CD Duplication or CD Replication?

After all the writing, recording and post-production you’ve taken on for your recording project, you may be left hoping there’s nothing left to put work into. The job isn’t quite finished at this point, but you’ll be happy to know that the hardest work is already behind you. Writing some great songs and recording a professional demo is no small feat, and you probably won’t have to expend quite as much emotional energy when designing and manufacturing the album. But now that you’ve put so much of yourself into your recording, it’s time to make the final decisions on your demo CD.

One of the last steps is CD duplication. Or is it CD replication? Both terms get thrown around a lot, but are there any actual differences? Is it important to know what those differences are?

The answers: yes and yes.

What’s the Difference?

While it’s more common (and sometimes sounds more natural) to say you’re getting your CD duplicated, it’s actually more likely that you want to get it replicated instead. CD duplication involves burning your demo onto CD-R discs. If that sounds like something you can do at home, that’s because it is. There’s really no difference between getting your demo “professionally” duplicated and burning a CD with your PC. The main reason you might want to pay for a service to duplicate is for quantity; duplication services will burn hundreds of CDs quickly. Imagine burning 300 CDs yourself instead! Additionally, CD duplication services often offer on-disc printing, so your demo will look a little more slick without your handwriting all over it.

CD replication, on the other hand, uses an injection mold from a glass master to actually print discs from scratch—no burning involved. For those of you who remember actually going into music stores to buy music (or even if you just prefer ordering physical CDs online), all of the CDs that you get from your favorite artists are replicated, not duplicated. Replicated CDs usually have 3-color on-disc screen printing for professional-grade looks.

Which Should I Choose?

Now that you know the difference, you may still be wondering which one is the right choice for your CD. This decision comes down to a few key factors:

1. Professionalism

If you want to make a professional looking album that looks like it could be at home sitting on the shelf next to major label artists, you’ll definitely want to go with replication. If you’re just recording a demo and aren’t necessarily looking to have a record store-quality product, CD duplication might be the way to go for you.

2. Quantity

CD duplication is usually reserved for smaller quantity runs, like 100, 300 or 500. This especially makes sense if you’re just making a demo to hand out to industry people and venues and aren’t looking to sell thousands of units. Smaller quantities also means that duplication has a quicker turnaround. If you’re looking to get a shipment of a thousand or more discs, you’ll want to (and probably have to) go with replication. Bulk pricing usually applies as well, with price breaks being applied with larger orders.

3. Budget

Last but not least, you’ll have to factor money into the equation. If your budget is small, CD duplication may be the only thing you can afford. But keeping in mind #1 on this list, you may want to save up to pay for replication to get a polished, professional product you’ll be proud to sell to your fans.

Do you need a professional recording before you send your demo off to the presses? Let Studio Pros help you get started on a radio-ready production.

Posted on: February 15th, 2011