Do not just use a studio because someone else said to, check it out for yourself. Check for deals. Make a deal with the studio. If you are on a budget, ask if there are slow times, off hours when they will rent out the studio for a cheaper price. What comes with the studio time.
Many musicians spend precious time IN the studio rehearsing the the songs they want to record.
That is a no-no. Before you spend countless expensive hours in a recording studio, be sure you have rehearsed your songs till you dream about them every night, you know them so well. OK, so now you have your spreadsheet filled out. You have determined a budget for the recording project, and you have stayed to it pretty well. Now comes the time to think about the artwork design and the manufacturing costs.