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.
