Stems.fm Brings Music On-Chain: A New Model for Owning the Pieces of a Song

May, 2026 - Stems, an on-chain music platform founded by Kyler Simzer introduces a format in which the individual audio layers of a recording - drums, bass, vocals, synths, and other production elements - are accessible to fans that can combine and forge into complete songs and albums.

The model treats music as modular. Instead of releasing a track as a single asset, Stems releases the recording in its component parts. A holder might own a drum stem from one song, a vocal stem from another, and a synth layer from a third. When the required stems from a single song are collected, they can be combined into a Song Token, which unlocks the complete mix along with its ISRC identifier. When every song from an album is collected and forged, the result is an Album Token carrying the album's UPC.

"Music has always existed as something to listen to or buy a copy of," said Kyler Simzer, founder of Stems. "What it has not really existed as is something fans can hold structurally - the actual building blocks of the recording, traded and combined and progressed over time. That's what Stems is trying to make possible."

The first deployment of the platform releases stems from Simzer's own catalog of three albums: 000, O, and 111. The catalog drop serves as both the inaugural release and a proof of concept for the broader model. The platform's mechanics are designed in a way that could extend to additional catalogs in future iterations, but the current release focuses on Simzer's music as the founding case.

The platform layers three core experiences around the music. A release of the initial supply of stems during a defined window. The Mixer lets holders preview combinations of stems they own, hearing what their collection sounds like as a mix in progress. The Forge converts assembled stem sets into song and album tokens, with each forged tier representing a higher form of ownership over the source material. Stems can be previewed, downloaded, and exported as audio directly from the platform.

Simzer added, "After June 5, the initial supply is fixed. From that point, the value of any stem is determined by what collectors do with it - whether it gets traded, forged into a song, or held as part of a larger collection. The system runs on collector behavior, not on continued minting."

The broader thinking behind Stems is to create a layer that sits between streaming and physical media. Streaming provides access at zero marginal cost. Physical media provides ownership of a copy. Stems offers structural ownership of the recording itself, with mechanics that reward collectors for progressing from individual components up through complete works. Songs and albums, once forged, function as the highest tier of ownership over a release and can become tradeable assets in their own right.

For listeners, the platform creates a more active relationship with music. Stems can be assembled into custom mixes through the Mixer, exported as high-quality audio, or progressed up the tier system by acquiring the missing pieces. The collection's progression is the experience, not just the final tokens.

In future iterations of the platform, song and album tokens may also be tied to revenue rewards, with eligible holders receiving distributions based on platform rules. The platform would handle the coordination, the token would define eligibility, and the model would avoid the operational burden of plugging individual fans into traditional distribution and publishing systems.

Stems was built by Web3 design & development agency BeAWhale, the studio responsible for the platform's product design, smart contract architecture, and core mechanics.

“BeAWhale has successfully built my platform from the ground up and made tremendous progress toward my vision. The team has provided an extremely high-quality service that goes way beyond my expectations.” - Kyler Simzer, Founder of Stems.

About Stems

Stems is an on-chain music platform that releases finished songs as collectible NFTs representing individual components of a recording. Through a layered system of stems, songs, and albums, the platform creates a structured ownership progression where collector activity drives scarcity and shapes value over time. The platform's first release covers Kyler Simzer's catalog of three albums: 000, O, and 111. More at https://stems.fm.

Media Contact

Contact Person and Position: Kyler Simzer, Founder
Website: https://stems.fm
Email: [email protected]