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A split album (or split) is a music album which includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There have been singles and EPs released in the same nature, which can be referred to as split singles and split EPs respectively. A split is different from a 'various artists' compilation album because split albums include several tracks of each artist, instead of multiple artists with only one or two tracks.

[edit] History

A split was initially done on vinyl records, with music from one artist on one side of the record and music from a second artist on the opposite side. As vinyl records have declined in popularity, this format has been done on CDs. Although there are not multiple sides to a CD, the idea is still the same. From the early 1980s through the present, the format has been used widely by independent record labels, and artists in punk rock, hardcore, grindcore, black metal, noise and indie rock circles. Splits usually receive an underground fanbase with even mainstream artists, as the success of split albums are most often not of mainstream proportions.

[edit] Advantages

A split allows more than one artist to split the production costs for one release instead of handling all of the expense by one artist. The same can also apply to the promotional costs of a single release. Splits also allow bands to expose their music directly to another band's fanbase. Usually, the bands that are on a split are of a similar genre. Some bands cover a few songs from the other band's collection.

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