Editing Software release life cycle (section)

=== {{Anchor|RTM|Release to manufacturing|Release to marketing|RTM or RTW}}Release to manufacturing (RTM) ===
[[File:Satya Nadella Gears of War 4 Gold Master.jpg|thumb|[[Satya Nadella]] of [[Microsoft]] with the gold master disc of ''[[Gears of War 4]].'']]
The term "release to manufacturing" (RTM), also known as "going gold", is a term used when a software product is ready to be delivered. This build may be digitally signed, allowing the end user to verify the integrity and authenticity of the software purchase. The RTM build is known as the "[[mastering (audio)|gold master]]" or GM<ref>{{cite web |title=What is Golden Master (GM)? - Definition from Techopedia |url=https://www.techopedia.com/definition/5434/golden-master-gm |website=Techopedia.com |date=19 August 2013 |language=en}}</ref> is sent for mass duplication or disc replication if applicable. The terminology is taken from the audio record-making industry, specifically the process of [[mastering (audio)|mastering]]. RTM precedes general availability (GA) when the product is released to the public. A golden master build (GM) is typically the final build of a piece of software in the beta stages for developers. Typically, for [[iOS]], it is the final build before a major release, however, there have been a few exceptions.

RTM is typically used in certain retail mass-production software contexts—as opposed to a specialized software production or project in a commercial or government production and distribution—where the software is sold as part of a bundle in a related computer hardware sale and typically where the software and related hardware is ultimately to be available and sold on mass/public basis at retail stores to indicate that the software has met a defined quality level and is ready for mass retail distribution. RTM could also mean in other contexts that the software has been delivered or released to a client or customer for installation or distribution to the related hardware end user computers or machines. The term does ''not'' define the delivery mechanism or volume; it only states that the quality is sufficient for mass distribution. The deliverable from the engineering organization is frequently in the form of a golden master media used for duplication or to produce the image for the web.