First, understand the difference between CD replication and CD duplication. The two processes provide similar results, but differ in the quantity of CDs or DVDs you can copy and the methods used. For instance, if you need a few hundred DVDs, then DVD duplication will suffice. Duplication is the process in which the data is burned onto a recordable disc's surface. Replication, however, uses a glass master copy to stamp data onto the CDs or DVDs. Quantities for CD or DVD duplication are usually between five hundred and a thousand, while replication is used for quantities of more than a thousand. You can even make a million copies using CD replication!
If you only need a hundred or so CDs or DVDs, consider purchasing your own duplicator. Duplicators can range in price anywhere from a few hundred to two thousand dollars depending on the features, quality, and brand. This can help if you own a company or franchise and need to make copies for employees. Churches and non-profit organizations also find these to be handy for copying low-quantity items.
Choose a Company that Meets Your Needs
When choosing a CD replication company, be sure the company offers all the services you'll need from start to finish at a reasonable price. Some companies will do CD mastering, replication, and design for you. There are brokers that merely work as a middleman between you and the CD replication company. Brokers can be helpful if you're just starting out and have a really big project to complete. There are also manufacturers that outsource the replication work to other smaller companies.
Probably the best solution if you want very professional service is to choose a company that specializes in CD mastering, CD design, and CD replication. A specialist can help you determine the best route for duplicating your CDs or DVDs and how to choose the proper design for your CDs and packaging. Some companies will even create artwork for you. This is a big plus because you won't have to hire a graphic artist separately. You can complete the whole process professionally using a single company.
Locating a Vendor
There are several ways to find CD replication specialists. You can contact those in your own city to compare their offerings and pricing. If you live in a small town, you might have to travel a good distance to the next largest city to find a CD replication company. Or, you can benefit now from online services and never have to leave the office. Working with an online vendor can save you time and money. You can also check out what they offer and their pricing easily by surfing their website.
If you have the financial means, be sure to opt for higher quantities to get great discounts per CD. This will save you money in the long run and allow you to make higher profits when selling your CDs or DVDs.
If you're in the music industry, motivational speaking, or need CD and DVD replication for other purposes, use the tips above to carefully choose a CD replication company that's right for you!
But WAIT, there are potential land-mines around the corner if you’re not careful. Have you covered someone else’s song? Do you have samples of another artist’s music on your CD? What about copyright issues - both on your material, and anyone else’s? Unless you pay careful attention to the finer details, you could get burned – legally or otherwise… Ouch!
The following tips, recommendations, considerations and answers to common questions that will help prevent you from falling into any land-mines or legal licensing pot holes and enable you to move forward on a successful CD replication project:
Covering Someone Else’s Song:
While many artists think it’s OK to cover someone else’s original performance without the necessary mechanical license - especially if there are no samples of that performance on their disc - you are in a legal grey-area and run the risk of having problems later on. It is therefore recommended that you obtain the mechanical license to comply with copyright laws and to properly pay royalties to the original songwriter.
Tips and Recommendations:
- Contact the Harry Fox Agency in New York. Here you can obtain the license and prepay royalty fees. If you are replicating less than 2500 CD units, you can complete your application online by visiting the Song File website.
- Perhaps a better choice, though more time consuming is to contact the copyright holder directly and negotiate a royalty rate. This could be a much better choice for you if your CD sells well. In order to find out who owns the song’s copyright you will have to contact American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP)
Sampling Other Artist’s Songs:
This is not a grey-area, but a hard and fast rule:
- If you are sampling another artist’s material (regardless of how small that sample), you must obtain the proper license – period!
Tips and Recommendations:
- This license is called a Master Use License. You cannot replicate copies of your CD without this licensing paperwork. Any replicator or CD replication company who makes you copies is potentially liable without this license - and will be very firm on this point and will not proceed with your order until you can produce it.
- Again, you can find out who owns the rights to songs by contacting ASCAP. There are no exceptions to this rule, so be prepared ahead of time and don’t get your project rejected by your CD replication partner.
Q: What is a IP Replication Rights Form?
A: Most reputable CD replication companies have joined the Anti-Piracy Compliance Program run by the International Recording Media Association (IRMA). The IRMA protects copyright holders (owners) from unauthorized duplication of their materials (intellectual property). The IRMA also goes after pirates and replicators who duplicate unauthorized product. What this means to you is that if you try to duplicate discs with someone else’s content, without the support rights paperwork you could loose your masters and money as your CD replication company gets closed down by the IRMA.
- Obviously this would be an extreme example, but the threat remains and no reputable replication company would take the risk. They would simply reject your masters and refuse to duplicate - and many change a cancellation fee. It’s your responsibility to gather the required licenses/releases ahead of time.
Q: How do I copyright my own materials?
A: You would get in touch with the US Library of Congress (www.copyright.gov) to request the forms needed to copyright your music.
- Once complete, send them the form, a copy of your recorded materials (on CD), a lyric sheet and the registration fee. Within a few weeks you would receive confirmation that your material was copyrighted.
- Once copyrighted you should seek a licensing agency who can track all radio plays of your songs and pay you for any royalties due.
In Conclusion:
Cutting your master disc is only the beginning on your road to a successful CD release. Before anything else, you need to make sure you have the licensing paperwork in place. If you send a master to a CD replication company who doesn’t ask you for IPR paperwork - RUN! Piracy is a big problem in the industry and agencies like the IRMA are actively pursuing those individuals and companies not following the rules. You have been warned.
Both Chris Robertson & Morris Anderson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.