete with commercial stem-separation products. It covers the core use case well and stops there. This table exists so you can make an informed choice rather than discover the gaps after the fact.
-
-| | StemDeck | Moises / LALAL.AI / similar |
-|---|---|---|
-| **Price** | Free, forever | Freemium; credits or subscription required for regular use |
-| **Hosting** | Runs entirely on your machine | Cloud; audio must be uploaded to their servers |
-| **Account / login** | None | Required |
-| **Internet required** | Only for YouTube download and first model fetch (~170 MB, cached after) | Always; no offline use |
-| **Privacy** | Audio never leaves your machine | Audio is uploaded and processed on third-party servers |
-| **Data retention** | You control it; delete anytime | Governed by their privacy policy and retention period |
-| **Stem model** | Demucs `htdemucs_6s` (open source, Meta AI) | Proprietary models, regularly updated, generally higher quality |
-| **Stem count** | 6 (vocals, drums, bass, guitar, piano, other) | Up to 10 depending on service and plan |
-| **Input formats** | YouTube URL, MP3, WAV, FLAC, OGG/Opus, MP4, M4A | MP3, WAV, FLAC, M4A, and more depending on service |
-| **Processing speed** | Depends on your hardware; fast with a GPU, slow on CPU only | Fast regardless of your hardware (runs on their servers) |
-| **Batch processing** | One job at a time | Yes, on paid plans |
-| **Mobile app** | No | iOS and Android |
-| **Extra features** | No (no pitch shift, chord detection, lyrics, click track, BPM tap) | Yes, varies by product |
-| **Polish** | Functional, hobby-grade UI | Polished, production-grade apps |
-| **Source code** | Open source, forkable, self-hostable | Closed source |
-
-If you need speed, quality, mobile access, or the extra musician tooling, the commercial products are worth the money. If you want stems for personal study, prefer to keep audio private, or just want something that runs locally with no strings attached, StemDeck is enough.
-
----
-
-## Download
-
-Pre-built installers and zips are attached to each [GitHub Release](https://github.com/stemdeckapp/stemdeck/releases).
-
-**macOS**
-
-| DMG | GPU | Chip |
-|---|---|---|
-| `StemDeck-macOS-arm64.dmg` | Apple Silicon (MPS) | M1 and later |
-| `StemDeck-macOS-x64.dmg` | CPU only | Intel |
-
-Open the DMG, drag StemDeck to Applications, and launch it. On first launch the setup screen downloads the Python runtime (~500 MB), FFmpeg, and the Demucs model (~170 MB). Subsequent launches skip setup and start in seconds. No Python or system dependencies required.
-
-macOS may show a Gatekeeper prompt on first open — right-click the app and choose Open to bypass it.
-
-**Windows**
-
-| Zip | GPU | Approx. size |
+| Platform | NVIDIA or Apple Silicon | Everything else |
|---|---|---|
-| `StemDeck-Windows-x64.zip` | CPU only | ~700 MB |
-| `StemDeck-Windows-x64.NVIDIA.zip` | NVIDIA CUDA | ~1.6 GB |
-
-Extract the zip anywhere, run `StemDeck.exe`. FFmpeg, the Demucs model, config, and logs live in a `data/` folder next to `StemDeck.exe`, not in AppData; move or copy the whole extracted folder anywhere and it keeps working. On first launch the app verifies the bundled Python runtime and downloads FFmpeg and the Demucs model (~170 MB) into that folder. Subsequent launches skip this and start in seconds. Everything is self-contained; no Python or system dependencies required. Your job/library data stays in its usual location (`~/Documents/StemDeck` by default) and is relocatable anytime from Settings → StemData location.
+| 
**Windows** | [NVIDIA GPU](https://github.com/stemdeckapp/stemdeck/releases/latest/download/StemDeck-Windows-x64.NVIDIA.zip) | [No NVIDIA GPU](https://github.com/stemdeckapp/stemdeck/releases/latest/download/StemDeck-Windows-x64.zip) |
+| 
**macOS** | [Apple Silicon (M1 and later)](https://github.com/stemdeckapp/stemdeck/releases/latest/download/StemDeck-macOS-arm64.dmg) | [Intel Mac](https://github.com/stemdeckapp/stemdeck/releases/latest/download/StemDeck-macOS-x64.dmg) |
+| 
**Linux** | [NVIDIA GPU](https://github.com/stemdeckapp/stemdeck/releases/latest/download/StemDeck-Linux-x64.NVIDIA.tar.gz) | [No NVIDIA GPU](https://github.com/stemdeckapp/stemdeck/releases/latest/download/StemDeck-Linux-x64.tar.gz) |
----
+
**Docker / Unraid:** [`ghcr.io/stemdeckapp/stemdeck:latest`](https://github.com/stemdeckapp/stemdeck/pkgs/container/stemdeck). It runs on the CPU as it is; add `--runtime=nvidia` to use an NVIDIA GPU. On Unraid, search "StemDeck" in Apps.
-## Technologies
-
-
- 
- 
- 
-
+
-
-
-
+
-StemDeck is built on **[Python 3.12](https://python.org)** managed via **[uv](https://github.com/astral-sh/uv)**, with a **[FastAPI](https://fastapi.tiangolo.com)** backend serving REST and Server-Sent Events. Stem separation uses **[Demucs](https://github.com/facebookresearch/demucs)** (`htdemucs_6s`), Meta AI's open-source 6-stem neural network. The optional on-demand lead/backing vocal split runs the UVR-MDX-NET Karaoke 2 model via **[audio-separator](https://github.com/nomadkaraoke/python-audio-separator)**, trained as part of the **[Ultimate Vocal Remover](https://github.com/Anjok07/ultimatevocalremovergui)** project by Anjok07. YouTube audio is fetched via **[yt-dlp](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp)**; transcoding and mixing use **[FFmpeg](https://ffmpeg.org)**. BPM detection and key analysis run on **[librosa](https://librosa.org)**; loudness measurement uses **[pyloudnorm](https://github.com/csteinmetz1/pyloudnorm)** (ITU-R BS.1770). The macOS and Windows desktop shells are **[Tauri v2](https://tauri.app)** (Rust/WKWebView on macOS, Rust/WebView2 on Windows). The frontend is vanilla JS with the Web Audio API, no framework and no build step; waveforms are rendered on `
-#### Prerequisites
+What's new in 0.20.0
-StemDeck is built on **[Python 3.12](https://python.org)** managed via **[uv](https://github.com/astral-sh/uv)**, with a **[FastAPI](https://fastapi.tiangolo.com)** backend serving REST and Server-Sent Events. Stem separation uses **[Demucs](https://github.com/facebookresearch/demucs)** (`htdemucs_6s`), Meta AI's open-source 6-stem neural network. The optional on-demand lead/backing vocal split runs the UVR-MDX-NET Karaoke 2 model via **[audio-separator](https://github.com/nomadkaraoke/python-audio-separator)**, trained as part of the **[Ultimate Vocal Remover](https://github.com/Anjok07/ultimatevocalremovergui)** project by Anjok07. YouTube audio is fetched via **[yt-dlp](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp)**; transcoding and mixing use **[FFmpeg](https://ffmpeg.org)**. BPM detection and key analysis run on **[librosa](https://librosa.org)**; loudness measurement uses **[pyloudnorm](https://github.com/csteinmetz1/pyloudnorm)** (ITU-R BS.1770). The macOS and Windows desktop shells are **[Tauri v2](https://tauri.app)** (Rust/WKWebView on macOS, Rust/WebView2 on Windows). The frontend is vanilla JS with the Web Audio API, no framework and no build step; waveforms are rendered on `
+
-Optional, for song identification with an AcoustID key: an FFmpeg built with chromaprint (Debian and Ubuntu's `ffmpeg` is), or Chromaprint's `fpcalc` on your PATH (`brew install chromaprint`, `apt install libchromaprint-tools`, or your distro's `chromaprint` package). `./run.sh setup` installs it when your FFmpeg needs it. Without either, songs are identified by their tags only. +**Windows and Linux.** Unzip, then run `StemDeck.exe` (Windows) or `StemDeck` (Linux). No installer and nothing else to install. Put the folder somewhere you can write to, such as `C:\StemDeck`: a portable StemDeck keeps its runtime, models and settings in a `data` folder beside it, so it cannot run from Program Files. The first launch downloads FFmpeg and the separation model, and on an NVIDIA card sets up GPU support; later launches start in seconds. -#### macOS / Linux (one-shot) +**macOS.** Open the DMG and drag StemDeck to Applications. StemDeck is not code-signed yet, so clear the quarantine flag once, or macOS will say the app is damaged: ```sh -git clone https://github.com/stemdeckapp/stemdeck stemdeck && cd stemdeck -./run.sh setup # installs ffmpeg + uv, runs uv sync -./run.sh start +xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/StemDeck.app ``` -Open.
+The first launch downloads the runtime and the model. Apple Silicon separates on its built-in GPU.
-`setup` uses Homebrew on macOS and `apt-get` on Debian/Ubuntu. For other Linux distros, install `ffmpeg` and [uv](https://github.com/astral-sh/uv) manually, then run `uv sync` followed by `./run.sh start`.
+**Docker and Unraid.** See [Build from source](docs/build-from-source.md#docker) for the `docker run` line, GPU passthrough and the Unraid volume mapping.
-#### Windows (PowerShell)
+**Updates.** The desktop app tells you when a new version is out and installs it for you.
-Install prerequisites:
-- [uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/getting-started/installation/) — `winget install astral-sh.uv`
-- [ffmpeg](https://ffmpeg.org/download.html) — `winget install Gyan.FFmpeg` (or Chocolatey: `choco install ffmpeg`)
+
-```powershell
-git clone https://github.com/stemdeckapp/stemdeck stemdeck; cd stemdeck
-uv sync
-uv run uvicorn app.main:app --host 127.0.0.1 --port 8000 --timeout-graceful-shutdown 5
-```
+
-Open Installing, per platform
-Python 3.12 or newer, `ffmpeg` on your PATH, and [uv](https://github.com/astral-sh/uv). Around 170 MB of free disk for the Demucs model, which downloads automatically on first run. +-Optional, for song identification with an AcoustID key: an FFmpeg built with chromaprint (Debian and Ubuntu's `ffmpeg` is), or Chromaprint's `fpcalc` on your PATH (`brew install chromaprint`, `apt install libchromaprint-tools`, or your distro's `chromaprint` package). `./run.sh setup` installs it when your FFmpeg needs it. Without either, songs are identified by their tags only. +**Windows and Linux.** Unzip, then run `StemDeck.exe` (Windows) or `StemDeck` (Linux). No installer and nothing else to install. Put the folder somewhere you can write to, such as `C:\StemDeck`: a portable StemDeck keeps its runtime, models and settings in a `data` folder beside it, so it cannot run from Program Files. The first launch downloads FFmpeg and the separation model, and on an NVIDIA card sets up GPU support; later launches start in seconds. -#### macOS / Linux (one-shot) +**macOS.** Open the DMG and drag StemDeck to Applications. StemDeck is not code-signed yet, so clear the quarantine flag once, or macOS will say the app is damaged: ```sh -git clone https://github.com/stemdeckapp/stemdeck stemdeck && cd stemdeck -./run.sh setup # installs ffmpeg + uv, runs uv sync -./run.sh start +xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/StemDeck.app ``` -Open
What you can do
-> `run.sh` is macOS/Linux only. On Windows use the PowerShell commands above, or run inside WSL.
+### 
Split any song
-**NVIDIA GPU (CUDA):** install the CUDA-enabled torch build before starting:
+- **Up to six stems** with Meta's open Demucs model: vocals, drums, bass, guitar, piano and other.
+- **Lead and backing vocals** as separate lanes, on demand (not on Intel Macs).
+- **Files or links:** MP3, WAV, FLAC, OGG, Opus, M4A and MP4, or a YouTube or SoundCloud link.
+- **Search without leaving the app:** YouTube songs and playlists, and SoundCloud, with a preview.
+- **Pick only what you need** before you extract.
+- **Whole YouTube playlists** go into an import queue and run one after another.
-```powershell
-uv pip install torch torchvision torchaudio --index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cu124
-$env:STEMDECK_DEMUCS_DEVICE = "cuda"
-uv run uvicorn app.main:app --host 127.0.0.1 --port 8000 --timeout-graceful-shutdown 5
-```
+### 
Practice with it
----
+- **Mute or solo** any part, and set each one's volume.
+- **Slow it down** to half speed, or anywhere from 0.50x to 0.99x, without changing the pitch.
+- **Loop the hard part**, by dragging across the waveform.
+- **Change the key**, of the whole song or of one part.
+- **Play with a click** that follows the song, with a count-in, any beats per bar and groupings such as 3+2+2.
+- **Fix the beat grid** when the click drifts: move, add or remove beats and mark the bar lines.
-#### Manual (any platform)
+### 
Know the song
-```sh
-git clone https://github.com/stemdeckapp/stemdeck stemdeck && cd stemdeck
-uv sync
-uv run uvicorn app.main:app --reload --timeout-graceful-shutdown 5
-```
+- **Key, tempo and loudness,** found for you.
+- **Sections** such as verse, chorus and solo, detected for you (experimental) or marked by hand.
+- **Synced lyrics** from LRCLIB, with timing you can fix by tapping along. With an NVIDIA GPU, StemDeck can also write them down from the vocals when none are found.
+- **Song and artist details** from MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and, optionally, Discogs.
-> `--timeout-graceful-shutdown` bounds how long uvicorn waits for open
-> connections when you stop it. StemDeck keeps a long-lived SSE stream open
-> for the import queue while a browser tab is on the app, so without it
-> Ctrl-C waits for that stream instead of exiting.
+### 
Keep and share
-#### Docker
+- **Export** what you hear as one file, every part as a `.zip`, only the looped part, or, when the song came with a video, a video with the original picture. Add the click or a count-in if you like.
+- **Drag a stem or a loop** from the desktop app straight into your other music software.
+- **A library** with colored folders, tags you can search by (`#tag`), favorites, and a Trash that only deletes when you empty it.
-```sh
-docker compose -f build/docker-compose.yml up --build
-```
+### 
It explains itself
-Stems land in `./jobs/` on the host. Demucs weights are cached in a named volume so they don't re-download on rebuild. Note: no GPU passthrough on macOS Docker.
+Click **Guide** in the left rail and point at anything. Every button, lane control and number says what it does, in plain words. While Guide is on, clicks explain instead of acting, so nothing happens by accident.
-A prebuilt image is published to GHCR. Tags: `edge` (rolling, rebuilt on every merge to main), `latest` (newest stable release), and `X.Y.Z` (pinned to a release).
+### 
On your phone too
-```sh
-docker run -d --name stemdeck -p 8000:8000 \
- -v /path/to/jobs:/app/jobs \
- -v /path/to/cache:/cache \
- -e STEMDECK_PERSIST_LIBRARY=1 \
- ghcr.io/stemdeckapp/stemdeck:edge
-```
+Turn on **Make StemDeck available on your network** in Settings and scan the QR code. Your phone opens your library and mixer over your own Wi-Fi, with speed and key controls. No app store, no cloud.
-On a Linux host with an NVIDIA GPU (driver + NVIDIA Container Toolkit installed), add `--runtime=nvidia -e NVIDIA_VISIBLE_DEVICES=all` and StemDeck auto-detects CUDA. The image already bundles CUDA-enabled torch, so no separate CUDA install is needed.
+
+ Windows, Linux and macOS · Docker and Unraid · 11 languages
+ English · Deutsch · Español · Français · Bahasa Indonesia · 日本語 · 한국어 · Polski · Português (Brasil) · Português (Portugal) · 简体中文
+
Honest comparison
-#### `run.sh` control script
+StemDeck is not trying to beat the commercial stem-separation services. It covers the core well and stops there. This table is here so you can choose knowingly rather than find the gaps later.
-```sh
-./run.sh setup # one-shot: install ffmpeg + uv, then uv sync
-./run.sh start # boots uvicorn in the background
-./run.sh stop # graceful shutdown
-./run.sh restart # stop + start
-./run.sh status # is it running?
-```
-
----
-
-## How to Use
+| | StemDeck | Moises, LALAL.AI and similar |
+|---|---|---|
+| **Price** | Free and open source | Usually freemium, with credits or a subscription for regular use |
+| **Where it runs** | On your own machine | Usually in the cloud, so your audio is uploaded |
+| **Account** | None | Usually required |
+| **Internet** | For links, the first model download, update checks, and song details and lyrics | Usually needed to process audio |
+| **Privacy** | Your audio is not uploaded; song names are looked up for details and lyrics | Processed on their servers, under their own retention policy |
+| **Separation model** | Demucs `htdemucs_6s`, open source from Meta | Their own models, which may give better results |
+| **Stems** | 6, plus lead and backing vocals | Varies; some offer more instruments |
+| **Speed** | Depends on your hardware: fast on a GPU, slow on a CPU | Fast on any hardware |
+| **Many songs at once** | An import queue and whole playlists, run one after another | Varies by service and plan |
+| **Phone** | Your phone opens StemDeck over your own Wi-Fi; no app store app | Some offer mobile apps |
+| **Practice tools** | Speed, key change, loops, click track with count-in, synced lyrics; no chord detection | Varies by product; often chords and more |
+| **Polish** | A one-person open-source project | Polished, production-grade apps |
+| **Source code** | Open source, forkable, self-hostable | Closed |
-1. On the import bar, click stem chips to choose which stems to extract (defaults to all 6).
-2. Paste a YouTube URL **or** drop an audio file (MP3, WAV, FLAC, OGG, MP4, M4A), then click **Process**.
-3. Wait through `Uploading...` / `Downloading...` → `Analyzing...` → `Separating...` → `Mixing tracks...`.
-4. When done, the studio dashboard appears. If you picked a subset, the first lane is **Original** (full song minus your selection); the rest are your isolated stems.
-5. Mix: **Play/Pause/Stop** controls the master transport. **M** mutes a stem, **S** solos it (additive; multiple solos stay audible), **Monitor** solos only that stem and clears others. The volume fader moves 1:1 with drag; double-click resets to 0 dB; `Shift+wheel` gives coarse adjustment and plain wheel gives fine. The **Reset**, **Mute**, and **Solo** toolbar buttons act on all stems at once.
-6. Drag on the ruler to define a loop region; click `Loop` to enable. Use `+` / `-` / `Fit` or `Ctrl/Cmd+wheel` to zoom.
-7. **Download Mix** in the footer gives you a WAV of your selected stems summed together.
+If you need the best quality, speed on any machine, or a store-bought phone app, the commercial products are worth the money. If you want stems for practice and study, keep your audio private, and like software with no strings attached, StemDeck is enough.
-**Keyboard shortcuts:** `Space` play/pause · `[` seek -5s · `]` seek +5s · `L` loop · `I` loop in · `O` loop out
----
+
-## Configuration
+## 
We Recommend
-| Variable | Default | Purpose |
-|---|---|---|
-| `STEMDECK_DEMUCS_DEVICE` | auto | Force Torch device: `cuda`, `mps`, or `cpu`. |
-| `STEMDECK_DEMUCS_MODEL` | `htdemucs_6s` | Demucs model name. |
-| `STEMDECK_JOBS_DIR` | `./jobs` | Where job directories land. |
-| `STEMDECK_DATA_DIR` | (none) | Portable mode root; sets all sub-dirs below to live inside it. |
-| `STEMDECK_CACHE_DIR` | `/cache` | Torch model cache directory. |
-| `STEMDECK_DOWNLOADS_DIR` | `/downloads` | yt-dlp download scratch space. |
-| `STEMDECK_MODELS_DIR` | `/models` | Demucs model weights directory. |
-| `STEMDECK_LOGS_DIR` | `/logs` | Log file output directory. |
-| `STEMDECK_FFMPEG_DIR` | (none) | Directory containing a bundled ffmpeg binary. |
-| `STEMDECK_FFMPEG` | `ffmpeg` | Path to the ffmpeg executable. |
-| `STEMDECK_FFPROBE` | `ffprobe` | Path to the ffprobe executable. |
-| `STEMDECK_FPCALC` | `fpcalc` | Path to Chromaprint's fpcalc, used for song fingerprinting when FFmpeg has no chromaprint muxer. |
-| `STEMDECK_MAX_DURATION_SEC` | `1200` | Reject audio longer than this (seconds). |
-| `STEMDECK_JOB_TTL_SECONDS` | `86400` | How long to keep job dirs on disk. |
-| `STEMDECK_MAX_PENDING_JOBS` | `3` | Max queued jobs before returning 503. |
-| `STEMDECK_TIMEOUT_FFMPEG` | `300` | ffmpeg subprocess timeout (seconds). |
-| `STEMDECK_TIMEOUT_ANALYZE` | `120` | Audio analysis timeout (seconds). |
-| `STEMDECK_TIMEOUT_DEMUCS_STALL` | `1800` | Kill Demucs if no output for this many seconds. |
-| `STEMDECK_SSL_CERT` | (none) | PEM certificate; set with the key below to serve https directly. |
-| `STEMDECK_SSL_KEY` | (none) | PEM private key for the certificate above. |
-| `STEMDECK_HTTPS_PORT` | (none) | Serve https on this port *in addition* to the main listener. Set by the desktop app; see below. |
-
-`run.sh` also reads: `HOST` (default `127.0.0.1`), `PORT` (default `8765`), `RELOAD=1` (enable uvicorn auto-reload for development), `FOREGROUND=1` (run in foreground instead of backgrounding).
-
-### Serving other devices: why https is not optional
-
-Transpose is built on `AudioWorklet`, and browsers grant that only to a
-**secure context**. `https://` and `localhost` qualify. A plain
-`http://192.168.1.20:8000` does not, so a phone reaching StemDeck over plain
-http gets working playback and a key control that cannot do anything. There is
-no fallback worth shipping: driving the same DSP from a `ScriptProcessorNode`
-measured around 5% of the audio missing, because that node type drops buffers
-on its own at every size.
-
-So a server that other devices will use terminates TLS, one of three ways:
-
-1. **A reverse proxy** (SWAG, Nginx Proxy Manager, Traefik, Caddy). The usual
- self-hosted shape, and the best one if you already run it. StemDeck reads
- `X-Forwarded-Proto` and the RFC 7239 `Forwarded` header, so an https browser
- over a plain-http upstream hop is recognised as secure and served normally.
-2. **StemDeck itself**, by pointing `STEMDECK_SSL_CERT` and `STEMDECK_SSL_KEY`
- at a certificate and key. uvicorn serves them directly; no extra package is
- installed for this.
-3. **A private overlay network** such as Tailscale, whose addresses are already
- https.
-
-Reaching a plaintext non-local origin with none of those in place is refused
-with a 403 that explains this, rather than served as an app that is quietly
-half-broken. Loopback is always served, so turning this on can never lock the
-host out of its own server.
-
-### The desktop app runs two listeners
-
-The desktop app does the same thing without being configured, because it has
-two audiences that need opposite things.
-
-- **Plain http on `127.0.0.1`** for its own window. Loopback is already a
- secure context, so nothing is lost, and it is the only scheme that works: a
- self-signed certificate would raise a warning page the app window has no way
- to click through.
-- **https on the LAN**, port 8443 by default, for phones and other computers.
- This is the address Settings shows and the QR code points at.
-
-Both listeners serve the same process, so there is one library, one queue and
-one Demucs worker either way.
-
-The certificate is generated on your own machine the first time you enable
-network access, and lives in `/certs/` beside `jobs/` and
-`settings.json`. Nothing is shipped in the download: a certificate in the
-release would publish its private key to everyone who downloaded it, which is
-worse than plain http because it looks secure. It is regenerated automatically
-when your machine's addresses change or the certificate is close to expiring.
-
-Because it is signed by nobody, **your phone will show a "your connection is
-not private" warning the first time**. Tap Advanced, then Continue. Once per
-device, per computer. Settings says so, in red, next to the toggle.
-
-
----
-
-## API
-
-| Method | Path | Purpose |
-|---|---|---|
-| GET | `/api/health` | Server health and version info |
-| POST | `/api/jobs` | JSON `{url, stems?}` or multipart `file + stems` → `{job_id}` |
-| GET | `/api/jobs` | List completed (library) jobs |
-| GET | `/api/jobs/{id}` | Job state snapshot |
-| GET | `/api/jobs/{id}/events` | SSE stream of job state |
-| POST | `/api/jobs/{id}/cancel` | Terminate active subprocess and cancel job |
-| PATCH | `/api/jobs/{id}/sections` | Save waveform section markers for a job |
-| GET | `/api/jobs/{id}/stems/{name}.wav` | Stream a single stem WAV file |
-| GET | `/api/jobs/{id}/stems/{name}.mp3` | Transcode and stream a stem as MP3 |
-| GET | `/api/jobs/{id}/video.mp4` | Mux the current mix with the source video (MP4 upload or YouTube) into an MP4 |
-| DELETE | `/api/jobs/{id}` | Remove job dir from disk (terminal jobs only) |
-
----
+StemDeck is free and **does not accept any money, sponsorship, or funding** from anyone listed below. I share these makers and artists and communities purely for the joy of pointing you toward wonderful people doing beautiful work. Go meet them ❤️
-## Troubleshooting
+| Category | Name | What they do | Link |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| Artists & Creators | Adrianna Claro | Soul and Contemporary R&B Singer, Songwriter and Composer | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/10fZ48iJhIe3lWcXSMUlFG) · [Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/happy/1592026727?i=1592026728) |
+| Artists & Creators | Analog4Lyfe | Analog gear specialist | [@analog4lyfe](https://www.instagram.com/analog4lyfe) |
+| Artists & Creators | Dead röses | Cork-based punk rock band | [@dead_rosesband](https://www.instagram.com/dead_rosesband) |
+| Artists & Creators | Joao Gaspar | Producer, film scorer, touring/session musician | [@jay_glaspar](https://www.instagram.com/jay_glaspar) |
+| Artists & Creators | Killah Trakz | Industry Secret Villain and Media Influencer | [@killahtrakz](https://www.instagram.com/killahtrakz/) · [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/artist/6nePYOqT4E7D4C48twPtKk) · [Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/killah-trakz/371296633) |
+| Artists & Creators | More Notes Less Talk | Gear-focused creative project with a raw, tape-recorded identity | [@morenoteslesstalk](https://www.youtube.com/@morenoteslesstalk) |
+| Artists & Creators | NIHIL | Modern alternative metal from Argentina. Fueled by emotionally charged vocals, anger and emptiness | [@somosnihil](https://www.instagram.com/somosnihil/) · [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OeKplJxFNM6JHrWeo2SaV) |
+| Instrument Builders & Repair | Dlima Guitars | Custom guitars and basses | [@dlimaguitars](https://www.instagram.com/dlimaguitars) |
+| Instrument Builders & Repair | Kris Luthier | Instrument repair and restoration | [@krisluthier](https://www.instagram.com/krisluthier) |
+| Instrument Builders & Repair | Lisbon Guitar Works | Handmade guitars in Lisbon | [dlimaguitars.com](https://dlimaguitars.com) |
+| Media & Community | Not Another Audio Podcast | Audio, music and tech industry podcast by working professionals | [Libsyn](https://directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/20f5a1e3-6fea-4d41-8cdf-451ce6fc6cda) |
+| Media & Community | r/bass | Bass-player community | [r/Bass](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bass) |
+| Media & Community | slashCAM | Camera, video, and post-production media | [@slashcam.de](https://www.instagram.com/slashcam.de) |
+| Music & Karaoke Technology | Beltr | Local, subscription-free karaoke software | [beltr.app](https://beltr.app/) |
+| Music & Karaoke Technology | Seratone | TV-based karaoke system | [seratone.audio](https://seratone.audio/) |
+| Music Gear | Empress Effects | Boutique effects pedals | [empresseffects.com](https://empresseffects.com) |
+| Music Gear | Thomann | Large music-equipment retailer | [@thomann.music](https://www.instagram.com/thomann.music) |
+| Writers & Storytellers | Alexandre Borges | Portuguese writer, screenwriter, and cultural commentator | [Books & author profile](https://www.instagram.com/alexgram_b/) |
-**`ffmpeg: command not found`:** install ffmpeg and restart with `./run.sh restart`.
-**`WARNING: [youtube] No supported JavaScript runtime`:** install deno (`brew install deno` on macOS) and restart. Downloads still work without it but may pick suboptimal formats.
+## 
Star history
-**First separation is very slow:** Demucs downloads `htdemucs_6s` weights (~170 MB) on first run; cached afterwards.
+
+ 
For developers
-- **Tunnel to localhost.** On the client: `ssh -N -L 8000:localhost:8000 user@host`, then open `http://localhost:8000`. The origin is now localhost, so everything works, including transpose.
-- **Tailscale Serve.** `tailscale serve 8000` on the host publishes StemDeck on your tailnet over real HTTPS with a genuine certificate, no warnings and nothing to install on the client beyond Tailscale itself. Note the plain Tailscale IP (`100.x.y.z`) is *not* a secure context; it has to go through `serve`.
-- **Any HTTPS reverse proxy** in front of StemDeck: Caddy, nginx, or a tunnel like Cloudflare Tunnel.
+| Page | What it covers |
+|---|---|
+| **[Build from source](docs/build-from-source.md)** | The macOS app, a web server on any platform, Docker and Unraid |
+| **[Configuration](docs/configuration.md)** | Environment variables, and serving other devices over https |
+| **[HTTP API](docs/api.md)** | The endpoints the web app uses |
+| **[Troubleshooting](docs/troubleshooting.md)** | Common problems, and what lives where on disk |
+| **[Model licenses](docs/models.md)** | Where each machine-learning model's license comes from |
-**Page reloaded mid-job:** the job keeps running server-side. Wait for it to finish, then resubmit.
+
+
---- +StemDeck is built on **[Python 3.12](https://python.org)** managed via **[uv](https://github.com/astral-sh/uv)**, with a **[FastAPI](https://fastapi.tiangolo.com)** backend serving REST and Server-Sent Events. Stem separation uses **[Demucs](https://github.com/facebookresearch/demucs)** (`htdemucs_6s`), Meta AI's open-source 6-stem neural network. The optional on-demand lead/backing vocal split runs the UVR-MDX-NET Karaoke 2 model via **[audio-separator](https://github.com/nomadkaraoke/python-audio-separator)**, trained as part of the **[Ultimate Vocal Remover](https://github.com/Anjok07/ultimatevocalremovergui)** project by Anjok07. YouTube audio is fetched via **[yt-dlp](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp)**; transcoding and mixing use **[FFmpeg](https://ffmpeg.org)**. BPM detection and key analysis run on **[librosa](https://librosa.org)**; loudness measurement uses **[pyloudnorm](https://github.com/csteinmetz1/pyloudnorm)** (ITU-R BS.1770). The macOS and Windows desktop shells are **[Tauri v2](https://tauri.app)** (Rust/WKWebView on macOS, Rust/WebView2 on Windows). The frontend is vanilla JS with the Web Audio API, no framework and no build step; waveforms are rendered on `
-Job state is in-memory. Restart the server and the job list resets, but files persist on disk. Old dirs are swept automatically (TTL 24 h, configurable).
----
+
-## Disclaimer
+## Built with
-**`./run.sh: Permission denied`:** run `chmod +x run.sh`. +---- +StemDeck is built on **[Python 3.12](https://python.org)** managed via **[uv](https://github.com/astral-sh/uv)**, with a **[FastAPI](https://fastapi.tiangolo.com)** backend serving REST and Server-Sent Events. Stem separation uses **[Demucs](https://github.com/facebookresearch/demucs)** (`htdemucs_6s`), Meta AI's open-source 6-stem neural network. The optional on-demand lead/backing vocal split runs the UVR-MDX-NET Karaoke 2 model via **[audio-separator](https://github.com/nomadkaraoke/python-audio-separator)**, trained as part of the **[Ultimate Vocal Remover](https://github.com/Anjok07/ultimatevocalremovergui)** project by Anjok07. YouTube audio is fetched via **[yt-dlp](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp)**; transcoding and mixing use **[FFmpeg](https://ffmpeg.org)**. BPM detection and key analysis run on **[librosa](https://librosa.org)**; loudness measurement uses **[pyloudnorm](https://github.com/csteinmetz1/pyloudnorm)** (ITU-R BS.1770). The macOS and Windows desktop shells are **[Tauri v2](https://tauri.app)** (Rust/WKWebView on macOS, Rust/WebView2 on Windows). The frontend is vanilla JS with the Web Audio API, no framework and no build step; waveforms are rendered on `
Disclaimer
-StemDeck is a local audio stem separation tool intended for personal study, research, and experimentation. It is not a downloading service. It does not store, cache, or redistribute any audio content. All processing runs on the user's own machine and no audio is transmitted anywhere.
+StemDeck is a local audio stem separation tool intended for personal study, research, and experimentation. It is not a downloading service. Audio you import, and the stems made from it, are saved only in the library folder on the machine that runs StemDeck, and StemDeck does not upload, share or redistribute them. To find song details and lyrics it sends the song's name to the services named in its Settings and, only if you add an AcoustID key, an audio fingerprint; it does not send the audio itself.
-YouTube URL support is provided via [yt-dlp](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp) as a convenience. Automated downloading may violate YouTube's Terms of Service. You, the user, are solely responsible for ensuring you have the right to process any audio you submit, complying with the terms of service of any site you download from, and respecting the copyright of the material you work with.
+YouTube and SoundCloud link support is provided via [yt-dlp](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp) as a convenience. Automated downloading may violate YouTube's Terms of Service. You, the user, are solely responsible for ensuring you have the right to process any audio you submit, complying with the terms of service of any site you download from, and respecting the copyright of the material you work with.
You are also responsible for following the licenses of the underlying tools this project depends on (yt-dlp, Demucs, FFmpeg, PyTorch, and others listed in `pyproject.toml`).
The author(s) of StemDeck provide this software "as is", without warranty of any kind, and accept no responsibility or liability for how it is used.
----
-## License
+## 
License
StemDeck is [Apache-2.0](LICENSE).
@@ -488,35 +264,20 @@ Every download ships a `THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.txt` and a `licenses/` folder. `lice
FFmpeg is a GPL build. StemDeck downloads it and runs it as a separate executable, so it does not change StemDeck's own license, and `THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.txt` carries the written offer of source for the exact build your platform receives.
----
-
-## Community
-
-| Platform | Link |
-|---|---|
-| GitHub | [stemdeckapp/stemdeck](https://github.com/stemdeckapp/stemdeck) |
-| Discord | [discord.gg/YhCKsjhcwB](https://discord.gg/YhCKsjhcwB) |
-| Reddit | [r/StemDeckApp](https://www.reddit.com/r/StemDeckApp/) |
-| Instagram | [@stemdeck](https://www.instagram.com/stemdeck) |
-| X | [@StemDeckApp](https://x.com/StemDeckApp) |
-| Website | [stemdeck.app](https://stemdeck.app) |
-
----
-
-## Environment Variables
-These are for development and testing. Release builds only recognize the variables marked "release".
+## 
Community
-| Variable | Platform | Scope | Description |
-|---|---|---|---|
-| `STEMDECK_DATA_DIR` | all | release | Override the user data directory (default: platform-standard location) |
-| `STEMDECK_ROOT` | all | release | Override the app root directory (default: derived from executable path) |
-| `STEMDECK_PYTHON` | all | **debug builds only** | Override the Python executable path |
-| `STEMDECK_FFMPEG_URL` | Windows, macOS | release | Override the FFmpeg download URL |
-| `STEMDECK_FFPROBE_URL` | macOS | release | Override the ffprobe download URL |
+Questions, ideas and show-and-tell are all welcome.
----
+
+ 
+ 
+ 
+ 
+ 
+ 
+
-## Contributing
+##
+
+
+
+
+
+
Contributing
-Issues, feature suggestions, and pull requests are welcome. See open issues for what's planned.
+Issues, feature suggestions and pull requests are welcome. See the [open issues](https://github.com/stemdeckapp/stemdeck/issues) for what is planned, and [Build from source](docs/build-from-source.md) to run it yourself.
diff --git a/docs/api.md b/docs/api.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d78010b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/api.md
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# HTTP API
+
+[Back to the README](../README.md)
+
+The endpoints the web app itself uses. They are not a stable public interface and can change between releases.
+
+| Method | Path | Purpose |
+|---|---|---|
+| GET | `/api/health` | Server health and version info |
+| POST | `/api/jobs` | JSON `{url, stems?}` or multipart `file + stems` → `{job_id}` |
+| GET | `/api/jobs` | List completed (library) jobs |
+| GET | `/api/jobs/{id}` | Job state snapshot |
+| GET | `/api/jobs/{id}/events` | SSE stream of job state |
+| POST | `/api/jobs/{id}/cancel` | Terminate active subprocess and cancel job |
+| PATCH | `/api/jobs/{id}/sections` | Save waveform section markers for a job |
+| GET | `/api/jobs/{id}/stems/{name}.wav` | Stream a single stem WAV file |
+| GET | `/api/jobs/{id}/stems/{name}.mp3` | Transcode and stream a stem as MP3 |
+| GET | `/api/jobs/{id}/video.mp4` | Mux the current mix with the source video (MP4 upload or YouTube) into an MP4 |
+| DELETE | `/api/jobs/{id}` | Remove job dir from disk (terminal jobs only) |
diff --git a/docs/build-from-source.md b/docs/build-from-source.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b790f008
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/build-from-source.md
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+# Build from source
+
+[Back to the README](../README.md)
+
+Every way to run StemDeck from this repository: the macOS app, a web server on any platform, Docker and Unraid.
+
+### macOS Native App
+
+Requires Rust, Node.js, and Python 3.12. Builds a self-contained `.app` that downloads its own runtime on first launch.
+
+```sh
+# First time only: add the cross-compilation targets
+rustup target add aarch64-apple-darwin # Apple Silicon
+rustup target add x86_64-apple-darwin # Intel
+
+# Build Apple Silicon
+ARCH=arm64 scripts/macos/make-runtime-pack.sh
+ARCH=arm64 scripts/macos/make-app.sh
+ARCH=arm64 scripts/macos/make-dmg.sh
+
+# Build Intel (requires Rosetta 2 and an x86_64 Python)
+ARCH=x64 scripts/macos/make-runtime-pack.sh
+ARCH=x64 scripts/macos/make-app.sh
+ARCH=x64 scripts/macos/make-dmg.sh
+```
+
+The `.app` lands at `desktop/src-tauri/target/