Guides for reading what's etched into your records

Long-form reference material on identifying vinyl and CD pressings — written for collectors who want to know exactly which copy they are holding before they buy, sell or grade it.

• Sterling, Masterdisk & the mastering stamps in your dead wax

  What STERLING, MASTERDISK, RVG, TML and the other engineer marks actually mean, how they got there, and why two copies of the same album can sound completely different.

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• How to spot a first pressing vinyl record

  A practical checklist: label variations, matrix and stamper numbers, rim text, catalog prefixes, sleeve printing and the traps that catch even experienced buyers.

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• CD IFPI codes explained: mastering SID, mould SID and matrix strings

  Where to find the codes on a compact disc, how to tell an L-code from a mould code, what the numbers map to, and how to date a disc when no IFPI code exists.

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New to dead wax entirely? Start with the complete guide to reading vinyl runout and CD matrix codes.