Album: Difference between revisions

{{Redirect|Music Album|the Canadian television series|Music Album (TV series){{!}}''Music Album'' (TV series)}}

[[Image:Earlyalbum1.jpg|right|thumb|Early record albums from the first half of the 20th century resembled [[Photo album|photo albums]], being packaged in book form on multiple [[Phonograph record#78  rpm disc developments|78 rpm discsrecord]]s.]]

The first audio albums were actually published by the publishers of photograph albums. Single [[78  rpm recordsrecord]]s were sold in a brown heavy paper sleeve with a large hole in the center so the record's label could be seen. The fragile records were stored on their sides. By the mid-1920s, photo album publishers sold collections of empty sleeves of heavier paper in bound volumes with stiff covers slightly larger than the 10" popular records. (Classical records measured 12".) On the paper cover in small type were the words "Record Album.". Now records could be stored vertically with the record not touching the shelf, and the term was applied to the collection.{{cn|date=July 2023}}

With the advent of [[78 rpm record|78 &nbsp;rpm records]] in the early 1900s, the typical 10-inch disc could only hold about three minutes of sound per side, so almost all popular recordings were limited to around three minutes in length.<ref name="WRD-20140711">{{cite magazine |last=Allain |first=Rhett |date=11 July 2014 |title=Why Are Songs on the Radio About the Same Length? |url=https://www.wired.com/2014/07/why-are-songs-on-the-radio-about-the-same-length/ |url-status=live |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140711190729/http://www.wired.com/2014/07/why-are-songs-on-the-radio-about-the-same-length/ |archive-date=11 July 2014 |access-date=11 July 2014 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> Classical-music and spoken-word items generally were released on the longer 12-inch 78s, playing around 4–5 minutes per side. For example, in 1924, [[George Gershwin]] recorded a drastically shortened version of his new seventeen-minute composition ''[[Rhapsody in Blue]]'' with [[Paul Whiteman]] and His Orchestra. The recording was issued on both sides of a single record, Victor 55225 and ran for 8m&nbsp;59s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.redhotjazz.com/pwo.html|title=Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra|publisher=Redhotjazz.com|access-date=19 December 2011|archive-date=5 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120105004806/http://www.redhotjazz.com/pwo.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> By 1910, though some European record companies had issued albums of complete operas and other works, the practice of issuing albums was not widely taken up by American record companies until the 1920s.

By about 1910, bound collections of empty sleeves with a [[paperboard]] or [[leather]] cover, similar to a photograph album, were sold as record albums that customers could use to store their records (the term "record album" was printed on some covers). These albums came in both 10-inch and 12-inch sizes. The covers of these bound books were wider and taller than the records inside, allowing the record album to be placed on a shelf upright, like a book, suspending the fragile records above the shelf and protecting them. In the 1930s, record companies began issuing collections of 78&nbsp;rpm records78s by one performer or of one type of music in specially assembled albums, typically with artwork on the front cover and liner notes on the back or inside cover. Most albums included three or four records, with two sides each, making six or eight compositions per album.<ref name="alancross.ca"/>

By the mid-1930s, record companies had adopted the album format for classical music selections that were longer than the roughly eight minutes that fit on both sides of a classical 12" 78 &nbsp;rpm record. Initially the covers were plain, with the name of the selection and performer in small type. In 1938, Columbia recordsRecords hired the first graphic designer in the business to design covers, others soon followed and colorful album covers cover became an important selling feature.<ref>{{cnCite web |title=On Alex Steinweiss and the Short History of Album Cover Art {{!}} Album Cover Zone |url=https://albumcoverzone.com/blog/on-alex-steinweiss-and-the-short-history-of-album-cover-art |access-date=July2024-06-03 2023|website=albumcoverzone.com}}</ref>

When Columbia introduced the Long Playing record format in 1948, it was natural the term album would continue. Columbia expected that the record size distinction in 78s would continue, with classical music on 12" records and popular music on 10" records, and singles on 78s. Columbia's first popular 10" LP in fact was Frank Sinatra's first album, the four-record eight-song "''[[The Voice" of Frank Sinatra]]'', originally issued in 1946.<ref>Charles I. Granata, "The Voice of Frank Sinatra", booklet in "The Voice of Frank Sinatra", Columbia CK 62100, 2003, p. 9 (the first CD issue of the release).</ref>

RCA's introduction of the smaller 45 &nbsp;rpm format later in 1948 disrupted Columbia's expectations. By the mid-1950s, 45s dominated the singles market and 12" LPs dominated the album market and both 78s and 10" LPs were discontinued. In the 1950s albums of popular music were also issued on 45s, sold in small heavy paper-covered "gate-fold" albums with multiple discs in sleeves or in sleeves in small boxes. This format disappeared around 1960. Sinatra's "The Voice" was issued in 1952 on two extended play 45s, with two songs on each side, in both packagings.<ref>Charles I. Granata, "The Voice of Frank Sinatra", booklet in "The Voice of Frank Sinatra", Columbia CK 62100, 2003, p. 9 (the first CD issue of the release).</ref>

The 10-inch and 12-inch [[LP record]] (long play), or {{frac|33|1|3}}&nbsp;[[revolutions per minute|rpm]] microgroove [[polyvinyl chloride|vinyl]] record, is a [[gramophone record]] format introduced by [[Columbia Records]] in 1948.<ref name="auto">{{cite magazine |last=Thill |first=Scott |date=Jun 21, 2010 |title=June 21, 1948: Columbia's Microgroove LP Makes Albums Sound Good |url=https://www.wired.com/2010/06/0621first-lp-released/ |url-status=live |magazine=WIRED |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170408113753/https://www.wired.com/2010/06/0621first-lp-released/ |archive-date=8 April 2017 |access-date=5 March 2017 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> A single LP record often had the same or similar number of tunes as a typical album of 78s, and it was adopted by the record industry as a standard format for the "album".<ref name="alancross.ca"/> Apart from relatively minor refinements and the important later addition of [[stereophonic sound]] capability, it has remained the standard format for vinyl albums.

The term "album" was extended to other recording media such as [[8-track tape]], [[Cassettecassette tape|audio cassette]], [[compact disc]], [[MiniDisc]], and digital albums, as they were introduced.<ref name="About Vinyl Records" /> As part of a trend of shifting sales in the [[music industry]], some observers feel that the early 21st century experienced the [[death of the album]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iRMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA48|page=48|author=Scott Baneriee|date=6 November 2004|title=New Ideas, New Outlets|magazine=Billboard|access-date=21 September 2020|archive-date=1 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210601043500/https://books.google.com/books?id=iRMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA48|url-status=live}}</ref>

An album may contain any number of tracks. In the United States, [[The Recording Academy]]'s rules for [[Grammy Award]]s state that an album must comprise a minimum total playing time of 15 minutes with at least five distinct tracks or a minimum total playing time of 30 minutes with no minimum track requirement.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/recording-academy/press-release/recording-academy-to-transition-to-online-voting-for-the-60th-annual|title=Recording Academy™ to Transition to Online Voting for the 60|date=14 June 2017|website=grammy.com|access-date=27 March 2018|archive-date=5 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405220013/https://www.grammy.com/recording-academy/press-release/recording-academy-to-transition-to-online-voting-for-the-60th-annual|url-status=live}}</ref> In the United Kingdom, the criteria for the [[UK Albums Chart]] is that a recording counts as an "album" if it either has more than four tracks or lasts more than 25 minutes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theofficialcharts.com/docs/NEW_Album_Chart_Rules_2007_2.pdf |title=Rules For Chart Eligibility – Albums |access-date=20 April 2007 |date=January 2007 |publisher=[[The Official UK Charts Company]]|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070627231755/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/docs/NEW_Album_Chart_Rules_2007_2.pdf |archive-date = 27 June 2007}}</ref> Sometimes shorter albums are referred to as [[mini-album]]s or [[Extended play|EPs]].<ref name="As albums fade away, music industry looks to shorter records">{{cite web|url=http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2010/jan/04/albums-fade-away-music-industry-looks-shorter-reco/?breakingnews|access-date=1 June 2012|title=As albums fade away, music industry looks to shorter records|date=4 January 2010 |agency=Associated Press|archive-date=20 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020194136/http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2010/jan/04/albums-fade-away-music-industry-looks-shorter-reco/?breakingnews|url-status=live}}</ref> Albums such as ''[[Tubular Bells]]'', ''[[Amarok (Mike Oldfield album)|Amarok]]'', and ''[[Hergest Ridge (album)|Hergest Ridge]]'' by [[Mike Oldfield]], and [[Yes (band)|Yes's]] ''[[Close to the Edge (Yes album)|Close to the Edge]]'', include fewer than four tracks, but still surpass the 25-minute mark. The album ''[[Dopesmoker]]'' by [[Sleep (band)|Sleep]] contains only a single track, but the composition is over 63 minutes long. There are no formal rules against [[artist]]s such as [[Pinhead Gunpowder]] referring to their own releases under thirty minutes as "albums".

If an album becomes too long to fit onto a single vinyl record or CD, it may be released as a [[double album]] where two vinyl [[Long Play|LPs]] or compact discs are packaged together in a single case, or a [[triple album]] containing three LPs or compact discs. Recording artists who have an extensive back catalogue may re-release several CDs in one single box with a unified design, often containing one or more albums (in this scenario, these releases can sometimes be referred to as a "two (or three)-fer"), or a compilation of previously unreleased recordings. These are known as [[box set]]s. Some musical artists have also released more than three compact discs or LP records of new recordings at once, in the form of boxed sets, although in that case the work is still usually considered to be an album.

Commercial sheet music areis published in conjunction with the release of a new album (studio, compilation, soundtrack, etc.). A '''matching folio songbook''' is a compilation of the [[music notation]] of all the songs included in that particular album. It typically has the album's artwork on its cover and, in addition to sheet music, it includes photos of the artist.<ref>Blume, Jason. ''The Business of Songwriting'' (2006)</ref> Most pop and rock releases come in standard Piano/Vocal/Guitar notation format (and occasionally Easy Piano / E-Z Play Today).<ref>{{cite web |title=Piano Songbooks |url=https://www.halleonard.com/index.jsp?subsiteid=3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618053546/https://www.halleonard.com/index.jsp?subsiteid=3 |archive-date=18 June 2018 |access-date=5 April 2018 |website=Hal Leonard}}</ref> Rock-oriented releases may also come in '''Guitar Recorded Versions''' edition, which are note-for-note transcriptions written directly from artist recordings.<ref>{{cite web |title=Guitar Recorded Versions |url=https://www.halleonard.com/search/search.action?_c&seriesfeature=RECVER |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406042205/https://www.halleonard.com/search/search.action?_c&seriesfeature=RECVER |archive-date=6 April 2018 |access-date=5 April 2018 |website=Hal Leonard}}</ref>

Double albums during the seventies were sometimes sequenced for [[record changers]]. In the case of a two-record set, for example, sides 1 and 4 would be stamped on one record, and sides 2 and 3 on the other. The user would stack the two records onto the spindle of an automatic record changer, with side 1 on the bottom and side 2 (on the other record) on top. Side 1 would automatically drop onto the [[Phonograph|turntable]] and be played. When finished, the tone arm's position would trigger a mechanism which moved the arm out of the way, dropped the record with side 2, and played it. When both records had been played, the user would pick up the stack, turn it over, and put them back on the spindle—sides 3 and 4 would then play in sequence.<ref name="About Vinyl Records" /> Record changers were used for many years of the LP era, but eventually fell out of use.

Stereo 8 was created in 1964 by a consortium led by [[Bill Lear]] of [[Lear Jet Corporation]], along with [[Ampex]], [[Ford Motor Company]], [[General Motors]], [[Motorola]], and [[RCA Victor Records]]. It was a further development of the similar [[Stereo-Pak]] four-track cartridge created by [[Madman Muntz|Earl "Madman" Muntz]]. A later [[quadraphonic sound|quadraphonic]] version of the format was announced by RCA in April 1970 and first known as Quad-8, then later changed to just Q8.

The compact cassette used double-sided [[magnetic tape sound recording|magnetic tape]] to distribute music for commercial sale.<ref name="History of Compact Cassette">{{cite web|url=http://vintagecassettes.com/_history/history.htm|access-date=30 May 2012|title=History of Compact Cassette|publisher=Vintage Cassettes|archive-date=26 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110226024807/http://vintagecassettes.com/_history/history.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="The History of Recorded Music">{{cite web|url=http://www.soc.duke.edu/~s142tm01/history4.html|access-date=30 May 2012|title=The History of Recorded Music|publisher=Music Cd Industry|archive-date=24 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120824175418/http://www.soc.duke.edu/~s142tm01/history4.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The music is recorded on both the "A" and "B" side of the tape, with cassette being "turned" to play the other side of the album.<ref name="History of Compact Cassette" /> Compact Cassettes were also a popular way for musicians to record "[[Demo (music)|Demos]]" or "Demo Tapes" of their music to distribute to various record labels, in the hopes of acquiring a [[recording contract]].<ref name="The Death of the Demo Tape (At Last)">{{cite web|url=http://wfmu.org/~davem/docs/demotape.html|access-date=5 July 2012|title=Demo Tapes|publisher=Dave Mandl|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230604/http://wfmu.org/~davem/docs/demotape.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Compact cassettes also saw the creation of [[mixtape]]s, which are tapes containing a compilation of songs created by any average listener of music.<ref name="Mixtape History">{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/mixtape/news_feature_021003/index8.jhtml|access-date=5 July 2012|title=Mixtape History|publisher=MTV|archive-date=1 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201175303/http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/mixtape/news_feature_021003/index8.jhtml|url-status=livedead}}</ref> The songs on a mixtape generally relate to one another in some way, whether it be a conceptual theme or an overall sound.<ref name="Mixtape History" /> After the introduction of Compact discs, the term "Mixtape" began to apply to any personal compilation of songs on any given format.<ref name="Mixtape History" />

The sales of Compact Cassettes eventually began to decline in the 1990s, after the release and distribution [[Compact Disc]]s. The 2010s saw a revival of Compact Cassettes by [[independent record label]]s and DIY musicians who preferred the format because of its difficulty to [[Copyright infringement#"Piracy"|share over the internet]].<ref name="Cassette Revival">{{cite web|url=http://www.mediageek.net/tag/cassette-revival|access-date=5 July 2012|title=Cassette Revival|date=28 December 2009 |publisher=Mediageek|archive-date=18 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111118002959/http://www.mediageek.net/tag/cassette-revival/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The compact disc format replaced both the vinyl record and the cassette as the standard for the commercial mass-market distribution of physical music albums.<ref name="The history of the CD - The beginning">{{cite web|url=http://www.research.philips.com/technologies/projects/cd/index.html|access-date=30 May 2012|title=The history of the CD – The beginning|publisher=Philips Research|archive-date=1 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210601043512/https://www.philips.com/a-w/research/home|url-status=live}}</ref> After the introduction of [[music download]]ing and MP3 players such as the [[iPod]], US [[album sales]] dropped 54.6% from 2001 to 2009.<ref name="Us Album Sales">{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/012709album|access-date=5 June 2012|title=Scary Stat: Album Sales Down 54.6 Percent Since 2000...|publisher=Digital Music NewssNews|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205113137/http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/012709album|archive-date=5 February 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The CD is a digital [[data storage device]] which permits [[digital recording]] technology to be used to record and play-back the recorded music.<ref name="The History of Recorded Music" /><ref name="The history of the CD - The beginning" />

The so-called "MP3 album" is not necessarily just in MP3 file format, in which higher quality formats such as [[FLAC]] and [[WAV]] can be used on storage media that MP3 albums reside on, such as [[CD-ROM|CD-R-ROMs]], [[hard drive]]s, [[flash memory]] (e.g. [[USB flash drive|thumbdrives]], [[MP3 player]]s, [[SD card]]s), etc.{{Citation needed|date = May 2015}}

The contents of the album are usually recorded in a [[recording studio|studio]] or live in concert, though may be recorded in other locations, such as at home (as with JJ Cale's ''[[Okie (J. J. Cale album)|Okie]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/JJ-Cale-Okie/release/2982662|title=JJ-Cale-Okie|work=Discogs |access-date=4 December 2015|archive-date=10 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310185238/https://www.discogs.com/JJ-Cale-Okie/release/2982662|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/music-obituaries/10207642/JJ-Cale.html|title=JJ Cale Obituary|date=28 July 2013|work=The Telegraph |access-date=5 April 2018|archive-date=16 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916055824/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/music-obituaries/10207642/JJ-Cale.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Beck's ''[[Odelay]]'',<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p6-UYTO7l1MC&pg=PA75|page=75|title=100 Greatest Albums: 16 Beck Odelay|periodical=Spin|date=July 2008|access-date=23 August 2017|archive-date=15 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191215082603/https://books.google.com/books?id=p6-UYTO7l1MC&pg=PA75|url-status=live}}</ref> David Gray's ''[[White Ladder]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7RMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA11|page=11|magazine=Billboard|date=18 August 2001|title=UK Fave Tom McRae Bows In States Via Arista|access-date=23 August 2017|archive-date=5 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405220006/https://books.google.com/books?id=7RMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA11|url-status=live}}</ref> and others),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mic.com/articles/78949/15-legendary-albums-that-were-recorded-in-bedrooms-kitchens-and-garages|title=15 Legendary Albums That Were Recorded in Bedrooms, Kitchens, and Garages|work=mic.comMic |author=Matt Fowler|date=14 January 2014|access-date=4 December 2015|archive-date=8 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208071225/http://mic.com/articles/78949/15-legendary-albums-that-were-recorded-in-bedrooms-kitchens-and-garages|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.sonicscoop.com/2015/02/12/10-classic-albums-made-outside-the-recording-studio/|title= 10 Classic Albums Made Outside the Recording Studio|date= 12 February 2015|author= Michael Duncan|work= sonicscoop.com|access-date= 4 December 2015|archive-date= 8 December 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151208114950/http://www.sonicscoop.com/2015/02/12/10-classic-albums-made-outside-the-recording-studio/|url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2012/01/10-great-albums-recorded-at-home.html|title=10 Great Albums Recorded at Home|author=Tyler Kane|date=17 January 2012|work=pastemagazine.com|access-date=4 December 2015|archive-date=26 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126053546/http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2012/01/10-great-albums-recorded-at-home.html|url-status=live}}</ref> in the field – as with early Bluesblues recordings,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/redriverblues00bruc|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/redriverblues00bruc/page/64 64]|title=Red River Blues: The Blues Tradition in the Southeast|author=Bruce Bastin|publisher=University of Illinois Press|date= 1 January 1995}}</ref> in prison,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thevinylfactory.com/vinyl-factory-news/rare-soul-album-recorded-in-a-prison-gets-reissue/|title=Rare 1979 soul album recorded in a prison gets reissue|work=thevinylfactory.com|date=19 August 2015|access-date=4 December 2015|archive-date=8 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208165112/http://www.thevinylfactory.com/vinyl-factory-news/rare-soul-album-recorded-in-a-prison-gets-reissue/|url-status=live}}</ref> or with a mobile recording unit such as the [[Rolling Stones Mobile Studio]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/print/can_grammy_winning_recordings_be_made_in_a_home_studio|title=Can Award-Winning Recordings Be Made In A Home Studio?|author=Bob Buontempo|date=16 May 2013|work=prosoundweb.com|access-date=4 December 2015|archive-date=30 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090830220032/http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/print/can_grammy_winning_recordings_be_made_in_a_home_studio|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/rolling-stones-mobile-studio/|title=A Look Back at the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio: 'A Watershed Moment in Recording Technology'|author=Frank Mastropolo|date=23 October 2014|work=ultimateclassicrock.com|access-date=4 December 2015|archive-date=8 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208192255/http://ultimateclassicrock.com/rolling-stones-mobile-studio/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==={{Anchor|<span class="anchor" id="Studio album}}"></span> Studio===

Most albums are studio albums — thatalbums—that is, they are recorded in a recording studio with equipment meant to give those overseeing the recording as much control as possible over the sound of the album. They minimize external noises and reverberations and have highly sensitive microphones and sound mixing equipment. In some studios, each member of a band records their part in separate rooms (or even at separate times, while listening to the other parts of the track with headphones to keep the timing right). In the 2000s, with the advent of digital recording, it became possible for musicians to record their part of a song in another studio in another part of the world, and send their contribution over digital channels to be included in the final product.{{factFact|date=May 2022}}

Recordings that are done in one take without [[overdubbing]] or [[Multitrack recording|multi-tracking]] are termed "live",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.redlightrecords.com/live-v-multi.html|work=redlightrecords.com|title=Live Vs. Multitrack|access-date=26 May 2021|archive-date=26 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526093439/http://www.redlightrecords.com/live-v-multi.html|url-status=live}}</ref> even when done in a studio.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/session-notes-live-band-studio|work=soundonsound.comSound On Sound |date=Jan 2017 |title=Session Notes: A Live Band In The Studio|author=Neil Rogers|access-date=26 May 2021|archive-date=26 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526093448/https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/session-notes-live-band-studio|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the common understanding of a "live album" is one that was recorded at a concert with a public audience,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/live%20album|work=Merriam-Webster |title=Live album|access-date=26 May 2021|archive-date=26 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526093438/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/live%20album|url-status=live}}</ref> even when the recording is overdubbed or multi-tracked.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tonedeaf.thebrag.com/truth-behind-live-albums/|work=tonedeaf.thebrag.com|title=The shocking truth behind your favourite live albums|author=Greg Moskovitch|date=3 February 2021|access-date=26 May 2021|archive-date=26 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526093438/https://tonedeaf.thebrag.com/truth-behind-live-albums/|url-status=live}}</ref> Concert or stage performances are recorded using [[remote recording]] techniques. Albums may be recorded at a single [[concert]], or combine recordings made at multiple concerts. They may include applause, laughter and other noise from the audience, monologues by the performers between pieces, improvisation, and so on. They may use [[multitrack recording]] direct from the stage sound system (rather than microphones placed among the audience), and can employ additional manipulation and effects during post-production to enhance the quality of the recording.

[[Eric Clapton]]'s ''[[Unplugged (Eric Clapton album)|Unplugged]]'' (1992), over 26 million copies,<ref>{{cite web|author=Chris Steffen|url=http://www.allmusic.com/blog/post/nathan-east-eric-clapton|title=Bassist Nathan East on Eric Clapton and "Change the World," Plus, Watch His Documentary |publisher=Rovi Corporation|work=AllMusic|date=23 January 2015|access-date=26 May 2021|archive-date=7 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107155847/https://www.allmusic.com/blog/post/nathan-east-eric-clapton|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Garth Brooks]]' ''[[Double Live (Garth Brooks album)|Double Live]]'' (1998), over 21 million copies,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://garthbrooks.com/music/double-live|work=garthbrooks.comGarth Brooks |title=Double Live|access-date=26 May 2021|archive-date=26 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526104947/https://garthbrooks.com/music/double-live|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Peter Frampton]]'s ''[[Frampton Comes Alive!]]'' (1976), over 11 million copies,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TGKCDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT163|title=Ashes to Ashes: The Songs of David Bowie, 1976–2016|author=Chris O'Leary|publisher=Watkins|page=163|date=13 February 2019|isbn=9781912248360|access-date=26 May 2021|archive-date=26 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526104946/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=TGKCDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT163|url-status=live}}</ref> are among the best selling live albums.

* {{Wiktionary-inline}}