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Intermediate Guide

How CD Manufacturing Works

A practical guide to modern CD production workflows for independent artists: masters, glassing/duplication, packaging, and release planning.

By Leerecs Editorial Team · Published June 2026 · 11 min read

CD Is Still Strategic

CD remains viable in many independent scenes due to low unit costs, easy merch integration, and collector appeal for complete catalogs.

Workflow

  1. Prepare production master
  2. Author metadata and track order
  3. Choose duplication or replication path
  4. Select packaging (jewel case, digipak, wallet)
  5. Launch with catalog and format bundle strategy

Pair this with Vinyl and Cassette planning for full-format release architecture.

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Cite This Article
Leerecs. (2026). How CD Manufacturing Works. Leerecs Editorial. https://leerecs.com/resources/how-cd-manufacturing-works

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