Buying vinyl: what to look for in speed, 180 gram and pressings

LP, single and speed

An LP is a 12-inch record (about 30 cm) that plays at 33⅓ revolutions per minute. A 7-inch single usually plays at 45 rpm; the label on the record usually says which speed. Examples of 7-inch singles in the catalogue are Wet Leg: CPR / Davina McCall, Nine Inch Nails: As Alive As You Need Me To Be and Rock the Casbah / Red Angel Dragnet. Some 12-inch records also play at 45 rpm, such as the Gloria 12" EP; the name often says so, for example "45rpm".

So check that your turntable has both speeds; many players switch between 33 and 45. If an album does not fit on one disc, you get a double LP, "2LP" in product names, such as Adele: 30 (2LP).

What 180 gram means

"180 gram" in the name is about the weight of the disc: heavier and stiffer than a lighter pressing. Labels release it as a sturdier pressing for collectors. It says nothing about the recording or the mastering; those decide how the music sounds. Examples in the catalogue are Johnny Cash: American IV, Lenny Kravitz: Let Love Rule, Jethro Tull: Stand Up with Steven Wilson's stereo remix, and Yusef Lateef: The Blue Yusef Lateef from the Music On Vinyl label.

Remaster, half speed and mono

A remaster is a new treatment of the original recordings, often for a reissue. With half-speed mastering the lacquer from which the record is later pressed is cut at half speed while the music also plays at half speed. Studios that offer it, such as Abbey Road, present it as a way to improve the sound quality of the record. The catalogue includes Supertramp: Crime Of The Century (Half Speed), Paul McCartney & Wings: Band On The Run, Amy Winehouse: Back To Black (Half Speed) and Who's Next (Half Speed Master).

Some albums also come out in mono, with one sound channel instead of stereo. An example is Pink Floyd: A Saucerful Of Secrets (Mono).

Coloured vinyl and picture discs

Records come in black, in a colour or as a picture disc, with an image inside the disc itself. With coloured vinyl the colour or "Coloured" is in the name, such as Madrugada: The Nightly Disease (Coloured) and Bonnie Prince Billy: Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You (Light Rose Coloured). Picture discs include The Rolling Stones: Hackney Diamonds, ABBA: Voyage and Amy Winehouse: Back To Black.

These editions often come in a limited run, with "Limited Edition" in the name. If you mainly want to play the record, a black pressing is often enough; if you also want to show it, a colour or picture disc is an option.

Reissues, Record Store Day and extras

Well-known albums often exist in several pressings: the first release, reissues and anniversary editions. Record Store Day (RSD) is an event of independent record shops, on a Saturday in April and around Black Friday in November, with special, limited releases; product names then carry "RSD" and the year, as with The Last Dinner Party: The Scythe / Second Best. A deluxe edition or box set has extra discs, a booklet or other extras. If "+ Download" is in the name, a code to download the album is included.

You recognise a pressing by the catalogue number on the sleeve and by the number in the run-out groove near the label, the matrix. If you are after a particular pressing, compare it in online pressing databases.

How to compare

On Playtto every edition has its own EAN and its own version on the product page: black and coloured, single and double, 180 gram and lighter. That way you see prices for exactly the pressing you want. All records are under Vinyl.