Why do I need a Barcode on my CD?
The short answer is “because the retailers who will be selling your CD for you require it.” It’s the way a retail sale is identified, inventory levels are tracked, and sales are credited. Even if you sell primarily at shows or out of your trunk, you should have a UPC barcode on your album. It conveys professionalism. Additionally, if you want to participate in the Billboard Charts, your sales must be tracked in the SoundScan system. SoundScan requires you to have a UPC number to record your album’s performance.
Do you sell barcodes?
Yes! We sell bar codes that can be used in ANY product at a very affordable price, with ZERO hassle. Just chat w Sarah/Brooke or email [email protected] to ask for a quote.
Are you legit?
Absolutely. The product numbers from our company are all legitimate. However, there is a question as to the status of these numbers if our company dissolves. But that is not happening to Unified. Here are the reasons why.
Four Basic Things:
1. The country identifier.
2. The COMPANY identifier (the name of the entity who purchased the barcode DIRECTLY FROM THE UCC.)
3. The specific PRODUCT number.
4. The verifier number.
In other words, the first number(s) identify the country the product is from — in this case, the U.S..
The second set of numbers “say” Your Company or the name of the person who applied for your barcode.
The next set “say” Your Album.
The next number(s) are the ones, when put to a UCC formula, show that the barcode is not “made-up” — or consist of random numbers.
My Disc Replicator offers Barcode for Free. How does that affect the 4 basic things mentioned above?
The second number will identify the Disc-Replicator/Manufacturing company. In other words, you will bear the name of the manufacturing company, unless you provide that manufacturer with your OWN barcode, issued directly to you from the UCC.
Your “free” Disk Replicator company-assigned barcodes will read like this:
US- Replicator’s company- Dan’s First Album- number verified.
You think you are getting:
US- Dan’s Record Company (or Dan Smith)- Dan’s First Album- number verified.
What about Audiobooks?
If your CD is a talking book, it is within the scope of ISBN, according to the latest Users Manual at ISBN International. An ISBN is less expensive than joining the UCC and you don’t have to continue to pay an annual fee, like you do now with UCC membership. Once you get your ISBN, you follow the process outlined at the Book Industry Study Group web site.
If you need to look up the publisher of a book using the ISBN number, try ISBNdb.com.
For more information, visit http://www.gs1us.org/
Sources:
Simply Barcodes
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James Hill is a veteran of the music industry. He first worked at Warner Reprise Records then later joined Interscope/ Geffen Records where he managed producers and songwriters and got his first platinum record for Keyshia Cole’s The Way It Is. He is now helping indie artists with branding and manufacturing through his company Unified Manufacturing, a CD/DVD/vinyl and merch company in LA.
