Single vs EP vs album: which should you release?

Free tool · runs in your browser · Facts checked 8 October 2026

Quick answer: at Spotify and most stores, 1 to 3 songs running 30 minutes or less is a single, 4 to 6 songs running 30 minutes or less is an EP, and 7 or more songs, or anything longer than 30 minutes, is an album. Which one to release depends on what matters now: every separate release gets its own Spotify pitch and its own Friday in Release Radar. The tool below labels your songs and compares the routes.

The tool runs in your browser. If it doesn’t load, the definitions and the worked example below show how it decides.

How the tool decides

First it labels your songs the way stores do. CD Baby’s help centre summarises the rules used by Spotify and most stores:

Format	Spotify and most stores
Single	1 to 3 songs, 30 minutes or less
EP	4 to 6 songs, 30 minutes or less
Album	7 or more songs, or more than 30 minutes

Then it applies these rules:

Apple’s 10-minute rule. At Apple Music, 1 to 3 songs count as an EP when one of them runs 10 minutes or more.
No single definition. RouteNote’s help centre says there is no set definition, so near 30 minutes, or with a very long song, ask your distributor how the release will be labelled.
One pitch per release. Spotify lets you pitch one unreleased song at a time, at least 7 days before release, so every separate release is another pitch.
One Release Radar Friday per release. Your followers get songs from each new release, and Release Radar leaves out re-releases of songs already on Spotify, so on an EP’s release day only its new songs are new.
Our rule of thumb, shown openly. When reaching new listeners matters most, up to 3 singles go out before the EP or album; when you want both, 2; when the full body of work matters most, 1 lead single. Route dates start on the first Friday at least 5 weeks away, then one release every 4 weeks.

Worked example: 5 finished songs, 21 minutes

Five songs at 21 minutes is an EP at Spotify and most stores. With “reaching new listeners” as the priority, the tool suggests 3 singles, then the EP:

Fri 13 Nov 2026: Single 1, pitched by Fri 6 Nov.
Fri 11 Dec: Single 2.
Fri 8 Jan 2027: Single 3.
Fri 5 Feb 2027: the EP, with all 5 songs and 2 nobody has heard yet. Pitch one of those two.

That is 4 releases and 4 pitches instead of 1, and the EP still arrives with new songs.

Questions artists ask

How many songs is an EP?

Four to six songs running 30 minutes or less, at Spotify and most stores. Apple Music also files 1 to 3 songs as an EP when one of them runs 10 minutes or more.

How long can an EP be?

Up to 30 minutes. Past that, most stores file the release as an album whatever the song count, so a 5-song release running 33 minutes shows up as an album.

Is it better to release singles or an EP?

It depends on what matters now. Singles give you more pitches and more Release Radar Fridays; an EP gives the people who already like you a body of work. Releasing some songs as singles first, then the EP, gives you some of both.

Can my EP include songs I already released as singles?

Yes. DistroKid’s help centre describes it: release the single, then upload the EP or album, including that song, as a separate release. On the EP’s release day Release Radar features its new songs, because it leaves out re-releases.

Does a release with 2 songs count as a single?

Yes. Up to 3 songs running 30 minutes or less is a single at Spotify and most stores, unless one song runs 10 minutes or more, which Apple Music files as an EP.

Related tools and guides

Release cadence planner: turn the route into dated Fridays with a pitch window for each.
Music release planner: every deadline for one release.
Release-week content planner: what to post around release day.
How Spotify Release Radar works · Is Spotify promotion legit? · How much does Spotify promotion cost?
All guides · All free tools

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Sources

CD Baby Help: How do music stores define a Single, EP, Album, or a Various Artists release? (updated 24 Feb 2026)
DistroKid Help: How streaming services categorize singles, EPs and albums (accessed 8 Oct 2026)
DistroKid Help: Singles, EPs, and albums: which format should you release? (accessed 8 Oct 2026)
RouteNote Support: What is the difference between a single, an EP, an album or an extended album? (10 Mar 2026)
Spotify for Artists: Pitching music and videos to Spotify playlist editors (accessed 8 Oct 2026)
Spotify for Artists: Getting music on Release Radar (accessed 8 Oct 2026)

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