Sony Digital Audio Disc Corporation
Encyclopedia
Sony Digital Audio Disc Corporation (Sony DADC) is a manufacturer of Compact Disc
s, DVD
s, UMD
s, and Blu-ray Disc
s. The company has many plants worldwide. Although it primarily services Sony
-owned record label
s, it also manufactures discs for other labels.
Sony DADC's first plant, in Terre Haute, Indiana
, opened May 2, 1983, and produced its first CD, Bruce Springsteen
's Born in the U.S.A.
, in September 1984. It was the first CD manufacturer in the United States, is the company's principal CD manufacturing facility, and is the company's research and development center.
The plant was initially a subsidiary of CBS
/Sony Group
, but Sony bought out CBS's stake in October 1985.
When Sony
bought CBS Records in 1988, it acquired that company's manufacturing facilities, some of which later became part of Sony DADC. Among these are the plants in Pitman, New Jersey
(closed in 2011); Terre Haute, Indiana
; Toronto, Canada
; Mexico City
; Salzburg, Austria; Mumbai, India; and Manaus, Brazil—all of which were originally manufacturers of vinyl gramophone record
s. These plants began manufacturing CDs later—Pitman in 1988, Manaus in 1992, and Toronto and Mexico City in 1994.
Sony DADC now manufactures the majority of compact discs sold in the United States. In November 2008, the company bought the disc-manufacturing capabilities of Glenayre Technologies
, which manufactured the discs of Universal Music Group
. In the summer of 2009, the company assumed the physical distribution of EMI
's North American operations. This leaves WEA
as the only major label whose discs are not manufactured by the company.
On August 8, 2011, a Sony DADC distribution center in Enfield
was destroyed during the 2011 England riots
. The warehouse was used by independent music distributor PIAS Entertainment Group
to distribute CDs, LPs, and DVDs for over 100 European independent labels. The total stock loss in the fire was reported to be between 3.5 million and 25 million units.
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
s, DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s, UMD
Universal Media Disc
The Universal Media Disc is an optical disc medium developed by Sony for use on their PlayStation Portable handheld gaming and multimedia platform...
s, and Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
s. The company has many plants worldwide. Although it primarily services Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
-owned record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s, it also manufactures discs for other labels.
Sony DADC's first plant, in Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
, opened May 2, 1983, and produced its first CD, Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
's Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A. is the seventh studio album by American rock singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on June 4, 1984. A critical and commercial triumph, it found Springsteen marking a departure in his sound...
, in September 1984. It was the first CD manufacturer in the United States, is the company's principal CD manufacturing facility, and is the company's research and development center.
The plant was initially a subsidiary of CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
/Sony Group
Business group
A corporate group is a collection of parent and subsidiary corporations that function as a single economic entity through a common source of control. The concept of a group is frequently used in tax law, accounting and company law to attribute the rights and duties of one member of the group to...
, but Sony bought out CBS's stake in October 1985.
When Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
bought CBS Records in 1988, it acquired that company's manufacturing facilities, some of which later became part of Sony DADC. Among these are the plants in Pitman, New Jersey
Pitman, New Jersey
Pitman is a Borough in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the borough population was 9,331.-Geography:Pitman is located at ....
(closed in 2011); Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
; Toronto, Canada
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
; Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
; Salzburg, Austria; Mumbai, India; and Manaus, Brazil—all of which were originally manufacturers of vinyl gramophone record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
s. These plants began manufacturing CDs later—Pitman in 1988, Manaus in 1992, and Toronto and Mexico City in 1994.
Sony DADC now manufactures the majority of compact discs sold in the United States. In November 2008, the company bought the disc-manufacturing capabilities of Glenayre Technologies
Entertainment Distribution Company
Entertainment Distribution Company is a distribution center to which Universal Music Group’s British, German, and American optical disc-manufacturing capabilities were sold during 2004. The company's previous name was Glenayre Technologies...
, which manufactured the discs of Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
. In the summer of 2009, the company assumed the physical distribution of EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
's North American operations. This leaves WEA
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
as the only major label whose discs are not manufactured by the company.
On August 8, 2011, a Sony DADC distribution center in Enfield
Enfield Lock
Enfield Lock is an area in the London Borough of Enfield, North London. It is approximately located east of the Hertford Road between Turkey Street and the Holmesdale Tunnel overpass, to the River Lee Navigation, including the Enfield Island Village. The locality gains its name from the lock on the...
was destroyed during the 2011 England riots
2011 England riots
Between 6 and 10 August 2011, several London boroughs and districts of cities and towns across England suffered widespread rioting, looting and arson....
. The warehouse was used by independent music distributor PIAS Entertainment Group
PIAS Entertainment Group
PIAS is an international licensing, distribution, sales and marketing company for premium music, film and comedy.Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, the group also has significant operations in the UK, France, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, and Ireland....
to distribute CDs, LPs, and DVDs for over 100 European independent labels. The total stock loss in the fire was reported to be between 3.5 million and 25 million units.
Manufacturing codes
Printed on the discs and/or packaging of some CDs are codes indicating master copies (matrix numbers) of discs used in the Sony DADC plants. These codes begin with a 4-letter prefix followed by a series of digits. Common prefixes include the following:- DIDC – Classical recordings released on Sony-affiliated record labels.
- DIDP – Popular (i.e., non-classical) recordings released on Sony-affiliated record labels.
- DIDX – Recordings pressed by DADC for release on non-Sony-affiliated record labels.
- DIDY – Recordings pressed by the US division of DADC for the Columbia HouseColumbia HouseThe Columbia House brand was introduced in the early 1970s by the Columbia Records division of CBS, Inc. as an umbrella for its mail-order music clubs, the primary incarnation of which was the Columbia Record Club, established in 1955. It had a significant market presence in the 1980s and early...
Record Club. - DIDZ – Recordings released on WEAWarner Music GroupWarner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
Japan. (This code was only used from 1983 to 1985.) - CDRM - Software titles
- DVSS - Single-layer DVDs
- DVDL - Dual-layer DVDs
- DRSS - DVD-ROM software titles
- PSRM - PlayStationPlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
titles - PTRM - PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
CD-ROM titles - PDSS - PlayStation 2 DVD-ROM titles