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How many songs on an EP? Single, EP and album rules

Spotify and Apple Music sort releases by the number of tracks and the total length. Here are the rules, with examples.

By , a composer with 300+ tracks on audio stock and 12 years in production. Updated 21 October 2026. 3 min read.

In short.

  • Single: 1 to 3 tracks, each under 10 minutes, under 30 minutes in total.
  • EP: 4 to 6 tracks, 30 minutes or less in total. Or 1 to 3 tracks, where at least one is 10 minutes or longer, 30 minutes or less in total.
  • Album: 7 tracks or more, or more than 30 minutes in total.

The rule

Spotify and Apple Music don't count songs the way people do. They look at two numbers: how many tracks the release has, and how long it is. Distributors such as DistroKid and CD Baby describe the same rule in their help pages.

Type Tracks Length
Single 1 to 3 Each track under 10 minutes, the whole release under 30
EP 1 to 3 At least one track 10 minutes or longer, the whole release 30 minutes or less
EP 4 to 6 The whole release 30 minutes or less
Album 7 or more Any length
Album Any number The whole release longer than 30 minutes

Examples

Release Type
2 tracks, 7 minutes in total Single
3 tracks, one of them 12 minutes, 20 minutes in total EP
5 tracks, 22 minutes EP
6 tracks, 25 minutes EP
5 tracks, 34 minutes Album
7 tracks, 18 minutes Album

The last one surprises people: seven short tracks make an album, even at 18 minutes.

LP, mixtape, deluxe

  • LP means long play. In stores it is an album.
  • A mixtape is not a store type. Stores file it as an EP or an album by the same rule.
  • A deluxe edition is a new release with extra tracks. It gets its own UPC. The tracks that were on the first edition keep their ISRCs. See ISRC, ISWC and UPC.

Before you submit

If the type you want doesn't match the rule, check with your distributor before you submit. A two-track release called an EP doesn't become an EP because of its title.

Packs on stock sites

Stock sites don't use this rule. A pack is a set of tracks sold as one item, whatever its length. AudioJungle, for example, sells music packs and music kits next to single tracks. A pack is a release too: it has a title, a date and a set of tracks. Keep it in your catalog the same way.

Keep a record of releases

One track can be on a single, then on an EP, then on a compilation. Each of those is a release with its own date, link and UPC. Keep releases as their own list, and link each track to the releases it is on. A sheet with one row for each track can't do this well: a track on three releases needs three UPCs in one cell.

The Releases page in tracklog: each release with its type, UPC, link and number of tracks; one release open with its tracks and details.
The Releases page in tracklog: each release with its type, UPC, link and number of tracks; one release open with its tracks and details.

Sources