As a budding musician, you have probably heard people talk about EP vs Album and wondered what the difference is.
If that is case this following post will explain to you the difference between the two.
EP (Extended Play)
EP is short for Extended Play or Extended Playlist. This is usually a project which is comprised of a minimum of two tracks or songs.
Let’s say you have you have 7 tracks that you want to release, the project would be considered an EP- But only if the duration or playlist is 30 minutes long.
So any release under 30 minutes would be classified as an EP.
Album
As you might have already guessed, an album also referred to as LP (Long Play) is a full project comprising of different songs.
The project duration for an album is anything above 30 minutes.
EP or Album, Which one should I go for?
The decision of whether you release an EP or Album will depend on a number of factors – your objective, brand, finances, just to name a few.
An EP would be ideal as a new artist because you could release say three songs just to test the waters and see how people respond to your sound.
The feedback (or lack of) will give you an indication on what you need to work on (There’s always room for improvement).
An Album on the other hand is labour intensive and requires long-term planning and investment (both time and money)
It’s possible to release an album without the support of a label (many have done so successfully).
But you need a team, fund your own marketing and have access to music distribution (physical and/or digital).
Conclusion
Okay so there you have it and I hope that I have explained this in a way that it makes sense to you. If you have any questions, please drop your comments below.