Spleeter review
A self-hosted library for separating music into two, four, or five stems.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Spleeter is Deezer’s open-source Python library for separating music audio into independent stems. It is aimed at developers who want to add source separation to a Python or command-line workflow, rather than people seeking a hosted service or desktop application. Pretrained models handle two-stem vocals and accompaniment, four-stem vocals, drums, bass and other, or five-stem separation that also includes piano. The stated stem types also include other, and output is WAV.
Its main strength is workflow flexibility for code-based projects. Audio files can be separated through the command line, while the Python library API supports waveform- and file-based separation. Batch processing lets users process multiple files in one command. Spleeter can be installed with pip or run using Docker, and its listed integrations include Python, Docker and FFmpeg. Developers with suitable datasets can also train custom source-separation models. These options make it a fit for building and adapting a pipeline; it is not a hosted web API or a desktop app.
The trade-off is that Spleeter is self-hosted, so teams need to run it in their own environment. Its export coverage is limited to WAV, which may not suit workflows that require other output formats. Buyers looking for a ready-to-use hosted product, a desktop interface, or broader export options should consider another tool. Developers comfortable working in Python or at the command line, especially those who value an open-source library, batch processing, and the ability to train models, are the clearer fit.
Spleeter pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Separates audio into two-, four-, or five-stem groups.
- Supports batch processing through its command-line interface.
- Offers a Python API, Docker support, and custom model training.
- Where it doesn't
- Requires a self-hosted setup rather than a hosted service.
- Exports WAV audio only.
- Has no desktop app.
Spleeter fact sheet, pricing and score →
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