Disc Makers Breaks CD & DVD Manufacturing Records: The CD’s Not Dead Yet

October’s disc replication figures prove that physical media continues to have a significant place in the digital world.

Disc Makers, the nation’s leading independent CD and DVD manufacturer, has reported some interesting news in this era of digital downloads and music streaming. The company announced today that in October it broke two of its all-time disc replication records, proving that — as much as ever — physical media is a crucial part of any musician’s product offerings and the CD is not yet dead. In October 2012, Disc Makers replicated 4,380,296 CDs, an increase of over 600,000 units from October, 2011. This figure outpaces Disc Makers’ prior all-time monthly CD & DVD replication record of 4,013,000 CDs, which had held since 2008.

“The music industry has always sustained two simultaneous formats,” says Disc Makers CEO Tony van Veen. “Whether it was vinyl and cassettes, or cassettes and CDs, or now CDs and downloads/streams, these numbers show the continued demand for multiple formats simultaneously. As the primary product offering at live shows, as an additional driver of online sales, and as a requirement for any serious product release PR campaign, having CDs is a vital part of every musician’s marketing mix.”

The new record-breaking disc replication numbers not only indicate that independent artists may be feeling the positive effects of economic recovery, but also that the music industry has settled into a more comfortable balance between the demand for physical media and growing digital music technologies. “A few years ago, during the height of the economic crisis, many music business pundits were hyping digital-only releases,” says van Veen. “But now that much of the dust has settled, independent artists know they’re leaving money on the table if they don’t make their music available in both physical and digital form.”

In addition to breaking its previous CD manufacturing record, Disc Makers also set a new all-time record for DVD production at 1,113,508 units, suggesting similar trends for businesses which create video media as part of their marketing or product offerings. “We’re really thrilled by these CD & DVD replication numbers,” says van Veen, “and expect to see strong demand continue for the foreseeable future.”