Although we handle the complete set of materials provided by our clients with the utmost care, there is still a possibility of unexpected damage or loss of materials. Please be sure to keep the master and data separately. Please note that in principle, we do not return masters.
We will not be responsible for delayed product delivery due to re-submission of non-standard data, delayed proof confirmation, or corruption or defects in the submitted data. When an absolute delivery date such as a release date has been set, we recommend that you submit your data well in advance. We will inform you of the approximate schedule of the data to be submitted, etc., calculated backward from the desired date of delivery.
Even if the submitted master plays without any problems, there are rare cases where the data is corrupted or incomplete. In such cases, we cannot be held responsible for any problems with the finished product.
The printing output will be made according to the submitted data, but there may be cases where fine adjustments are necessary, such as insufficient fill. The jacket and label, even if the same color is used, will be printed differently due to the nature of different materials, and may not be finished as intended. Please understand this in advance.
In the case of on-body printing, it is difficult to print with the same level of delicacy as printing on paper, and it may not be possible to faithfully reflect the original design of very small, thin letters, delicate logos, etc. In addition, the print may vary in shade and color. Please understand this in advance.
Unlike vinyl records and CDs, which are mass-produced by making molds, cassettes are duplicated by recording sound data on magnetic tapes that are inserted into the main body, so there is basically no individual difference in the same lot. However, when you place a new order, the finished product may not be the same as the previous one. Please understand this in advance.
The surface of the cassette shell may have contact marks or scuff marks due to vibration from the production line, label set, or transportation. Especially on dark transparent or glossy shells, these marks may be noticeable depending on the angle from which the tape is viewed, although there are individual differences. Please understand that this is a characteristic of cassette tape mass production. If you request us to manufacture your cassette tapes, we will deliver them after excluding any particularly noticeable contact marks or scuffs during the final assembly inspection.
Please note that the sound quality and sound pressure of each song may not be the same for compilations or albums that have been mastered or mixed differently for each song. Please understand this in advance.
The plastic case (Norelco case) is packaged to protect the cassette. Please be aware that some rubbing may occur during the assembly process and transportation, and this rubbing may be particularly noticeable on colored cases. Therefore, we recommend OPP or overwrap packaging for the final product.
The actual color of the cassette shell may look slightly different from the color sample on our website depending on the PC or software environment.
Cassette shells are available in a variety of specifications, such as screwed or crimped, with or without a central window frame, and with or without a border. Transparent cassettes generally do not have a window frame, while opaque cassettes have a central window frame with a clear plastic or transparent film attached from the backside of the window frame. Color blends, window frames, and other specifications are subject to change without prior notice, and re-orders may not have the same specifications as previous orders. Please understand this in advance.
Depending on the color of the shell, there may be cases where the plastic seams and their coloring are not uniform due to the structure. Especially for the “Gold” and “Silver” shell colors, the seams and streaks are noticeable in the manufacturing process. Please understand that this is not a defect of the product, but a feature of the manufacturing process.
Recycled plastic shells (our Eco-sustainable shells) may or may not have random marbling or shading due to the recycling manufacturing process, but this is not a product defect.
We do not accept any shipping company specification. Any problems related to shipping are the responsibility of the shipping company and will be handled within the scope of that company’s warranty. Please understand this in advance.
If the product is defective, please notify us within 7 days of delivery. If we are found to be at fault, we will take action. However, we will not be responsible for compensation for any damage caused by the delay.
Although some materials are custom procured from overseas, all final manufacturing and assembly is performed in Japan.
We keep masters and designs for a certain period of time, and we also keep surplus materials that we plan to order additionally. On the other hand, we do not store products in principle.
In principle, we cannot accept any changes or cancellations after the submission of an order (after work has begun). Please understand this in advance.
As a rule, we ask that payment be made in advance. We will not be responsible for any delays in delivery if we are unable to confirm payment (including cases where the name on the bank transfer is different).
Side-B Creations Inc.(CASSETTE EXPRESS) will not be held responsible for any problems related to copyrights or neighboring rights. In the event of a dispute between you and the owner of the master recording, Side-B Creations Inc.(CASSETTE EXPRESS) will not be responsible for any costs or court fees. We ask that you fill out the confirmation regarding mastering rights on the Track List (please contact us if you are unsure of the details). If the information is not filled in or incorrectly stated, production may be difficult. Please understand this in advance.
The cassette is manufactured by inserting a magnetic tape containing the sound source into the cassette shell with the tabs folded out to prevent recording.
Even if you place an order for a product with no sound source, we will basically manufacture it with the tabs folded out (tab-out), unless otherwise requested in advance. Some models come standard with the tab-in, but please check with us to confirm the color of the model.
Please fill out both the Order Form and Track List in full after agreeing to and accepting all the items listed in this document.
File names must be one-byte alphanumeric characters with an extension (ex: .ai .pdf, etc.). Please do not use anything other than English alphanumeric characters, as the file name may be garbled and misrecognized on some PCs.
Please submit the Order Form and Track List specified by us together with the master and design data. We can accept orders for master or design data in advance, but production will begin when all data is received, unless otherwise instructed in advance.
Please be sure to include the song titles and recording times for each side in the Track List. Even if each side has only one song, a Track List is always required. Also, even if there is a bonus track or a secret track, all information is required. If information is missing or omitted, the relevant songs may not be included.
Please submit masters in WAV or AIFF format by uploading to a file transfer service such as Google Drive, Dropbox and etc. Please use the same quantization bit rate (16bit) and sampling frequency (44.1kHz) for all songs.
Cassette tapes have a transparent (or white) leader tape inserted at the beginning and end to prevent exposure of the magnetic material. The silent part including the leader tape is set at about 12 seconds, and the number of seconds for this silent part cannot be changed. Please understand this in advance.
Regardless of the number of songs, we prefer that each side be submitted as a single file, with a silence between songs. The process can proceed quickly according to the data, leading to a shorter turnaround time. We are managing production by catalog number, so we ask that you please give us the catalog number and indicate the A/B side. (ex: ABCD-0001_A.wav, ABCD-0001_B.wav)
On the other hand, we can accept files that are separated by song (if it is difficult for the customer to edit each side into a single file), but it may take time to check the format of each file and compare it with the Track List. If you are submitting separate files for each song, please be sure to indicate (1) the catalog number, (2) the A/B side, and (3) the order of the songs in each file name. (ex: ABCD-0001_A01.wav, ABCD-0001_B01.wav)
Please be sure to use the template specified by us. Please do not enlarge or reduce the size of the template. If you use a template other than the one specified by us, you will need to resubmit the document.
Please make sure to submit all the documents in outline form.
When submitting, an output sample is required for cross-checking. Please submit all files as JPEG or PDF files in a “SAMPLE” folder.
We do not accept orders for printed materials that violate Article 175 of the Penal Code, “Indecent Images”. We may ask customers to prepare or modify jackets, labels, and other printed materials that contain expressions that are considered adult-oriented. Please understand this in advance.
A font size of 6pt or larger is recommended. If the line width is thinner than 0.5pt, the design may not appear in the print. Please note that on-body printing may not be able to faithfully reflect the original design at the same standard as printing on paper, especially for very small letters or delicate logos.
The image resolution must be set to 300 dbi or higher. If the resolution is lower than this, you may need to resubmit the image.
For 4-color full-color printing, please use CMYK color mode. “RGB” colors are not compatible for printing.
If the sum of all CMYK percentages exceeds 300%, the ink will not dry and may cause back-staining. Please note that over-density may occur when correcting the color of the photo.
Jacket designs with solid black or high density backgrounds are prone to “cracking” of the printing when the spine of the cardboard is folded in, and these areas may stand out in white. In order to reduce this risk, we may use paper with a reduced paper thickness.
Since additional fill is required for printing, please be sure to add fill up to the bleed line or trim mark. If there is insufficient fill, the design data will need to be re-submitted.
When using music managed by a copyright management organization (JASRAC in Japan, etc.), the stipulated logo mark and permission number must be displayed.
Cassette players may generate electrical noise when used near electrical appliances or other objects that emit electromagnetic waves. Noise may also be generated by the vibration of the tape. In the 80’s, when cassettes were in their prime time, high-spec and high-end models manufactured by major manufacturers had a special stabilizer function to hold the cassette body in an optimal state, reducing vibration and enabling stable sound quality playback with less “noise”. However, the products sold on this website are gadget-like items and do not have a stabilizer function, so “noise” may occur and driving may become unstable. Please understand this beforehand.
Lastly, cassette tapes are subject to noise, which is not present in the digital sound sources we are accustomed to through CDs and streaming. We are sorry if this is not well known to you, but we hope you understand that cassette tapes are a music format that can be enjoyed along with its noise.
