<P> A mini-LP or mini-album is a short vinyl record album or LP, usually retailing at a lower price than an album that would be considered full - length . It is distinct from an EP due to containing more tracks and a slightly longer running length . A mini-LP is not to be confused with the unique to Japan "mini LP sleeve" or "paper jacket" CD . </P> <P> Mini-LPs became popular in the early 1980s with record companies who targeted consumers who were reluctant to buy full - length and full - priced albums . Several mini-LPs had been released in the late 1970s, including John Cooper Clarke's Walking Back to Happiness, which used the 10 - inch format . The format was usually 12 - inch or 10 - inch vinyl, with a playing time of between twenty and thirty minutes, and around seven tracks . They were often used as a way of introducing new acts to the market or as a way of releasing interim albums by established acts between their main albums . Epic Records introduced the 10 - inch Nu - Disk format in the early 1980s but they found it difficult to merchandise, and 12 - inch mini-LPs became more common . Notable mini-LPs of the early 1980s included U2's Under a Blood Red Sky, which reached number 2 on the UK Albums Chart in 1983, and The Honeydrippers' Volume 1, which reached number 4 on the Billboard 200 in 1984 . </P>

What the difference between mini album and album
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