1. (tape label, volume label) A record at the very start of a magnetic tape, holding the identity and other characteristic information about the tape. Labels are written by the utility program, and checked at run time by the operating system to ensure that the specified tape is the one that has been loaded. A tape label only holds information about the physical tape, which remains constant irrespective of the file(s) held on the tape. Labels are thus distinct from file headers, which precede every file on a tape.

Magnetic and optical disks normally have similar labels, though there is no commonly accepted term for them.

2. (statement label) A numeric or alphanumeric identifier associated with a line or statement in a program and used in other parts of the program to refer to that statement.