# 7 inch records; how long can they be? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 18, 2006, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-inch-records-how-long-can-they-be/357324 "2006-05-18T22:00:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-inch-records-how-long-can-they-be/357324/1 "2006-05-18T22:00:37Z")
Millions, Yeah. That’s the question. How many minutes can each side of a 7 inch be? Your knowhow is thoroughly appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-inch-records-how-long-can-they-be/357324/2 "2006-05-18T22:04:47Z")
A 7" record holds a maximum of about 4 minutes of music per side at 45 RPM. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-inch-records-how-long-can-they-be/357324/3 "2006-05-18T22:09:10Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] A 7" record holds a maximum of about 4 minutes of music per side at 45 RPM. [/QUOTE] That’s not true at all. The single version of “Hey Jude,” for one example, is timed at 7:11. ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-inch-records-how-long-can-they-be/357324/4 "2006-05-18T22:22:38Z")
While the jury is still out, what about 10 inches? Running time, I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-inch-records-how-long-can-they-be/357324/5 "2006-05-18T22:48:34Z")
Ok: I pestered a friend of mine who presses records (and was SUPPOSED to be out of town. Pays to ask I guess). The answer: 8.5 minutes at 33rpm 6.5 minutes at 45rpm The end _brushes off hands_ ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-inch-records-how-long-can-they-be/357324/6 "2006-05-18T23:11:53Z")
Suitably ashamed by my earlier polluting of the SDMB waters with further ignorance, I just got off the phone with Aardvark Mastering, a company that presses vinyl records (and makes and sells the plates you use to press them yourself). I was told that it’s usually 4-7 minutes, but you can push it further at the expense of volume and high end detail. He says he’s pressed records at up to 9 min per side on a 45 RPM 7", but beyond that is really noticeable. ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-inch-records-how-long-can-they-be/357324/7 "2006-05-18T23:15:14Z")
Your follow-up is commendable and, nicely, fits in with what I’d discovered as well. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-inch-records-how-long-can-they-be/357324/8 "2006-05-19T15:26:48Z")
[QUOTE=Birdmonster] Your follow-up is commendable and, nicely, fits in with what I’d discovered as well. [/QUOTE] Well, I tossed off my first answer after a glance at my own collection of 7" singles. Of the 50 or so, the shortest side I could find was 3:06, and the longest was 4:25. I concluded (reasonably, I thought at the time) that if you could fit more than 4 1/2 minutes of music on a side, at least one of these artists would have. What I didn’t take into consideration is that basically all of my vinyl is punk rock. 4 1/2 minutes is often at least three songs. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-inch-records-how-long-can-they-be/357324/9 "2006-05-19T15:34:03Z")
Pretty much every 7 is a punk 7 these days, isn’t it? Does any other genre really use 'em? ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-inch-records-how-long-can-they-be/357324/10 "2006-05-19T15:42:45Z")
[QUOTE=Birdmonster] Pretty much every 7 is a punk 7 these days, isn’t it? Does any other genre really use 'em? [/QUOTE] Indie pop and reggae.