Diskfaktory CD Duplication Review
I lost my main CD duplicator when MP3.com finally closed its doors. That really bit because MP3.com offered one-off CD duplication. Sure the quality was not the best, but considering we had six CDs completed, plus, a bunch of singles. It was our best outlet for CD duplication... at least until Diskfaktory came along.
I don't remember now how I found Diskfaktory, but it was through GuitarCenter.com's website. But the CD duplication price was amazing.
100 fully-packaged CDs for just $219 (after shipping). Single panel, full-color throughout. I really didn't see a better deal online. Cafepress, $8 for one-offs. I think there was a generic site that did $4 per CD like MP3.com, but lacked the packaging. Diskfaktory offered ALL the best CD duplication services at a reasonable price.
So, for my first solo CD, Soul of a Harper, I decided to try them a try back in December. I uploaded I 360kbps MP3s up to their website, and all the graphics. the CD came back and looks fantastic. No audio flaws. Graphics look great. It looks more professional than some of our earlier CDs! Plus, the turn-around was timely.
Since then, I've pressed other CDs: A Celtic Renaissance Wedding, Songs of Ireland, and Coventina's Well. Problems? A few.
First their order form kinda bites. They don't have a separate shipping and billing address section. So you have to talk directly to folks there. They'll give you a call, but considering I don't always remember my shipping address (different from my billing), it's annoying to say the least.
Second, Coventina's Well had a small skip on one song. I uploaded all the tracks, so I guess their Quality Control missed that one wee error. And I have yet to check whether the error stems from my MP3 or from the upload process. But hiccups do occur when uploading songs online.
Third, Songs of Ireland I made a master copy and mailed it to them. I didn't notice any probs when I sent it, but they said it had an error. So it did not pass their Quality Control. Glad they have the QC, but it was frustrating.
Fourth, they don't seem to use ID tags for the CDs... at least when you upload files. Not sure about the other.
The only other problem I see is fixing errors. I found some graphic errors on CDs that I made. I wanted to fix them. To do so, I have to go through the entire process of uploading graphics and sending a new master. There's no easy way to fix those errors. They will transfer the master from one project to another, but it costs $30 and the time to give them a call. Overall, not too big a deal, but bugs me nonetheless.
Bottom Line: Is Diskfaktory worth it?
My answer. Hell yes!
The pricing is the best. If you know you'll sell more than 500 CDs quickly, you might be better off trying out a different duplicator. The prices aren't as good in quantities of 500 or 1000 (10% and 20% off, respectively). But they're also not too shabby.
This is by far the best low-run CD duplication business I've seen online. I'd be happier if they fixed these problems, OR I found another one that was competitive, but I have yet to see a service half as good. If that's what you're looking for, head on over to Diskfaktory and start printing CDs.
ADDED 4/28/2005:
Diskfaktory started adding large runs. Great new addition and for just about a buck a CD. Pretty damned good deal.
I don't remember now how I found Diskfaktory, but it was through GuitarCenter.com's website. But the CD duplication price was amazing.
100 fully-packaged CDs for just $219 (after shipping). Single panel, full-color throughout. I really didn't see a better deal online. Cafepress, $8 for one-offs. I think there was a generic site that did $4 per CD like MP3.com, but lacked the packaging. Diskfaktory offered ALL the best CD duplication services at a reasonable price.
So, for my first solo CD, Soul of a Harper, I decided to try them a try back in December. I uploaded I 360kbps MP3s up to their website, and all the graphics. the CD came back and looks fantastic. No audio flaws. Graphics look great. It looks more professional than some of our earlier CDs! Plus, the turn-around was timely.
Since then, I've pressed other CDs: A Celtic Renaissance Wedding, Songs of Ireland, and Coventina's Well. Problems? A few.
First their order form kinda bites. They don't have a separate shipping and billing address section. So you have to talk directly to folks there. They'll give you a call, but considering I don't always remember my shipping address (different from my billing), it's annoying to say the least.
Second, Coventina's Well had a small skip on one song. I uploaded all the tracks, so I guess their Quality Control missed that one wee error. And I have yet to check whether the error stems from my MP3 or from the upload process. But hiccups do occur when uploading songs online.
Third, Songs of Ireland I made a master copy and mailed it to them. I didn't notice any probs when I sent it, but they said it had an error. So it did not pass their Quality Control. Glad they have the QC, but it was frustrating.
Fourth, they don't seem to use ID tags for the CDs... at least when you upload files. Not sure about the other.
The only other problem I see is fixing errors. I found some graphic errors on CDs that I made. I wanted to fix them. To do so, I have to go through the entire process of uploading graphics and sending a new master. There's no easy way to fix those errors. They will transfer the master from one project to another, but it costs $30 and the time to give them a call. Overall, not too big a deal, but bugs me nonetheless.
Bottom Line: Is Diskfaktory worth it?
My answer. Hell yes!
The pricing is the best. If you know you'll sell more than 500 CDs quickly, you might be better off trying out a different duplicator. The prices aren't as good in quantities of 500 or 1000 (10% and 20% off, respectively). But they're also not too shabby.
This is by far the best low-run CD duplication business I've seen online. I'd be happier if they fixed these problems, OR I found another one that was competitive, but I have yet to see a service half as good. If that's what you're looking for, head on over to Diskfaktory and start printing CDs.
ADDED 4/28/2005:
Diskfaktory started adding large runs. Great new addition and for just about a buck a CD. Pretty damned good deal.
posted by Marc Gunn, Music Marketing | 11:56 AM
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