what is a radio edit

A radio edit or radio mix is a modified version of a song that is intended to make it more suitable for airplay on radio stations. Radio edits may be censored for profanity, vulgarities, or subject matter, or adjusted for length, instrumentation, or form. They may also be used for commercial single versions, which may be denoted as the 7" version (as opposed to the 12" version which are extended versions of a song) . Not all "radio edit" tracks are played on radio, and different radio stations may have different preferences for how a song is edited. Radio edits may also be done for promotional reasons, such as to promote a radio station on which the song is playing. The most common type of radio edit is to censor any inappropriate language. Other terms for a radio edit include "UK radio edit," "album edit," "F.M. version," and "station edit/ID".