Meanings
plural gold masters · alternative golden master · alternative GM
- The finished version of a software program, which is sent for duplication onto physical media to be distributed.
The gold master is the version of the game that will be shipped to stores—the end product, the finish line.
2006, Phil Co, Level Design for Games, New Riders1 more example
Chances are good that the game you were developing will be played on one or more consoles; as a result, you will also have to submit the Gold Master to the console's manufacturer for approval as well.
2013, Rich Newman, Cinematic Game Secrets for Creative Directors and Producers, Taylor & Francis, →ISBN, page 52
Origin
See master (“original document or recording”). They used to be prepared on gold-coloured recordable compact discs.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
gold master. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gold%20master
“gold master.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gold%20master. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gold master,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gold%20master.
Source: gold master on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.