What is a DDP file for CD Audio Disc production?

A DDP file (short for Disc Description Protocol) is a special type of file set used to prepare audio CDs for professional duplication or replication.

A DDP is like a blueprint for making a CD — it tells the factory exactly what to burn onto each disc.

This is a folder (usually in a ZIP or RAR archive) and will be provided alongside a folder of reference Wavs that correspond to the audio inside the DDP with meta data embedded to match.

This is the file sent to the pressing plant to make your physical CD product.

Why it’s important:

• It includes all the audio tracks, their order, gaps, track names, and metadata (like ISRC codes and CD-Text).
• It ensures that the CD will be printed exactly as intended, with no mistakes or changes. To make changes to a final CD DDP master you must vend a new DDP file set.

What’s inside a DDP:

• .DAT — the actual audio data
• .PQ — track info and timing
• .INF — info about the disc
• DDPID and DDPMS — extra files for verification and integrity

I use a software platform from Hofa for this process.

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