The recording time of a vinyl disc can vary depending on several factors and is controlled by adjusting parameters on the vinyl-recording lathe. Unlike CDs, which have a set recording capacity per disc, vinyl is capable of a range of different recording times that depend on the following factors:

The surface of a record is made up of the ‘groove' containing the sound waves, and ‘land' between the grooves. The idea is to get the loudest possible recording, with the least amount of land between the grooves, because land is essentially wasted space. The outer edge of the record also sounds the best, so the less land we leave the better the recording, but if the grooves are too close together there is no land left at all, and the grooves may overlap, causing distortion and in worse cases skipping.

For these reasons it is impossible to give an exact maximum recording time on vinyl, so we generally give a recommended recording time for each type of disc. This is simply a guideline, there to ensure that you get the best possible combination of recording time and recording level (loudness). Of course, it is possible to fit more audio onto a disc, but that depends on the audio itself, and how loud you want it to be.

Recommended track time guidelines:

If you have a set of tracks and you are not sure how to arrange them over a set of dubs, please contact the studio and we can let you know the most cost effective way of spreading the tracks out, giving the best possible recording quality and loudness.