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 (label), France (SNA) and the USA (label and Nashville Record Pressing).
Operations include vinyl, CD and DVD manufacturing. Owned by Zdenek Pelc.
Successor to Gramofonové Závody (Gramophone Record Factory, the name used until 1999) and 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 France 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)
T = stereo, 4", 33⅓ RPM (very rare)
(GZ may use "E", etc. on a pressing labeled as 'mono', such as on release. This is because all GZ cuts are now in stereo – they no longer have mono lathes. A recent GZ 'mono' pressing is in fact a stereo cut with identical audio on both channels, giving the effect of mono to the listener: 'simulated mono'. A true mono cut, in the days when they had mono lathes, had the codes A to D or V: see 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, I=2022, J=2023, K=2024, L=2025.
"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 Gramofonové Závody and continued up to “Z” in 2013 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. Note also that GZ Media ceased CD production in September 2021 and from that date outsourced all glass mastering and pressing.
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 or Gramofonové Závody respectively. 115067E number is known to have been made still in 2013: for this reason, 2014 releases that carry a GZ number lower than 115067E 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. Credit with Plated At in LCCN unless pressing can be clearly determined. Use the following guidance to determine which roles to use.
• When another company (such as Pirates Press and label) 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 label or label are present in the runouts alongside the etched GZ Media numbers, use Plated At to credit GZ Media and Manufactured By to credit label or label
• Please refer to label when an additional etched number starting with 10- (example 10-83451) appears in the runouts alongside the GZ Media number.
• Please refer to label when an additional etched number starting with MRP (example MRP2329) appears in the runouts alongside the GZ Media number.
• Please refer to label when an additional etched number starting with M0xxxxxx (example M0114183) appears in the runouts alongside the GZ Media number until 2018. For releases after 2018 see label.
• GZ Media IDs alone in the runouts (no other plant indicated) with "Made in CZ" , "Made in Czech Republic", "Made in EU" or "Made in Europe" printed on the labels or sleeve (not stickers or shrinkwrap), 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 the role Pressed By or Plated At (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 a 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) and do not enter these in lccn.
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