DDP is the worldwide standard format used to send a CD master to the duplication factory.

Unlike sending a physical CD-R (which may contain read errors or scratches) or loose WAV files (which may go out of order), DDP is an error-proof digital data package.

It contains not only the audio, but all the exact information on how the CD should be manufactured:

• The Audio Image: The continuous sound of the entire album.

• PQ Codes: Define exactly where each track begins and ends, the pause time between them, and the ISRC codes.

• Metadata: CD Text (CD-Text), album and artist name.

Nowadays, when a mastering studio delivers the final work for pressing physical CDs, the file delivered is almost always a Master DDP.