We recently looked at Tiny vinyl, a new miniature vinyl single format developed through a collaboration between a toy industry veteran and the world’s largest vinyl record manufacturer. The 4-inch singles are pressed in a process nearly identical to standard 12-inch LPs or 7-inch singles, except everything is smaller. They have a standard-size spindle hole and play at 33⅓ RPM, and they hold up to four minutes of music per side.
Several smaller bands, like The Band Loula and Rainbow Kitten Surprise, and some industry veterans like Blake Shelton and Melissa Etheridge, have already experimented with the format. But Tiny Vinyl partnered with US retail giant Target for its big coming-out party this fall, with 44 exclusive titles launching throughout the end of this year.
There was a similar product someone got me as a gift a couple years ago. A subscription to vinyl postcards. I couldnt play them.
The problem wasn’t that they were low quality. It was that they were too small. My turntable has automatic shutoff, where it lifts the tone arm off the record and swings it back out when the tone arm gets too close to the center. Considering how small these mini vinyls are, I suspect they will have the same problem and be unplayable on my turntable.
And yes, the article confirms that problem.