Recordz
What is the difference between a first press and a reissue?
A first press is a copy from the earliest production run of a record's original release. A repress is a later run made from the original master disc. A reissue is any later release of music that has already been issued, often with new packaging, a new catalog number or a new label. A remaster means the audio itself has been mastered again.
The four terms
| Term | What it is | Same audio as the original? |
|---|---|---|
| First press | The original production run | Yes, by definition |
| Repress | A later run from the original master disc | Yes |
| Reissue | A later release of the same work | Not necessarily |
| Remaster | Newly mastered audio | No |
The terms overlap. Discogs, whose database guidelines are the closest thing collectors have to shared definitions, says "Reissue" and "Repress" can be applied to the same release.
Repress. Discogs specifies that a repress must originate from the original master disc, and the term only applies to pressed formats such as vinyl and CD.
Reissue. Discogs applies this when the content of a release is not the first issue of the work, regardless of format, so a CD can be a reissue of an LP. It also cautions against calling a release a reissue just because it came out in another country a few months later; as a rule of thumb, releases less than about 18 months apart can all count as initial releases.
Remaster. Discogs only tags a release "Remastered" when the release, label, artist or another reliable source says so. A remaster can be made from the original tapes or from a digital transfer, and the packaging doesn't always say which.
Why "first pressing" is slippery
Records weren't produced in neat, numbered editions. Big releases were often pressed at several plants at once, each from its own lacquer or stampers, so several "first pressings" could reach shops on the same day. Wikipedia's article on matrix numbers notes that collectors don't use the term consistently: some mean the first batch, others anything before a label redesign or a change to the cover.
In practice, collectors usually mean the earliest issue from the original country. A UK first press of a British band's album and the US first press can differ in cover, track list and value.
Why the distinction matters
Value. Goldmine's price guides put it plainly: originals in the best condition sell for more than reissues. Demand for the original is part of the appeal, and so is scarcity, since reissues are often still in print.
Sound. This is where opinions split. An original may be cut from the master tape when it was fresh, while a later reissue might be cut from a copy or a digital file. But some reissues are carefully remastered and many listeners prefer them. Neither label guarantees better sound; the specific mastering and pressing matter more.
Content. Later cuts sometimes contain a different take, mix, edit or censored lyric, and Wikipedia notes that some recut matrix numbers carry an "-RE" suffix for this reason. For some collectors, those differences are the whole point.
Telling them apart quickly
A few clues settle most cases. Discogs notes that a release with a barcode generally can't have been made before 1979, so a barcode on a 1960s album points to a reissue. Words like "Reissue", "Remastered" or "180 gram" on the jacket are another giveaway. A label design or company address that postdates the original year does the same. For anything closer, compare the dead wax matrix numbers with the versions listed on the album's Discogs master release.
Each record in Recordz shows its year and label and links to its specific Discogs release, which makes it easier to see which version you are looking at.
First press and reissue FAQ
Is a first pressing always worth more?
Usually, but not always. Condition matters a great deal, and a worn original can sell for less than a clean reissue. A limited or sought-after reissue can also outsell a common original.
Do reissues sound worse than originals?
Not necessarily. It depends on the source used, the mastering and the pressing quality of each version. Both excellent and poor reissues exist.
What do RE, RP and RM mean on Discogs?
They are Discogs' format abbreviations for Reissue, Repress and Remastered.
Can a repress have different runout markings?
Yes. Because a repress comes from the same master disc, the main matrix and cut number usually stay the same, but mother and stamper marks, or plant codes, can differ.
Is a record from the original release year always a first press?
No. Popular records could be pressed many times in their first year, and a cut or label change partway through can separate early copies from later ones made in the same year.
Last updated September 30, 2026.
Sources: Discogs, Database Guidelines 6: Format; Discogs, Formats List; Discogs, Database Guidelines 5: Barcodes & Identifiers; Wikipedia, Matrix number; Goldmine, Record Grading 101.
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