P+O is a CD manufacturer located in Diepholz, Lower Saxony, Germany. The "-Pallas" addition appears on numerous CDs and indicates that P+O is part of the Pallas Group. Sometimes it is also mentioned as "P+O, Diepholz". In the matrix of CDs only the reference "P+O" is used.
The company was established in October 1986 as P+O Compact Disc GmbH. In November 2005 the company was restructured into P+O Compact Disc GmbH & Co. KG
On April 1st 2013 the manufacturing plant burnt down, resulting in damage of about €10m.
A new manufacturing plant started production in 2014, although P+O appears to have transitioned to acting solely as a broker since as early as 2019.
The identifying markings on the ring are generally (if not ordered otherwise by the customer) made up as follows:
P+O: Manufacturer
XXXXX: five or six digits 'working number' of the title
A (or B): CD-Audio (R = CD-ROM, or D = DVD) ― (e.g. A1: master version (A) cq. stamper (1))
Mastering SID codes: IFPI L96**
Mould SID codes: IFPI 3J**
Numbering scheme up to year 2007:
P+O-XXXXX-A1 MM-YY
· XXXXX is a two- to five-digit number which can be entered as the catalogue# for P+O
· A1 (or A2, etc.) is a glass master version indicator
· MM-YY is the month and year of glass master manufacture - do not add this as the release date
― Example 1:
release
Matrix: 8265-2 P+O-21729-A2 07-94 (make sure to enter the complete matrix in the BAOI section)
Enter the following in the "Companies, etc." section:
Glass Mastered At – P+O Pallas – 21729
― Example 2:
release
Matrix: WKCD 1649 P+O-13709-A1 08-92 (make sure to enter the complete matrix in the BAOI section)
Enter the following in the "Companies, etc." section:
Glass Mastered At – P+O Pallas – 13709
New numbering from 2007 onwards:
'P+O-A XXXXXX-A1' or 'P+O-R XXXXXX-A1'
― Example:
release
Matrix: ESR 009-1 P+O-A 614920-A1 (make sure to enter the complete matrix in the BAOI section)
Enter the following in the "Companies, etc." section:
Glass Mastered At – P+O Pallas – A 614920
CD releases - 2014 onward
When the plant was reopened in 2014, P+O no longer used in-house glass mastering equipment but instead outsourced this. Therefore releases manufactured 2014 onward should not be entered with the Glass Mastered At role; please use Pressed By when IFPI 3J** is present, or Made By when any other mould SID code prefix is present.
Please note that P+O Pallas should not be credited based solely on mould SID code 3J**. P+O may not always be named in the matrix when glass mastering was outsourced, but can be identified by the combination of 'A ######' and IFPI 3J**. As of 2019-20, IFPI 3J** is probably associated with a different pressing plant, which is why P+O should not be credited based solely on this mould SID code in the absence of the 'A ######' matrix number.
― Example 1:
release
Matrix: 8.579029 P+O-A 642378-A1 #1 (make sure to enter the complete matrix in the BAOI section)
Enter the following in the "Companies, etc." section:
Pressed By – P+O Pallas – A 642378
The Pressed By role is used here due to the presence of mould SID code IFPI 3J** in addition the P+O and its matrix number.
― Example 2:
release
Matrix: 65624 8.579090 P+O-A 643113-A1 (make sure to enter the complete matrix in the BAOI section)
Enter the following in the "Companies, etc." section:
Made By – P+O Pallas – A 643113
The Made By role is used here as a different mould SID code is present, suggesting that P+O did not replicate this disc but outsourced that role as a broker.