What is 'long playing' in music?

Answer 1

The assumption is that you are asking about 'Long Playing Records'. Originally disc records were made to revolve at 78 revolutions per minute. They had more limited frequency response than later techniques, but since there hadn't been anything like it before, people were happy with the ability to play music on a record player. Columbia introduced the LP in the summer of 1948. While the records were the same size as 10 inch and 12 inch 78s, they played at 33 1/3 rpm, hence played much longer, up to half an hour on a 12in. side instead of four minutes. In 1949 RCA Victor introduced a seven-inch record playing at 45rpm, hence playing no longer than the 78s. (Later 45s played eight minutes and were called Extended Play, or EP.) Both of the new types were made of unbreakable vinyl rather than shellac.