T’is the season for CD duplication – too late I’m afaid to guarantee CD replication this side of Christmas but it is still possible (if you’re quick!) to get duplication. Been booked for Christmas party or even New Year Eve gig? Use the opportunity to sell some of your CDs and to make a few extra quid!
Even if you’ve just finished your latest album and not due for official release until the new year, why not use the festive gigs to get a few advance sales while you potentially play to completely new audiences that would otherwise not hear you? Chances are if you give them a great party to remember they will want to go away with momento. The other advantage of duplication over replication, other than the turnaround time is the fact you can get shorter runs. Replication is typically cost effective for 500+ copies but duplication could provide say 100 copies just to cover immediate needs.
Yes quality can vary with duplication, especially with the print so be sure to check what is offered. Cheapest price quite often means cheapest quality. Digital Disc Duplication offer only top quality screen or litho print for the discs themselves rather than inkjet etc therefore appearance is exactly as a genuinely replicated CD.
Yes we would always suggest replication for the ultimate quality and compatibility but sometimes it does not warrant the time required or the quantity so duplication does provide the ideal alternative. Just favour your odds of quality by choosing the service provider carefully.
In the meantime have a wonderful Christmas and prosperous new year and hope this festive season proves sucessful in sales of your latest (and back catalogue) CDs.

How many of us do you think genuinely take a long time considering the gifts we will buy for family and friends at Christmas? More often than not we take a couple of hours either shopping online or nipping to the nearest shops during lunchbreaks to get it all completed as quickly as possible! As a result of this lack of interest and time to research all options, the old favourites such as books, toileteries and of course CDs end up in our shopping baskets! It is probably fair to say a very high percentage of us will each receive at least one CD in our gift pile because music is something practically everybody will have an interest in.
Because we like to actually give presents rather than vouchers, demand for physical CDs remains high and this year is proving no different showing the volume of requirement for CD replication. It’s not only the major releases that benefit from greater demand either. There is much more awareness of independant releases available and how to buy them too.
More people will buy at gigs because they know a friend who would like what they’ve just heard and as the celebrations for the festive season start with office parties and annual friends gatherings more artists find new audiences as they tour the circuit. It doesn’t just end at Christmas Day either because a week later it’s the New Year celebrations and the feel good party atmosphere bring more people out to see in the ever hopeful optimistic better than last year celebrations, therefore more opportunity to reach new audiences who would potentially buy your latest CD release.
As always, CD replication requirements peak during the build up to the festive season and this year the increase in demand has not started any later than previous years. Another indication that demand for CDs has not fallen as much as some would have you believe! It is always best to allow for that little bit extra time in planning your release so that you do not miss out on the extra sales opportunities.
Digital Disc Duplication will help plan your projects to meet with your required launch dates so why not call today and get great service at excellent prices. And they make everything here in the UK too for that extra secure knowledge of IPR protection and quality assurance! Make the most of the highest demand for CD sales for the year and make sure you make your release date on time! Have a great Christmas!

So the summer festival season is over and despite the typical British weather, the attendances were typically to the limit resulting in great atmospheres and increased sales of CDs for artists at the stalls! But what next? Well it’s Christmas! There, I’ve said it in September! (still, the chocolates have been on sale in supermarkets since July so I’m not that premature!)
Although it seems an age away, in order to make the most of the highest sales potential for the whole year it is essential to get releases prepared and out there as quickly as possible. CD replication is at capacity from now through mid December therefore delaying your artwork preparation or audio mastering for example could cause problems meeting your launch date!
Digital Disc Duplication always suggests allowing three full weeks for replication during this period, and for some packaging such as the ever popular digipack (for which we have some great deals by the way) it is best to allow for even more time. Advance planning is never a bad idea and at least if you advise of when your launch date is you can know when the artwork and master would be needed by in order to make the deadline. Because the manufacturing is actually here in the UK you know the quality will be of the highest standard and there will be no delivery delays which all help to give you just that little bit extra breathing space!
It is astonishing to consider that something like 70% of the total sales of CDs for the year are for the christmas period – huge volumes and this isn’t just for the major releases! If you’re booked to perform at a company christmas party, chances are if you have CDs to sell there will be willing buyers! All possible events and places to sell your CD will see increased interest as happens year after year so don’t miss out!
Contact Digital Disc Duplication to be sure to make your deadline and get your share of this increased sales window called Christmas!

So HMV have predicted the life of the CD to be for another five years only. And they have based this information on all facts? Of course not – this is a result of their sales volumes only and although they would like to think the only place to buy CDs is at HMV it is clearly not the case. Now although it is clear fewer sales are achieved through retail stores (as is the same for many items these days) there are also many other facts to consider for the CD.
Sales volumes have certainly fallen since the peak in the mid 2000′s and by some considerable amount this is true but look at why. Digital downloads are the largest factor in this and as a direct result, physical CD singles are rarely released these days. It makes sense to download an individual track for pence rather than buy a CD of the same track for pounds. Now imagine how many singles are bought each week and take that volume of physical sales off for CDs and there you will find the majority of the volume fall in sales of CDs straight away. This in no means shows the start of a trend but accounts for the understandable difference in requirement now compared to when there was no alternative.
From the other point though, while the albums are also available for download in the same way as singles, sales of albums have not switched to digital and therefore shows the consumers want to have physical CDs for their money and to maintain a collection.
Also consider the options available for where to buy your CDs from. We all like to save money and if that means buying from online retailers rather than shops it is natural to do so. We understand and certainly sympathise with the fact stores have higher costs to meet than online retailers but the simple fact is consumers won’t consider that and just buy from them because they feel sorry for them. It is up to the retail stores to offer the incentive rather than complain. Reward schemes or bonus items for example. Yes all would eat into profits a bit but it is surely better to compete and remain in profit rather than do nothing but complain and disappear altogether?
Maybe the likes of HMV should support independant artists directly more as well – it is difficult to get your music to retail unless you are signed to a label with distribution and all that goes with that. With huge margins taken by the distributors and retail stores there is less for the writer of the actual music which is simply wrong. It is little wonder these artists self release and go via online distribution and sales at gigs etc rather than attempt the retail store route. With direct support from stores it could possibly prove a win win situation for retailer and artist. Something new and exclusive to attract the customer through the doors of the shop!
I certainly do not agree with the views of HMV regarding the future of the CD – I think they are words of sour grapes. Digital Disc Duplication are continuing to see higher demands for CD replication year on year which can only prove positive for the industry and long will this continue.

How often do we hear phrases from governments such as “we have the best skilled work force here in the UK compared to anywhere” yet in the next breath all floodgates are opened to allow “free trading” between countries from all around the world and the UK? Now obviously there is a need for certain levels of free trading between different economies – at the end of the day there are certain items we all need that simply cannot be produced within our beloved UK for various reasons but there are many things also that could and have been produced here in the UK at the highest quality possible but are no longer made here due to other suppliers providing them cheaper. But does cheaper always provide the best results?
So you’ve saved a whole £1 on that shirt because it was stitched in China rather than Cumbria but then you have to replace it within weeks because that cheaper stitching has come apart….. now I’m not suggesting this is always the scenario but let’s be honest, there are not many of us that believes the things we buy Made “outside of the UK” are the best in quality but more often than not there is no longer the choice. As a result of there being no longer the choice, the prices we pay creep up and therefore defeats the object of farming that work out of country in the first place. Having competition in any business is good and healthy – particularly for the consumer because it means suppliers have to keep prices honest and keen but when the competition is removed due to one supplier (or one supplying country) cost cutting so dramatically there is nothing left to prevent that cost cutting supplier to control pricing to boost their profits.
Apart from anything else, it is also a confidence boost for quality just seeing the label “Made in the UK”. You kind of feel buying something with that label not only will be good quality but it is protecting jobs for these difficult times where new jobs are difficult to find. It does seem sometimes that not much product is actually made here in the UK these days however CD replication is still very much available despite the overseas competition (and even the UK companies sourcing manufacturing overseas purelyl for cheaper product). If you’re a musician in the UK or a film producer in the UK, why not have your CD or DVD replicated here in the UK and add with pride to your artwork “MADE IN THE UK”.

Summer is here (as I look out at the rain pouring down!) and that means the festival season is in full swing! With the major events already being attended to capacity there are ever increasing numbers of smaller events in all areas around the UK showcasing not only known artists but introducing local artists as well.
There’s something about playing in outdoor settings that creates that extra buzz – probably combination of the feel good factor of summer itself and the atmosphere due to high energy crowds that you just can’t quite get the same interaction from when indoors.
We all know about Glastonbury, Reading, Leeds, V etc etc which are of course those that are sold out year on year but there are literally hundreds of other outdoor gigs and festivals in practically every county that are staged and create the same electric buzz and feel good factor. Sometimes being on the smaller scale it feels that little bit closer to the live action and therefore making you feel part of the whole event rather than relying on the big screens.
As ever there are loads of merchandise stalls selling the usual home made jewelery and crafts but these also add to the unique feel of our UK festivals. For the performers it also provides ideal opportunity to sell their merchandise and music. If you’re an up and coming artists with the chance to perform at any of these events over the summer it would be an ideal time to arrange your CD duplication and make some extra needed cash!
Enjoy the summer while it lasts – get to the outside gigs and experience the atmosphere for yourself. It’s not always muddy but even if it is, nobody cares as all are there for one thing only – to have a great time!

DVD Duplication UK when searched does not always return results where the actual product is made in the UK. While the website you click to visit may appear in the UK and in fact contact details and addresses are all UK based, production may well be sourced overseas without you being made aware of it. OK so this may not be of a concern if the price is right but is simply buying because it’s cheap the best decision to make? If that was the case, everybody would own budget brand televisions and Sony or Panasonic for example would not exist but we know these brands are hugely popular mainly because consumers are confident in getting value for money. Not only will the television provide better quality viewing and audio but it is probably likely to last a lot longer than the budget brand and therefore potentially saving money longer term because it would not need replacing as quickly. Customer service is also highly regarded because you know these companies know what they are talking about!

The same principal applies to services provided. Making a decision purely because of a cheap price could potentially work out more expensive in the long run. Questions such as “why is this company so cheap” need to be considered as there could be a number of reasons. Actual knowledge of the service could be limited or all work could simply be farmed out therefore not providing you with the direct contact with the person taking care of your order are just a couple of possible concerns. Overseas manufacturing may also ring a few alarm bells – if product quality is not of the expected standard, where do you stand to get anything rectified? When searching for DVD duplication UK, maybe it is worth asking a few more questions about the companies you find prior to ordering. Test them on a few technical queries, ask for similar product samples to yours and find out where they are made.

When it comes to media, product quality is not the only concern with overseas manufacturing. Very tight laws apply in the UK for example with regards to IPR ownership. Similar laws are not always in effect for all countries therefore making such places good pirating bases. Would you hand your work directly to anybody you just know would rip it off? I am not suggesting all manufacturing overseas is dodgy – in fact far from it. There are many excellent facilities around the world providing top quality of product within the strictest of environment but let’s face it, as with the budget television compared to Panasonic televisions, these facilities are not likely to be offering purely cheap prices. More often than not the only way for some companies to win work is to offer cut prices simply because they cannot compete with the best when it comes to quality and service and therefore DVD duplication UK results will often find varying results when it comes to pricing. Is cheap really good enough for you?

Why not get a great quote for replica DVD Duplication from Digital Disc Duplication – where all product is still Made in the UK – and get the best of both worlds for your new release.

DVD duplication services need not purely mean the copying or burning of the media itself. The full service ranges offered could include authoring for the master, audio mastering to ensure optimum quality, graphic design for the menu and packaging and even distribution. It is easy to simply hand over a DVD master and artwork to have mutlipe copies produced but would it not be of benefit if the company you are using could provide feedback and advice regarding your actual presentation rather than just copy it regardless of any potential quality or playback issues? We all look at the professionally produced movies on DVD and think “wouldn’t it be great if my DVD would look like that?”. Unfortunately basic software most of us have to create DVDs are simply not capable of achieving half of the possible functions and options but this is because such software is created for simple home movie use.

A decent company offering DVD duplication services could well have the resource to create exactly what you would like but just don’t have either the software or the knowledge to do yourself. Yes it would cost a little more than simply copying the basic master you could provide but potential benefits from that professional looking presentation could easily outweigh that initial expense. If you are distributing a corporate presentation of high value products or services, for example maybe luxury housing, you would want the potential buyer to be reaching for the cheque book as a result of the quality they have just seen rather than wondering if the investment as actually that worthwhile. Chances are you’ve already gone to great expense in getting decent video professionally shot and edited so it would be pointless to waste that potential by creating a DVD looking like a home movie.

The same applies to the presentation of the packaging. Putting a DVD in front of someone with just the title and contact details written on the cover hardly makes them open their eyes and want to view the contents. It could even be discarded without a look whereas if a well designed, attractive packaged DVD is put in front of the same person, offering tempting information that makes them want to find out more they are more likely to drop everything and watch it resulting in a potential buyer.

Simply copying, or burning media is easy and anyone could do that but the full range of DVD duplication services when used to achieve the ultimate quality can make that final difference between sale or no sale. If you are demonstrating your privately funded movie with the hope of achieving major distribution, the same applies. If the complete presentation comes over well, it has got far higher chance of success so is that little extra expense worth the risk for your production?

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DVD CD duplication is made easier with backward compatible drives – by that I mean there is no need for both specific CD writers and DVD writers because the DVD writer will not only burn DVDs but will also write CDs as well. Speeds do vary with CD capable of writing at much faster speed than DVD, not only because there is less data but because the pockets the data is written to has less capacity to fill therefore not making the burn so busy (in very simple terms). The fact the same drive can write both media is simply because they are both using the same red laser technology, and therefore the DVD is simply an expansion of the CD capacity.

For the same reason, companies providing DVD CD duplication use the same set up for both formats therefore without needing different equipment can keep costs low. With the price of blank media also much closer for the two formats these days the total costs are not so far apart as they used to be. Printing of inlays and packaging also uses the same methods as does the printing onto the discs themselves so with production costs able to be maintained at low levels it makes it far easier and cost effective to use professional services rather than burning individual copies at home.

Quality of printing for low volume has improved dramatically as well – both for inlays and discs themselves. Digital print provides photo quality whereas inkjet for example can look grainy. While the actual quality for low volume production can not be quite as high as the professionally manufactured retail CDs or DVDs, with the best available being used for printing they can provide excellent presentation copies for demonstration for example that would not simply be discarded because they look home made. If you are producing a product that is hoped to go into retail the last thing you need is to present poor quality as presentation goes a long way in final decisions.

There are other advantages of using professional services for DVD CD duplication rather than opting to do it yourself. It can open up a wider range of packaging options for example. While most burning software will have simple cover designer templates for you to design and print yourself, other options such as card packaging could be available which could provide just that little bit more of an edge for your demonstration. Something that looks different to the normal will usually raise interest straight away and therefore more likely to make sure that your product actually gets reviewed rather than placed on a pile with the rest that all look the same.

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CD Duplicating is quick and easy for anybody these days with most computers bought coming with disc writers and the software pre-installed. It is simple to back up any documents or pictures and of course audio or even make your own personal compilation of your favourite music rather than sorting through multiple CDs for various tracks.

What if you need multiple copies however, for example you have a demo CD or corporate presentation you need to get to various people? Burning them one by one not only becomes tedious and time consuming but also limits you to the presentation possibilities. OK so most CD burning software comes with basic cover designer layouts but then you print them on your inkjet, have to cut them to size, fold and pack into the cases adding more time, boredom and frankly producing the home made look.

Pretty much all of the process could be automated and with the right set-up, would result in professional looking product. Such equipment though can prove expensive, especially if you only have requirement to use it just a few times during any year. It therefore proves far more cost effective and time efficient to source a professional company offering CD duplicating. Most will offer the full service of digital printing for any covers or packaging and even direct print to the disc surface itself. It is suggested to avoid any printed labels that are simply stuck onto the CD as these can not only off balance the disc during reading but even cause damage to the drive should it bubble or start to peel off.

Disc printing can be achieved by many means but results can vary. Inkjet is quite cheap and certainly fine for quality, especially for simple text only designs. Colour images can look pale and not the sharpest but not too bad. Digital or thermal printing is better suited for colour disc printing as it is near photographic quality.

If at all possible however, if you find a company offering CD duplicating with screen or offset printing these are the same professional printing methods used for commercially released CDs such as music and ROMs. Screen printing is ideal if you have a corporate logo that is a specific solid colour as the actual pantone ink for that colour would be used. Offset, or litho, print is best result for full colour images, or tints. Mainstream DVDs or Blu-Ray are generally printed offset and you will notice the quality of the print they carry resulting in ultimate presentation for the complete product.

Why not get a great quote for CD duplicating from Digital Disc Duplication – where all product is still Made in the UK – and get the best of both worlds for your new release.