Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

I’m using my own designer. How do I make sure that he or she does things the way Oasis needs them?
We offer full-sized downloadable electronic templates at www.oasisCD.com/templates. They are available in various formats for both Macintosh and Windows platforms. Our Client Advisors are also skilled at answering most graphics questions.

All Oasis graphics templates have recently been revised – be sure you are using a current version! You can ensure this by visiting www.oasisCD.com/templates right before preparing your project.

I need a special warning label or symbol on my CD. What do I do?
Oasis can provide you with a special “Parental Advisory” logo and the © symbol, etc. They’re available for download as a part of the “Oasis CD font” at www.oasiscd.com/templates or we can print them for you as stickers. If you have any questions please contact your client advisor.

What should we do about a bar code?
As an Oasis client you can purchase a unique and genuine UPC bar code for just $20. The code is yours and yours alone, permanently. This is important for retail sales, and for most Web sales as well.

Alternatively, you can join the Uniform Code Council at www.uc-council.org. The cost for this is $750, but you can generate numerous bar codes for your own use.

Do you really GUARANTEE your turn times?
Yes! This is a complete break with the rest of the industry’s “turn times in big print, disclaimers in small print” tradition. At Oasis, turn times on qualifying products are guaranteed. These are indicated in this catalog as GTT.

Do I really get MONEY BACK if you miss my turn?
Yes! We refund you a full $100 per day, for every day we are late on a guaranteed turn time project. Up to a full $500 refund! (Don’t count that money yet – we aren’t going to miss your turn time!) Please see more details in “Oasis Terms and Conditions” below and at oasisCD.com/gtt.

What about overruns and underruns?
We try to deliver as close to the exact number of units ordered as possible, but it’s important that you allow for as much as 5% over or under that number. The reason for overruns and underruns is this: all CD plants manufacture a bit more than you order, then discard any copies that don’t meet quality standards. If there are more discards than we expect, you’ll receive fewer copies than you ordered; if there aren’t many discards, you’ll receive somewhat more. You will only be charged for the exact number of CDs or DVDs you receive. Don’t want to pay for overs? Simply prepay your order in full and they’re free!

I’m confused about cover songs and sampling…
Cover songs are easily and economically dealt with. If your CD includes music that you did not write, you owe a small licensing fee (“mechanical royalty”) to the copyright holder of each cover song. It’s generally very easy to get this license online at www.songfile.com for quantities of 2,500 or less.

We encourage you to happily support your fellow musicians in their efforts to earn a living, and we trust that when they record your songs, they’ll do the same.

Sampling is harder. If your CD includes music that is sampled from other works, you have to get licenses from the original master’s owner, which can be difficult and expensive. Remixes and DJ CDs are equally difficult to clear. Oasis can not manufacture from a master that contains any unlicensed samples.