CD single

A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a standard size compact disc. It is not to be confused with the Mini CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s. With the rise in digital downloads in the 2000s, sales of CD singles have decreased.

Commercially released CD singles can vary in length from two songs (an A side and B side, in the tradition of 7" 45rpm records) up to six songs like an EP. Some contain multiple mixes of one or more songs (known as remixes), in the tradition of 12" vinyl singles, and in some cases, they may also contain a music video for the single itself as well as a collectible poster. Depending on the nation, there may be limits on the number of songs and total length for sales to count in singles charts.

History

Dire Straits' "Brothers in Arms" (1985) is reported to be the world's first CD single, issued in the UK in two separate singles as a promotional item, one distinguished with a logo for the tour, Live in '85, and a second to commemorate the Australian leg of the tour marked Live in '86. Containing four tracks, it had a very limited print run. CD singles were first made eligible for the UK Singles Chart in 1987, and the first number 1 available on the format in that country was "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" by Whitney Houston in May 1987.

Mini CD single

The mini CD single (also 3-inch CD or CD3, in relation to the CD5, or the 5-inch CD single; commonly known as "snap-pack") is a music single released on a mini Compact Disc that measures 8 cm (3.1 in) in diameter, rather than the standard 12 cm (4.7 in). They are manufactured using the same methods as standard full-size CDs, and can be played in most standard audio CD players and CD-ROM disc drives. The format was first released in the United Kingdom, Japan, U.S.A., France, West Germany, and Hong Kong in 1988. Although the format was not widely available in the United Kingdom, several artists, such as Garbage, Catatonia, The Sisters of Mercy, Stereolab, Robert Palmer and R.E.M. have released singles in the format. They also remain a popular, low cost way for independent musicians and groups to release music.

Japan

The snap-packs or (Japanese: tanzaku) as they are known in Japan, is a long strip of paper. The compact disc is 3 inches or 8 Japanese (8 cm) 3" CD singles were called 3" CD snap-packs, as they could be 'snapped' and folded into a small square rather than being the original 6×3-inch (15×8 cm) length type of packaging when sold. Most cost about ¥1000 (about UK£5.7 or US$9.2) at the time of release during the late 1980s. The last single was "I Was Born to Love You" by Queen in 2004. Many of the artists who released 3" CDs are from that era, including Madonna, Cher, Phil Collins, Michael Jackson, Queen, U2, Prince, Bros, Dead or Alive, Huey Lewis and the News, Bon Jovi, Kylie Minogue, Falco and George Michael.