ABOUT THE PROCESS

1. Audio Master. We can accept your audio master in any format (CDR, DAT, Exabyte, DAT, DLT, DVDR). A CDR is absolutely fine, and 99% of all CD masters are supplied in this way. Basically, you need to be 100% happy with the master, and it must play correctly before you send it, as we will not even open it until it reaches the glass mastering facility. Extensive checking before glass mastering will reveal any digital errors or dropouts and damage to the master, but will not be looking for things such as audio levels, sound quality, or track order. You must have this completed before the master reaches us. Your finished discs will be an exact copy of the master, and if they are not we offer a replacement guarantee. We can carry out audio pre-mastering for you, but this may be costly (packages start at £200). If work has to be carried out at the plant, then this price increases steeply, so we recommend that you finalise this yourself or at a studio.

2. Artwork. Although we can set you up with exclusive ftp space on our servers, or receive emails, it is advisable to produce a hard copy on a disc and send this to us. We can then ensure that everything arrives in good shape. If you are asking us to design your artwork, all text must be supplied in either a word file or email. Any drawings or ideas you have about design work will help enormously, regardless of how good an artist you are. We will always send you a proof of the artwork (usually in the form of a pdf email) which you must approve before production can begin. This protects you against receiving a finished product which is not as you expected.

We operate a fair policy of first come first served, so if there is a queue in the artwork department of more than 48 hrs, we aim to tell you about this. It will not always be possible to look at your job the moment it arrives, but we always try our very best to accommodate your needs or put you in touch with someone who can. Artwork is one of the areas which can hold up the start of production, so don't hesitate to ask us in advance if you have any questions, and use our spec sheets from the Artwork section. We all genuinely pride ourselves on always being willing to help. You only have to ask, and we promise that you will receive an honest answer from Media Sourcing. A rule of thumb is to get the artwork to us as a priority, ahead of time if necessary. As with all parts of the process, things can go wrong, so leave as much time as possible. It sounds completely obvious, but don't wait until two weeks before a launch party to start the process if you can help it.

3. Payment. We ask for payment with order, preferably in the form of a cheque, unless a credit account has been specifically agreed in writing beforehand (businesses with clear and traceable credit history only). Upon receipt of your cheque, work will start immediately, although the cheque must clear before goods are dispatched. We also offer an excellent instant online credit card processing system, which is via a link we can email to you, or directly from the 'Instant Quote' page. This is processed securely by securetrading.com, one of the largest and most secure and efficient firms in the business. For certain jobs we ask to reserve the right to pass the charges onto you for this, as profit margins can be very slim. Charges may range from 2.7% to 3.5% of the transaction value depending on the card. We will not normally charge you for using this facility, and would always agree this with you first in any event. Sorry, but we don't accept American Express.

4. Licensing. You may be required to apply for an MCPS license (Mechanical Copyright Society) if your material is owned by a third party. You will need to pay any license fees before issuing that license. If, however, all material is your own, we are the only manufacturer in the UK that can carry out the manufacturing with a simple statement from you in the form of an email or letter. We still recommend that you register your work with the MCPS though, as this protects you in the future and is free of charge. There's a link to their website in our Links section. For data discs (Rom and DVD) you must ensure that the necessary licenses are in place. If, for example, you were to put a copy of Quicktime on your disc, even though this is available as a free download, you will still need to obtain a license from Apple. Other materials for data discs are subject to the same simple procedure as audio, provided it is all your own material.

5. Terms and Conditions. All orders are accepted subject to our terms and conditions. This is the boring small print that we often ignore, but please do read it. It's not there to trick you or give us an unfair advantage, and is written in plain English to make them as open as possible. Media Sourcing operates a very fair and transparent business, so if there's anything we haven't made completely clear, or you don't agree with, please do ask us.

Contact: sales@mediasourcing.com
Telephone: 01743 884567