The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a vinyl record format characterized by a speed of  33 1⁄3 rpm, a 12 or 10 inch (30 or 25 cm) diameter, and use of the "microgroove" groove specification. Introduced by Columbia in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry. Apart from a few relatively minor refinements and the important later addition of stereophonic sound, it has remained the standard format for vinyl albums.