What counts as a different pressing
Collectors use pressing loosely for any version of a record that differs from another: a first issue and a later reissue, copies made in different countries, or the same edition pressed at different plants with different stampers. Our guide to reading the runout groove explains the manufacturing side; this guide puts all the clues together.
You need the exact version for more than bragging rights: tracklists, mastering and sound can differ, and so can what a fair price looks like when you buy or sell.
Start with what is printed
| Clue | Where to look | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Label name and design | Centre label, sleeve spine and back | Who issued this copy; label designs often changed over the years |
| Catalogue number | Spine, back cover, centre label | The label's number for this release |
| Country | Made in or Printed in lines on label and sleeve | Where the record or sleeve was manufactured |
| Barcode | Back cover or a sticker | A later release; generally 1979 or after |
| Years | Rim of the back cover, label text | Publication dates, which are not always the pressing date |
| Label code | Often LC followed by digits, on label or sleeve | A rights-holder code, not the catalogue number |
In Wikipedia's definition, the catalogue number is simply the label's own reference number for a release. It often stays the same across several pressings, so on its own it narrows the search rather than ending it.
Read dates and codes carefully
Printed years are easy to misread. The year beside the recording copyright symbol marks the first publication of the recording, as Wikipedia's article on the symbol explains, so a reissue pressed decades later can carry the original year.
Barcodes and label codes help date a copy. Discogs database guidelines state that a release with a barcode generally cannot have been made before 1979, and that label codes, introduced in Germany in May 1976, are often mistaken for catalogue or matrix numbers.
Read the runout codes
The smooth band between the last groove and the label carries stamped or etched codes: matrix numbers, side and cut markers, sometimes plant or engineer marks. Discogs records these separately as runout matrix details. Two copies with the same label and catalogue number can differ here, which is often how collectors tell an early pressing from a later one.
Tilt the record under a lamp
Hold it by the edges and tilt it until the light catches the etching. A phone torch from the side works well.
Copy everything exactly
Write down letters, numbers, spaces and symbols for both sides, including small marks that look like doodles.
Note which side is which
Side A and side B codes usually differ by a suffix. Record them separately.
Compare with a release database
With your clues listed, look up the album in a release database such as Discogs and open each version that shares your catalogue number and country. Compare barcodes, label details and runout codes line by line. When several versions look alike, the runout codes usually decide it.
- Search by catalogue number first, then filter by country and year.
- Matrix strings may be typed with different spacing or symbols; search with the core letters and numbers.
- If no version matches every detail, yours may be an unlisted variation. Note what differs rather than forcing a match.
- Keep the sleeve and inner sleeve with the record: printed inserts can help date a copy too.
Save the version you have
Once you know the pressing, save it so you never have to work it out again. In the CrateCore app, scan the barcode on the sleeve and the app looks the release up; for older records without a barcode, search by catalogue number, title or artist. Add the record to your collection and put the runout codes in its notes.
The record card shows the label, catalogue number, country, barcode and matrix details available for that release, so you can check them against your copy. Not every barcode is found in the sources the app uses, and some editions share one, so trust the runout codes over the first search result. Your own notes and photo are what turn a search result into your record.