How Much Music Fits on a Vinyl Record?
The Short Answer, Size by Size
A record is one groove that spirals from the outside edge in towards the label. The bigger the disc, the further that groove travels before it runs out of room, so the more music the side holds.
The table below is not a rule of thumb. It is the limit each product actually accepts when you build your record, and the same figure our mastering software checks against before anything is cut.
| Record | Sides | Per side | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Inch Picture Disc45 rpm | One side | 4:00 | £13.00 |
| 7 Inch Picture Disc45 rpm | One side | 6:00 | £17.00 |
| 7 Inch Vinyl45 rpm | 2 sides | 6:00 | £18.00 |
| Heart Shaped Picture Disc45 rpm | One side | 8:30 | £27.00 |
| 10 Inch Picture Disc45 / 33⅓ rpm | One side | 14:00 | £31.00 |
| 10 Inch Vinyl33⅓ / 45 rpm | 2 sides | 14:00 | £38.00 |
| 12 Inch Picture Disc45 / 33⅓ rpm | One side | 20:00 | £38.00 |
| 12 Inch Vinyl33⅓ / 45 rpm | 2 sides | 20:00 | £45.00 |
Picture discs play on one side only, whatever their size or shape, so the time per side is the time for the whole record. Classic vinyl has a side A and a side B, so you get the per-side figure twice.
Speed is already in the numbers. Each limit is the limit at the speed that record is cut at by default: 45 rpm for picture discs and the 7-inch, 33⅓ for 10-inch and 12-inch classic vinyl. There is nothing for you to convert. The 10-inch and 12-inch sizes can also be cut at the other speed; the product page shows the options.
Minutes, Not Number of Songs
Almost everyone asks how many songs fit. A record counts minutes, not tracks. Six three-minute songs and three six-minute songs are two very different records, and only one of them might fit the disc you had in mind.
So work in running time. As a rough guide, with songs of about 3½ minutes: a 5-inch or 7-inch side holds 1, a heart-shaped disc 2, a 10-inch side 3 to 4, and a 12-inch side 5. For your own list, add up the lengths of the tracks you want, in the order you want them, and compare the total with the per-side figure for the size you like. If you are using both sides, compare each side on its own: the limit is per side, not per record.
There is a track count limit as well, up to 12 tracks a side, but on most records the minutes run out long before the track count does.
What Else Takes Up the Side
Two things eat into a side besides the songs themselves. The first is the gap between tracks. In the designer you can set it anywhere from 0 to 4 seconds, and a gap sits between every pair of songs, so a ten-track side with a 4-second gap spends over half a minute on silence.
The second is rounding. Music apps show track lengths rounded down to whole seconds, so near the limit our check counts each track as a second longer than it claims. That is deliberate: it is better to move one track now than to find the last few bars had nowhere to go. Within about 10 seconds of the limit, expect the check to be strict.
Both of those are already built into the will-it-fit check, so you do not have to do the arithmetic yourself.
One Side, or Two
If your music is longer than one side of the size you want, classic vinyl gives you a second one. Splitting across two sides is normal on a record rather than a compromise: side A ends, you turn it over, side B starts.
Picture discs work differently. The audio is on one side, with your photo visible through the clear vinyl, and side B is a soft white matt surface you can write on with a permanent marker. Keeping them one-sided also means your artwork is never face down against a slipmat.
The will-it-fit check can split a list across two sides for you and show how much room is left on each.
How to Check Your Own Tracks
Add your tracks to the playlist builder and it shows you straight away whether they fit or go over.
What the Limit Is, and What It Isn’t
It is
- A length per side, taken from the product you choose, not a guess.
- The same rule our mastering software runs before your record is cut.
- Different for every size, and different again once you add a second side.
- Something you can test with your own track list before you pay.
It Isn’t
- A number of songs. Two ten-minute tracks and ten two-minute tracks are not the same job.
- A limit we can stretch if you ask. Past it, the groove has nowhere left to go.
- Changed by your turntable. Each record has one speed, and the limit already allows for it.
- A whole-record total on a picture disc. One side is the whole record.
Who Cuts It
Your record is cut in our workshop, where we have been making one-off records since 2016. Every order is QC checked before it ships, and if a side runs long we come back to you and sort it out rather than quietly trimming your music.
Questions People Ask
How many songs fit on a vinyl record?
There is no fixed number. A record holds a length of time, not a count of tracks, so it depends on how long your songs are. Add up the running times and compare the total with the per-side limit for the size you want.
How much music fits on a 12-inch record?
A 12-inch holds up to 20 minutes a side. On classic vinyl that is two sides, so up to 40 minutes in total. A 12-inch picture disc plays on one side, so the side figure is the whole record.
How much music fits on a 7-inch record?
A 7-inch holds up to 6 minutes a side. A 7-inch classic vinyl has two sides, so up to 12 minutes in total, and a 7-inch picture disc plays on one side only.
How much music fits on a heart-shaped record?
A heart-shaped picture disc holds up to 8.5 minutes. Like every picture disc it plays on one side, so that is the whole record.
Can I put a whole album on one record?
Often, yes. Compare the album’s total running time with the per-side limit for the size you want, and remember the gaps between tracks. If it is a little over, a second side or a bigger disc usually solves it.
Why does a picture disc hold less than classic vinyl of the same size?
It does not hold less per side. A picture disc plays on one side only, so a 12-inch picture disc holds one side’s worth where a 12-inch classic vinyl holds two.
What happens if my music is too long?
The checker tells you before you order, and a person checks it again before your record is cut. If a side runs long we contact you to drop a track, reorder the list or move up a size.
Make Yours
Pick a size and start with your audio.
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