CD Duplication

Don’t confuse this method of producing discs with CD replication. CD duplication is a method producing small runs, and is best if you want a sample print before the full run starts, or if you just don’t need very many discs. The price depends on quality and the quantity of discs you want to duplicate. It’s not a bad method to use if you’re a musician just getting started and doing promotion, or if you’re trying to do some small scale advertising. You can even get screen printed and thermally printed discs, just like the kind a big factory would produce. However, in larger runs, the lower quality and higher expense per unit of CD duplication just aren’t worth it. If you want it cheap, CD replication can provide a much better bottom line.

CD Replication

If you’re looking for large scale production of copies of just one disc on the cheap, CD replication is your best choice. This method differs from CD duplication in that a high quality master is created (thus the high initial set up cost) and at least a thousand CDs are usually made at once. Each CD will be an exact copy of the master, and there should be no degeneration in quality. These discs are constantly checked for quality and fidelity to the original master disc you provide to the factory. They’re also made in extremely large batches, with each disc taking only a couple of seconds to create before it’s ready to play.

The first few discs will be checked to make sure they can be played in just about any device, so you’ll know there won’t be problems getting your information out there. Generally, factories producing CDs will have a minimum order you need to comply with. The larger your order, however, the cheaper it’ll be per unit. That’s because most of the cost of CD replication is in the set up, not in the actual production. Making the CDs is done easily, quickly, and inexpensively. It’s creating the master that takes so much work.

What To Look For In CD Replication Services

If you’re interested in finding cheap CD replication companies, but want to make certain that you’ll end up with a high quality product and good service, you should pay attention to a few things. Find out the company’s reputation and whether or not they have a good return customer base, for instance. You’ll also want to see how you feel about their customer service. Working with a service that treats you poorly isn’t worth it in the long run, even if their prices are relatively low. It’s better to choose a company that can really do what you need them to.

Make sure you find out what’s including in the price you’re quoted. Are you just receiving bulk CD replication, or will you also be getting disc printing, printed cardboard sleeves, and insertion into the sleeves, shrink wrapping, and/or preparation for mailing. These, plus plastic jewel cases, can make a big difference in the final cost of your product if you don’t pay attention. Unless you’re planning to do all your own insertion and packaging, you’ll often find that it’s better to pay a few more cents per disc to do it at the factory, even if cheap CD replication is a priority. CD replication can be a great way to get your information and your message out there. You just need to know what you’re looking for!

Both Audio CD replication and duplication are two ways of making a copy of the information you have on a CD. However, depending on the procedure you use, the end product also differs somewhat. Duplication gives you a CD-R whereas replication gives you a CD-ROM.

Audio CD duplication is a fairly simple process and most of us have done it many times already. To put it very simplistically, you can ‘burn’ a new CD after you buy a new CD-R and use CD burning software on it to create a copy. A duplicator essentially passes a laser beam over the new disk. In the course of this simple process, all the data from the source disc is extracted and imprinted on the target disc.

Audio CD replication, on the other hand, is a more complicated task, not one that is accomplished at home with simple devices. There are no CD-R discs. The client master is tested for any corruption of data before replication begins. Then, the master copy is inserted into a machine which makes an exact mould of the master. This is the stamper. This stamper is fixed into an Injection Molding Machine which will create a transparent plastic that has grooves which correspond to the grooves on the stamper. This plastic is in the shape of a CD, but is not a CD – yet! It undergoes a sputtering process which produces a reflective layer on the CD. After this, a protective layer is placed over the CD and the CD is placed under scanners where every piece of data is placed on it.

As you can see, the quality of a replicated disc almost entirely depends on the quality of the glass master and the accuracy of the processes that come afterward. To ensure high quality, monitors and checks are put in place so that the replicated CD is in no way compromised.

Understanding this essential difference in the two processes helps you determine which process is best suited for the work you have in hand. Due to the inherent processes involved, Audio CD replication has certain advantages over Audio CD Duplication.

Some of the advantages are:

• The cost per unit is lesser than duplication if the number of units is sufficiently large.
• Replicated discs can be made using offset printing or screen printing.
• Replication facilities offer complex services because of the high volume and may have the potential to assemble the replicated discs into different kinds of cases and sleeves automatically.

However, the longer and more complex procedure involved in the replication process means that you will need at least 7-12 business days for completing one batch (the exact number of days varies with the number of units you need). Also, to make the project economically viable, many companies accept projects with a stipulated minimum number of units.

Whether you’re putting together your own press mailing, developing a demo CD to send to movers and shakers, wish to sell video of your performance, or want to showcase your products and services, you can add an extra touch of professionalism by working with a company that specializes in CD and DVD duplication. When it comes to cost, it works like other forms of printing: the higher the quantity, the lower the per-piece price.

For example, if you want to produce a CD in a printed cardboard sleeve, you could get 1,000 made for about a dollar a piece. Up the quantity to 10,000, and the price drops to around 56 cents a piece. This price typically includes replicated discs with full-color offset or silkscreen printing, a printed cardboard sleeve, insertion, and shrink wrap.

Bulk quantities of CDs and DVDs are even less expensive. One thousand CDs run only about 45 cents each, while DVDs are priced as low as $650 per thousand, or 65 cents per DVD. As for packaging, a printed paper sleeve adds only about seven cents per CD or DVD, while a jewel case is about 20 cents per case.

DVD box packaging is also an option at around $1.20 per DVD for 1,000, and about 67 cents per piece for 10,000. This kind of replication and packaging typically includes printing, a full-color case wrap, assembly, and overwrap. A top spine label generally costs a few cents more.

If you’re planning to do a mailing, you can use a CD replication service that will duplicate your CD, then insert it into a cardboard mailer and shrink wrap it. Pricing for the replicated discs and mailers runs about $1.60 each for 1,000, or about 50 cents each for 10,000.

If you want to go the extra step and take advantage of cutting-edge technology, the best DVD and CD duplication services have products like FlexDVD, which is a DVD that can bend without snapping or cracking. This is perfect for cover mounting and mass mailings. Another new and intriguing technology is called “Rub ‘n Smell,” whereby a scent is embedded into a varnish that covers the printed side of the disc and is activated when the recipient rubs the disc’s label. Now, that’s the sweet smell of success!

The bottom line, though, is that whether you’re marketing yourself or your business, you can take advantage of the same techniques that huge marketing firms use – without breaking the bank.