WHITE LABELS ? White labels are typically limited run (1000 or less, but not always, if something is successful enough, it can be re-ordered). no artwork, plain white sleeves, minimal stamped or handwritten info (if any at all) is used to cut down on the cost of pressing. white labels are mostly one-off affairs, though, either by small bedroom-producers or sometimes by well known producers who for various reasons opt to release material on white labels. if producer x's remix of a popular track isn't accepted by the record label, if x feels strongly about it's value as a record, he/she may opt to release the remix anyway on white label. since there are few records, there really isn't much that a record company can do. similarly, if there is trouble with sample clearance, white labels are a convenient way around the problem (pressings of less than 1000 records as 'promo' is allowable under copyright laws, though in some cases it can be somewhat shady). a producer making music for a larger label may want to release records more often than the company is able to release his/her work, or the track(s) may not reflect what the producer wants associated with his/her regular music. white labels have somewhat of a collector appeal in some cases, but not every white label is some special thing. it's more 'underground', that's all. hope that helps ya.. OOOH ! And then there's CDR's, pre-releases and self releases and ... and ... a whole lot more.