As a music artist trying to make it big, there’s a lot to think about. From how to build a fan base to how to upload music on iTunes, from what gigs you’ll play to what “look” your band will have, every choice you make will define your music career in one way or another.

And while you navigate the twists and turns of artistic license, you may eventually hit a bump in the road.

A very mainstream bump.

That’s right, we’re talking about the choice that hundreds of musicians face during their career at one point or another: to go mainstream or not to go mainstream.

“Mainstream?” you might ask, head shaking, lip curling, “I’d never go mainstream. Mainstream means selling out; plain and simple.”

But before you shut off your computer and play Matt and Kim on loop in order to rid your mind of the wretched M-word, take a second to really think about it. From some of the most popular bands to rappers who have become a household name, so many artists have built successful, well-respected careers while also “going mainstream.”

Here are the pros and cons:

Pros: As we mentioned above, some of world’s most celebrated artists have “gone mainstream” while also cultivating an extremely successful career. From Green Day to The White Stripes, from The Shins to MGMT, dozens of artists have been given the label “mainstream.” And while it’s undeniably often meant as a criticism…is it really one? In most cases, the only reason a band or artist has “gone mainstream” is because they’ve stumbled upon an arena through which they can pick up a more widespread fan base. Whether it’s because they were featured in the soundtrack of a popular movie or because they produced a hit song that owned the radio waves, the indie-or-alternative-artist-gone-brand-name label really only means…well, that they were successful.

Cons: Though “going mainstream” can certainly be synonymous with “being successful,” it can just as easily mean “selling out.” Bands that break into the business with nothing but a few instruments, a killer vocalist, and the love of the game can just as easily start making their decisions for the wrong reasons. Money, fame, a cult following – if you let other priorities get in the way of why you started making music in the first place, going mainstream will mean every bad connotation the label has…and in that case, the label will most likely be the least of your worries.

So while you’re still asking yourself how to upload music to iTunes in the early stages of your soon-to-be-awesome music career, why not start thinking about how to take the very best aspects of “going mainstream” while leaving the very worst behind in the dust? Or at least write a killer new song about it.