CD & DVD Replication

You will have to have some particular pieces of computer equipment on your PC or MAC before you can make a DVD replication or a CD replication. You must have a DVD burning drive to do a DVD duplication, just as you must have a CD-ROM drive in order to do a CD-ROM duplication. If you have a combination drive, it can do either.
Here is where it gets a little tricky. If you have a combo drive only, then you have to rip the CD or DVD onto your hard drive first, then burn a copy for yourself using your combo drive. If you have both a CD-ROM and a DVD drive, then you can make a CD replication without having to rip it to your hard drive first. You can simply play the CD in one drive while duplicating it at the same time in the other drive.

You must be sure you have a DVD burning drive before attempting DVD replication. If you simply have a DVD-ROM drive, that means your computer is only set up to play DVDs, not copy them. The same goes for CD drives as well.

If you do not have the ability to simultaneously play and burn in order to make a CD replication or DVD replication, then you do have alternatives. As previously mentioned, you can rip the CD or DVD in question to your hard drive, then make a DVD duplication or CD duplication. In order to rip a CD or DVD to your hard drive, you must have the proper type of program. If you are using a PC, then you likely already have a media player that was pre-installed with your Windows operating system. As for DVD duplication, this would require a special DVD ripping program that you likely don't have preinstalled. There are dozens of reputable programs for doing this, some of which are free of charge on the internet. Simply do an Internet search for "DVD Replication Program" and you will likely find several. Be sure to check consumer comments to ensure you are receiving a quality program.

Once you have ripped the CD or DVD to your hard drive (if indeed you need to do this step) then it is time to burn it. Burning a CD is computer lingo for CD replication and DVD replication. You are basically going to make a copy of something for backup or other uses. It requires you to have a blank CD or DVD in order to complete the task. There are varying degrees of blank CDs and DVDs that will be discussed towards the end of the tutorial.
You would simply insert your blank CD replication disc or DVD duplication disc into the proper slot of your computer and then run the program you have installed onto your hard drive that allows you to make CD replications and DVD replications. The choice of program is up to you—whichever one you find that makes you feel comfortable and is the easiest for you to use. There is no right or wrong program, just whatever feels user-friendly and intuitive to each individual user.

As previously mentioned, you may already have a very speedy and well-designed CD replication installed on your computer. If you are operating a Windows system with the media player on it, then you likely can already burn a CD onto a new disc. Unfortunately, you cannot make DVD duplications with this program, but it is nice to backup your music catalog. Many people like to make extra copies to travel with so that they don't lose the original while on the road. There are few things more frustrating than not remembering you lost something until you are a couple of hundred miles away from it.
Other handy uses for CD Duplication programs would be to store files as well as burning CDs. A CD-ROM duplication can house much more than just music. You can also store digital pictures, important spreadsheets, business documents and .gif files that are animated. If you are a student and need to backup your research or thesis, a CD duplication is an excellent way to do that as well.

There is a myriad of DVD replication programs out on the market. Some are very inexpensive and will set you back less than $20 while others are much more expensive. Of course, the more expensive DVD replication programs have a lot more features on them and are usually much easier to use, even for the DVD duplication beginner. They are designed for professionals, but can be used by beginners as well.

If you are lucky, your computer already came installed with a program that allows you to burn your DVDs. Many media-friendly computers may already have something like this installed on them. Programs such as these are very handy for making copies of home movies or even movies you purchased from a store. If you have more than one TV and DVD player in your house (as most households do) then it is easier to make copies for each room than it is to lug your collection from room to room.

As mentioned earlier in the article, there are varying degrees of CD replication and DVD replication discs available. The most basic is a CD-R and a DVD-R. The –R stands for 'readable' which means that most standard CD and DVD players will be able to play back whatever files you might have copies onto that particular disc. Once you burn something onto a CD-R or DVD-R, that disc can never be used again for burning purposes.

The –RW stands for "re-writable." This means that you can use your CD-RW or DVD-RW for burning purposes more than once. For example, let's say that you burned a DVD duplication of a movie and it turns out that you would rather use that disc for a different movie instead. If you had only a DVD-R, you would be out of luck. But since you made your DVD replication with a DVD-RW, you can copy over it as many times as you like. This is great if you are a bit indecisive and it also helps you save what could amount to a lot of money in the long run.

Of course, because they are more versatile, a DVD or CD-RW will cost more than a mere CD or DVD-R. However, depending on your needs and circumstances, they may be worth the extra investment. You should evaluate your needs and decide which one will be most cost-effective for you both in the short and long run.

Yet another great program that you may or may not have already installed on your computer's hard drive is a labeling software system. Now, it's true that you don't necessarily need to put a label on your CD replication or DVD replication. You can leave it unmarked, or use special CD and DVD copy markers to write directly onto the top surface of the CD or DVD. Many people prefer to use a label instead of a marker in order to keep track of what songs, movies or other files might be on your new CD-ROM duplication. These labels can be a lot of fun and very eye-catching as well.
In order to make these labels, you should have a computer with a printer and special CD/DVD labels that come on a sticker sheet much like mailing labels do. Bring up your program or template for CD/DVD labels and type in the information that you would like printed on your new label. Once you are done, hit "print" and watch your new labels come to life.
Once your new labels have printed, you can affix them directly onto the DVD or CD. They should fit perfectly and already have the hole cut out of them. There are many colors and themes to labels, with some even having special things like glitter or 3-D designs on them to really make them pop.

This is perhaps the most-asked question regarding CD duplication and DVD duplication. People want to know if they are straying onto the wrong side of the law by making a copy of music or movies onto a CD-ROM or other storage disc. It may be legal for you to make a copy of a movie or song, depending on what your intent for the copy is after you have made it. For example, let's say that you make a copy of a CD you already own because you want to have one for your car, and one for the home. Since you are making a copy of the album or songs in question for your own personal use, this would be legal. You have done nothing wrong since you already owned a copy of the music and simply made a copy for yourself.

On the flip side, if you make the copy then give it to a neighbor, then that is usually illegal. It is definitely illegal if you were to charge your neighbor for the copy. Even if you don't charge her for the copy, you still were a part of the distribution process for the copy, which is against the law. If you make a duplicated of any copyrighted material (including movies and songs) and either sell or distribute them, then you are doing something that is illegal. You can only make copies for your own personal use.

If you obtained your copy of the music or movie from an illegal source, it is also illegal. Some illegal sources include other burned copies, P2P (person to person) file sharing networks, and bit torrents, to name a few. Distribution or sale of illegally-obtained copyrighted material is a crime as well.

It is quite easy to make a CD duplication or DVD duplication using your computer. You need to have a CD and/or DVD burner and CD replication and/or DVD replication software installed on your hard drive before you begin. Some computers already come with this type of software pre-installed while others need the software to be downloaded from an Internet site or purchased and uploaded using a CD-ROM. If you don't have multiple drives on your computer, it is necessary to first rip a copy of the files for CD replication or DVD replication to your hard drive first. Just like the copying software, some computers already having ripping software installed while others do not.

You should only make a CD duplication if you already own a copy of that particular music that was legally obtained from a store or retailer. Illegally obtained copies should never be copied again. In fact you should try to avoid these altogether. The same goes for movies. You should only make a duplicate if you already own the movie through legal channels and not from a file sharing network or from a bootlegged copy that can sometimes be obtained even before a movie comes out on DVD.

There are some nice accessories that go with your new CD duplications or DVD duplications. You can use special DVD or CD markers to decorate and label your new disc or you can buy an easy label-making system if you have a printer. The software to make these unique labels usually comes with the labels, and they really make it easier to tell what kind of media you have on your CD-ROM duplication. From important files to digital pictures and anything else, it can all look much more attractive with printed labels.