GZ Media

Czech based company, operating under this name since 1 January 2014, is the largest record manufacturer in the world with expanded manufacturing activities to include investments in Canada (Memphis Record Pressing and Nashville Record Pressing).
Operations include vinyl, CD and DVD manufacturing. Owned by Zdenek Pelc.

Successor to GZ Digital Media (2000–2013).

Vinyl manufacture in Loděnice has taken place continuously since 1951. GZ temporarily used the internal trademark “GZ V!nyl”, also known as “GZ Vinyl”. Sometimes credited with a “www.gzvinyl.com” engraved in the vinyl runout area.
The GZ Media plant in Loděnice stopped glass-mastering, CD/DVD galvanic and CD/DVD pressing processes in September 2021.
Any new CD/DVD order is either produced at the SNA plant in or brokered out to another plant in the Czech Republic. Frequently, these releases use the Laser Beam Recorder codes LBR DF01 and mould codes DFM02, DFM09 or DFM10. For discs manufactured by GZ Media after September 2021, use 'Manufactured By' for the GZ Media credit.

Vinyl matrix schemes - machine etched or stamped in runouts
######X~/Z or ######X~~/Z
“X” = format
“~” = side number
“Z” = galvanoplasty

Main vinyl formats:
E = stereo, 12", 33⅓ RPM
F = stereo, 10", 33⅓ RPM
H = stereo, 7", 45 RPM
M = stereo, 12", 45 RPM
N = stereo, 10", 45 RPM
O = stereo, 7", 33⅓ RPM - "O" can sometimes be mistaken with a "0" (zero)
X = stereo, 78 RPM (very rare)

(GZ may use "E", etc. on a pressing labeled as 'mono', such as on Gramofonové Závody.)

CD matrix scheme
XY####
“X” = year of matrix manufacturing:
A=2014, B=2015, C=2016, D=2017, E=2018, F=2019, G=2020, H=2021.
"Y" = month of matrix manufacturing:
1-9=January-September, A=October, B=November, C=December
Mastering SID code is LD02.
Mould SID code: 5J**
** = numbers

CD matrix will be stored for 2 years, i.e. any represses in that time window will bear the same number.
If the original CD matrix was damaged, a new one will be created with a new number.
Note that the CD matrix year codes “A”, “B”, “C“, etc. were already in use since 1989 by GZ Digital Media.

Please note that many more recent discs made for GZ Media feature a matrix code of the form 2##### or 3#####. As these do not seem to have GZ Media itself as their source, do not add them as catalog numbers to any LCCN entries for GZ Media.

How to
• Use this entity to list releases manufactured in 2014 or later only. All releases manufactured (and released) in 2013 or earlier should be listed under GZ Digital Media because they were still made in 2013.
• GZ Media markers in the vinyl matrix are not sufficient to determine pressing. Use "Mastered At" (to represent plating) unless pressing can be clearly determined. Use the following guidance to determine which roles to use.

•When another company (such as www.gzvinyl.com) is etched into the runouts alongside the etched GZ Media number, a Manufactured By credit for that company should be added in addition to the Pressed By credit for GZ Media.

• When identifiers for Memphis Record Pressing

• Please refer to Precision Record Pressing when an additional etched number starting with 10- (example 10-83451) appears in the runouts alongside the GZ Media number.

• Please refer to Memphis Record Pressing when an additional etched number starting with MRP (example MRP2329) appears in the runouts alongside the GZ Media number.

• Please refer to SNAdisc when an additional etched number starting with M0xxxxxx (example M0114183) appears in the runouts alongside the GZ Media number.

• GZ Media IDs alone in the runouts (no other plant indicated) and no indications of "Made in Canada" or "Made in USA" on the labels or sleeve, use "Pressed By" credit for GZ Media.

Made in USA, Made In Canada, Made in CZ Indicators on stickers / printed on shrink wrap should not be used to identify pressing plants.

LCCN how-to
Vinyl: Enter numbers and the letter only. For example: 130500E, using a role Pressed By or Mastered By (see above notes for determining roles)
Note: digit "2" can be mistaken with the letter "Z", digit "0" with letters "D" or "O". Example.

CD: only the “XY####” string should be entered, without any “GZ” prefix or any optional suffix.
Glass mastering code: only IFPI LD02 - When featured on the disc use Glass Mastered At role with the XY#### in LCCN.
Mould SID code: IFPI 5J** - When featured on the disc use Pressed By role in LCCN.
"Glass Mastered At & Pressed By" - If both SIDs are present on the CD, both roles can be entered in the LCCN.

Note about the vinyl numbering (Source)
"The so called matrix (stamper) numbers are not exactly matrix (stamper) numbers, but metal parts numbers - either for metal mothers or DMM copper plates. Therefore /A or /B indexes. Every copper plate cut (or a mother plate produced from a lacquer) receives an unique number consisting of a "premaster" number (e.g. 97460E1) and an index of cutting (mother producing), e.g. /B means a second DMM cut and /C means a third DMM cut. Or a lacquer cut. For lacquer technology or for externally supplied copper plates (e.g. from Abbey Road studios) where the 3-step technology has to be used it is more complicated as there may be additional indexes - /B would still be the first mother produced from a second lacquer (father/master). /B1 would be a second mother produced from the second lacquer/father, /C3 would be a fourth mother produced from a third lacquer/father etc."

A new system of runout marking for new nickel mother plates (3-step technology) from late 2020:
1) No /A, /B, /C3 etc. galvanoplasty indexes for any externally supplied parts - they were omitted as redundant so then only ######X~ or ######X~~ premaster numbers are present in runout.
2) New 6-7 digits long serial numbers (IDs) of nickel mothers are engraved (e.g. 1041885 or 1101873 - but do not confuse with "10-#####" from PRP)

A new system of stamper numbering from 2025
An additional set of 8 digit, laser etched, stamper numbers 02###### start to appear. Being stamper numbers, they do not require a separate submission nor should they be entered in lccn.

Pressing rings on vinyl associated with this pressing plant:
-a pressing ring at 1 9/32" (32,6mm) diameter