An LP is a vinyl record that turns about 33 times a minute — a little more than 33, in fact thirty-three and a third. Each side usually plays for about 20 to 25 minutes, so a whole album can live on one disc. LP is short for long-playing (or long play), named that way because older records were shorter and spun faster. People who collect records still say LP; a lot of younger speakers just say vinyl or a record. The same letters can mean other things in business or science, but this entry is the music disc.