KVR Audio

Synchanter · Post by **Synchanter** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 4:20 am

What's the convention for standard length of a song on radio or itunes nowadays?
Yes I know art doesn't necessarily have to follow conventions, but all the same I want to know the mainstream standard for a pop song just for reference.

Trying to figure out how long to make my tracks. 4 minutes? 5?
If I have a goal for song length, I can plan the song structure accordingly..
Thanks in advance for your views.

BertKoor · Post by **BertKoor** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 7:39 am

Somewhere between 2:30 and 4:30 I think. Look at the average length in your own pop collection.

If you follow the standard structure of verse - chorus - repeat - bridge - repeat, then you'll get this length. I follow the rule: enough is enough. Some songs should be short, some long. Length is not a goal when you write, it follows naturally.

chrisrich93 · Post by **chrisrich93** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 1:32 pm

on average it's about 3:30. Not sure if you're looking to attract label attention but if so be sure the chorus doesn't come in past 1:00 or so.

Aloysius · Post by **Aloysius** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 1:36 pm

Three minutes.

whyterabbyt · Post by **whyterabbyt** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 1:40 pm

robogone · Post by **robogone** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 1:55 pm

whyterabbyt wrote:4'33

Synchanter · Post by **Synchanter** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 4:46 pm

Thanks for the advice folks.
Probably go for 3:30, a nice average.
I figure people are busier and busier nowadays and have less attention to give to any one thing, so keep it short and high-quality.

Turello · Post by **Turello** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 4:50 pm

Tricky-Loops · Post by **Tricky-Loops** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 4:56 pm

If it's for the radio, 3:30 min. is the perfect length!

If you make an album version, go for 4:30 min.!

If you create a club version, extend it to 5 or 6 min.!

If you want to lose your listeners, make it 10 min. long!

Turello · Post by **Turello** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 5:03 pm

@Tricky: can't do a club version of a pop song (perhaps a remix), IMO perfect lenght is between 3:30\5:00...

the 10 min is for progressive rock\psychedelic rock\ambient

Winstontaneous · Post by **Winstontaneous** » Sat Nov 22, 2014 9:19 pm

- If it's a great song that takes the listener on a journey and tells a compelling story, it doesn't matter. IMO Justin Timberlake's "Mirrors" is one of the better pop songs in recent years and it's over 8 minutes. There's a 4:37 radio edit but the pop stations around me play the full-length. That said, 98% of pop is overproduced, emotionally overwrought, and completely devoid of mystery, in which case - the shorter the better.

- In the vinyl days, song length was dictated by the practical length of a 7" single; for optimum tone/volume, 4 minutes was about the upper end.

- According to Billy Joel in "The Entertainer", <= 185 seconds:

"I am the entertainer
I come to do my show
You've heard my latest record
It's been on the radio
Ah, it took me years to write it
They were the best years of my life
It was a beautiful song
But it ran too long
If you're gonna have a hit
You gotta make it fit
So they cut it down to 3:05"

RunBeerRun · Post by **RunBeerRun** » Sun Nov 23, 2014 2:26 pm

There's an Eric Clapton song where the outro is like 4 minutes-after a long song.

fedexnman · Post by **fedexnman** » Sun Nov 23, 2014 2:29 pm

Tricky-Loops wrote:If it's for the radio, 3:30 min. is the perfect length!

If you make an album version, go for 4:30 min.!

If you create a club version, extend it to 5 or 6 min.!

If you want to lose your listeners, make it 10 min. long!

Spot on !

Synchanter · Post by **Synchanter** » Sun Nov 23, 2014 6:02 pm

https://soundcloud.com/synchanter/the-q ... e-lazy-dog

OK, my latest turd I stretched to 2:15.. Is it too short or long?
Now I need to work on better songs so they can reach 3:30..

RunBeerRun · Post by **RunBeerRun** » Sun Nov 23, 2014 6:34 pm

I stretch out my albums with stock tips and backward messages from demons.

Standard Length of a Pop Song?