It's important that your master sounds exactly the way you want it to sound, with all of the songs in the correct order and the right amount of spacing between songs. You should make a safety copy of your master before you ship or deliver it anywhere.

If you are getting mastering from the SoundLab at Disc Makers, please download and fill out the SoundLab Engineering questionnaire, to help our engineers get the most out of your master.

Your master must be mixed to two tracks, edited, and sequenced. Make sure it sounds exactly like you want it to sound, with all the songs in the correct order and the right amount of spacing between songs.

We do not provide equalization or level adjustments unless requested. As part of our mission to make you sound great, an engineer from The SoundLab at Disc Makers will – upon request – preview your master FREE and let you know if your master would benefit from post production. For more information about the post production services performed by The SoundLab at Disc Makers, click here.

You must complete a Track Listing Form with your master. Click here to download the form. Required information on the form includes a complete and accurate running time log listing all events (tones, silences, songs, outtakes, noises, etc.) as they occur.

For CD replication, track starts should be indicated on the log.

Maximum program lengths vary by format. For CDs, the maximum length is 79:45 minutes. For programs over the industry recommended 78:00 total time, you must submit a signed disclaimer form with your order. Click here to download the Disclaimer Form.

Digital Audio Tape (DAT)
• Digital Audio Tape: 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz sampling rate
• Pre-roll: 10-15 seconds recorded silence. (Optional) Calibration tone: 1 kHz at -12 dB (never at 0 dB).
• Start IDs: sequentially numbered, placed at the start of each selection, one number per song.
• If you are ordering CDs, a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz is highly recommended. Optional for cassettes.
• Your dB meters should peak at 0, with no over levels, and must average above -15 dB (Red Book minimum standard).
• Be sure your DAT and box are labeled.

1610 or 1630 U-matic Tape
• For 1630s: (Optional) Calibration tone: 1 kHz at maximum peak recorded level.
• Tape must be striped with continuous SMPTE time code. Record in non-drop frame mode at 44.1 kHz sampling rate.
• Tape must include a frame-accurate running time log and CRC report.
• Minimum of 2 minutes digital black pre-roll and 1 minute of digital black post-roll. 

1/2" or 1/4" Analog Tape
• 30 ips, 15 ips, or 7 1/2 ips.
• Alignment (test) tones at head: 1 kHz, 10 kHz, and 100 kHz at 0 dB operating level.
• Indicate type of noise reduction, if any, and include proper tones.
Leader tape at head and tail of tape (15 seconds minimum) and two to four seconds in between songs.
• Tape slow-wound, tails out, in properly labeled box.

Handling masters
Handle all masters carefully, both before and after recording. Touch them only by the edges and keep them free of fingerprints and scratches that can cause data errors. Make sure your master and box are labeled clearly with your contact information.

DVD Masters
Before sending in your master, test it thoroughly to make sure that it performs exactly the way you want it to. Your finished discs will be an identical copy of your master.

DVD+R or DVD-R are acceptable for replication of DVD-5 and DVD-10 discs, and can be produced on either an authoring or general drive. For DVD-9, you must supply two DLT masters (layer 0 and layer 1, click for acceptable formats) or DDPs on DVD-Rs. DVD+R DL can also be used for DVD-9s (click for more info about DVD-+R DL issues) DLTs and DDPs on disc are also acceptable for DVD-5 and DVD-10. Any project requiring CSS or Macrovision copy protection must be authored as such and must be submitted on DLT or DDP on disc. All DLT masters must include DDP files.

Always use high-quality recordable (DVD-R or DVD+R) non-rewritable discs for your DVD masters. DVD-ReWritable (DVD-RW) discs should not be used for making DVD masters. Not all DVD readers can read DVD-RW discs. This can lead to problems during replication.

Need help preparing your DVD master? Click here for information about our authoring services.