A mini-LP or mini-album is a short vinyl record album or LP, usually retailing at a lower price than an album that would be considered full-length. It is distinct from an EP due to containing more tracks and a slightly longer running length. A mini-LP is not to be confused with the Japanese CDs issued in a "mini LP sleeve" or "paper jacket". In South Korea, a mini album () is a type of music release that contains 4-7 songs. It is shorter than a full album but longer than a single album. It is usually synonymous with

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

, however, some music distributors may classify mini albums with 7 or more songs as an album. Artists often use the chronological placement of a mini album in their discography as part of the title of the release. For example, '' 2NE1 1st Mini Album'' or '' Taste of Love: The 10th Mini Album''.

History

Mini-LPs became popular in the early 1980s with record companies who targeted consumers who were reluctant to buy full-length and full-priced albums.Grein, Paul (1982) "Retailers, Labels Predict Greater Role for Mini-LPs", ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'', 30 October 1982, p. 1, 67 Several mini-LPs had been released in the late 1970s, including

John Cooper Clarke John Cooper Clarke (born 25 January 1949) is an English performance poet, who first became famous as a "punk poet" in the late 1970s. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he released several albums. Around this time, he performed on stage with se ...

's '' Walking Back to Happiness'', which used the 10-inch format.Gimarc, George (2005) ''Punk Diary: The Ultimate Trainspotter's Guide to Underground Rock 1970-1982'', Backbeat Books, , p. 215 The format was usually 12-inch or 10-inch vinyl, with a playing time of between twenty and thirty minutes, and around seven tracks.Strong, Martin C. (2002) ''The Great Rock Discography, 6th edition'', Canongate, They were often used as a way of introducing new acts to the market or as a way of releasing interim albums by established acts between their main albums.

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was founded predominantly as a jazz and classical ...

introduced the 10-inch ''Nu-Disk'' format in the early 1980s (an example being

Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. The current lineup of the band consists of Zander, Nielsen ...

's 1980 release '' Found All the Parts''), but they found it difficult to merchandise, and 12-inch mini-LPs became more common. Notable mini-LPs of the early 1980s included U2's '' Under a Blood Red Sky'', which reached number 2 on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...

in 1983,U2 - Under a Blood Red Sky
Chart Stats, retrieved 15 December 2009 and

The Honeydrippers The Honeydrippers were an English rock and roll band of the 1980s, deriving their name from Roosevelt Sykes, an American blues singer also known as "Honeydripper". Former Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant formed the group in 1981 to sat ...

' '' Volume 1'', which reached number 4 on the ''Billboard'' 200 in 1984.Denberg, Jody (1985) "Dancing in the Streets", '' Texas Monthly'', December 1985, p. 198

Independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represent ...

s often released mini-LPs by artists before releasing full-length albums. In 1987, 4AD took this approach with both

Pixies A pixie (also pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, and piskie in Cornwall and Devon, and pigsie or puggsy in the New Forest) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are considered to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas ar ...

'' Come on Pilgrim'' debut and the second album by

Throwing Muses Throwing Muses are an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, United States, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects. The group was originall ...

, ''

The Fat Skier ''The Fat Skier'' is a mini-LP by Throwing Muses, released on 6 July 1987 on the 4AD label in the UK and licensed to Sire Records Sire Records (formerly Sire Records Company) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and di ...

''.Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, In 2018,

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

spearheaded an effort to release five mini-albums from five different artists in five weeks. He led the release of '' Daytona'' by

Pusha T Terrence LeVarr Thornton (born May 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper, songwriter and record executive. He rose to prominence as one-half of the hip hop duo Clipse, which was mainly active from 1994 to 20 ...

, '' Ye'' by Kanye West, ''

Kids See Ghosts Kids See Ghosts (stylized in all-caps) was an American hip hop duo composed of musicians Kanye West and Kid Cudi. Formed in 2018 during West’s Wyoming sessions, the duo released their eponymous debut album in June of that year, through th ...

'' by

(a project consisting of Kanye West and

Kid Cudi Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor and fashion designer. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Cudi would move to New Yo ...

), '' K.T.S.E.'' by Teyana Taylor and '' Nasir'' by Nas.

References

Album types Audio storage Recorded music {{album-stub