What’s the difference between an album, an EP, an LP, and a mixtape?
In: Technology
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.
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