What’s the difference between an album, an EP, an LP, and a mixtape?
In: Technology
Back in the days of records, there were a couple of competing formats. The earliest was a 10 inch disc played at 78rpm. This format could only hold 1 song per side.
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Edit: see u/seeteethree post, apparently 78s were available as single discs with just 2 songs (an A side and a B side). These were called “singles”. Alternatively, a collection of 10 or 12 songs might be released on a group of 5 or 6 discs (each with 1 song each side). This group of discs was packaged up in a booklet about the size of a photo album and was known as an “album”.
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In the 50s a format war broke out, with a 7 inch disc played at 45rpm on one side (called the SP), and a 12 inch disc played at 33rpm on the other (called the LP). The 45 was more convenient and cheaper but only held 1 song per side, while the LP was large and expensive but could hold about 6 songs per side. Unfortunately, not all players were compatible with both formats.
Over time, the manufacturers behind the 45 tried to negate some of the benefit of the LP by figuring out how to compress more music onto their smaller discs. These discs were marketed at EP or extended play. They could hold about 3 songs per side and be played back on a 45 player.
Over time, as multiformat players became widespread, it became customary for singles to be published in the SP format, while the LP was used for collections of multiple tracks that were designed to be listened to in sequential order (ie an album). The EP was popular for samplers, demos and mini-albums for bands that couldn’t afford to cut a whole LP.
Over time, the use of format names to refer to the type of record that the format was typically used for has kinda stuck (at least as far as EP and LP go).
Ah, youth! All of this is pretty good, but you don’t mention that, in the days of 78 rpm records, you could buy an album of records by your favorite artist, or genre. This would be, i think, 4 to 6 records, in sleeves, bound like a book, or “album”. Think photo album for the linguistic reference. Each “page” of the album was a sleeve that held a record
So, when LPs came out at 33-1/3 rpm, 12″ disc, it became possible to put the contents of an “album” onto a single disc, and the name stuck. There was a brief period when it became possible to buy an album with 16-2/3 rpm speed – lotta music on a single disc.
Now, the development of plastics figured heavily into this – records used to be made of a hard wax compound that would definitely break if you mishandled or dropped it. You wouldn’t want to risk that happening to a record containing 10 or 12 songs. WIth plastics, records became more durable, making more sense of the multi-song discs.
Mixtapes are for promotion. They are generally always free unless you buy a physical copy from somewhere. EPs, extended plays, are short bodies of music. EPs don’t have a full albums worth of songs, maybe 5 or 6 max. LPs, long plays, and albums are basically the same thing. They have at least 10 songs and get promoted by the artist and record company.
SP (short play), EP (extended play) and LP (long play) describe the length of whatever medium you are playing. Back in the days of records, those had an immediate effect on various parameters, including the size of the disc, the speed at which you set the turntable, and such the quality of the music, with LP’s having to make some compromises in fidelity. Nowadays, on CDs or digital distribution, it is just a measure of how much time of music there is.
SPs are typically singles. One featured track, and often alternate versions or one or two other songs on there (on records and cassette tapes, those would be on the back, or “B side”).
LPs are albums. Collections of musics that may (“concept album”) or may not be stylistically or thematically related. Usually a somewhat comprehensive collection of songs that an artist recorded over a certain timeframe.
EPs are somewhere in-between. Stuff that is too long for a single (maybe it still has that one featured track, but more extra tracks than would fit on a B side), but too short for an album.
Album is a set of songs released simultaneously as a collection, and is independent of medium. EP is usually a few songs either released some other way too or with unique songs. LP is a complete album. Oddly though an EP is today independent of medium, but LP usually means vinyl. A mixtape is whatever combination of songs you can come up with, traditionally recorded on Compact Cassette tapes.
Now adays LPs are usually released by hiphop stars,EPs by pop stars.Even if hiphop artists release a single it will usually be followed by hour long LP…..10 years from now this trend will result in hiphop artist transitioning to probably Podcasts or seasons instead of albums
An album was a collection of 78 records, each with one song per side. They came in a fan/book of paper pockets like a photo album.
A Long-Play or LP is a 33ish RPM record made of vinyl that between its two sides, has an entire album on it.
Ep is an episode like an episode of the Simpsons
Lp is let’s play like let’s play Minecraft!
Mix tape is a mix of your favourite songs for the person you’re trying to woo.
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