JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum CD Duplicators ?

Brian, I am not trying to talk the members here out of supporting the big 2. I am only sharing my first hand knowledge that there are a lot of other equally qualified and reputable brokers out there. They all use the same 2 or 3 replication houses so the real differences come down to product support.

No need to hide from anyone my background. I managed A&R and CD Replication services for JavaMusic.com for a year or so. Their product and price was good, in the end their customer service and overall business sense and ethic proved to be less then stellar. As a result I severed all ties with Java nearly a year ago. I have nothing to gain, not even a 5% brokers kickback by offering my knowledge here. I only offer it because an artist somewhere may find a value in it. Despite my time at Javamusic my experience with the industry there and elsewhere, has taught me things that can be valuable to artists so I share it.

Bells and whistles can be nice and Oasis and Disk Makers have plenty of them to go around for sure. I repeat though that Bells and Whistles are never free. They may occasionally be a loss leader but they are almost always made up for in an inflated charge elsewhere in a package deal. Retailers do it all the time; they mark a product up 30% above normal shelf price, and then advertise a 25% discount sale on it. While the 25% looks and sounds good and brings shoppers running to the registers the truth is the store is making an additional 5% on the product.

However what the poster of this thread asked for was a recommendation of a CD replication company that offers quality without a name brand price or a bunch of added bells and whistles.



In my eyes the opening question would instantly eliminate both Oasis and Disk Makers. It is true that they include extras that are part of their base price, which is part of why their base price is higher then most. For the artist seeking a bargain on a bare bones package there are many options out there that offer the exact same level of product quality at a reasonable price point.

The truth and I know you don't want me to say it but I am going to anyways is that" buying Oasis and or Disk Makers is like buying Name Brand Nyquil over the comparable private label product. When you read the formulas you see that you are getting the exact same product, then a little research will tell you that both products are manufactured in the same plant and at times even come from the same batch vat. The only difference is in the name put on the packaging before it goes out the door. Nyquil sells at $5.00 + a bottle when the same stuff in the private label package sells for $2.50 per bottle. Both will equally relive your cold symptoms because they are the same product.

Anytime you poll a general populace about a product the name brands will always come out on top. Name recognition is why they are the name brands. Just because they are the known name does not mean they automatically are the best value for the dollar. I can buy a Mister Coffee Maker in Walmart for $24.99 or I can buy the same make model and color in Kohl’s Department Store for $49.95. Does buying it at a higher price from a name brand department make it a better product?

Dollars are hard to come buy for most Indie artists. I hate to see them spend the money they do have available to them to record, produce, manufacture and distribute their music unwisely. Education and research are a huge part of the battle in meeting your needs without overextending the budget. If I can help an artist by sharing with them the results of my research and experience then I feel it is my duty to do so. Today, I don’t have to rely on sponsorships from manufactures to carry out my projects so I don’t have to place loyalty with them unless they give me a real reason to do so.

Peace,
Bobby