Archive for the ‘MAKING CDS & DVDS’ Category

Good article by Jonathan Ostrow on Music Think Tank

DiscRevolt is developing the next version of their technology platform and it should be released in the next 4 weeks or so. This new platform is going to be a huge upgrade and we’re super excited about the prospects. The new platform will still do the same things the old platform does, but it will do them better and will also do much more.

Nice listing of Louisiana recording studios collected by Parker Dinkins of MasterDigital.

http://masterdigital.com/studios/index.htm

Alphabetically, by location and by services.

And while you’re there, check out MasterDigital’s mastering services.

www.masterdigital.com

You want the following specs no matter what program you use:

• File type: mp3
• Bit rate: 192 kbps or 256 kbps
• Be sure your embedded tags include your artist name and song title
• Remove track number from file name

Windows Media Player

Put CD into drive

click on the “Rip” tab

WMP should automatically detect and scan it.

Media Player should then query an online CD information database to figure out album and track information. If it doesn’t find anything, it will ask you for track names and artist name. Be sure it is correct – it will encode the mp3 file with this info.

Why should I get download cards when I can just tell people to go to my site or CDbaby to download my music?

You will get a much BETTER RESPONSE if people have a physical card.

The card is a HUGE MOTIVATOR because:

• The card is perceieved to have VALUE, even if it downloads something that is free. It feels like a gift card.
• The physical aspect of the card REMINDS people to go to your content when they find it in their purse or wallet later.

When a music CD is inserted in a computer connected to the internet, the media player application (like Itunes and Windows Media Player) goes online and retrieves the album, artist, track information, and even album cover from a central database. Different media players use different databases – Itunes uses Gracenote. Windows Media Player uses AMG.

Formats I can use to duplicate your CD:

• MP3 Version 1, Level 3, save at 192 bit (this is CD quality)
• WAV

Then ZIP the files, either individually or, if together, don’t let the zip file get more than about 50 MB large.

Upload the files – DO NOT EMAIL THEM

I will be notified via email that new files have been uploaded.

Send artwork files separately.

IMPORTANT! Name each file according to track number/sequence on finished disc:

Example:

Track 1 Here Comes the Sun or
01 Here Comes the Sun (notice the leading 0 – that forces it to stay in order)

CD Extra – Interactive Music CD

CD Extra is an interactive music CD. It combines video and audio.

CD Text – Text Encoding

This is NOT the track info you see when you play a CD on a computer with iTunes or Windows Media Player. (See [p2p type="slug" value="getting-your-cd-track-info-to-show-up-on-computers"].)

The artist, CD title, track names, etc. are encoded onto a CD like a table of contents. It enables certain CD players to display text information such as artist, title, track names … etc. It can only be read in players that support CD text (usually in cars or multi-disc carousels) and usually have an LCD display which scrolls the song info while it is playing each track.

To learn more about digital download licenses

My exclusive proofing system shows you how your graphics look in your packaging.  Also great to include in your digital download packages or on your site.

So you know what your mastering engineer is talking about.

You are looking for someone who is a combination of experience, technical knowledge, artistic intuition, good equipment, perfection, a good ear, and dedication.

The Red Book standards specify the playing time of a Compact Disc should not exceed

Mastering Engineer: An Aural Enhancement Specialist.

Fascinating video on YouTube about how CDs are made.

If you are going to sell your music, you need ISRC codes. Get your ISRC codes before mastering – the engineer will encode the disc.

Click here to download: IPR form (94)

Instructions included on page 2 in file.

This form is an interactive PDF, which means you can save it to your computer, fill it out, save it, print it. You will need Acrobat Reader 8 or higher. Reader can be downloaded for FREE at  http://www.adobe.com.  

Completing the Fillable Form

• Download the form using the link above. Your web browser may be configured with an Acrobat plug-in to automatically open the file within your browsers window upon download. To download the file directly to your computer or to a disk, right click on the link, then select “save link as” or “save target as” from the dropdown options. Make a note of the location on your drive and the name of the file being saved so you can locate it later.

Can you copy the ISRC code?
Yes. Our units read and write that packet. (For more information about the ISRC code, click here)

Do you error check your discs?
Yes.

What kind of media to you use?
We use only Taiyo Yuden. Ask anyone in the business. Taiyo Yuden is considered the best.

Will these discs play in all drives?
Recordable media and burner technology have dramatically improved to the point that this is usually not an issue. To further avoid any future problems, we can run a test disc for you to check in any other players you want before we hit the record button. We cannot control the player you are using, however, and we recommend frequent cleaning of the drive (a common reason for poor playback).

CDs and DVDs can be reproduced either by Replication (Manufactured) or Duplication (Short Runs). There are advantages and disadvantages to each method, and reasons to choose one over the other.

We take CDs and DVDs for granted these days, throwing them on the desk, stuffing them 3 at a time into paper envelopes. But if we truly want these repositories of precious music and data to last, we need to handle them carefully. Here are a few points you may or may not know.

• The data side (bottom) of the disc must remain free from scratches, fingerprints, dust, etc.
• Cleaning the disc can actually damage it.
• NEVER touch either surface.
• Handle by the edges (or center hole).
• NEVER set a disc down on a hard surface.

Replication Process

This process is when the music (data) from your CD master (usually a CDR) is copied exactly to a glass substrate best known as a “glass master”. After several steps the result is a nickel plated stamper that will be used in an injection molding machine that will “Stamp” the data image (in the form of pits and lands) in melted polycarbonate plastic. It is formed into the shape of a CD, cooled and then it receives a layer of mirror like aluminum and a coating of protective lacquer. The making and preparing of a glass master and stamper can be time consuming, but the CD manufacturing time goes rather quickly with an average CD manufacturing cycle time of 3 to 6 seconds per CD.

Many people think that the digital CD is produced completely digitally, but this is not always the case.