Design Recap: More on CD Design

by SaskMusic

July 29, 2009 in Marketing & Promotion

First impressions count! Make sure you allow enough in your recording budget for a professional looking CD.

Your press kit and CD will often get separated, so the CD itself should provide all necessary information.

These should be printed on the back of your CD:
  • Track list with tracks numbered, and length of each song given (especially if you will be shipping to radio)
  • Your copyright notice, indicating the year of production, and a statement prohibiting reproduction.
  • A bar code, if distributing to ANY retail outlets. These are relatively inexpensive, so cover your butt and put one on. You need to obtain separate bar codes for CDs and cassettes (as they are two different items and two different prices). Your manufacturer should be able to obtain them for you.
  • The MAPL logo, especially if shipping to radio.
  • The FACTOR logo, if the project is FACTOR-funded, along with any other sponsors' logos.
  • Your catalogue number (you make up your own, unless your label has assigned one. It identifies your disc at the manufacturing plant, and is used by record stores for cataloguing)
  • "Made in Canada"
  • Writer and publisher credits (copyrights)
  • Contact info - address PLUS email or phone is best
These items should be printed on the CD itself:
  • Artist name and CD title.
  • The MAPL logo.
  • Your copyright notice.
  • The "compact disc" logo MUST be clearly seen.
  • Your catalogue number.
  • "Made in Canada".
Sure, your totally blank CD may look really cool, but it'll be totally useless when that A & R guy can't figure out which jewel case it goes with.

And as for the CD insert…
  • If you can afford it, printing the lyrics out is really handy for those who will review your CD or consider it for airplay.
  • Songwriters and musicians should be clearly indicated for each track.

By Lorena Kelly for SaskMusic. Originally published December 1998.

These archive versions of The Session Feature Articles are posted as initially published. Deadlines, contacts and links have not been updated. Please keep this in mind when using this resource. In some cases, updates can be found in a more recent editions of The Session.

Back