Why are my stem changes delayed?
Learn why muting, isolating, swapping, or restoring stems may not happen immediately, and how Snap to the Beat and Instant Restore control their timing.
1 min read. Updated July 28, 2026
Why is there a delay when I mute, isolate or swap stems?
You may tap a stem in the app and hear the change a moment later instead of straight away. This usually means Snap to the Beat is turned on.
When Snap to the Beat is on, STEM.FM waits until the next selected beat, bar or beat division before muting, isolating or swapping the stem.
To make stem changes happen immediately, open the app and go to Settings (gear icon) → Audio. Scroll down to Quantise Performance, then turn Snap to the Beat off.
After you turn Snap to the Beat off, stems will mute, isolate or swap as soon as you tap them.
Why is there a delay before the other stems come back after I isolate a stem?
When you press and hold a stem, STEM.FM plays that stem on its own and temporarily mutes the others.
When you let go, the other stems may not come back straight away. This usually means Instant Restore is turned off.
Open the app and go to Settings (gear icon) → Audio. Scroll down to Quantise Performance, then find Instant Restore.
- On: the other stems come back immediately when you let go.
- Off: the other stems wait until the next beat or beat division selected under Snap to the Beat.