Extended-play vinyl record ofMichael Nesmith's "I Fall to Pieces" with four tracks
Anextended play (EP) is amusical recording that contains more tracks than asingle but fewer than analbum.[1] Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 15 to 30 minutes.[7] An EP is usually less cohesive than an album and more "non-committal".[8]
An extended play (EP) originally referred to a specific type of 45rpmphonograph record other than 78 rpm standard play (SP) and 33 rpmlong play (LP),[9] but as of 2025[update], also applies to mid-lengthCDs anddownloads.[10] EPs are considered "less expensive and time-consuming" for an artist to produce than an album, and have long been popular with punk and indie bands.[1][11] InK-pop andJ-pop, they are usually referred to asmini-albums.[1]
EPs were released in various sizes in different eras. The earliest multi-track records, issued around 1919 byGrey Gull Records, werevertically cut 78rpm discs known as "2-in-1" records. These had finer grooves than usual, likeEdison Disc Records. By 1949, when the 45 rpmsingle and 331⁄3 rpmLP were competing formats, 7-inch 45 rpm singles had a maximum playing time of only about four minutes per side.
Partly as an attempt to compete with the LP introduced in 1948 by rivalColumbia,RCA Victor introduced "Extended Play"45s during1952. Their narrower grooves, achieved by lowering the cutting levels and sound compression optionally, enabled them to hold up to 7.5 minutes per side—but still be played by a standard 45 rpmphonograph. In the early era, record companies released the entire content of LPs as 45 rpm EPs.[12] These were usually 10-inch (25-cm) LPs (released until the mid-1950s) split onto two 7-inch EPs or 12-inch (30-cm) LPs split onto three 7-inch EPs, either sold separately or together in gatefold covers. This practice became much less common with the advent of triple-speed-available phonographs.[citation needed]
EPPat Boone Sings the Hits, compiling four songs byPat Boone
Introduced byRCA in the US in 1952,EMI issued the first EPs in Britain in April 1954.[12] EPs were typically compilations of singles or album samplers and were played at 45 rpm on 7-inch (18-cm) discs, with two songs on each side.[13][14]The manufacturing price of an EP was a little more than that of a single.[15] Thus, they were a bargain for those who did not own the LPs from which the tracks were taken.[16]
RCA had success in the format withElvis Presley, issuing 28 EPs between1956 and1967, many of which topped the separateBillboard EP chart during its brief existence.[citation needed] Other than those published by RCA, EPs were relatively uncommon in the United States and Canada, but they were widely sold in the United Kingdom, and in some other European countries, during the 1950s and 1960s. In Sweden, the EP was a popular record format, with as much as 85% of the market in the late 1950s consisting of EPs.[17]
The popularity of EPs in the US had declined in the early 1960s in favor of LPs. In the UK,Cliff Richard andthe Shadows, both individually and collectively, andthe Beatles were the most prolific artists issuing EPs in the 1960s, many of them highly successful releases. The Beatles'Twist and Shout outsold most singles for some weeks in 1963. The success of the EP in Britain lasted until around 1967, but it later had a strong revival withpunk rock in the late 1970s and the adaptation of the format for 12-inch andCD singles.[19] The British bandCocteau Twins made prolific use of the EP format, releasing ten EPs between 1982 and 1995.[20] Typically used for theCD Single, some bands likeThe Locust made use of the 8cm/3" CD format to release EPs, including their 1997 self-titled EP.
In thePhilippines, seven-inch EPs marketed as "mini-LPs" (but distinctly different from the mini-LPs of the 1980s) were introduced in 1970, with tracks selected from an album and packaging resembling the album they were taken from.[21] This mini-LP format also became popular in America in the early 1970s for promotional releases, and also for use injukeboxes.[22]
In 2010,Warner Bros. Records revived the format with their "Six-Pak" offering of six songs on a compact disc.[23]
Due to the increased popularity ofmusic downloads andmusic streaming beginning in the late 2000s, EPs have become a common marketing strategy forpop musicians wishing to remain relevant and deliver music in more consistent timeframes leading to or following full studio albums. In the late 2000s to early 2010s,reissues of studio albums with expanded track listings were common, with the new music often being released as stand-alone EPs. In October 2010, aVanity Fair article regarding the trend noted post-album EPs as "the next step in extending albums' shelf lives, following the "deluxe" editions that populated stores during the past few holiday seasons—add a few tracks to the back end of an album and release one of them to radio, slap on a new coat of paint, and—voila!—a stocking stuffer is born."[24] Examples of such releases includeLady Gaga'sThe Fame Monster (2009) following her debut albumThe Fame (2008), andKesha'sCannibal (2010) following her debut albumAnimal (2010).
A 2019 article inForbes discussingMiley Cyrus' plan to release her then-upcoming seventh studio album as a trilogy of EPs, beginning withShe Is Coming, stated: "By delivering a trio of EPs throughout a period of several months, Miley is giving her fans more of what they want, only in smaller doses. When an artist drops an album, they run the risk of it being forgotten in a few weeks, at which point they need to start work on the follow-up, while still promoting and touring their recent effort. Miley is doing her best to game the system by recording an album and delivering it to fans in pieces."[25] However, this release strategy was later scrapped in favor of the conventional album release ofPlastic Hearts.[26] Major-label pop musicians who had previously employed such release strategies includeColbie Caillat with her fifth albumGypsy Heart (2014) being released following an EP of the album's first five tracks known asGypsy Heart: Side A three months prior to the full album; andJessie J's fourth studio albumR.O.S.E. (2018) which was released as four EPs in as many days entitledR (Realisations),O (Obsessions),S (Sex) andE (Empowerment).
The first EPs were seven-inch vinyl records with more tracks than a normal single (typically four of them). Although they shared size and speed with singles, they were a recognizably different format than the seven-inch single. Although they could be named after a lead track, they were generally given a different title.[13] Examples includethe Beatles'The Beatles' Hits EP from 1963, andthe Troggs'Troggs Tops EP from 1966, both of which collected previously released tracks.[13] The playing time was generally between 10 and 15 minutes.[13] In the UK they came in cardboard picture sleeves at a time when singles were usually issued in paper company sleeves. EPs tended to be album samplers or collections of singles. EPs of all original material began to appear in the 1950s. Examples are Elvis Presley'sLove Me Tender from 1956 and "Just for You", "Peace in the Valley" and "Jailhouse Rock" from 1957, andthe Kinks'Kinksize Session from 1964.
Twelve-inch EPs were similar, but generally had between three and five tracks and a length of over 12 minutes.[13] Like seven-inch EPs, these were given titles.[13] EP releases were also issued incassette and 10-inch vinyl formats.[13] With the advent of thecompact disc (CD), more music was often included on "single" releases, with four or five tracks being common, and playing times of up to 25 minutes.[13] These extended-length singles became known asmaxi singles and while commensurate in length to an EP were distinguished by being designed to feature a single song, with the remaining songs consideredB-sides, whereas an EP was designed not to feature a single song, instead resembling a mini album.
EPs of original material regained popularity in thepunk rock era, when they were commonly used for the release of new material, e.g.Buzzcocks'Spiral Scratch EP.[13]
Ricardo Baca ofThe Denver Post said in 2010, "EPs—originally extended-play 'single' releases that are shorter than traditional albums—have long been popular with punk and indie bands."[11]
Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks.[2]
In the United States, theRecording Industry Association of America, the organization that declares releases "gold" or "platinum" based on numbers of sales, defines an EP as containing three to five songs or under 30 minutes.[27] On the other hand,The Recording Academy's rules forGrammy Awards state that any release with five or more different songs and a running time of over 15 minutes is considered an album, with no mention of EP.[28]
In the United Kingdom, an EP can appear either on the album or the single chart. TheOfficial Chart Company classifies any record with more than four tracks (not counting alternative versions of featured songs, if present) or with a playing time of more than 25 minutes as an album for sales-chart purposes. If priced as a single, they will not qualify for the main album chart but can appear in the separate Budget Albums chart.[29][30]
An intermediate format between EPs and full-length LPs is themini-LP, which was a common album format in the 1980s. These generally contained 20–30 minutes of music and about seven tracks.[13]
A double extended play is a name typically given tovinyl records orcompact discs released as a set of two discs, each of which would normally qualify as an EP. The name is thus analogous todouble album. As vinyl records, the most common format for the double EP, they consist of a pair of 7-inch discs recorded at 45 or 331⁄3rpm, or two 12-inch discs recorded at 45 rpm. The format is useful when an album's worth of material is being pressed by a small plant geared for the production of singles rather than albums and may have novelty value which can be turned to advantage for publicity purposes. Double EPs are rare, since the amount of material record-able on a double EP could usually be more economically and sensibly recorded on a singlevinyl LP.
In the 1950s,Capitol Records had released a number of double EPs by its more popular artists, includingLes Paul. The pair of double EPs (EBF 1–577, sides 1 to 8) were described on the original covers as "parts ... of a four-part album".[citation needed] In 1960,Joe Meek released four tracks from his plannedI Hear a New World LP on an EP that was marked "Part 1". A second EP was planned, but never appeared; only the sleeve was printed.[31] The first double EP released in Britain wasthe Beatles'Magical Mystery Tour film soundtrack.[32][33] Released in December 1967 on EMI'sParlophone label, it contained six songs spread over two 7-inch discs and was packaged with a lavish color booklet.[33] In the United States and some other countries, the songs were augmented by the band's single A- and B-sides from 1967 to create a full LP –a practice that was common in the US but considered exploitative in the UK.[33] TheStyle Council albumThe Cost of Loving was originally issued as two 12-inch EPs.
It is more common for artists to release two 12-inch 45s rather than a single 12-inch LP.[citation needed] Though there are 11 songs that total about 40 minutes, enough for one LP, the songs are spread across two 12" 45 rpm discs. Also, the vinyl pressing ofHail to the Thief byRadiohead uses this practice but is considered to be a full-length album. In 1982Cabaret Voltaire released their studio album "2x45" on the UK-based labelRough Trade, featuring extended tracks over four sides of two 12-inch 45 rpm discs, with graphics by artistNeville Brody. The band subsequently released a further album in this format, 1985's "Drinking Gasoline", on theVirgin Records label.
Double EPs can also contain the work of multiple artists split across different sides, akin tosplit albums. An example of this is theDunedin Double EP, which contains tracks by four different bands. Using a double EP in this instance allowed each band to have its tracks occupying a different side. In addition, the groove on the physical record could be wider and thus allow for a louder album.[citation needed]
In the 1960s and 1970s, record companies released EP versions of long-play (LP) albums for use injukeboxes. These were commonly known as "compact 33s" or "little LPs". The jukebox EP was played at 331⁄3 rpm, was pressed on seven-inch vinyl and frequently had as many as six songs. What made it EP-like was that some songs were omitted for time purposes, and the most popular tracks were left on. Unlike most EPs before them, and most seven-inch vinyl in general (pre-1970s), these were issued instereo.
^abcFuhr, Michael (2015).Globalization and Popular Music in South Korea: Sounding Out K-Pop.Routledge.ISBN9781317556909. RetrievedMarch 21, 2017.Mini-albums and EPs are shorter than full-length albums and usually contain four or five songs [...] They are less expensive and time-consuming in production than albums, and they help to popularize new groups who otherwise lack the number of songs required for a full-length album.
^ab"EP to the Rescue! Short Albums Are a Rare Music Business Success Story". Billboard. 2014-08-19. Archived fromthe original on 2023-05-01. Retrieved2023-12-31."Extended play," a format comprising eight or fewer songs... "EP's, LP's, Albums and Mixtapes".marshall.com.EP stands for 'Extended Play,' meaning that an EP is longer than a single but shorter than an album. They typically feature between 2–5 songs and are under 30 minutes in length. "What is the difference between a Single, an EP, and an Album?". TuneCore. "Albums vs EPs vs Singles: A Guide to Releasing Music in 2024". Ditto Music.An EP (Extended Play) refers to a half-length body of work, features between 4–6 tracks and has a running time of roughly 15–22 mins (but can be up to 30 minutes). "What Is An EP In Music? ( Examples, # of Songs, vs. LP )". 2023-07-07. Retrieved2024-01-01.An EP, short for Extended Play, is a shorter music album with 2 to 9 songs and is usually under 30 minutes in length. EPs tend to be more concise mini albums with a much smaller price tag. The term "EP" has been used in various ways in the music industry, but today we use it most often when referring to albums with fewer than 10 tracks. In some cases, an EP may contain only three or four songs, while others might have seven or even nine.
^"Was Ist Eine EP, Single Oder Ein Album?" (in German). iMusician.An EP stands for "Extended Play" and refers to a music recording that is longer than a single but contains fewer tracks than an album or LP. Nowadays, EPs contain around 4–5 songs and are considered a more cost-effective ... way of producing and releasing music compared to an album. Additionally, an EP tends to be less cohesive and more non-committal...
^Larkin, Colin (2006).The Encyclopedia of Popular Music(4th edn). London: Oxford University Press. p. 488.ISBN978-0-19-531373-4.
^abcNeaverson, Bob (1997).The Beatles Movies. London: Cassell. pp. 53–54.ISBN978-0-304337965. Archived fromthe original on 2 October 2009 – via beatlesmovies.co.uk (chapter: "Magical Mystery Tour Part 1 – Background and Production").
