The abbreviation LP stands for Long Play or Long Playing. It originally referred to a vinyl record format characterized by a slower speed of 33⅓ revolutions per minute (rpm), typically 12 inches in diameter, which allowed for a longer playtime of about 20 to 25 minutes per side, enabling a full album's worth of music to be recorded on one disc
. Over time, "LP" has become synonymous with a full-length album regardless of the medium, including digital formats, typically containing seven or more tracks that represent a comprehensive body of work by an artist
. The LP format was introduced by Columbia Records in 1948 and became the standard for albums during the "album era" of popular music
. In summary, LP = Long Play (record) , referring to a full-length music album, originally on vinyl records
