A Guide to Vinyl Record Sizes and Speeds

Vinyl records come in a few different sizes, and are to be played at a few different speeds. However, the speeds are not necessarily linked to the size of the record. In some cases, 12? records are to be played at the same speed as a 7? record! This is down to the amount of music stored on the record.

We are here to give you a brief overview of the different sizes and speeds you may encounter while dealing with vinyl records.

Record Sizes

Vinyl Records come in three sizes: 7 inch (18 cm), 10 inch (25 cm) and 12 inch (30 cm).

The largest and most frequent size being 12?, both sides can store roughly 22 minutes of music. Sometimes slightly more, sometimes slightly less. Both sides combined can often reach a healthy 45 minutes of play!

The smallest size of 7? initially came about as a cheaper way to produce singles. It being smaller means it can?t store nearly as much music as the other sizes. However, at its base speed of 45 RPM, these smaller disks are a perfect method of distributing exclusive, extended cuts of songs.

Lastly, the rarest size sits at 10?. All commonly running at an impressive 78 RPM! While they do have the highest RPM which increases their sound quality, this means that the longevity of the record is decreased due to requiring the record to spin faster, which we will cover in more detail below.

Record Speeds

Just as there are three sizes of records, there are also three speeds at which they are to be played. These speeds are measured in RPM, standing for revolutions per minute. This refers to the number of times the record is spun within a minute. While faster speeds create higher quality audio, they also lessen the amount of play on the record. In turn, slower records produce lower quality audio, but are able to store much longer play sessions.

The most common speed that records use is 45 RPM. A general consensus was found amongst listeners that they?d be willing to discard a bit of quality for the compromise of more music to listen to. 33 RPM is still fairly commonly used, on 12? records more than anything else.

The third and final speed being 78 RPM, the fastest and least common. Despite its high-quality audio, as previously mentioned, records using this speed would be subject to holding significantly less music than those of slower RPMs. This speed is fairly uncommon though, and unlikely something to worry about.  

With all of this in mind, it is absolutely crucial to know the speed at which your record should be played. Make absolutely sure to check you know what speed it needs to be played at, and that the record player has been adjusted accordingly. Should the disk be played at the wrong speed, it could be damaged to a point of never playing again.

 Cases and Frames

You could be the type that doesn?t really want to play your records, but would rather display them. It?s not a bad idea, as the more you play a record, the more scratched and damaged it becomes. Each play will lessen its quality.

Sleeves for 12? records tend to measure around 12.375?. It being a little bit bigger gives the record a bit of room to breathe and will make it easier to access should you need to recover it from its sleeve. 7? records are more of the same, though it wouldn?t be a waste to store a few of them in one sleeve given their small size.

12.5? is a good and recommended size for frames, allowing the record some space and avoiding any risks of bending or damaging it or its cover while storing or moving the record in and out of the frame. 

Overall

As a brief overview: There are three sizes of vinyl records being 7?, 10? and 12?.

There are three speeds at which vinyl records are to be played, being 33 RPM, 45 RPM and 78 RPM. It is vital to know the speed at which your record should be played at, to avoid damaging it and rendering it unplayable.

There are good materials such as frames and sleeves to preserve your records safely, and they can be found in the appropriate sizes for each size of record.

Vinyl records are a niche of their own. Some people look at them fondly as memories, while other people are brand new to them and simply wish to indulge in a new way to embrace music! All the same, it as a delicate form of media. It?s so important to understand what you own before you use it, and we at Life of Vinyl are here to help you with that.

Enjoy your records, and take care of them! They need you!