Whether a release shows as a single, an EP or an album is not entirely your choice. Apple Music publishes exact rules based on how many songs the release has and how long they are, and it adds the label to the title itself if you leave it out.
Apple Music's rules
| Release type | Tracks and running time |
|---|---|
| Single | 1 to 3 songs, each under 10 minutes |
| EP | 1 to 3 songs where at least one is 10 minutes or longer, with a total of 30 minutes or less |
| EP | 4 to 6 songs with a total of 30 minutes or less |
| Album | Anything larger: 7 or more songs, or a total over 30 minutes |
"- Single" or "- EP" must appear at the end of the title; if it is missing, Apple adds it automatically. Videos do not count as songs. The album row is what remains once the single and EP rules are applied. Other services use their own definitions, so the same release can be labelled differently from one store to the next.
What this means in practice
- A 4-song release is an EP, not a single, as long as it runs 30 minutes or less.
- A long track changes the label. One song of 10 minutes or more turns a 1 to 3 song release into an EP.
- Do not type the label yourself in a way that conflicts. Calling a 5-song release a single does not make it one; the store applies its own rule.
A single that later goes on an album
Every release has its own UPC, so the single and the album are two products. The recording on both is the same, so it keeps the same ISRC; a new ISRC is only needed when the recording itself changes. Our guide on when you need a new ISRC covers the exceptions.
Planning a run of releases
Because each type is defined by its contents, you can plan around them: singles to build up to a project, then an EP or album that collects them. Keep the artist name, the song titles and the credits identical on every release, so the stores link them to the same recordings and the same artist page.
With Mazufa
Releasing with Mazufa is free: no upload fee, no subscription and no per-release fee, with the revenue share set out in your written agreement. Tell us the songs and their order, and the release type follows the store rules. Apply at mazufa.com/apply.
Sources
- Apple Music Style Guide, sections 3.3 (Singles) and 3.4 (EPs) — https://help.apple.com/itc/musicstyleguide/en.lproj/static.html
On the limits of this guide. These are Apple Music's published rules on the date of this guide; other services define release types in their own way.