i was just wondering how white labels work? do they get sent tunes and then if they like it they put out a fair few copies of that track or does the artist pay em before hand to press a few copies or something?

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This isn't entirely accurate cso i can't quite remember, but my DJ friend told me how the system works.

If you are a DJ with a residency, ANY residency, then you can join a record labels mailing list. The records are free.

When a new song is produced, the DJ's with higher profile residencies (Gatecrasher Cream, etc) get the first set of promo's/white labels. The lower your profile the later on you'll get the record. My fired who is 3rd in the pecking order gets records 24weeks before release.

When a DJ plays new tunes, they have to guage the crowds reaction to it, and rate it a few days after and send the results back to the record label.

As u can imagine, record labels doj't liek it when there recor disn't top of the list, and they actually DO pressurise you into altering your decision.

At the end of the day, according to how well a tune goes down, a release date for the public is set. The remaining promo's that weren't handed out to all DJ's gets sold to record shops, where thye are sold to the public (like HTFR, etc)

And thats about it.

They are called Promo's cos they are promotional items (!) and the name white label comes from the fact that as the tune hasn't been released yet, there are no remixes, and a record sleeve hasn't been made yet, or something.

Acetates are similar to Promo's but they are generally distributed by the artist themselves, as a test, before the tune is signed to a label.

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The Midnight Collective MySpace

I thought white labels where tracks not on a record label yet, so i assume the producer must send out copys of the track to djs and stuff

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I just asked my friend and this is what he said

quote:

promos are sent out by record labels, whites are sent out mainly by artists (tho some record labels send out whites to increase hype, even though they already own the rights)

hope that is better!

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The Midnight Collective MySpace

yup there are some white labels that are owned by record companies.
look at iio - rapture (armin remix) its a white but owned by united recordings and system f - exhale (armin/inhale remix) white label but owned by tsunami and there are plenty more.

quote:

Originally posted by M.A.R.K yup there are some white labels that are owned by record companies. look at iio - rapture (armin remix) its a white but owned by united recordings and system f - exhale (armin/inhale remix) white label but owned by tsunami and there are plenty more.

the "white label sign" should be a good way to save money (no need for good record sleeve) and to earn more (whitelables are usually more expensive than normal records)

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Too Lazy to make a signature

What happens is. A white label is basically not been released by a record agency, the agency has supported you with the bootleg. Because not many people have the power to make there own 12" once it is released it has yur name on it. i think

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" You bet your ass we're all alike... we've been spoon-fed baby food at school when we hungered for steak... the bits of meat that you did let slip
through were pre-chewed and tasteless. We've been dominated by sadists, or ignored by the apathetic. The few that had something to teach found us will-
ing pupils, but those few are like drops of water in the desert."

the only thing i know about White Labels are that the label on the record is white with the title and such in marker...and that the sleeve is plain and white...but i have no clue how they work...lol...

That's some of the most inaccurate information I've ever heard!!

Alow me to offer the correct explanation:

A white label is a record that has been pressed up by a pressing plant for an individual rather than a record label. The individual can be anyone from a bedoom producer who wants to send the track to DJs and shops, right up to a big name DJ who maybe wants to release a track without anyone knowing it is them (Carisma - Let Me Show You started out this way). White labels don't have proper label codes as they are not on labels. The AVB remix of Iio isn't a white label - the label is white sure enough but it has a proper catalogue number of UTD025 and it's clear that it is a United pressing. The reason they are called white labels is that traditonally the label is white, and the sleeve is blank - this saves the individual money, not having to have sleeves printed etc.

'Faux' white labels, like the Iio and Tsunami ones are just ways that Record labels use to create a bit more of a buzz around the track, make it look more 'limited edition' or whatever.

Promos are as stated above promotion copies, as dj_mdma says they are mailed out to DJs to gain feedback on a track. Sometimes they are sent in plain sleeves with hand writted labels. This is due to the fact that they won't be relying on the sleeve as a selling point as with the commercial release. The way promos end up in the shop is not because the left overs get sold, but because DJ's who don't like the track, or maybe have finished with it, or have multiple copies, then sell it to the shop.

You might also see a realease labeled "DJ promo only" in a shop, but check if it has a barcode. If it does it's not a promo, just a gimmick No promos have barcodes - no need as they were never intended to be sold.

There is one other type - a Pre-release. This is basically a final version of the track with a picture sleeve and barcode that is sent out prior to official release. This is usually the step inbetween promo and commercial. If a label has decided to go ahead with release they may send out pre-release copies to large record stores, radio stations and DJs etc.

I hope this clears things up!

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Wanted! - Money or consider swaps:
BT Mercury & Solace (Black Hole 12" - BLH112) - got it! c/o discogs marketplace
DJ Tiesto Sparkles Remix (Transa / Airscape / Starecase) (Black Hole 12" - BLH118) - mine at last! Thanks to Gemm
San Feel My Love / Stroke (In Trance We Trust 12" - ITWT302) - in my collection finally! discogs marketplace again
Nunca House Of Doom (In Trance We Trust 12" - ITWT300) - if you have this in an ITWT sleeve with the promo sheet let me know!

Good One Nautica, Thanx for sorting it out