The SonyMusic International Manufacturing and Service Center was located in Haarlem, Holland and operated between 1991 and June 1998, when Record Industry took over the vinyl manufacturing process which is still active in the very same plant.

It was renamed from CBS International Manufacturing And Service Center (aka CBS, Haarlem) around the turn from 1990 to 1991 when Sony Music Entertainment Inc. legally succeeded CBS Records Inc. (further history below).

Releases often carry so-called computer numbers in the format xx-yyyyyy-zz. These numbers can be found on the cover, labels and, adjusted, in the runouts. They were used as order numbers within the Haarlem production cycle.

How to identify vinyl pressings of this plant
The following matrix is normally stamped, but also occasionally etched into runouts: nn yyyyyy zz (or nn-yyyyy-zz),
where
nn is a two digit labelcode
yyyyy is a five digit number (omitting the leading zero and dashes from the computer no., e.g. 08-030034-20 on the cover vs. 08 30034 20 in the runouts).
zz is a two digit sortcode.

Add Pressed By + LCCN number in the format 08 30034 20 (or 08-30034-20 respectively).

Do not add computer numbers printed on the cover or labels for manufacturing, printing or pressing.

Labelcodes
01: International product
02: International Nice Price
03: Local Nice Price
04: Artone
05: Import USA
06: CBS Special Products
07: German special product (TV, Record Club)
08: Manufactured in NL for external orders not distributed by Sony Music
09: Swedish local product
10: Danish local product
11: Promotion material
12: German local product
13: Alpha Records, Sweden
14: French local product
15: Big Bag, Sweden
16: Pile Records, Sweden
17: Dutch local product
18: Uitgeverij I.C. (Children / Dutch local)
19: Pladecompagniet, Denmark
20: Jet Records
21: Norwegian local product
22: Austrian local product
23: Unknown / not assigned
24: Illegal Records (2)
25 - 27: Unknown / not assigned
28: Belgian local product
29: Dutch special product
30: Aquarius
31: UK local product
32: Finnish local product
33: Werf Records (only for NL)
34: Finnish local / TV-Albums
35: Finnish distributed product
36: Czech local product
37: Italian local product
38: Globe Records
39: Cyprian local product
40: Swiss local product
41: Special USA product
42: Spanish local product
43: Special L.A.O. product
44. Portuguese local product
45: Greek local product
46: Israel local product
47: Polish local product
48: Hungarian local product
49: Special Australian local product
50 - 59: Unknown / not assigned
60: S.E.P.L.

Note: might have been subject to changes.

Sortcodes
00: 7"
01: 7", 2nd version
02: 7", 3rd version
03: 7", 4th version
04: 7", small centre hole
05: 7", picture disc or shaped
06: 7", flexi
07: 7", posterbag
10: CD
11: CD, 2nd version
12: CD without paper parts
13: 3" CD (maxi) single or CD 3rd version
14: 5" CD maxi single
15: Unknown / not assigned
17: 5" CD single
18: 5" CD single, 2nd version
19: 5" CD maxi single, 2nd version
20: 12" record (single / LP / 2 x LP)
21: 12" record (single / LP), 2nd version
22: Unsleeved records
23 - 24: Unknown / not assigned
25: 12" single picture disc
26: LP picture disc
27 - 28: Unknown / not assigned
29: 10" record
30: Music cassette
31: Music cassette, 2nd version
35: Music cassette single
36: Computer (data) cassette
37: Music cassette single, 2nd version
38 - 39: Unknown / not assigned
40: Promotion material or empty jackets or inner sleeves and booklets
41 - 49: Unknown / not assigned
50: Mini Disc
51 - 53: Unknown / not assigned
54: Mini Disc maxi single
55 - 59: Unknown / not assigned
60: Computer games
61: DAT
62 - 80: Unknown / not assigned
81: VHS PAL
82: VHS NTSC
83: VHS SECAM
84: 5" CDV PAL
85: 8" Laserdisc PAL
86: 12" Laserdisc PAL
87: Unknown / not assigned
88: 12" Laserdisc NTSC

Note: might have been subject to changes.

History

After the capacities of the facility had been massively expanded during the CBS Records period it consisted of three main departments:

• A vinyl pressing and cassette duplication facility including lacquer cutting and galvanization
• A printing and packaging department which was also referred to as ‘SONY Music Printing, Haarlem’
• A warehouse complex / distribution hub

Digital sound carriers like CDs and MDs were manufactured by DADC Austria and assembled and packaged at Haarlem. After the termination of vinyl production in the UK sister plant in Aylesbury, Haarlem virtually covered Sony Music’s entire UK vinyl market of regular international releases.

Nevertheless the vinyl pressing department soon suffered from massive overcapacities due to a constantly declining market. This eventually resulted in the sale of this department to Ton and Mieke Vermeulenwhich, effected in June 1998, after which the plant was rechristened Record Industry. The last Sony record to be pressed in March 1998 was Various - Laatste Sony Music Elpee.

The Sony Music Printing department was legally excluded and registered as Sony Music Printing (Holland) BV on 30 March 1998. It was sold to IMPAC Europe/Westavco and registered as AGI Media Packaging Haarlem BV on 22 November 2000.

In February 2002 Sony Music announced the shutdown of the distribution hub following the management's decision to open smaller regional distribution hubs in Germany and France which was justified with a further decline in sound carrier sales due to increasing product piracy and private sound carrier duplication. The estate was sold to IKEA in March 2003.

Personnel

General manager: Alex C. Bisi.
Main cutting engineer: Harry Stoker.