View source for Album

{{Short description|Collection of audio recordings}}
{{About|albums of recorded sound}}
{{Redirect|Music Album|the Canadian television series|Music Album (TV series){{!}}Music Album (TV series)}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
[[Image:Compact disc album.jpg|thumb|Albums {{circa|2000}} came on [[compact disc]]s stored in [[Optical disc packaging#Jewel case|jewel cases]].]]
[[Image:Earlyalbum1.jpg|right|thumb|Early record albums from the first half of the 20th century resembled [[photo album]]s, being packaged in book form on multiple [[78&nbsp;rpm record]]s.]]

An '''album''' is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., [[music]]) issued on a medium such as [[compact disc]] (CD), [[Phonograph record|vinyl]] (record), [[audio tape]] (like [[8-track cartridge|8-track]] or [[Cassette tape|cassette]]), or [[digital distribution|digital]]. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual [[78&nbsp;rpm record]]s (78s) collected in a bound book resembling a [[photo album]]; this format evolved after 1948 into single vinyl [[LP record|long-playing (LP) records]] played at {{frac|33|1|3}}&nbsp;[[rpm]]. 

The album was the dominant form of [[recorded music]] expression and consumption from the mid-1960s to the early 21st century, a period known as the ''[[album era]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Zipkin|first=Michele|date=8 April 2020|url=https://thestacker.com/stories/3713/best-albums-last-decade-according-critics|title=Best albums from the last decade, according to critics|website=Stacker|access-date=3 June 2020|archive-date=3 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603173944/https://thestacker.com/stories/3713/best-albums-last-decade-according-critics|url-status=live}}</ref> Vinyl LPs are still issued, though [[album sales]] in the 21st-century have mostly focused on CD and [[MP3]] formats. The [[8-track tape]] was the first tape format widely used alongside vinyl from 1965 until being phased out by 1983, being gradually supplanted by the cassette tape throughout the 1970s and early 1980s; the popularity of the cassette reached its peak during the late 1980s before sharply declining during the 1990s. The cassette had largely disappeared by the first decade of the 2000s.

Most albums are recorded in a [[Recording studio|studio]],<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kreutzmann|first1=Bill|last2=Eisen|first2=Benjy|year=2015|title=Deal: My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams, and Drugs with the Grateful Dead|publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan]]|isbn=978-1-250-03379-6|page=259}}</ref> making them ''studio albums'', although they may also be recorded in a [[concert venue]], at home, in the field, or a mix of places. The time frame for completely recording an album varies between a few hours to several years. This process usually requires several [[take]]s with different parts recorded separately, and then brought or "[[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixed]]" together. Recordings that are done in one take without [[overdubbing]] are termed "live", even when done in a studio. Studios are built to absorb sound, eliminating [[reverberation]], to assist in mixing different takes; other locations, such as concert venues and some "live rooms", have reverberation, which creates a "live" sound.<ref name="Philip Newell 169–170">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tbEcAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA169|pages=169–170|title=Recording Studio Design|author=Philip Newell|publisher=Taylor & Francis|date=18 July 2013|isbn=978-1-136-11550-9|access-date=23 August 2017|archive-date=22 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522195141/https://books.google.com/books?id=tbEcAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA169|url-status=live}}</ref> Recordings, including live, may contain editing, sound effects, voice adjustments, etc. With [[History of sound recording|modern recording technology]], artists can be recorded in separate rooms or at separate times while listening to the other parts using [[headphones]]; with each part recorded as a [[Multitrack recording|separate track]]. An album is generally considered to contain more tracks than an [[extended play]] (EP).

[[Album cover]]s and [[liner notes]] are used, and sometimes additional information is provided, such as analysis of the recording, and [[lyrics]] or [[libretto]]s.<ref name="Album Cover Art Series">{{cite web|url=http://www.rockartpictureshow.com/vinylgallery|access-date=30 May 2012|title=Album Cover Art Series|publisher=Rock Art Picture Show |first1=Robert |last1=Benson |archive-date=28 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328005304/http://rockartpictureshow.com/vinylgallery/}}</ref><ref name="The history of the CD - The 'Jewel Case'">{{cite web|url=http://www.research.philips.com/technologies/projects/cd/jewelcase.html|access-date=30 May 2012|title=The history of the CD – The 'Jewel Case'|publisher=Philips Research|archive-date=10 July 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150710233446/http://www.research.philips.com/technologies/projects/cd/jewelcase.html }}</ref> Historically, the term "album" was applied to a collection of various items housed in a [[book]] format. In musical usage, the word was used for collections of short pieces of [[printed music]] from the early nineteenth century.<ref name="Mendelssohn And Schumann">{{cite web |title=Mendelssohn And Schumann |url=http://www.oldandsold.com/opera/music-3.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130708091633/http://www.oldandsold.com/opera/music-3.shtml |archive-date=8 July 2013 |access-date=29 May 2012 |publisher=Old and Sold}}</ref> Later, collections of related 78s were bundled in book-like albums<ref name="alancross.ca">{{cite web |last1=Cross |first1=Alan |date=15 July 2012 |url=http://www.alancross.ca/a-journal-of-musical-things/2012/7/15/life-after-the-album-is-going-to-get-weird.html |title=Life After the Album Is Going to Get Weird |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130408042551/http://www.alancross.ca/a-journal-of-musical-things/2012/7/15/life-after-the-album-is-going-to-get-weird.html |archive-date=8 April 2013 |website=A Journal of Musical Things }}</ref> (one side of a 78&nbsp;rpm record could hold only about 3.5 minutes of sound). When LP records were introduced, a collection of pieces or songs on a single record was called an "album"; the word was extended to other recording media such as compact disc, [[MiniDisc]], compact audio cassette, 8-track tape and digital albums as they were introduced.<ref name="About Vinyl Records" />

==History==
An ''[[Album (Ancient Rome)|album]]'' (Latin {{Lang|la|albus}}, white), in ancient Rome, was a board chalked or painted white, on which decrees, edicts, and other public notices were inscribed in black. It was from this that in medieval and modern times, album came to denote a book of blank pages in which verses, autographs, sketches, photographs and the like are collected.<ref>{{EB1911 |inline=y |wstitle=Album |volume=1 |page=513}}</ref> This in turn led to the modern meaning of an album as a collection of audio recordings issued as a single item.

The first audio albums were actually published by the publishers of photograph albums. Single [[78&nbsp;rpm record]]s were sold in a brown heavy paper sleeve with a large hole in the center so the record's label could be seen. The fragile records were stored on their sides. By the mid-1920s, photo album publishers sold collections of empty sleeves of heavier paper in bound volumes with stiff covers slightly larger than the 10" popular records. (Classical records measured 12".) On the paper cover in small type were the words "Record Album". Now records could be stored vertically with the record not touching the shelf, and the term was applied to the collection.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

In the early nineteenth century, "album" was occasionally used in the titles of some classical music sets, such as [[Robert Schumann]]'s ''[[Album for the Young]]'' Opus 68, a set of 43 short pieces.<ref name="Mendelssohn And Schumann"/>

With the advent of 78&nbsp;rpm records in the early 1900s, the typical 10-inch disc could only hold about three minutes of sound per side, so almost all popular recordings were limited to around three minutes in length.<ref name="WRD-20140711">{{cite magazine |last=Allain |first=Rhett |date=11 July 2014 |title=Why Are Songs on the Radio About the Same Length? |url=https://www.wired.com/2014/07/why-are-songs-on-the-radio-about-the-same-length/ |url-status=live |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140711190729/http://www.wired.com/2014/07/why-are-songs-on-the-radio-about-the-same-length/ |archive-date=11 July 2014 |access-date=11 July 2014 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> Classical-music and spoken-word items generally were released on the longer 12-inch 78s, playing around 4–5 minutes per side. For example, in 1924, [[George Gershwin]] recorded a drastically shortened version of his new seventeen-minute composition ''[[Rhapsody in Blue]]'' with [[Paul Whiteman]] and His Orchestra. The recording was issued on both sides of a single record, Victor 55225 and ran for 8m&nbsp;59s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.redhotjazz.com/pwo.html|title=Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra|publisher=Redhotjazz.com|access-date=19 December 2011|archive-date=5 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120105004806/http://www.redhotjazz.com/pwo.html}}</ref> By 1910, though some European record companies had issued albums of complete operas and other works, the practice of issuing albums was not widely taken up by American record companies until the 1920s.

By about 1910, bound collections of empty sleeves with a [[paperboard]] or [[leather]] cover, similar to a photograph album, were sold as record albums that customers could use to store their records (the term "record album" was printed on some covers). These albums came in both 10-inch and 12-inch sizes. The covers of these bound books were wider and taller than the records inside, allowing the record album to be placed on a shelf upright, like a book, suspending the fragile records above the shelf and protecting them. In the 1930s, record companies began issuing collections of 78s by one performer or of one type of music in specially assembled albums, typically with artwork on the front cover and liner notes on the back or inside cover. Most albums included three or four records, with two sides each, making six or eight compositions per album.<ref name="alancross.ca"/>

By the mid-1930s, record companies had adopted the album format for classical music selections that were longer than the roughly eight minutes that fit on both sides of a classical 12" 78&nbsp;rpm record. Initially the covers were plain, with the name of the selection and performer in small type. In 1938, Columbia Records hired the first graphic designer in the business to design covers, others soon followed and colorful album covers cover became an important selling feature.<ref>{{Cite web |title=On Alex Steinweiss and the Short History of Album Cover Art {{!}} Album Cover Zone |url=https://albumcoverzone.com/blog/on-alex-steinweiss-and-the-short-history-of-album-cover-art |access-date=2024-06-03 |website=albumcoverzone.com}}</ref>

By the later '30s, record companies began releasing albums of previously released recordings of popular music in albums organized by performer, singers or bands, or by type of music, [[boogie-woogie]], for example.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

When Columbia introduced the Long Playing record format in 1948, it was natural the term album would continue. Columbia expected that the record size distinction in 78s would continue, with classical music on 12" records and popular music on 10" records, and singles on 78s. Columbia's first popular 10" LP in fact was Frank Sinatra's first album, the four-record eight-song ''[[The Voice of Frank Sinatra]]'', originally issued in 1946.<ref name="Granata">Charles I. Granata, "The Voice of Frank Sinatra", booklet in "The Voice of Frank Sinatra", Columbia CK 62100, 2003, p. 9 (the first CD issue of the release).</ref>

RCA's introduction of the smaller 45&nbsp;rpm format later in 1948 disrupted Columbia's expectations. By the mid-1950s, 45s dominated the singles market and 12" LPs dominated the album market and both 78s and 10" LPs were discontinued. In the 1950s albums of popular music were also issued on 45s, sold in small heavy paper-covered "gate-fold" albums with multiple discs in sleeves or in sleeves in small boxes. This format disappeared around 1960. Sinatra's "The Voice" was issued in 1952 on two extended play 45s, with two songs on each side, in both packagings.<ref name="Granata" />

The 10-inch and 12-inch [[LP record]] (long play), or {{frac|33|1|3}}&nbsp;[[rpm]] microgroove [[polyvinyl chloride|vinyl]] record, is a [[gramophone record]] format introduced by [[Columbia Records]] in 1948.<ref name="auto">{{cite magazine |last=Thill |first=Scott |date=Jun 21, 2010 |title=June 21, 1948: Columbia's Microgroove LP Makes Albums Sound Good |url=https://www.wired.com/2010/06/0621first-lp-released/ |url-status=live |magazine=WIRED |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170408113753/https://www.wired.com/2010/06/0621first-lp-released/ |archive-date=8 April 2017 |access-date=5 March 2017 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> A single LP record often had the same or similar number of tunes as a typical album of 78s, and it was adopted by the record industry as a standard format for the "album".<ref name="alancross.ca"/> Apart from relatively minor refinements and the important later addition of [[stereophonic sound]] capability, it has remained the standard format for vinyl albums.

The term "album" was extended to other recording media such as [[8-track tape]], [[cassette tape]], [[compact disc]], [[MiniDisc]], and digital albums, as they were introduced.<ref name="About Vinyl Records" /> As part of a trend of shifting sales in the [[music industry]], some observers feel that the early 21st century experienced the [[death of the album]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iRMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA48|page=48|author=Scott Baneriee|date=6 November 2004|title=New Ideas, New Outlets|magazine=Billboard|access-date=21 September 2020|archive-date=1 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210601043500/https://books.google.com/books?id=iRMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA48|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Length==
An album may contain any number of tracks. In the United States, [[The Recording Academy]]'s rules for [[Grammy Award]]s state that an album must comprise a minimum total playing time of 15 minutes with at least five distinct tracks or a minimum total playing time of 30 minutes with no minimum track requirement.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/recording-academy/press-release/recording-academy-to-transition-to-online-voting-for-the-60th-annual|title=Recording Academy™ to Transition to Online Voting for the 60|date=14 June 2017|website=grammy.com|access-date=27 March 2018|archive-date=5 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405220013/https://www.grammy.com/recording-academy/press-release/recording-academy-to-transition-to-online-voting-for-the-60th-annual|url-status=live}}</ref> In the United Kingdom, the criteria for the [[UK Albums Chart]] is that a recording counts as an "album" if it either has more than four tracks or lasts more than 25 minutes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theofficialcharts.com/docs/NEW_Album_Chart_Rules_2007_2.pdf |title=Rules For Chart Eligibility – Albums |access-date=20 April 2007 |date=January 2007 |publisher=[[The Official UK Charts Company]]|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070627231755/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/docs/NEW_Album_Chart_Rules_2007_2.pdf |archive-date = 27 June 2007}}</ref> Sometimes shorter albums are referred to as [[mini-album]]s or [[EPs]].<ref name="As albums fade away, music industry looks to shorter records">{{cite web|url=http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2010/jan/04/albums-fade-away-music-industry-looks-shorter-reco/?breakingnews|access-date=1 June 2012|title=As albums fade away, music industry looks to shorter records|date=4 January 2010 |agency=Associated Press|archive-date=20 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020194136/http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2010/jan/04/albums-fade-away-music-industry-looks-shorter-reco/?breakingnews|url-status=live}}</ref> Albums such as ''[[Tubular Bells]]'', ''[[Amarok (Mike Oldfield album)|Amarok]]'', and ''[[Hergest Ridge (album)|Hergest Ridge]]'' by [[Mike Oldfield]], and [[Yes (band)|Yes's]] ''[[Close to the Edge]]'', include fewer than four tracks, but still surpass the 25-minute mark. The album ''[[Dopesmoker]]'' by [[Sleep (band)|Sleep]] contains only a single track, but the composition is over 63 minutes long. There are no formal rules against [[artist]]s such as [[Pinhead Gunpowder]] referring to their own releases under thirty minutes as "albums".

If an album becomes too long to fit onto a single vinyl record or CD, it may be released as a [[double album]] where two vinyl [[LPs]] or compact discs are packaged together in a single case, or a [[triple album]] containing three LPs or compact discs. Recording artists who have an extensive back catalogue may re-release several CDs in one single box with a unified design, often containing one or more albums (in this scenario, these releases can sometimes be referred to as a "two (or three)-fer"), or a compilation of previously unreleased recordings. These are known as [[box set]]s. Some musical artists have also released more than three compact discs or LP records of new recordings at once, in the form of boxed sets, although in that case the work is still usually considered to be an album.

==Tracks{{anchor|Music track}}==
{{main|Track listing}}
Material (music or sounds) is stored on an album in sections termed tracks. A music track (often simply referred to as a track) is an individual [[song]] or [[instrumental]] recording. The term is particularly associated with [[popular music]] where separate tracks are known as album tracks; the term is also used for other formats such as [[EP (format)|EP]]s and [[Single (music)|singles]]. When vinyl records were the primary medium for audio recordings a track could be identified visually from the grooves and many album covers or sleeves included numbers for the tracks on each side. On a [[compact disc]] the track number is indexed so that a player can jump straight to the start of any track. On digital music stores such as [[iTunes]] the term song is often used interchangeably with track regardless of whether there is any vocal content.

A track that has the same name as the album is called the title track. In the Korean music industry, the title track is used to refer to any song that has been promoted, such as a single, regardless of its title. {{citation needed|date=May 2025}}

===Bonus tracks{{anchor|Bonus track}}=== <!-- 'Bonus track' and 'Bonus cut' redirect here -->
{{Redirect|Bonus track|the 2023 film|Bonus Track (film)}}
{{Refimprove section|date=September 2025}}
A '''bonus track'''<!--boldface per WP:R#PLA--> (also known as a '''bonus cut'''<!--boldface per WP:R#PLA--> or '''bonus''') is a piece of music which has been included as an extra. This may be done as a marketing promotion or for other reasons. It is not uncommon to include singles, [[B-side]]s, [[live recording]]s, and [[demo recording]]s as bonus tracks on reissues of old albums, where those tracks were not originally included. Online music stores allow buyers to create their own albums by selecting songs themselves{{citation needed|date=September 2025}}; bonus tracks may be included if a customer buys a whole album rather than just one or two songs from the artist. The song is not necessarily free, nor is it available as a stand-alone download, adding to the incentive to buy the complete album{{citation needed|date=September 2025}}. In contrast to [[hidden track]]s, bonus tracks are included on track listings and usually do not have a gap of silence between other album tracks. Bonus tracks on CD or vinyl albums are common in Japan for releases by European and North American artists; since importing international copies of the album can be cheaper than buying a domestically released version, Japanese releases often feature bonus tracks to incentivize domestic purchase.<ref>[https://www.gigwise.com/photos/98462/the-14-greatest-japanese-bonus-tracks 14 Truly Amazing Japanese Bonus Tracks]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412001349/https://www.gigwise.com/photos/98462/the-14-greatest-japanese-bonus-tracks |date=12 April 2018 }}. ''Gigwise'', 26 February 2015.</ref>

==Audio formats==
{{See also|Timeline of audio formats}}

===Non-audio printed format===
{{Main|Sheet music}}

Commercial sheet music is published in conjunction with the release of a new album (studio, compilation, soundtrack, etc.). A matching folio songbook is a compilation of the [[music notation]] of all the songs included in that particular album. It typically has the album's artwork on its cover and, in addition to sheet music, it includes photos of the artist.<ref>Blume, Jason. ''The Business of Songwriting'' (2006)</ref> Most pop and rock releases come in standard Piano/Vocal/Guitar notation format (and occasionally Easy Piano / E-Z Play Today).<ref>{{cite web |title=Piano Songbooks |url=https://www.halleonard.com/index.jsp?subsiteid=3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618053546/https://www.halleonard.com/index.jsp?subsiteid=3 |archive-date=18 June 2018 |access-date=5 April 2018 |website=Hal Leonard}}</ref> Rock-oriented releases may also come in Guitar Recorded Versions edition, which are note-for-note transcriptions written directly from artist recordings.<ref>{{cite web |title=Guitar Recorded Versions |url=https://www.halleonard.com/search/search.action?_c&seriesfeature=RECVER |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406042205/https://www.halleonard.com/search/search.action?_c&seriesfeature=RECVER |archive-date=6 April 2018 |access-date=5 April 2018 |website=Hal Leonard}}</ref>

===Vinyl records===
{{Main|LP record}}
[[Image:Record-Album-02.jpg|right|thumb|A vinyl LP on a turntable]]

Vinyl [[LP records]] have two sides, each comprising one-half of the album. If a [[pop music|pop]] or [[rock music|rock]] album contained tracks released separately as commercial [[single (music)|singles]], they were conventionally placed in particular positions on the album.<ref name="About Vinyl Records">{{cite web|url=http://www.recordcollectorsguild.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=44&page=1|access-date=29 May 2012|title=About Vinyl Records|publisher=Record Collector's Guild|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170430145207/http://www.recordcollectorsguild.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=44&page=1|archive-date=30 April 2017}}</ref> During the sixties, particularly in the UK, singles were generally released separately from albums. Today, many commercial albums of music tracks feature one or more singles, which are released separately to radio, TV or the Internet as a way of promoting the album.<ref name="Chronology: Technology and the Music Industry">{{cite web |last=Tainter |first=Callie |title=Chronology: Technology and the Music Industry |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/music/inside/cron.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522065642/https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/music/inside/cron.html |archive-date=22 May 2021 |access-date=30 May 2012 |website=PBS |publisher=}}</ref> Albums have been issued that are compilations of older tracks not originally released together, such as singles not originally found on albums, [[b-sides]] of singles, or unfinished "[[Demo (music)|demo]]" recordings.<ref name="About Vinyl Records" />

Double albums during the seventies were sometimes sequenced for [[record changers]]. In the case of a two-record set, for example, sides 1 and 4 would be stamped on one record, and sides 2 and 3 on the other. The user would stack the two records onto the spindle of an automatic record changer, with side 1 on the bottom and side 2 (on the other record) on top. Side 1 would automatically drop onto the [[turntable]] and be played. When finished, the tone arm's position would trigger a mechanism which moved the arm out of the way, dropped the record with side 2, and played it. When both records had been played, the user would pick up the stack, turn it over, and put them back on the spindle—sides 3 and 4 would then play in sequence.<ref name="About Vinyl Records" /> Record changers were used for many years of the LP era, but eventually fell out of use.

===8-track tape===
{{Main|8-track cartridge}}
[[File:Leitor de cartuchos JVC.jpg|thumb|A typical 8-track tape player]]

8-track tape (formally Stereo 8: commonly known as the eight-track cartridge, eight-track tape, or simply eight-track) is a [[magnetic tape sound recording]] technology popular in the United States<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last=Tatum |first=Malcolm |title=What Are 8-Track Tapes? |url=http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-8-track-tapes.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214203425/http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-8-track-tapes.htm |archive-date=14 February 2015 |access-date=14 February 2015 |publisher=wisegeek.com}}</ref> from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s when the [[Compact Cassette]] format took over.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{cite magazine |last=Moore |first=Dan |date=Dec 23, 2005 |title=Collector's Corner: The History Of The Eight-Track Tape |magazine=Goldmine Magazine |url=http://www.goldminemag.com/collector-resources/collectors-corner-the-history-of-the-eight-track-tape |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126192728/http://www.goldminemag.com/collector-resources/collectors-corner-the-history-of-the-eight-track-tape |archive-date=26 November 2016 |access-date=23 September 2016}}</ref> The format is regarded as an obsolete technology, and was relatively unknown outside the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" />

Stereo 8 was created in 1964 by a consortium led by [[Bill Lear]] of [[Lear Jet Corporation]], along with [[Ampex]], [[Ford Motor Company]], [[General Motors]], [[Motorola]], and [[RCA Victor Records]]. It was a further development of the similar [[Stereo-Pak]] four-track cartridge created by [[Earl "Madman" Muntz]]. A later [[quadraphonic]] version of the format was announced by RCA in April 1970 and first known as Quad-8, then later changed to just Q8.

===Compact cassette===
{{Main|Compact Cassette}}
[[Image:Compact audio cassette 2.jpg|thumb|A blank compact cassette tape and case]]

The Compact Cassette was a popular medium for distributing pre-recorded music from the early 1970s to the early 2000s.<ref name=Daniel>{{Cite book |author1=Eric D. Daniel |author2=C. Dennis Mee |author3=Mark H. Clark |title=Magnetic Recording: The First 100 Years |year=1999 |publisher=The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers |isbn=978-0-7803-4709-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/magneticrecordin00eric }}</ref> The first "Compact Cassette" was introduced by [[Philips]] in August 1963 in the form of a prototype.<ref name="History of Compact Cassette" /> Compact Cassettes became especially popular during the 1980s after the advent of the Sony [[Walkman]], which allowed the person to control what they listened to.<ref name="History of Compact Cassette" /><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1907884,00.html|title=''A Brief History of The Walkman''|access-date=31 May 2012|magazine=Time|first=Meaghan|last=Haire|date=1 July 2009|archive-date=9 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609160346/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1907884,00.html}}</ref> The Walkman was convenient because of its size, the device could fit in most pockets and often came equipped with a clip for belts or pants.<ref name="History of Compact Cassette" />

The compact cassette used double-sided [[magnetic tape]] to distribute music for commercial sale.<ref name="History of Compact Cassette">{{cite web|url=http://vintagecassettes.com/_history/history.htm|access-date=30 May 2012|title=History of Compact Cassette|publisher=Vintage Cassettes|archive-date=26 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110226024807/http://vintagecassettes.com/_history/history.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="The History of Recorded Music">{{cite web|url=http://www.soc.duke.edu/~s142tm01/history4.html|access-date=30 May 2012|title=The History of Recorded Music|publisher=Music Cd Industry|archive-date=24 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120824175418/http://www.soc.duke.edu/~s142tm01/history4.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The music is recorded on both the "A" and "B" side of the tape, with cassette being "turned" to play the other side of the album.<ref name="History of Compact Cassette" /> Compact Cassettes were also a popular way for musicians to record "[[Demo (music)|Demos]]" or "Demo Tapes" of their music to distribute to various record labels, in the hopes of acquiring a [[recording contract]].<ref name="The Death of the Demo Tape (At Last)">{{cite web|url=http://wfmu.org/~davem/docs/demotape.html|access-date=5 July 2012|title=Demo Tapes|publisher=Dave Mandl|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230604/http://wfmu.org/~davem/docs/demotape.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Compact cassettes also saw the creation of [[mixtape]]s, which are tapes containing a compilation of songs created by any average listener of music.<ref name="Mixtape History">{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/mixtape/news_feature_021003/index8.jhtml|access-date=5 July 2012|title=Mixtape History|publisher=MTV|archive-date=1 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201175303/http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/mixtape/news_feature_021003/index8.jhtml}}</ref> The songs on a mixtape generally relate to one another in some way, whether it be a conceptual theme or an overall sound.<ref name="Mixtape History" /> After the introduction of Compact discs, the term "Mixtape" began to apply to any personal compilation of songs on any given format.<ref name="Mixtape History" />

The sales of Compact Cassettes eventually began to decline in the 1990s, after the release and distribution [[Compact Disc]]s. The 2010s saw a revival of Compact Cassettes by [[independent record label]]s and DIY musicians who preferred the format because of its difficulty to [[Copyright infringement#"Piracy"|share over the internet]].<ref name="Cassette Revival">{{cite web|url=http://www.mediageek.net/tag/cassette-revival|access-date=5 July 2012|title=Cassette Revival|date=28 December 2009 |publisher=Mediageek|archive-date=18 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111118002959/http://www.mediageek.net/tag/cassette-revival/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Compact disc===
{{Main|Compact disc}}
[[File:Led Zeppelin III by Led Zeppelin (Vinyl-1970).png|thumb|The ten-track [[compact disc]] studio album ''[[Led Zeppelin III]]'']]

The compact disc format replaced both the vinyl record and the cassette as the standard for the commercial mass-market distribution of physical music albums.<ref name="The history of the CD - The beginning">{{cite web|url=http://www.research.philips.com/technologies/projects/cd/index.html|access-date=30 May 2012|title=The history of the CD – The beginning|publisher=Philips Research|archive-date=1 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210601043512/https://www.philips.com/a-w/research/home|url-status=live}}</ref> After the introduction of [[music download]]ing and MP3 players such as the [[iPod]], US [[album sales]] dropped 54.6% from 2001 to 2009.<ref name="Us Album Sales">{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/012709album|access-date=5 June 2012|title=Scary Stat: Album Sales Down 54.6 Percent Since 2000...|publisher=Digital Music News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205113137/http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/012709album|archive-date=5 February 2012}}</ref> The CD is a digital [[data storage device]] which permits [[digital recording]] technology to be used to record and play-back the recorded music.<ref name="The History of Recorded Music" /><ref name="The history of the CD - The beginning" />

===MP3 albums, and similar===
{{Main|Music download}}
Most recently, the [[MP3]] audio format has matured, revolutionizing the concept of digital storage. Early MP3 albums were essentially CD-rips created by early CD-[[ripping]] software, and sometimes real-time rips from cassettes and vinyl.

The so-called "MP3 album" is not necessarily just in MP3 file format, in which higher quality formats such as [[FLAC]] and [[WAV]] can be used on storage media that MP3 albums reside on, such as [[CD-ROM|CD-R-ROMs]], [[hard drive]]s, [[flash memory]] (e.g. [[thumbdrives]], [[MP3 player]]s, [[SD card]]s), etc.{{Citation needed|date = May 2015}}

==Types of album==
{{See also|Category:Album types}}

The contents of the album are usually recorded in a [[recording studio|studio]] or live in concert, though may be recorded in other locations, such as at home (as with JJ Cale's ''[[Okie (J. J. Cale album)|Okie]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/JJ-Cale-Okie/release/2982662|title=JJ-Cale-Okie|work=Discogs |access-date=4 December 2015|archive-date=10 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310185238/https://www.discogs.com/JJ-Cale-Okie/release/2982662|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/music-obituaries/10207642/JJ-Cale.html|title=JJ Cale Obituary|date=28 July 2013|work=The Telegraph |access-date=5 April 2018|archive-date=16 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916055824/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/music-obituaries/10207642/JJ-Cale.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Beck's ''[[Odelay]]'',<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p6-UYTO7l1MC&pg=PA75|page=75|title=100 Greatest Albums: 16 Beck Odelay|periodical=Spin|date=July 2008|access-date=23 August 2017|archive-date=15 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191215082603/https://books.google.com/books?id=p6-UYTO7l1MC&pg=PA75|url-status=live}}</ref> David Gray's ''[[White Ladder]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7RMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA11|page=11|magazine=Billboard|date=18 August 2001|title=UK Fave Tom McRae Bows In States Via Arista|access-date=23 August 2017|archive-date=5 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405220006/https://books.google.com/books?id=7RMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA11|url-status=live}}</ref> and others),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mic.com/articles/78949/15-legendary-albums-that-were-recorded-in-bedrooms-kitchens-and-garages|title=15 Legendary Albums That Were Recorded in Bedrooms, Kitchens, and Garages|work=Mic |author=Matt Fowler|date=14 January 2014|access-date=4 December 2015|archive-date=8 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208071225/http://mic.com/articles/78949/15-legendary-albums-that-were-recorded-in-bedrooms-kitchens-and-garages|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.sonicscoop.com/2015/02/12/10-classic-albums-made-outside-the-recording-studio/|title= 10 Classic Albums Made Outside the Recording Studio|date= 12 February 2015|author= Michael Duncan|work= SonicScoop|access-date= 4 December 2015|archive-date= 8 December 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151208114950/http://www.sonicscoop.com/2015/02/12/10-classic-albums-made-outside-the-recording-studio/|url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2012/01/10-great-albums-recorded-at-home.html|title=10 Great Albums Recorded at Home|author=Tyler Kane|date=17 January 2012|work=Paste Magazine |access-date=4 December 2015|archive-date=26 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126053546/http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2012/01/10-great-albums-recorded-at-home.html}}</ref> in the field – as with early blues recordings,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/redriverblues00bruc|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/redriverblues00bruc/page/64 64]|title=Red River Blues: The Blues Tradition in the Southeast|author=Bruce Bastin|publisher=University of Illinois Press|date= 1 January 1995}}</ref> in prison,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thevinylfactory.com/vinyl-factory-news/rare-soul-album-recorded-in-a-prison-gets-reissue/|title=Rare 1979 soul album recorded in a prison gets reissue|work=thevinylfactory.com|date=19 August 2015|access-date=4 December 2015|archive-date=8 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208165112/http://www.thevinylfactory.com/vinyl-factory-news/rare-soul-album-recorded-in-a-prison-gets-reissue/|url-status=live}}</ref> or with a mobile recording unit such as the [[Rolling Stones Mobile Studio]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/print/can_grammy_winning_recordings_be_made_in_a_home_studio|title=Can Award-Winning Recordings Be Made In A Home Studio?|author=Bob Buontempo|date=16 May 2013|work=prosoundweb.com|access-date=4 December 2015|archive-date=30 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090830220032/http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/print/can_grammy_winning_recordings_be_made_in_a_home_studio|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/rolling-stones-mobile-studio/|title=A Look Back at the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio: 'A Watershed Moment in Recording Technology'|author=Frank Mastropolo|date=23 October 2014|work=ultimateclassicrock.com|access-date=4 December 2015|archive-date=8 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208192255/http://ultimateclassicrock.com/rolling-stones-mobile-studio/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===<span class="anchor" id="Studio album"></span>Studio===
{{Redirect|Studio album|the album by Tages|Studio (album){{!}}''Studio'' (album)}}

Most albums are ''studio albums''—that is, they are recorded in a [[recording studio]] with equipment meant to give those overseeing the recording as much control as possible over the sound of the album. They minimize external noises and reverberations and have highly sensitive microphones and [[sound mixing]] equipment. Band members may record their parts in separate rooms or at separate times, listening to the other parts of the track with headphones to keep the timing right. In the 2000s, with the advent of [[digital recording]], it became possible for musicians to record their part of a song in another studio in another part of the world, and send their contribution digitally to be included in the final product.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

===Live{{anchor|Live}}{{anchor|Live album}}=== <!-- "Live album" redirects here -->
{{Redirect|Live album}}
[[File:Artie Kane at 20th Century Fox.jpg|thumb|An orchestra recorded "live" in the studio]]

Recordings that are done in one take without [[overdubbing]] or [[Multitrack recording|multi-tracking]] are termed "live",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.redlightrecords.com/live-v-multi.html|work=redlightrecords.com|title=Live Vs. Multitrack|access-date=26 May 2021|archive-date=26 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526093439/http://www.redlightrecords.com/live-v-multi.html|url-status=live}}</ref> even when done in a studio.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/session-notes-live-band-studio|work=Sound On Sound |date=Jan 2017 |title=Session Notes: A Live Band In The Studio|author=Neil Rogers|access-date=26 May 2021|archive-date=26 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526093448/https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/session-notes-live-band-studio|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the common understanding of a '''live album'''<!--boldface per WP:R#PLA--> is one that was recorded at a concert with a public audience,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/live%20album|work=Merriam-Webster |title=Live album|access-date=26 May 2021|archive-date=26 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526093438/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/live%20album|url-status=live}}</ref> even when the recording is overdubbed or multi-tracked.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tonedeaf.thebrag.com/truth-behind-live-albums/|work=Tone Deaf - The Brag|title=The shocking truth behind your favourite live albums|author=Greg Moskovitch|date=3 February 2021|access-date=26 May 2021|archive-date=26 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526093438/https://tonedeaf.thebrag.com/truth-behind-live-albums/|url-status=live}}</ref> Concert or stage performances are recorded using [[remote recording]] techniques. Albums may be recorded at a single [[concert]], or combine recordings made at multiple concerts. They may include applause, laughter and other noise from the audience, comments by the performers between pieces, improvisation, and so on. They may use [[multitrack recording]] direct from the stage sound system (rather than microphones placed among the audience), and can employ additional manipulation and effects during post-production to enhance the quality of the recording.{{Citation needed|date=July 2025}}

Notable early live albums include the double album of [[Benny Goodman]], ''[[The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert]]'', released in 1950.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-carnegie-hall-1938-complete-mw0000671550|work=AllMusic |title=Live at Carnegie Hall: 1938 Complete|author=Bruce Eder|access-date=26 May 2021|archive-date=26 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526095124/https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-carnegie-hall-1938-complete-mw0000671550|url-status=live}}</ref> Live [[double album]]s later became popular during the 1970s. Appraising the concept in ''[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies]]'' (1981), [[Robert Christgau]] said most "are profit-taking recaps marred by sound and format inappropriate to phonographic reproduction (you can't put sights, smells, or fellowship on audio tape). But for [[Joe Cocker]] and [[Bette Midler]] and [[Bob Dylan|Bob-Dylan]]-in-the-arena, the form makes a compelling kind of sense."<ref name="CG">{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies]]|publisher=[[Ticknor & Fields]]|isbn=0-89919-025-1|chapter=The Criteria|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/bk-cg70/criteria.php|via=robertchristgau.com|access-date=6 April 2019|archive-date=6 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406135248/https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/bk-cg70/criteria.php|url-status=live}}</ref>

Among the best selling live albums are [[Eric Clapton]]'s ''[[Unplugged (Eric Clapton album)|Unplugged]]'' (1992), selling over 26 million copies,<ref>{{cite web|author=Chris Steffen|url=http://www.allmusic.com/blog/post/nathan-east-eric-clapton|title=Bassist Nathan East on Eric Clapton and "Change the World," Plus, Watch His Documentary |publisher=Rovi Corporation|work=AllMusic|date=23 January 2015|access-date=26 May 2021|archive-date=7 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107155847/https://www.allmusic.com/blog/post/nathan-east-eric-clapton|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Garth Brooks]]' ''[[Double Live (Garth Brooks album)|Double Live]]'' (1998), over 21 million copies,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://garthbrooks.com/music/double-live|work=Garth Brooks |title=Double Live|access-date=26 May 2021|archive-date=26 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526104947/https://garthbrooks.com/music/double-live|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Peter Frampton]]'s ''[[Frampton Comes Alive!]]'' (1976), over 11 million copies.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TGKCDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT163|title=Ashes to Ashes: The Songs of David Bowie, 1976–2016|author=Chris O'Leary|publisher=Watkins|page=163|date=13 February 2019|isbn=978-1-912248-36-0|access-date=26 May 2021|archive-date=26 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526104946/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=TGKCDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT163|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Solo{{Anchor|Solo album}}=== <!-- "Solo album" redirects here -->
{{For|albums titled "Solo"|Solo (disambiguation)#Albums}}

A '''solo album'''<!--boldface per WP:R#PLA-->, in [[popular music]], is an album recorded by a current or former member of a [[musical group]] which is released under that artist's name only, even though some or all other band members may be involved. The solo album appeared as early as the late 1940s. A 1947 ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine article heralded "[[Margaret Whiting]] huddling with [[Capitol Records|Capitol]] execs over her first solo album on which she will be backed by [[Frank De Vol]]".<ref>''Billboard Magazine'' (5 April 1947), p. 21.</ref> There is no formal definition setting forth the amount of participation a band member can solicit from other members of their band, and still have the album referred to as a solo album. One reviewer wrote that [[Ringo Starr]]'s third venture, ''[[Ringo (album)|Ringo]]'', "[t]echnically... wasn't a solo album because all four [[Beatles]] appeared on it".<ref>Jay Warner, ''On this day in music history'' (2004), p. 323.</ref> Three of the four members of the Beatles released solo albums while the group was officially still together.

A performer may record a solo album for several reasons. A [[Solo (music)|solo performer]] working with other members will typically have full creative control of the band, be able to hire and fire accompanists, and get the majority of the proceeds.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}} The performer may be able to produce songs that differ widely from the sound of the band with which the performer has been associated, or that the group as a whole chose not to include in its own albums. [[Graham Nash]] of [[the Hollies]] described his experience in developing a solo album as follows: "The thing that I go through that results in a solo album is an interesting process of collecting songs that can't be done, for whatever reason, by a lot of people".<ref>Dave Zimmer, ''4 way street: the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young reader'' (2004), p. 218.</ref> A solo album may also represent the departure of the performer from the group.

===Compilation album===
{{Main|Compilation album}}
A [[compilation album]] is a collection of material from various recording projects or various artists, assembled with a theme such as the "greatest hits" from one artist, B-sides and rarities by one artist, or selections from a [[record label]], a [[musical genre]], a certain time period, or a regional music scene. Promotional [[sampler album]]s are compilations.

==== Tribute or cover{{anchor|Tribute album}} ====
{{Further|List of tribute albums}}{{Category see also|Covers albums}}{{Redirect-distinguish|Cover album|Album cover}}
A tribute or cover album is a compilation of [[cover version]]s of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may involve various artists covering the songs of a single artist, genre or period, a single artist covering the songs of various artists or a single artist, genre or period, or any variation of an album of cover songs which is marketed as a "tribute".<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l5bkYhQJz_QC&pg=PA4|page=4|title=Access All Eras: Tribute Bands and Global Pop Culture|author=Shane Homan|publisher=McGraw-Hill Education|date=1 September 2006|isbn=978-0-335-22986-4|access-date=21 September 2020|archive-date=1 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210601043458/https://books.google.com/books?id=l5bkYhQJz_QC&pg=PA4|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Posthumous album===
{{Further|List of music released posthumously}}{{Category see also|Albums published posthumously}}
{{Redirect-distinguish|Posthumous album|Posthumous (album)}}

A '''posthumous album''' is an album released after an artist's [[death]]. These albums are often compilation albums, which sometimes feature unreleased music by the deceased artists. However, posthumous albums can also be studio albums, live albums or solo albums that primarily contain previously unreleased material.

Album releases that are posthumous which include new music often have mixed reviews (i.e., aside from ''[[Greatest Hits]]'' compilations). Opinions on the merits of releasing music by an artist posthumously vary at large, with some views expressing support to the idea that listeners would want to hear unpublished catalogues from an artist, in particular if the artist's estate and family are directly involved in assuring the artist's vision.<ref>{{Cite web |author=John Molloy |title=How ethical are posthumous albums? |url=https://poly.rpi.edu/opinion/2024/04/how-ethical-are-posthumous-albums/ |website=The Polytechnic |publisher=[[Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute]] |date= April 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250725033337/https://poly.rpi.edu/opinion/2024/04/how-ethical-are-posthumous-albums/ |archive-date=25 July 2025 |access-date=4 August 2025 |url-status=live }}</ref> Opposite to this, other views reflect the idea that such releases are likely without consent by the artists who have passed, and as a product of this, posthumous releases could never meet the visions of artists themselves, thereby possibly negatively affecting the perceived [[musicality]] and overall legacy of the artists.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Sinead Dunphy |title=The Problem with Posthumous Albums |url=https://universityobserver.ie/the-problem-with-posthumous-albums/ |website=[[The University Observer]] |publisher=UCD Students' Union |date=February 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250521120045/https://universityobserver.ie/the-problem-with-posthumous-albums/ |archive-date=21 May 2025 |access-date=4 August 2025 |url-status=live }}</ref> Examples of successful posthumous album releases include [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]'s 1994 first live album, ''[[MTV Unplugged in New York]]'', [[the Notorious B.I.G.]]'s 1997 ''[[Life After Death]]'' (released sixteen days after his death), and more recently, [[Mac Miller]]'s 2020 posthumous album, ''[[Circles (Mac Miller album)|Circles]]''.

==See also==
{{div col}}
* [[Album-equivalent unit]]
* [[Album-oriented rock]]
* [[Art release]]
* [[Comedy album]]
* [[Concept album]]
* [[Lists of albums]]
* [[Mastering (audio)|Mastering]]
* [[Record sales]]
* [[Remix album]]
* [[Soundtrack album]]
* [[Split album]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Wiktionary-inline}}
* {{Commons category-inline}}

{{Music topics}}
{{Music industry}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Albums| ]]
[[Category:Media formats]]