Skip the earliest distinctions based on record diameter, speed, etc., such as LP and EP, as well as the soon-to-be-obsolete concepts of A-side and B-side, and directly differentiate modern music release specifications.
Discography: A collection of musical works by a certain musician, composer, or singer, a catalog of musical works.
Generally consists of the following parts:
- Single: May also include versions of the same track such as Remix, Inst, etc.
- EP (Extended Play): Nowadays, most albums in Europe and America do not distinguish between Singles & EPs and uniformly use EP.
- Album: A standard full-length album, which may also have a Deluxe version or include Bonus Tracks (especially in Japanese editions).
- Compilation: Equivalent to a medley of hit songs.
Special types:
- DEMO (Demonstrate): A rough version of a work recorded by the musician, either to showcase talent or due to cost constraints.
- Live: Many musicians or groups will also have professional recording equipment during live performances to record and release the performance.
Additionally:
- Split: Works by multiple musicians included in one album, mostly of the same music genre.
- Bootleg: Illegal recordings of albums made without official authorization.
References:
What is the difference between albums, EPs, and singles? - Ianlie Dark's answer - Zhihu
What categories of music albums are there? What do terms like EP, Demo, B-Sides, Discography mean? - GuruDamn's article - Zhihu