

Historically, when mainstream music was purchased via vinyl records, singles would be released double-sided. Any more than three tracks on a musical release or thirty minutes in total running time is an extended play (EP) or, if over six tracks long, an album. The biggest digital music distributor, the iTunes Store, accepts as many as three tracks less than ten minutes each as a single. In other cases a recording released as a single may not appear on an album.ĭespite being referred to as a single, in the era of music downloads, singles can include up to as many as three tracks. Typically, these are the songs from albums that are released separately for promotional uses such as digital download, or video release. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separately from an album, although it usually also appears on an album. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats.


In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album.
