The ADS Group is a full-service media development and distribution company located near Interstate Highway 494 and County Road 6 in Plymouth, Minnesota. Founded in 1989 as Advanced Duplication Services, LLC, a diskette duplication service, it changed to its current name in October, 2006. Also formerly known as Advanced Duplication Services, Inc.
Identifying The ADS Group on CDs:
Discs manufactured by the ADS Group generally contain matrix information in at least two parts
(❶ and ❷):
❶ A sequential value:
xxxx-CD-yyyy / xxxxx-CD-yyyy / xxxx-DV-yyyy / xxxx-BR-yyyy, where xxxx (or xxxxx in some cases) is a client-specific identifier, and yyyy is a sequential numerical identifier.
❷ And a date code:
aa-ddd-bb-c, where aa indicates a year (CANNOT be prior to 2006), and ddd represents the day within that year (1-365), probably the date that the glass master was created, or on which the order for this release was placed. c is not always present. Please note that while this date code shows that the release in question cannot be from before the date indicated, it should not be construed as the release date, which will have to be some point later than the date indicated in the date code.
The release's catalog number may also appear in the matrix prior to ❶ and ❷.
Some releases feature ADS Group SID codes and element ❷ but are otherwise lacking element ❶.
The ADS Group can be entered with the role 'Manufactured By' in LCCN with the string as follows:
Manufactured by – The ADS Group – xxxx-CD-yyyy / xxxxx-CD-yyyy / xxxx-DV-yyyy / xxxx-BR-yyyy
SID codes commonly found on these discs include:
Mastering SID Codes: IFPI LK13, IFPI LY89 (sometimes mistakenly read as IFPI LV89).
Starting around 2018, IFPI L027 has also been in use, having previously been in use until 2016 by Arvato, USA.
Mould SID Codes: IFPI 3V**, IFPI L8** (sometimes mistakenly read as IFPI 18**).
Note that the Mould SID codes are frequently added to the label/art side of the disc, which can make them appear as if they are mirrored when viewed from behind (the data side of the disc).
The ADS Group may (example) or may not (example) be named in the matrix, but can be identified and credited with the Manufactured By role when this matrix style is present.
Sometimes, Copycats Media or one of its sub-labels may instead be named in the matrix; Copycats is a sales office within the ADS Group which focuses its business more on smaller independent artists and labels. Manufacturing for both Copycats and ADS takes place in the same facility, ultimately owned by the ADS Group. When Copycats Media is named in the matrix, it can be credited with Manufactured By, but it should not be credited based on the identification of matrix information belonging to the ADS Group. Thus, where both the ADS Group can be identified by its characteristic matrix information and Copycats Media also is named in the matrix, both can be credited with Manufactured By. The string xxxx-CD-yyyy / xxxxx-CD-yyyy / xxxx-DV-yyyy / xxxx-BR-yyyy, however, should be added as an LCCN number only for the ADS Group, not Copycats Media. Similarly, where the ADS Group can be identified as previously outlined and www.copycatsmedia.com is named in the matrix, www.copycatsmedia.com can be credited with Made By, in addition to the standard ADS Group credit. Again, the string xxxx-CD-yyyy / xxxxx-CD-yyyy / xxxx-DV-yyyy / xxxx-BR-yyyy should also be added in this case as an LCCN number to the ADS Group only.
Finally, other disc manufacturing companies including www.cravedog.com (example), Furnace MFG (example), Sound Performance (example), WWW.NOISELAND.COM (example), Furnace Record Pressing may be named in the matrix in place of ADS - these companies are acting as brokers here, outsourcing physical disc manufacturing to ADS. Please credit in LCCN as:
Made By – www.cravedog.com, Furnace MFG, Sound Performance, WWW.NOISELAND.COM etc.
Manufactured By – The ADS Group