So is everyone mastering their own stuff now days? What happened to the idea that another set of ears was a better idea for mastering?

I am not suggesting that one thing is better than the other, just asking the question.

Also professional mastering has gone from not so expensive to out of site so it is certainly not economically viable for most of us.

Here is a quoit from Pro Musician Hub. "How Much Does Music Mastering Cost?
The cost of music mastering can vary depending on who does it and where you live. In general, you can expect to pay between $50 and $200 for each song if you want to receive a quality end product. When you master an album, 10 tracks will run between $500 and $2,000.

If you need to mix and master the track, you will spend between $150 and $700 for a good quality song. The cost can be significantly higher if you use a top level producer, but you can get a radio-worthy product in this range. Mixing and mastering an album with 10 tracks will cost between $1,500 and $7,000.

So a five dollar fee is not much if it provides any value. The last time I posted some quick demo track to soundcloud they offered me three free mastering service. As the demo was meaningless to begin with I tried it and it sounded much better than the raw stuff I posted.

Learning to do pro level mastering is not an easy thing to do and escaping you own bias is also not easy. Just why the idea of another set of ears comes into play. Many pro studio engineers do not master their own stuff.

Five bucks? Less than a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Having said that most of my hobbies have become more expensive than I can any longer afford. Two days of fishing in my stupid little boat now cost around $1500. I just hope I die before I run out of money...lol

Billy

“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”