By: Michelle Sabolchick Pettinato

You’ve finally finished writing your song, you've tweaked and tweaked, changing phrases, a word here and there until it was just right. You can't wait to start recording and get this baby out into the world. If you want to make the recording and mixing as painless as possible, a little pre-production will go a long way. Here are some things to consider before you hit record.

What is your goal?

You should have a really good idea of how the finished product should sound.

Is your intention for the song to compete with the current pop hits? Are you recording electronic music or orchestral? Are you going to be the next big country sensation?  Whatever the answer is, this will guide your choices from instrumentation to tone and coloration.

Think about the arrangement.  Will there be space for the song to breathe or are you going after a wall of sound? What is the emotion and energy you are trying to express with...