We’ve all experienced it: you’re enjoying listening to music on a favorite CD. Your head is bobbing along, you’re singing and all of a sudden…it skips. Major pet peeve. Somehow, the CD got scratched, and it’s possibly ruined for good. And why is it that it always seems to happen so easily? This is probably because CDs are more vulnerable to scratches on the label side, which is closer to the actual data (usually music) on the CD.
They are susceptible to damage from environmental exposure and normal use. Pits are closer to the label side, enabling defects and contaminants on the clear side. Each compact disc has multiple layers. One is a polycarbonate disc layer that contains the data encoded by using bumps. One is a shiny layer that reflects the laser. Another is the layer of lacquer that protects the shiny layer and then the artwork is screen printed on the top of the disc. Maybe this is why MP3 players are taking over.