An
EP (short for
extended play) is a musical recording that contains more music than a
single, but is usually too short to qualify as a full
studio album or
LP. The term EP originally referred to specific types of
vinyl records other than 78
rpm standard play (SP) records and
LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length
compact discs and
music downloads as well. Ricardo Baca of
The Denver Post said, "EPs—originally extended-play 'single' releases that are shorter than traditional albums—have long been popular with punk and indie bands." In the
United Kingdom, the
Official Chart Company defines a boundary between EP and album classification at 25 minutes of length or four tracks (not counting alternative versions of featured songs, if present).