Keeping your CDs and DVDs in good condition is crucial to their longevity. It can be very frustrating when you discover that your audio CD that you haven’t played in a year now skips in your player. CD and DVD media can realistically over 10 years if handled and stored properly. You should also do the following:

Always purchase high quality Grade A blank media discs. You get what you pay for in this market. The best manufacturers, in my experience, are Taiyo Yuden, Sony and Verbatim.

Write on your media with pens specially designed for CDs and DVDs. If you write with a regular ballpoint pen, you might damage the recording layer of the disc. Either the pressure from the tip of then pen will cause damage or, over the time, the ink from the pen will seep into the disc.

Avoid storing your media in hgih temperatures. Some clients have stored media above their heaters. Optical media can withstand temperatures as high as 50 degrees Celsius, but the optimum ambient temperature is around 25 degrees. Use clam shells, paper wallets or plastic casing to prevent dust and scratches. Also, handle the outside edge of the disc only when you move from the case to drive and back.

Don’t use paper labels on your CDs or DVDs. This is especially crucial if you use your discs frequently or the discs stay in your drive for some time. The heat from the CD or DVD drive, plus the spinning of the disc, can cause the paper labels to crack and peel. The result is the balance of the disc is altered and you will receive disc read errors. Or, even worse, the disc could become stuck in the drive. The adhesive in paper labels may also seep into the reflective and dye layers of your disc over time making it useless.

Learn more about CD and DVD duplication. Stop by Tara Roitman’s site where you can find out all about DVD duplication and what it can do for you.