There are two directions you can take when producing your music. Although both begin with weeks, months or years (and lots of money) spent getting quality work inside the recording and mixing studios, they diverge upon arriving at the mastering house.

The first path looks tempting at first glance. It's where you decide to get your mastering done fast and cheap. And mastering is only seen as something you do as a last minute step to catch errors and make small adjustments that aren't extremely necessary.

However, the lure of this path eventually wears off. You soon discover this road isn't as smooth as it once looked, as the reality of having to compete among thousands of other artists hits you.

Of course, few artists choose this path because they want to. But, they just don't know what can be achieved during the mastering process with a skilled mastering engineer. And so the cheap guy seems like a pretty good deal.

As a result, their albums lack that certain 'Edge' to stand-out over others in the marketplace. And they are less likely to catch on.

Not only in the short term because their music fails to capture as much attention as it could' but, also in the long-term as fans soon forget about your album if it isn't 'up to par'.

This is compared to the second, less traveled path' where the 'Golden sound' lies (and more record sales as a result).

Instead, of being a last-minute effort, mastering is given more respect and attention. It's where the artists are actively involved in discovering what can be achieved. They work one-on-one with a skilled mastering engineer and describe exactly what they want their final vision to sound like.

The engineer then offers feedback (based on years of experience) and adds the 'Polish' that brings out the greatness in your music so it remains in fans' CD or record players for years to come.

Simply put, this path is the way to go! In the end, it's actually a lot more expensive to go with the 'cheaper' mastering house. And, if you want your music to be remembered as one the greats by your fans long into the future, then don't hold-back on mastering.