Are Record Club CDS Inferior to Store Bought CDs?
 
  When Record clubs were first introduced, BMG and especially Columbia House  (CH)  mass-produced millions of LPs that looked like store-sold albums, but had issues of quality.  Specifically, the master discs that albums were made from were overused, resulting in a degraded audio product.  Within a short time, true album collectors shunned these ‘record club’ recordings.  In addition, the collectibility value of these records were anywhere from ½ to 1/3rd value of the same record that was store-bought.
 
      CDs however, are an entirely different matter.  The major production plant for producing American CDs is located in Terre Haute, Indiana.  That plant now produces BOTH record club cds and commercial cds.   There is virtually no difference in the technology used to produce either.  In other words, they learned from their bad experiences of ‘returned’ or defective product.  Coincidentally, Columbia House Record Club headquarters is also located in Terre Haute, while BMG Record Club headquarters is based in Indianapolis: both are in Indiana.
 
   So what are the differences?
 They are largely cosmetic.  The inserts in a record club cd may or may not have all the liner notes that the store-bought cd has.   The record club cd also frequently omits the barcode; inserting in that place a  catalog system unique to BMG or Columbia House.    The actual blank cds before they are written on are the same.

  So why the bad rap on record club cds? 
People still remember the problems records had from the clubs.  Also, record and music stores played up this angle and lied frequently to store patrons that record club cds are inferior.   I have researched this topic extensively.  There is NO scientific data to back up the store’s claims.  Dropouts on cds, usually due to oxidation or rust are the same for both.  They both seem to last the same time.  In many cases, the record clubs RE-master the original master discs for mass production, cleaning up the first release sounds.  Tape hiss is eliminated on remastering, gaps between songs are better spaced, and additional songs may be added.  Seldom is the opposite (omitting songs) the case.   BMG may remaster cds, but Columbia House refused to change the original product granted from the original Label.
 
  Then, why are record club cds so much cheaper? 
Easily explained:  the record clubs obtain special licensing from large labels to distribute their cds.  Believe me, if the quality was that poor, the major labels such as WEA, Columbia, or Sony, would  NOT renew the BMG or Columbia House licenses.  The people who suffer from record club purchases are not the public:  instead, it is the artist himself that gets less royalties for record club cds, and that is the prime difference in cost.    Older recordings, such as 60’s rock and roll (notorious for bad fidelity) may sound worse on record club cds.  This could happen because BMG or CH doesn’t not want to pay for the ‘upgraded’ sound product that the label produced AFTER they themselves cleaned up the sound problems.
 
   Record club cds are also cheaper because they make up some of their money in shipping and handling costs, or membership costs, or double-cd shipping costs. 
 
   How can you tell a record club cd from a store-bought one?
     BMG omits the barcode entirely and use their own cataloging system.  This makes it difficult to sell on EBAY or other sites since several versions of a cd may exist and reading in  or typing in the barcode is the easiest way for the system to differentiate between them.   BMG also has an international distribution network that is NOT actual record club product, but will show BMG somewhere on the back insert.
      Columbia House often uses the letters ‘CH” or "AD" before or after the catalog number, and DOES use a barcode system that is usually, but not always, the same as the store-bought cds.  The spine catalog number will be different, however.
 
    So the next time someone tells you record-club cds are inferior, simply say:  Prove it.  They won’t be able to find ANY empirical evidence that this is the case.  The caveat here is simple:  if you are buying a cd for collectibility, you are probably better off staying with the store-bought cds simply because people are still prejudiced against record club material due to their experiences with albums.  My advice is: unless you really like extensive liner notes, record club cds on the secondary market (used) offer a good value for the money.
 
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Happy listening, and I hope this helps explain the difference between store and record club product.
 
Jeff Feezle of Macafeez