Music mastering is the last step before your music goes off to be manufactured into your final product – the CD. The song order needs to be assembled, the sound is polished, it’s the big tweak before the point of no return.

Though there isn’t a “written in stone” approach to song sequence on the album, most DIY artists have a basic outline on the shape they want their CD song lineup to take.

Where do you place your hit song?
How do you develop the positions of the song on your albums?
What style do you think best describes your method of arranging the order from start to finish?

Roller coaster – abrupt ups and downs
Story outline – follow a storyboard
Ocean wave – an ebb and flow
Foreplay leading up to crescendo
Reverse train wreck – hit them hard
Cracker Jacks – a surprise inside

Your thoughts and why?

I don't actually have "real" albums. I do have my songs arranged in files which I call my albums. I have the "Black and White" CD which is mostly bubble-gum, feel good songs. Then I have "Three Chords and the Truth" which is less feel good, shows more pain. The third is "Generik Sooper Man". Kind of new sounding, lost soul, disenchanted stuff...On the "Black and White" CD, the final song is "Prom Song".
The cheezy teen love song to top off the whole cheezy project...LOL

Verse 1
Don’t say a word---Don’t close you eyes
This night is gonna be over---Before we realize
Put your head on my shoulder---Soon this dance will end
We’ll laugh at all our pictures---Say good-bye to all our friends
Pre-Chorus
Tonight we’ll be laughin’---Tomorrow we’ll be sad
This night will be a memory---Like all the good times we’ve had
Don’t let us make promises---We know we’ll never keep
Remember this Cinderella story---At night before you go to sleep
Chorus
And try to make this moment last---Everything’s going way too fast
We better take this one last chance---I’m trying to make time stand still
Reality never hit me until---We started dancing our…last dance
Verse 2
No matter what happens---It won’t change the way I feel
The music playing, our bodies swaying---It’s all just so surreal
I won’t forget the way you look---This image burnt into my mind
It’s the only way I can save---This moment in time
Pre-Chorus
Tonight we’ll be laughin’---Tomorrow we’ll be sad
This night will be a memory---Like all the good times we’ve had
Don’t let us make promises---We know we’ll never keep
Remember this Cinderella story---At night before you go to sleep
Chorus
Just try to make this moment last---Everything’s going way too fast
We better take this one last chance---I’m trying to make time stand still
Reality never hit me until---We started dancing our…last dance
Verse 3
I can tell this dance is ending---I can feel it winding down
When the music finally ends---And there won’t be a sound
The dance hall will be empty---Once we walk out the door
All that’s left are sad echoes---And confetti on the floor
Pre-Chorus
And now we won’t be laughin’---It feels kind of sad
This night’s now a memory---Like all the good times we’ve had
Don’t let us make promises---We know we’ll never keep
Remember this Cinderella story---At night before you go to sleep
Chorus
We tried to make this moment last---Everything went by too fast
We better take this one last chance---I tried to make time stand still
Now I know just how it feels---Now that we danced our…last dance
Solo to fade…