Mini CD Single - Technology

Technology

From a technical standpoint, a 3-inch CD follows the Red Book standard for CD digital audio. The major difference is that the smaller physical size of the disc allows for fewer data sectors, meaning the disc can store less audio. The majority of audio CD players and CD-ROM drives have a smaller circular indentation in the CD tray for holding these discs. Some slot-loading drives, such as those found in some car CD players and laptop CD-ROM drives, are unable to manipulate the smaller discs or their adapters.

In the United States and United Kingdom, the format barely lasted into the early 1990s, being replaced by simply putting less music on a regular full-size CD, at least among major labels. The full-size discs are a more standard manufacturing process and so may end up being cheaper to press. The CD single format continued until 2000 for Japanese releases. As of December 2007, the format is used in small CD runs by a wide range of independent artists and labels, many of which burn 3 inch CDR discs and make the covers themselves.