Extended play (EP) is the name typically given to vinyl records or CDs which contain more music than a single, but are too short to qualify as albums. Usually, an EP has around 10–35 minutes of music, a single has up to 10 minutes and an album has 35–80 minutes.

EPs were released in various sizes in different eras. In the 1950s and 1960s, EPs were typically 45 RPM recordings on 7" (18cm) discs, with two songs on each side.

However, some classical music albums released at the beginning of the LP era were also distributed as EP albums — notably the seven operas that Arturo Toscanini conducted on radio between 1944 and 1954. These operas, originally broadcast on NBC radio, were made available both in 45 RPM and 33 1/3 RPM. In the 1990s, they began appearing on compact disc.

During the 1950s, RCA Victor released several EP albums of Walt Disney films, containing both the story and songs. These usually featured the original casts of the films. Each album contained two records, plus a fully illustrated booklet containing the complete text of the recording, so that children could follow along. Some of the titles included Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio and what was then a recent release, the 1954 version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The case of 20,000 Leagues was highly unusual in that, not only did it not use the film's cast but years later, a 12-inch 33⅓ RPM album of the film, with nearly the identical script and yet another totally different cast, was issued by Disneyland Records in conjunction with the 1963 re-release of the film.

In 1967, The Beatles released a double-EP containing songs from their TV film Magical Mystery Tour. Stevie Wonder included a bonus 4-song EP in his 1976 double LP Songs in the Key of Life. In the 1970s and 1980s there was less standardization and EPs were made on 7" (18cm), 10" or 12" (30cm) discs running either 33⅓ or 45 RPM. Some novelty EPs used odd shapes and colors and a few were picture discs.

Alice in Chains is the first band to ever have an EP reach #1 on Billboard album chart. The EP, Jar of Flies was released January 25, 1994. Linkin Park and Jay-Z's collaboration EP, Collision Course, was the next and latest to have reached the #1 spot after Alice in Chains.

The Extended Play is the first release by the band Wintergreen. It was released November 15, 2005 on Mt. Fuji Records.