What is a CD Single - A CD World users (rough) guide.

To many a CD Single is obvious - the equivalent of a 7" single, 7" EP or a 12" single or 12" Maxi single. However with record labels being generous and making full use of the CD format we have CDs being issued which could be called Mini Albums (or the equivalent).

This site, being the sister site of 45Cat is about CD singles, not CD albums or CD mini albums.

So how to define a CD, using the UK Chart Company's guidelines, to qualify in the UK as a single:

...

There will be many discs that fall outside of the basic guidelines/rules and these can be discussed in the forums.

If you have any disc that you can't make your mind up about then ask in the forums and see what the consensus is, let the masses decide.

Does that disallow Pink Floyd - The First Three Singles then?

If Pink Floyd (The First Three Singles) does not qualify as an EP here, one could validly argue that on 45cat Marvin Gaye "Originals from Marvin Gaye" TME 2019 (classified as an EP) should go from there as it has 6 separate single tracks and is a mini-album albeit on 7" format.

I already made a comment about this one:
[image]7123[/image]

Released as part of a singles box set with a running time of 39 minutes.
Personally, I think it should be included, but it just goes to show that the whole thing is a bit of a minefield!

The CD (Single) must contain the featured track or a version/remix of it.
The CD (Single) must meet the minimum dealer price requirement.
The CD (Single) must have no more than 4 different tracks, although each song may appear in any number of different versions.
The CD (Single) maximum running time is 25 minutes (if more than one different song is featured), or 40 minutes (if one song is featured in multiple versions/mixes).

So the important bits that make a CD qualify as a CD Single.
No more than 4 different tracks (not counting any remixes of the same song).
No more than 25 minutes in playing time (for up to 4 different tracks) or up to 40 minutes if the CD contains remix versions.

This wondrous bit of ambient electro dub clocks in at a mighty 39 minutes and 58 seconds for the title track. There is a 3.08 radio edit plus another edit/ mix which clocks at 5.58. There is another different track (a 14.51 Towers of Dub Mad Prof mix).
In total this CD single has a sublime running time of 1 hour 3 minutes and 55 seconds. Does this make it NOT a CD single?

In vinyl format I am used to the promotional album ( one track each from say 12 artists' albums as purchasable samplers ). Now have in one pile here a CD promo ( to radio stations ) of a number of artist's singles, it looks like an album , but could be argued to be a multiple promo for a dozen different artists , as its non purchasable and the record company is just taking advantage of the CD format ?

This I would say falls under the category of CD Album. I have several that were issued by Warner Bros. in the 90s that most definitely are classed as (promo) albums. In these cases the 4 to 5 track rule must apply.