DDP EXPLAINED

DDP or "Disc Description Protocol" is a mechanism for the submission of all relevant CD and DVD duplication parameters to a disc manufacturer. It's a file-based system which does away with the need to submit a physical master and separate, accompanying PQ information. These relevant parameters include: pause gap measurements between songs, cross fades, and other salient disc information. The protocol was launched by Doug Carson and Associates (DCA, Inc.), who developed it to provide duplication facilities with a “consistent and complete description of the input media” used in CD and DVD manufacture. The file system is intended to replace a physical master disc, which can carry inherent 'errors'. While not necessarily debilitating (All CD players/readers automatically 'correct' the simplest of them), these errors do exist on all physical discs. This method of transmission eliminates these potential bug-a-boos from the equation to meet a higher standard. Hard to argue with higher standards!

A DDP file will contain the following elements:

A 3-file system containing DDPID, DDPMS, and DDPPQ (or SUBCODES) elements which purvey the disc's descriptive and organizational information
A file that contains the disc's CD Text information
A file that contains the disc's audio data

While obviously not the highest priority in a recording project (this won't matter to you at all if you're releasing your recording solely in the digital domain), it pays to make sure that employing this mechanism is the best way to approach your disc manufacture and subsequent release.

Some things to note in this regard:

Not all disc replicators accept DDP for manufacture.
Depending on the replicator, DDP can speed up the manufacturing process. You'll generally eliminate the delay shipping causes, and you'll 86 any occasion that your master disc is damaged or lost.
When they do accept DDP, make sure you're not going to receive boxes of discs with all kinds of DDP files on them instead of music.
Upload online is the preferred method of transfer. If you or you or your mastering engineer lack this capability, you'll need to determine that the duplication house will accept the files on DVD or similar.

To reiterate: if you're not releasing a CD; that is: if you're only releasing audio for download or other digital transmission, then DDP won't figure into your plans. If you have any more questions on this, hit me up!

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DDP EXPLAINED

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