Monday, September 26, 2011

Tips For CD Duplication Side Business

The process of CD duplication has arrived in a very big way.  Teenagers these days are using their CD
burners to rip MP3s from their favorite artists and bands.  Companies choose to use CD duplication to
make backups of their software and important documents.

Federal agencies on the other hand, are scrambling to define and interpret intellectual piracy and
copyright laws as they relate to CD duplication and the industry of music as a whole.  The movie industry
is also seeking how they can profit from using CD duplication.  With so much attention being focused
on CD duplication, now is the ideal time to turn your home CD duplication hardware into a very
profitable side business.

Believe it or not, you may already have everything you need to get your CD duplication process going
in the right direction.  All you need to get your business started is a computer, CD burner, CD
duplication software, and a few blank CD-R disks.Contrary to what you may think, its that easy to
get going.

If you don't have a computer or a CD burner, you really shouldn't worry, as purchasing a CD duplication
device is actually very affordable.  The cost of stand alone CD duplication software has reduced
quite a bit over the years.

Almost all home computers come with internal CD duplication hardware (CD burners) and some sort
of duplication software as well.  CD duplication media, such as blank CD-R and CD-RW are very
low in price and can be purchased at almost all retail stores.

The market for your CD duplication service or company is going to local bands and musicians as
well as small businesses.  Local up and coming bands are often too busy perfecting their sound
to deal with the tedious and time consuming task of duplicating CDs for their gigs.  They also lack
the money to order CDs from the big time CD duplication companies as well.

The smaller businesses are pretty much the same, as they are almost always unable to financially
justify having a technical or computer staff to handle the backup and data storage aspects of their
company.  Many times, they will end up forgoing needed data backups simply because they forget all
about it.

You can however, solve these common gaps, provide needed service, and earn some nice side money by
starting your own duplication service that caters to these types of clients.  By offering a reasonable
price, fast rate of delivery, and a quality product, you'll get many repeat customers and a side
business that will keep busy for as long as you want it.

CD Duplication Information

It's important to realize from the start that the duplication and replication process is the same,
regardless of content, as well as the differences between the CD duplication and replication process.

The duplication of CDs refers to burned CDs, such as the CD burner with a personal computer.  The
burned audio CDs have playability issues in some CD players, normally car stereos, portable CD players,
and even older types of CD players.

The duplication of CDs has much faster turn times, simply because a stamp doesn't need to be made.
The process of duplication can start as soon as the master is received, where the replication process
doesn't start for 5 - 7 days, during which time a glass master and stamper must be made.

When done locally with a personal computer, you can duplicate an audio or data CD in just a couple
of minutes.  To duplicate a CD, you must have a computer with a CD-RW drive.  This drive copies
the CD disks, and without one - you simply cannot copy disks.

If you have a DVD-RW drive, you can copy both DVD and CD disks.  These drives are normally the way
to go, as they can copy virtually anything you stick in the drive.  Once you have your drive,
you'll also need software to copy the disks, which there are many out there for you to choose from.

With a CD-RW drive, you can copy audio CDs, data CDs, even make SVCD copies.  The disks used for
CD will hold up to 700 MB (MegaBytes) of data, or up to a little over an hour of music.

With everything CD duplication has to offer you, its no wonder why it's so popular.  If you've
never tried duplication before, you should rush and get you a CD-RW drive for your computer right
now - as the many uses will simply amaze you.

CD Terminology

Below, you'll find the most common terminology that relates to CD duplication.  Even if you are new to
duplication, the terms below may help you learn more.

BLER
Block Error Rate.  This is the raw digital error rate before any type of error correction.

CD
This the Compact Disc, a digital medium that's formed of a 12cm polycarbonate substrate, a reflective
metalized layer, and a protective lacquer coating.

CD-R
Compact Disc-Recordable.  The term CD-R is used to describe the technology of recordable CD along with
the equipment, software, and media that are used to make the recordable disks.

Data layer
With CD-R media, this is the organic dye that is sandwiched between the polycarbonate substrate and
the metalized reflective layer of the media.  CD-R disks don't have any data on them at all until the
are recorded.

Injection Molding
This is a manufacturing method where the molten material is forced into a mold, normally under
high pressure, then cooled so that the material will take on the shape of a mirror image in the
mold.

Media or blanks
CD-R media are the disks that are used to record digital information using a special recorder and
premastering software with a computer.  These discs are made of a polycarbonate substrate, a layer of
organic dye, a metalized reflective layer, and a coating of lacquer for protection.

Organic dye
The data layer of CD-R media is made from a dye that is melted during the process of recording.
Where the dye is melted, becomes opaque or refractive, scattering the reading laser so that
it isn't reflected back into the reading sensors.

Reflective layer
This is the  metal later that sits on top of the dye that reflects the laser beam back to the
reading assembly.  This is normally 24k gold in CD-R disks, although it can be silver as well.

Benefits Of CD Duplication

The process of CD duplication is the means of making several copies of CDs of various types without
doing a replication of many.  The term is used to describe the need and use of short run quantity
copying of various types of CDs.  Most CD duplication is done for quantities under 500.

The value and quality of the duplicate is high, with the sound quality being very good and matching
the quality of the original.  There are many benefits to CD duplication, including:
1.  Its less expensive to do CD duplication than it is to do a full replication, especially when
the demands are much lower.
2.  In most cases, during a replication there will be a minimum amount that is actually more than
needed.  By using CD duplication, you can actually eliminate this extra replication.
3.  Believe it or not, it can actually be much faster to use CD duplication than a full CD replication run.

There are other things that can cause you to take a second look as well.  With most cases, CD duplication
will cost more per CD than that of a full run replication. In the long run however, this may still
be much lower.  Not all will look like the original either, as some will have blue or even black
burn marks on them that make them appear to be duplicates.

CD duplication, never the less, is a widely used system of replicating CD's in a very effective and
timely manner.  The technology is always improving as well, so you can look for updates in the quality
of CD duplication systems as well - which is great news for those who enjoy CD duplication.

Intro To CD Duplication

The first thing you must know, is that there are many different types of CD duplication.  Some of them happen
to be illegal, which is why you'll need to make sure that the CDs you are duplicating are allowed by local
laws and regulations.

The CD duplication process is basically taking one CD and making a copy of it, or if you prefer, many
copies of it.  A CD can store information of many forms, such as pictures, movies, data, and even
music.  Therefore, you'll need to determine which type of duplication you are interested in.

You'll also need to think about how many copies you plan to make as well, as the costs of equipment will
vary.  Most computers that you buy these days will come with a CD-RW drive, and the software you'll
need to make copies of the CD disks.

CD duplication is very easy to do, as you all you have to do is a few clicks.  Even if you are new to
computers, you'll find that duplicating CDs is one of the easiest things you'll do with your computer.

With the common software, you can copy an audio or even a data disk in just a few minutes.  The most
common program is Nero, as it does wonders for CD duplication and CD-RW drives.  If you have access
to Nero, you'll find it very easy to use and very handy to have installed on your computer.

Once you begin to copy CDs, you can make copies of your audio CDs, back up your computer, even make
copies of your pictures.  The sky is the limit with CD duplication - which is the main reason it has
become so popular over the years.

What You Should Know

With the increasing amount of CD duplication options for equipment, its very important that you read the
reviews for the different types of equipment you are considering before you make that final decision
and choose your model.

The best CD duplication equipment for your project will all depend on the volume of CDs you plan to
duplicate at a time, and the amount of money that you are planning to invest on a particular piece of
equipment.

Your best source for reading reviews of CD duplication equipment is on the Internet.  There are many
different consumer websites out there that will allow users to post reviews of equipment, then rate them
on a five or ten point scale.  Anytime you are reading reviews, it's very important that you get
your information from a trusted and reliable source.

Websites that are up by the owner of the product, orthose that are trying to sell you specific hardware
normally aren't the best to turn to when you need to read a review.  No one who is trying to get you to
buy a certain piece of hardware is going to tell you about the flaws the equipment has, or even let
you know about a competitor who has a similiar item for sale at half the price.

All across the internet, you can find many different websites that offer the information you seek.  There
are several that offer forums, where other users will tell you honest opinions and give you feedback
about the equipment they own.  This can be a great way to find out about the duplication equipment
your interested in and what else is available for you to purchase.

Another excellent place to look for CD duplication equipment reviews is trade magazines and even
electronic magazines.  Magazines will normally test equipment then share their their opinions with their
readers.  Always be sure when you are reading a review that it's an article sponsored by the
magazine and not a paid advertisement.

CD duplication reviews of equipment are a great resource when trying to find a piece of equipment
to use.  With so many on the market, its always good to have resources when you need to make
an important decision.  A review will also tell you everything the label and description of the
product leaves out, which can help to ensure you get the best piece of duplication equipment for
your hard earned money.