How Long is Too Long??
 

Hey Guys

First post here.

Just wanted to get your opinion on how long the maximum length of a song should be when first played on mainstream radio?? And bear in mind im talking new here not anything like "light my fire" where it is long and established.

I would say 7mins maximum............

The reason I am asking is cos here in NZ I have recently tried to get one of my songs on mainstream radio but everyone I keep talking to says it;s too long and I have to cut it down. But I really don't want too. It's roughly just under 7mins long (and it's not boring!)

Has anyone ever gotten a long song on the radio from a new band?

Most mainstream hits are 3-4 minutes in length, and vocals begin within the first 10 seconds.

Super, unless it's a college radio station or some kind of special show or event, 7 minutes is not going to be accepted. Do I agree with it? Well, frankly I don't give a shit either way, and our opinions aren't going to change anything, but if you're looking for a pat-on-the-back acknowledgment from your Musicbanter peers, then you have mine... I just don't see how it's relevant, unless you're planning on starting your own station or something...

I'd say that's about right. Rarely over 4:30, eh?

As far as non-radio music, I generally feel overwhelmed when I see that a piece is 30+ minutes. (EG Basinski, Earth) That's a lot of time to devote to one song.

If I'm high, a song needs to be really interesting to be really long. If I'm sober, I don't really notice either way.

I'd say around 5 or 6 minutes is pushing it even of you're already a big name star. Try writing a few shorter songs (3:30 to 4:30 minutes) and see where they get you.

About 5:30, and it has to be a good 5:30, you'll just be losing listeners after that.

these days I have a long attention span

so can appreciate songs that go over the 20-minute mark

Well I love songs that go on like 20 minutes if they're really good.
Like Pink Floyd's Echoes. Or Dire Straits' Telegraph Road.
I don't think I prefer a certain length.

Longest song I've heard on the radio is a live version of Stairway to Heaven at about 11 minutes long.

A song has to be real interesting as everyone else said to be 10+ minutes. Echoes is a great example, as is Dogs and Atom Heart Mother.

Fushisha wrote a 44 minute song I adored, so... I don't know, more than 44 minutes.

I remember reading somewhere that someone worked out what the average length a song to get into the top 40 in both the US & the UK was using every single song that had charted from the 1950s to the present day.

The answer came back as 3 minutes 28 seconds

Hey

Thanks for the feedback guys, my next song i'm recording will be a lot shorter, but I think they may be some indie songs that will play my long one.

I wouldn't at all consider it boring, so...........

If you want you guys can listen and judge for yourself??

Heres the link

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Cheers

Matt

13 inches

Well, I do have a short attention span. However, many of the songs that I listen to are 7-13 minutes in length. The only problem is that they're trance/Buckethead/etc, so they can afford to be that long. If you're going to be played on the radio, no more than 4:30-maybe even 5 minutes if you can push it is usually the max.

If it is good and catchy, the length of the song doesn't matter.

good and catchy spread out over 20 minutes can be irritating and annoying

Yes, but I was not implying the 20 min extreme. 10 min at max.

If I could have it my way I'd be okay with songs that are twenty minutes and over being played on the radio. Maybe an hour would be pushing it, but then again I doin't know many songs that are that long. So I suppose the maximum length of a song on a radio should be twenty minutes - hour. I'd also love to see certain people sit through those songs :banghead:

just being catchy is not my criteria for a good 20 minute+ song

there has to be some epic progression

some long songs i really like:

9:54

9:32

10:13

12:02

Depends
 

Rock songs should be between 3 to 10 minutes long.. thats why Smoke on the Water is a great song

but.. if I had to listen to a pop song for 10 minutes i'd go mental, pop music should be between 3-6 minutes.. since its mostly lyrical

Sufjan's cover of You Are the Blood is probably my favourite Sufjan Stevens song, to be honest.

As long as a song doesn't get too pretentious, it can be as long as it wants to be.

Here's an over 20 minute song.

3-4 easily

Hi. welcome to musicbanter and hope you enjoy it here. have fun!
and to answer your question, i think from 3-4 minutes is fine. 5, it should be interesting.
anything above 6 minutes are generally boring already.

Yep,

Long songs are almost a necessity in ambient/post-whatever music. I think the best atmospheres are the ones that build slowly, it makes it much more emotional and cinematic.

for example...


yeah I'm sure a 6 minute Destiny's Child song would be pretty boring.

Destiny's Child never had a song more than 5 minutes. it's always under that.
i highly recomend you listen to songs from their 2 albums Writings On The Wall and Survivor and I promise you, you'll thank me.

They did not sold millions of album copies for nothing.

sold to 14 year old girls of all ages and all over the world

Man, you love yourself some Destiny's Child.

I agree with everyone else. 3-4 minutes is about right.

And the longest song I ever listened to is Trist - Hin.

10 minutes.

6 min max

Did someone make a dick joke in here yet? I'm too lazy to look through the thread.

Fine, I'll do it.

I just realized that's Frown himself in his avatar

What a fucking god among men

It's too long once it breaks the septillion year mark

challenge accepted

i'm going to set up an evolving ambient synth and set it to record indefinitely on some random laptop i have sitting around

when i die it will still be recording

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull_of_Heaven_(band)

can you beat 3.343 quindecillion years though