with the advent of sound film or "talkies", the need for greater storage space made  rpm records more appealing. soundtracks – played on records synchronized to movie projectors in theatres – could not fit onto the mere five minutes per side that 78s offered. when initially introduced, 12-inch lps played for a maximum of about 23 minutes per side, 10-inchers for around 15. they were not an immediate success, however, as they were released during the height of the great depression, and seemed frivolous to the many impoverished of the time. it wasn't until "microgroove" was developed by columbia records in 1948 that long players (lps) reached their maximum playtime, which has continued to modern times.