Burning for Mass Production and Making Multiple Copies Blytheville AR
If you intend to send your CD-R to a duplication or replication company to have it masses produced, there are things you should know. In this article, you’ll learn how to burn a CD for mass production as well as how to make multiple copies.
Local Companies
Tait Technologies
(870) 352-2027
907 W 4th St
Fordyce, AR
K-N Systems
(870) 257-5600
Cherokee Village, AR
Spencer Gifts
(479) 582-3100
4201 N Shiloh Dr
Fayetteville, AR
Concept One Computers Inc
(479) 968-8088
915 W Main St
Russellville, AR
Megabyte Computer Center
(479) 443-0007
1061 E Joyce Blvd
Fayetteville, AR
Heth Computers
(479) 251-1407
28 E Center St
Fayetteville, AR
Deetees Hatton Grocery
(870) 385-2213
6714 Highway 71 S
Cove, AR
AAA Business Systems Inc
(479) 442-4185
2715 N Drake St
Fayetteville, AR
Northwest Communications
(479) 521-7020
Fayetteville, AR
Computer Solutions of Fayetteville
(479) 571-2388
200 S College Ave
Fayetteville, AR
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For Dummies is a registered trademark of Wiley Publishing, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Used here by license.If you intend to send your CD-R to a duplication or replication company to have it mass produced, you have a few ducks to get in a row first. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Check for physical defects to the CD-R before you try to burn to it.
Scratches, fingerprints, smudges, and other imperfections on the mirror side (bottom) of the CD-R can cause errors in the data when burning the CD-R. Be sure to use a clean and unblemished CD-R for burning your master. After all, CD-Rs are cheap.
Always write your master CD by using Disc at Once mode. This allows the CD to be read as a Red Book audio CD. Your other option when recording a CD is Track at Once, which burns one song (track) at a time. Unfortunately, Track at Once produces more errors than Disc at Once, which burns the entire CD at one time. Because of the errors present on CDs burned when using Track at Once, a mass producer’s equipment can’t read — and therefore summarily rejects — CDs that people produce via this method. (In fact, many older CD players for homes and cars can’t read these CDs, either.) So be sure that you use Disc at Once whenever you make a CD of your mastered music.
If you can, use an error-detection software program to check for errors in your recorded CD or verify your disc when you burn it. (This is an option you can generally choose within your CD burning software check your burner’s manual for details.) If you don’t have access to an error-detection program, put your CD into an audio CD player and listen all the way through, making sure it doesn’t skip or stop. Also check the back of the CD for any blemishes (just like you did before recording onto it).
Listen carefully to your entire CD after it’s recorded. Compare it with your original file and make sure that the CD is perfect. Also, spend time reevaluating the order of the songs. Make sure that they flow well together.
Label the CD master. With a felt-tip marker approved for use on CD-Rs, write the name of your album and all your contact info. Your contact information should include your name (or your band’s name), your phone number, and the date when the master was made. If the marker isn’t specifically labeled as such, the ink might leak through the top surface of the disc over time, disrupting the data. And don’t use a ballpoint pen or an adhesive label (paper or plastic) to identify your master. A ballpoint pen can damage the surface of the CD. Adhesive labels can slow the rotation speed of the CD (causing errors in the duplication or replication process), and they’ve been known to come off inside a duplication machine, clogging up the works. Write only on the top surface of the disc.
Make three CD-Rs of your mastered music. Keep one copy safe in your studio and send the other two to the duplication or replication company. Call it good insurance: If one of the two CDs that you send off for mass production has an error, you don’t waste any time sending the company a replacement.
Prepare a PQ subcode log. PQ subcodes include additional information,
written on the CD, that provides time-code information, such as track numbers and the start and stop times of the tracks. If your CD burner software doesn’t support PQ subcodes, make a list of the start and stop time of each track (referenced from the start of the CD) on a separate piece of paper as well as the track number and length of each track; then send that info along with your CD masters. If your software program can generate a PQ subcode log, print it — and remember to send it with your CD master. If you’re burning a CD for a major record label, first of all, congratulations! Secondly, make sure you supply ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) codes with your CD. These codes contain information about the CD, such as the owner of the song, the country of origin, year of release, and serial number. (You can find more information and an application for obtaining ISRC codes for your music at: www.riaa.com/whatwedo. php?content_selector=whatwedo_isrc_codes.) You enter ISRC codes into a dialog box on most CD-burning programs, and the information is placed within the PQ subcodes.
Before you put your music out into the world, get it copyrighted. Getting a copyright on your music is easy and relatively inexpensive, so there’s no reason not to do it. And it will protect you if there is ever a dispute about who wrote your music. All you have to do is fill out an SR (sound recording) form and send it into the U.S. Copyright Office at the Library of Congress. You can find the form at www.copyright.gov/forms, or you can call the Copyright Office at 202-707-9100 to have it mailed to you. Choose (or ask for) Form SR with Instructions. The current cost for filing the form is $45, but double-check this fee before you send it in because it’s been known to go up. (Hey, it’s the government.) You can fill out one form for each CD, so the cost per song isn’t very high. After you have your copyright, it’s yours for life.
The form is pretty easy to fill out, but if you run into difficulty, you can call an information specialist to help you out. The number is 202-707-3000. Be prepared to wait on hold for a little while. (Hey, it’s the government.) Send your completed form, the fee, and a copy of your CD to the address listed on the form. You’ll receive a certificate in the mail, but you can consider your music copyrighted as soon as you mail it in (as long as you sent it to the correct address). If you’re especially protective of your music (paranoid? or is that paranoid enough?), you can wait until your check clears your bank. At this point, you can be almost certain that your form is being processed. If you can’t sleep at night unless your music is copyrighted, you’re best off waiting until your certificate arrives in the mail before you start selling or distributing your CD. (This is a good reason to file for your copyright early.)
Making Multiple Copies
When you have a CD that you want to copy, you can either make the copies yourself or hire someone to copy them for you. If you copy them yourself, you have to burn CDs one at a time, just like the first one. This can cost very little but take a lot of time (as you undoubtedly found out when you burned your first CD).
Making copies yourself
Well, you’ve done everything else yourself, so why not add the copying process to the list? If you have more time than money and only need a few CDs, making them yourself might be a good option. To make saleable CDs yourself, you need not only the CD burner, but also a graphics design software program and a printer to print CD labels and cover material (CD sleeve and tray card). Even with this equipment, your package won’t look as professional as the package that a CD duplication or replication company can create, but what you create is probably good enough for you to sell a few copies to friends, acquaintances, and maybe open-mic-night audiences.
Having someone else making copies
Depending on how many copies you want, you can either have them duplicated or replicated. Either process can provide you with a professionalquality product that you can sell alongside major releases. Your choice between duplication and replication depends on how many copies you plan to have made. Duplication involves making copies of your master CD-R the same way you made the CD-R in the first place. The only difference is that duplication companies use CD burners that enable them to make more than one copy at a time. Duplication is great if you want to make a small number of copies — anywhere from 50 to 300. Most CD-duplication companies include the actual discs (with printing on them), jewel cases with color-printed inserts, bar codes (see the “UPC bar codes” sidebar in this chapter), and shrink-wrap.
You can expect to pay around $3 to $5 for each CD, depending on the quantity you order. You can also find other types of packaging, such as vinyl sleeves and one-color printing, for less per disc if $3 to $5 is too steep for you. An advantage to having your CDs duplicated is that your CDs usually can be done quickly. Many duplication companies can provide you with a finished product in as little as a few days (although an average of seven days seems more common). The disadvantage is that you usually pay considerably more for each CD than you would if you did it yourself or went the replication route. To have your CDs duplicated, you need to provide a CD-R master — that is, a CD-R recorded as a Red Book–compliant audio CD. If you want the duplication company to create retail-ready packages, you also have to provide artwork laid out to the company’s specifications. (Hint: Get ’em beforehand.) If you’re interested in going the duplication route, here are a few resources to get you started. You can also do a search on the Internet for more places by using the search term CD duplication.
CD\Works, 1266 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, MA 02135-1003; phone 800-CDWORKS; Web site www.cdworks.com.
Disc Makers, phone 800-468-9353; Web site www.discmakers. com/music. This company has five locations in the United States.
The CD Marksman, 2105 S. McClintock Drive, Tempe, AZ 85282; phone 877-890-5470; Web site www.cdmarksman.com. Most of the companies that I list in the following section also provide duplication services for smaller quantities.
Replication
Replication is the process used for making commercial CDs — lots and lots of them. Instead of making copies directly from your master CD-R, this process involves burning a glass master — the master disc from which all your CD copies will be made — from your master disc. The glass master is then used to transfer the data onto CD media. Replication is designed for larger runs: namely, 500 or more copies. Quantities of fewer than 300 aren’t cost effective because the glass master often costs between $100 and $200 to make, and the film needed for the printing of the CD and sleeve and tray card can cost several hundred more. CD replication usually comes with printing on the CD in one to four colors, and a tray card and sleeve often printed in four colors. Most CD-replication companies have retail-ready CD package deals that cover everything from layout of your artwork (some do, some don’t, so be sure to ask first), printed CDs, jewel boxes, bar codes (see the “UPC bar codes” sidebar in this chapter), and shrink wrap.
You can expect to pay between $1,000 and $1,500 for 500–1,000 retail-ready copies from most manufacturers. If you’re interested in going the replication route, you need to provide the replication company with a master audio CD, artwork set to its specifications, and a completed order form. Oh, and you’ll probably have to pay half the money for the job up front before they start work on your project (bummer). After people at the manufacturing company receive your order form, the CD, and the artwork, they make a reference CD (which shows you what the finished product will sound like) and proofs of your finished printed material. Be sure to look over the art proofs carefully: Listen to every second of the reference CD. Any mistakes you don’t catch are your problem, so take your time and compare the reference CD very closely with the master recording. (You did make a copy of your master CD before you sent it out, right?) The master and the reference should be exactly the same. Having your CD replicated is a stressful thing. You’re spending a ton of money and getting quite a few copies; you’ll need to be proud enough of them to go out in the world and sell them. Choosing a CD-replication company to work with is an important task. Quite a few companies are out there, so you should choose the place that makes you feel the most comfortable and makes a high-quality product. Here is a list of the larger CD-replication companies. For more possibilities, do a search on your favorite search engine for CD replication or CD duplication.
DiscMasters, 2460 W. Main St., Suite D300, Saint Charles, IL 60175; phone 888-430-disc; Web site www.discmasters.com.
Oasis Disc Manufacturing, 12625 Lee Hwy. (P.O. Box 214), Sperryville, VA 22740; phone 888-296-2747; Web site www.oasiscd.com.
MasterDisc, 645-M N. Eckhoff St., Orange, CA 92868; phone 888-500-DISK; Web site www.masterdisc.com.
Digital Domain, 931 NSR 434 Suite 1201-168, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714; phone (800) 344-4361; Web site www.digido.com.
Disc Makers, phone 800-468-9353; Web site www.discmakers. com/music. This company has five locations in the United States.
Many CD-replication companies can provide you with great resources, information, and even opportunities for promoting your work. Take advantage of these opportunities if you can, but don’t choose a company based on its promotional promises. Choose a company because of its customer service, price, and the quality of its product. Be sure to ask for referrals (or at least a list of satisfied clients) before you go with a duplication or replication company. As always, your best bet when you’re entrusting someone with your precious music to is to ask friends for recommendations. Also, take timing estimates with a grain of salt. I’ve had a couple of occasions when a company promised to finish my CDs by a certain date, and the discs didn’t show up. So, leave plenty of time between when you print your CDs and when you need them.
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For Dummies is a registered trademark of Wiley Publishing, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Used here by license.