CDs, DigiPaks, CD Box Sets

CDs in the Supreme Chaos Records Shop

The CD as a physical medium has long since lost its importance, but in our genre it lives on, not least because of great packaging. The more artistic expression is additionally underlined and reinforced here by the haptic experience of a clamshell box, a particularly artistically presented DigiBook or a large box set.

Why the CD is a great medium

Compact Discs (CDs) revolutionized the music industry as the first widely accessible digital medium, combining durability, high sound quality, and portability into a single format.

Manufacturing

The production of a CD begins with mastering, in which the audio recordings are converted into digital data and prepared for production. This data is transferred to a glass master, which is coated with a thin layer of metal. The glass master serves as a template for the matrix, which in turn is used to manufacture the CDs. In an injection molding process, polycarbonate is pressed into the matrix, whereby the digital data is stored as microscopically small pits in the material. A reflective aluminum layer and a protective lacquer complete the CD before it is printed and packaged.

History

The CD was introduced in the 1980s by Philips and Sony as the first digital storage medium for music. It set new standards in sound quality and durability, which quickly made it the preferred medium for music lovers. Especially in the 1990s, with the boom of heavy metal and its sub-genres, the CD experienced its heyday. For many bands, it was an easily accessible and mass-produced format that allowed them to distribute their music worldwide while presenting visually appealing album layouts.

The CD in rock and heavy metal

Even today, the CD remains a valued medium in the heavy metal scene. It offers an affordable way to release music in physical form while maintaining digital sound quality. Bands use the format to offer their fans high-quality booklets and exclusive content, and for collectors, the CD remains an important part of their archives. At a time when vinyl and digital formats dominate, the CD endures as a practical alternative and remains a central element in metal’s DIY culture.