White label
A white label record is a
Test pressings
Test pressings, usually with test pressing written on the label, with catalogue number, artist and recording time or date, are the first vinyl discs made at the factory. Such discs are produced in very small quantities (usually no more than 5 or 6 copies) to evaluate the quality of the disc before mass production begins. A review of the test pressing may expose problems with the tape to disc transfer (mastering) and helps to ensure that the defective discs do not reach the public.
Promotional recordings
In the United States, the term white label promo (often abbreviated as WLP) refers to a promotional pressing with a label that has mostly the same text and label logo/artwork as the commercial label, but with a white background instead of the color label or artwork found on commercial pressings. These are usually pressed in quantities of only a few thousand per title. Such copies may also contain biographies or pictures of the musical artists. Promotional copies are for distribution to journalists, music distributors or radio stations in order to assess consumer opinion.
Plain white labels
White label discs can be used to anonymously promote new artists or upcoming albums by veteran artists. In some cases plain white labels are issued to conceal artist identities (examples of this include songs by Traci Lords and La Toya Jackson), whose record companies issued white labels so that DJs would have no pre-conceived notions about the music from the artist name. Many dance music producers press copies of white labels in order to test crowd response in dance clubs to their own musical productions.[1]
Use of white labels in house music and hip hop
Today, white labels are usually produced in small amounts (fewer than 300) by small record companies or
Steve Beckett of
Copyright and royalties
Some white labels may contain unauthorized
The industry itself seems to be aware of this necessity and white labels are commonly accepted as a necessary evil within the industry, which has only prosecuted a small number of those artists using white labeled pressings of uncleared samples and compositions.[citation needed]
See also
- White-label product
- Private label
- Generic brand
- The record mastering and pressing process
- Record label
- Music industry
References
- ^ שיר במתנה, Saturday, 27 January 2024
- ^ ISBN 0-415-92373-5.
- ^ "Editors review: Warp Records". BBC. bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-10-31.
- ^ Jordan, Roy. "White Label Resell". Retrieved 20 December 2022.