Vinyl Record Sizes report
Vinyl records were the dominant music format in the 20th century. Vinyl perfectly covers people of all ages because of the unique recording method and reading method that makes the singing more fidelity. Although DJs and radio stations still use vinyl, it has gradually been replaced by tapes, CDs, and even digital records over the past century.
Vinyl is also known as LP, which means long playing. Because the response frequency of the record is proportional to the rotation speed, the faster the rotation, the wider the response frequency, but the shorter the recordable time. The development of recording technology in the mid-20th century made the recording on a single side for long periods. Almost all records in use now are 33 1/3 rpm, so vinyl records are directly called "LP."
Vinyl records' aesthetic triumph is key to its appeal. CDs are everywhere, there are similar things in office supplies, but vinyl is not in your office supplies. It only belongs to your private life. Someone who still listens to music primarily digitally may sometimes choose to go with vinyl, depending on his mood. Read the following post to learn more about the different vinyl record sizes.
Vinyl Record Size Guide
Why are people still addicted to these old-fashion vinyl records in the digital age? Mainly because CDs cannot replace that kind of sound and presence. If you've listened to LPs, you probably can't stand the shrill digital sound of CDs. The device that plays the LP is called a turntable, which generally does not have a power amplifier. The sound quality of LP is the closest to the original sound, which is the beauty pursued by music lovers.
Most of the works of many heavyweight performers, big bands, and singers were first released on vinyl. Vinyl records can be available for a long time as long as they are stored properly. At present, the vinyl records of many legendary singers are rare, especially the famous discs from decades ago, which are treasures worthy of collection.
Standard Vinyl Record RPM
The science behind record sizes and speeds is simple to understand. All records are measured and sorted by their RPM, which stands for revolutions per minute. This metric refers to how many times the platter, and therefore the record, will spin entirely in one minute. There are only three speeds in which a vinyl record can be produced:
- 33 1/3 RPM
- 45 RPM
- 78 RPM
Standard Vinyl Record Sizes
Vinyl record sizes differ based on how much music is stored on the disk's surface. Records come in three standard sizes: 7-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch. The most commercially available vinyl records today come in 12- and 7-inch formats, with the inches, referring to the diameter of the physical record.
- 7-inch
The smallest record size is a standard 7-inch single. It was designed to be less expensive than its musical counterparts. However, it holds much less music than a full-length album due to its smaller size.
- 10-inch
Most records pressed before the 1950s are this size. Many avid vinyl record collectors are keen to collect those old vinyl records. This size usually has the most uncommon revolution per minute classification is 78 RPM.
- 12-inch
The largest record size is a 12-inch album. Each side can generally store up to 22 minutes of music.
Quick review of common Vinyl record Sizes
SP, namely Standard-Playing; EP, means Extended play, Mini album.
Record Size (inches) | Most Common rpm | Maximum Amount of Music Stored (minutes per side) | Typical Format |
---|---|---|---|
7" | 45 RPM | 5 minutes | EP/SP |
10" | 78 RPM | 3 minutes | - |
12" | 33 RPM | 22 minutes | LP/EP |
Most people start building up a vinyl record collection with two main discs: 12-inch and 7-inch records. 10-inch records are much rare than they used to be, but you can still find them in a record store. You should note that not all record players can play every single size of the vinyl record, but all record players will play the two most common vinyl record sizes.