EPs on charts

[RFNAPLES]

Is a 45 a type of album? A mini-album?
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[albummaster]

I've noticed quite a few EPs are still being submitted (one user has just posted a whole chart full of them), so I thought re-opening this thread might be a good idea.

The 'official' definition of an album: "A recording counts as an "album" if either it has more than four tracks or lasts more than 25 minutes. Sometimes shorter albums are referred to as "mini-albums" or EPs. Albums such as Tubular Bells, Amarok, Hergest Ridge by Mike Oldfield, and Yes's Close to the Edge, include fewer than four tracks. Other artists such as Pinhead Gunpowder refer to their own releases under 30 minutes to bake as "albums" despite the normal distinction."

BEA's definition is more lenient to allow members a bit of flexibility, but there has to be a cut-off somewhere, and it needs to be clear enough so that everybody understands it (& it can then be enforced consistently). So, to keep things simple, the current position is that 'albums' need to be at least 20 minutes in length OR have more than four tracks.

Albums will be flagged as 'suspect' if they do not meet either of the above criteria, and they will be deleted after 28 days if a case cannot be made to keep them.

[19loveless91]

I'm not so much against EPs on charts, at least if they're only used in custom charts. I assume the person who posted a whole chart of them, used the custom charts option to do so (?). I think the criteria you got there is good (although there can be EPs with more than 4 tracks, and way shorter than 20 minutes - e.g. Minor Threat EP), but I wouldn't delete those EPs from the site, just maybe make them ineligible for points for overall ranking.

[albummaster]

Yes, there's bound to be a few that sneak in under the radar, but I think having those criteria will make data moderation less subjective, & a bit easier for everyone (I noticed a post earlier in the thread mentioning 20 mins as a minimum length, and from seeing the various releases added over the last nine months, it seems a sensible cut-off point). Custom charts seem to have introduced a bit of a back-door, but this is still an album site and the items on the site need to reflect that.

[videoheadcleaner]

Any EP/Mini-Album I keep in my charts is longer than 25 minutes mostly.

Also I have made a habit of putting in the comments on the admin album page how long the EP goes for to cover myself.

[Hayden]

[purple]

Nice! I was never positive of the definition BEA settled on for EPs. Lately, I've been wanting to add Burial's Street Halo EP to the database; is everyone cool with this given that it's 20.6 minutes long?

[albummaster]

yes, anything over 20 mins is fine.

[albummaster]

[thejoj96]

"Watery, Domestic" by Pavement is an EP. It clocks in at 11:27 and has four tracks. It is meant as a complete work and is not promotional. Adding this EP to a chart breaks the rules that have been set. If someone wanted to add this EP (which is a complete work) to a chart, why should they be restricted to do so?