So how about an album, then, daddy-o? If a “record” is a “single,” what’s an album? Well, an album is exactly what you’d expect: a full-length collection of songs. At present, there are some specific requirements regarding what constitutes an “album,” as the Grammys website explains. According to the Recording Academy Awards Department, a recording is considered an “album” if it contains at least five different tracks equaling 15 minutes, or 30 minutes total with no minimum number of tracks. In other words, if your musical work is 30 minutes long, it’s automatically an “album.” Otherwise, it’s got to have at least five tracks. And one of those tracks, if released individually, would be a “record.” And of course, the term “album,” like “record,” refers to the days of vinyl.
So how about for those in-between recordings that are neither albums nor records? We can look to the old “LP” and “EP” labels for answers, as Musician Wave explains. “LP” means “long-playing,” which means a full-length, typical album of 10 songs, 13 songs, whatever. “EP” means “extended single” and refers to the middle ground between a record (a single) and an album. So if you’ve ever bought a single that includes some additional tracks on it — maybe two or three songs total, and one of them is a remix, and another didn’t make the cut for a final, full album — that’s an “EP.”
