The seven-inch records were initially released back in 1949 by RCA and were considered much more durable compared to the 78 RPM records. The 45, also known as the seven inch, used to be the most common type of vinyl single. The twelve-inch long playing records were a better option for both music genres. In the beginning, most manufacturers assumed that classical music records would require a longer playback time and would thus need to be pressed on larger twelve-inch vinyl, while pop music would require a shorter playback time and could be presses on the smaller ten-inch discs.īut they were incorrect. In most cases, the albums consisted of several ten-inch long playing records that were grouped together for an album release. In the past, most long-playing microgroove records were ten inches in diameter. In the end, the 45s just sound much better, which is why most LPs these days are released at 45 RPMs. Additionally, the 45s tend to experience less distortion because the increased velocity helps to reduce the loss of high frequencies. The 45 RPM can cut precise grooves with much finer detail. Smaller angles in the grooves and longer wavelengths also lead to much simpler geometry. This results in better sound reproduction. Essentially, the higher the RPM, the more length of vinyl that can be picked up by the needle. They also travel at a much faster rate than the 33 1/3 RPM. The 45 RPM records allow for more waveform definition on the surface of the record, equaling more grooves. The 33 1/3 RPM LPs don’t offer the same type of sound quality that 45 RPM LPs do. It is a complicated topic we covered in our article “ How Much Music Can A Vinyl Record Hold?”
Each side of the LP can hold up to twenty-six minutes of playback time, though this does vary greatly. Modern long play albums are made out of vinyl and play at 33 1/3 RPM. They were a big step up from the 78 RPM records, which were limited to less than five minutes of play time per side, not to mention the fact that they were very brittle. These records were first introduced way back in 1948. I’ll start off with the most common type, the LP. These days, the vinyl record can come in a number of different colors, shapes, and sizes. Despite advances in technology, vinyl records haven’t really changed too much in terms of size and speed, but there is still a good variety of them. If you’ve bought a brand new record player, then you’re probably eager to learn all about the different types of records out there. I’ll go more in-depth on record RPMs, later in this guide. Most twelve-inch records are 33 1/3 RPM, however, there are some ten-inch records that can turn at 45 or 33 1/3 RPM. Those records are fragile and don’t deliver the same sound quality, so they are no longer produced. These days, you won’t come across new 78 RPM records, so you won’t have to worry about that speed. Most records are designed to play at one of three speeds: 78, 33 1/3, or 45 RPM. RPM stands for revolutions per minute, which tells us how many times the record turns completely, in a period of one minute. You’ll notice that I refer to some types of records by their RPM. I’ll also answer a few common questions regarding vinyl toward the end of the article. By the end of it, you’ll know the different types of vinyl records and you’ll understand all the different names people use to refer to them. In this article I try to make sense of it all. There are so many different types of vinyl records and so many different ways of referring to them.Īnd actually, there are more names than there are types of discs, which is where a lot of the confusion can come from.Ī single vinyl disc can be referred to by several different names. EP, LP, 33, 78, 10-inch, 7-inch…what does it all mean?