An EP, short for extended play, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. EPs typically contain between 2-5 songs and are under 30 minutes in length. They are considered "less expensive and time-consuming" for an artist to produce than an album. EPs are often used as a marketing tool for emerging artists to showcase their style and build a fan base. They can also be used as a stop-gap project to prepare listeners for a bigger body of work to come. The cost of producing and marketing an EP is generally less than that of an album. The Official Chart Company in the United Kingdom defines an EP as having no more than four tracks and a maximum length of 25 minutes. In TuneCores platform, an album is a release with two or more tracks, while EPs and singles have fewer tracks.