Real artists release physical albums

One of the best ways to connect with your fans is to provide them with physical media – and yes, we're talking CDs. There's nothing like producing your work on a compact disc with the classic CD jewel case, unique packaging, high-quality graphics, and memorable artwork. Owning a physical copy of the CD gives your audience a unique way to experience and appreciate the full production of your work. But how exactly are your music files copied onto discs? By either disc duplication or replication.

CD replication, or CD pressing, is the most common form of disc manufacturing. Replicating discs means molding them from plastic pellets, starting by creating a metal stamper that essentially contains your music content that will go on the disc. This stamper is mounted in the injection mold cavity, so that the discs being molded already contain your content. This process is very efficient, with content molded onto a disc every 3-4 seconds! Because of all the setup that's required for this process, replicated discs are typically preferred for larger quantities. Disc Makers is the only company that will replicate discs in quantities starting as low as 500 units.

Short run CD duplication, on the other hand, is a better choice when you only need a small quantity of around less than 500 discs. You might be familiar with the term “burning CDs” – which is essentially what we're doing in this process. Our automated duplicators can burn multiple discs at once, and we'll print your discs using either an industrial inkjet printer or silkscreen printing.

To see the difference in CD duplication services, check out this YouTube video from our factory.

Right here at Disc Makers! We offer plenty of options to order just the right number of CDs you need for your upcoming gig or to sell on your merch page. From larger quantities to bulk, we offer custom CDs no matter what genre of music you play.

We also specialize in making custom DVDs, USBs, bespoke packaging, and much more. Physical media is important now more than ever, and it's important to express your branding through a product your customer or fan can take home forever. At Disc Makers, it's our mission to empower artists and musicians to do what they love – and since 1946, we've been doing just that!

Yes! For one, streaming audio quality can't compare to CD. Plus, CDs are one of the best ways to build fan engagement, and they're the best way to monetize your music. We offer plenty of CD production options so that you can order CDs for your upcoming gig or to sell on your merch page. From larger quantities to bulk orders, we offer custom CDs no matter what genre of music you play.

We also specialize in making custom DVDs, USBs, and much more. Physical media is important now more than ever, and it's important to express your branding through a product your customer or fan can take home forever. At Disc Makers, it's our mission to empower artists to do what they love – and since 1946, we've been doing just that!

From classic CD jewel cases to eco-friendly cardboard sleeves, we offer a variety of options to suit your needs.

• The jewel case is the classic, old-school CD packaging format that fans of the retro look prefer.
• The all-board wallet and the digipak with its plastic tray are made from recycled board stock, and are lighter weight. This makes them a good option to take on the road or for order fulfillment by mail (where jewel cases can easily crack).
• The ultra-lightweight CD jacket, our most affordable format, is perfect for a demo, or even for autographing at your concerts.

All Disc Makers packaging formats can be customized, with multiple foldout panels, multi-page booklets, and even with multi-disc sets. And if you're looking for an alternative storage option, our USB flash drives can hold audio, video, and any kind of digital content you can imagine. Explore all our disc packaging options and color printing design services to see which is the right fit for you.

Like vinyl records and ‘90s fashion trends, CDs are finding their way back into our hearts and homes. Not to mention, CDs are still one of the best ways for artists to promote their music and send fans home with their music. On a CD, your songs don't have a chance of getting lost in the literal shuffle of streaming platforms, giving your fanbase an even bigger way to expand and grow. Plus, our expert mastering services ensure your music has a professional sound, giving your tracks the edge and high quality they need.

But don't just take our word for it! Learn more about the “CD revival” here.

There's nothing quite like the moment a fan slides a record out of its sleeve, drops the needle, and hears your music come alive in a way streaming just can't replicate. Owning a physical copy of your album on vinyl gives your audience a tactile, lasting connection to your art. So how exactly does your music end up in those grooves? Through a process called vinyl pressing.

Vinyl record pressing starts with cutting a lacquer master from your audio files at our SoundLAB mastering studio, which is then electroplated to create a metal stamper. That stamper is mounted in a vinyl pressing machine, where pucks of heated PVC are pressed between two stampers (one for each side) at high pressure, molding the grooves directly into the record. Labels are bonded to the disc during this same step. Once pressed, the records are cooled, trimmed, inspected, slipped into inner sleeves, and packaged into jackets, ready for the merch table.

Because pressing requires custom stampers for every release, the setup is more involved than short-run CD duplication, which is why most plants set high minimums. Disc Makers specializes in short-run pressings starting at just 100 units, so you can make a vinyl record without committing to thousands of copies.

Want to see it for yourself? Check out how vinyl records are made at our factory.

Right here at Disc Makers! We offer plenty of options to press just the right number of custom vinyl records for your upcoming tour or to sell on your merch page. From 12" LPs to 7" singles and EPs to double LPs, we'll press your vinyl no matter what genre of music you play.

To make a vinyl record with us, upload your audio master, choose your format and quantity (starting at just 100 units), pick your jacket and label artwork (our downloadable vinyl templates make sure your files are press-ready), and select from a wide range of colors and special effects. Want vinyl and CDs together? Our Vinyl + CD Combo bundles both formats into a single order, so your fans can grab whichever they prefer.

At Disc Makers, it's our mission to empower artists and musicians to do what they love, and we've been doing just that since 1946!

Affordable! Custom vinyl records from Disc Makers start at just $999 for 100 12" LPs in Euro jackets. That's some of the cheapest vinyl pressing pricing in the U.S. for a fully retail-ready run, including lacquer mastering, 140-gram pressings, full-color jacket printing, white inner sleeves, and shrink wrap.

Pricing scales with format, quantity, color choice, and packaging. 7" singles typically come in lower since they use less material, while double LPs and specialty color effects (splatter, marble, mystery color) cost a bit more. For an exact total tailored to your project, head to our instant quote tool, where you can model out different quantities and add-ons in seconds.

And here's the math that matters: at 100 records pressed for $999, selling each one at $25 means you cover your investment after just 40 sold and pocket the rest as profit. Vinyl record prices have stayed strong, and fans consistently pay a premium for a beautifully pressed album they can hold in their hands.

From classic 12" LPs to vibrant colored pressings, we offer a variety of custom vinyl records to suit your release.

• The 12" LP is the classic album format, giving you 12" x 12" of artwork real estate, room for roughly 22 minutes per side, and the format most fans expect for a full-length record.
• The double LP is the move when your album runs longer than 45 minutes, when you want more dynamic range per side, or when you're putting out a deluxe release with gatefold packaging.
• The 7" record is the go-to for singles, EPs, splits, and tour-only releases. It's affordable for short-run vinyl pressing and easy for fans to grab at shows.

On top of format, you can customize every record with classic black, transparent or opaque colors, splatter, marble, or mystery-color effects. These are perfect for limited edition vinyl drops your superfans will hunt down. And if you want to release on multiple formats at once, our Vinyl + CD Combo bundles a 12" LP pressing with a matching CD run in a single order.

Vinyl never really left, and it's now growing faster than any other physical music format. Sales have climbed every year for nearly two decades, with new buyers ranging from Gen Z first-timers picking up their first turntable to lifelong collectors hunting limited edition releases. There's nothing quite like the warmth of vinyl playback, the ritual of dropping the needle, and the 12" canvas you can fill with bold cover art.

For artists, that means real revenue and real fan connection. Selling a single record at a show puts more in your pocket than thousands of streams, and a beautifully pressed custom vinyl record gives your fans something they can hold, gift, and keep forever. With expert mastering for vinyl from our SoundLAB engineers, your tracks are dialed in for the format. Our engineers manage low end, stereo imaging, and inner-groove playback so your release sounds as good on a high-end turntable as it does on a portable player.

Want to dig deeper into the vinyl revival? Grab our free Musician's Guide to Vinyl, or browse vinyl articles on the blog for everything from mastering tips to manufacturing breakdowns.