# About duration



## JMAA (Mar 11, 2010)

How much a good song should last? Right now I normally compose up to 3 minutes of runtime. Maybe a bit more, but that feels like it isn't enough.


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## chama (Mar 11, 2010)

It completely depends on what the song is for and what style it is. If you're writing a pop song for the radio, three minutes is absolute target. But otherwise, it should be as long as it feels good. I've written some rather epic songs over eight minutes long with lyrics sheets like minor novels. They simply are that long. And no, I doubt they'll ever be played on the radio.


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## Aden (Mar 11, 2010)

Most of the crap I write is 5-14 minutes long, but most people wouldn't be like me


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## JMAA (Mar 12, 2010)

chama said:


> It completely depends on what the song is for and what style it is. If you're writing a pop song for the radio, three minutes is absolute target. But otherwise, it should be as long as it feels good. I've written some rather epic songs over eight minutes long with lyrics sheets like minor novels. They simply are that long. And no, I doubt they'll ever be played on the radio.


I compose generally electronic music. Mostly DnB, dubstep, maybe industrial...


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## chama (Mar 12, 2010)

JMAA said:


> I compose generally electronic music. Mostly DnB, dubstep, maybe industrial...



Oh, _so_ much not my genres!  But longer tracks are pretty common in these genres too, aren't they?


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## Grimfang (Mar 12, 2010)

I think it depends a lot on the type of music, and how it's composed. Some songs would get old quickly (repetitive or simple compositions). Although, there are some songs that repeat the same notes or chords for minutes upon minutes, and it's just awesome. Those usually have a long "build up" beforehand. But ugh.. those songs are the greatest musicgasm sauce.


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## Sedit (Mar 15, 2010)

All depends.  Most "radio edits" should be 3-4 minutes.  but really, anything goes.

Myself, my songs average 6-7minutes, but usually have like, mini-songs within the song....parts within parts.  Also, lately I've been really getting into long, droning, atmospheric sections as well....doom/gothic metal type stuff, and that certainly eats time.  My most recent composition is about 7:30 and only really contains 2 verses, a mid-section/bridge, and 2 chorus' @ about 63bpm.  I don't it seems repetitive though, as I keep layering in new instruments and counter-melodies every couple of bars.  so it's like a slow build.

Just go with what feels right.  This will sound cheesey, but the song will kinda tell you where it needs to be as it comes together.


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## Aden (Mar 15, 2010)

Sedit said:


> Also, lately I've been really getting into long, droning, atmospheric sections as well....doom/gothic metal type stuff, and that certainly eats time.



Now see, I've been contemplating adding a lot of atmosphere/doom/post-rock stuff into my songs (because a lot of what I'm going for would benefit very much from it), but I'm hesitant because then it'll push some of my songs well into the mid 20-minute range
and that's just silly


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## Shade Koba (Mar 15, 2010)

standard is anything over 3 minutes. If it's a VERY exciting song, try for closer to 5 minutes  If it's not too repetitive, run for over 5 minutes ^_~


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## protocollie (Mar 25, 2010)

There's no standard length. If it's not over yet and I'm bored, it's too long. If it's three hours in and I'm still really excited, it's perfect.

However, if you're doing electronic music, I'd shoot for 6-8 minutes on average if you're aiming for club play. This gives DJs some content to work with, gives you some room for an intro and outro, and makes it so that if things are going well we don't need to leave the track right away 'cause it's already over :] This doesn't mean the track can't be 12 or 20 minutes if you want it to, most DJs edit down all their shit before they play it anyway.


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## Nyisi Seryn (Mar 31, 2010)

I shoot for bar length rather than run time. I go for an average of 30-36 bars per song not including the chorus/hook or a bridge. A song with simple rhymes can come out a lot shorter than one where I make heavy use multis. For me at least, trying to shoot for a specific track length is to confining, it usually makes my song to simplified or rushed, and sometimes makes them more complicated than I want; trying to stretch out simple rhymes to fit a certain time frame, which can break what I'm trying to convey in the song altogether. All in all though, if your song conveys what you want it to, then length shouldn't matter. Generally though, my tracks last anywhere from 3-4 minutes. But I have been known to do freestyle sessions that have lasted as long as an hour, for practice, not as actual songs. Shortest song I've ever released was only 1:29 seconds and people enjoyed it.

As others have said though, different genres tend to come in varied lengths, and my perspective is that of a rapper. I DJ too though, and often produce breakmixes that are upwards of 20 minutes long.


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## JMAA (Apr 16, 2010)

Sometime I produced (tried) a 10-20 minute long DJ mix of some sort. Unfortunately, it wasn't really good enough for my taste, it was kinda bland.
Well, thanks. If improvisation gives a good thing, I'll try. Lately, I've been practising with different melodies over each song, to try to not to be repetitive.


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## randomonlooker (Apr 17, 2010)

I don't know I just go by the feel of the piece, for example, my simpler dances (mostly duets for two instruments) don't go above two minutes, though recently I wrote a suite of eight dances and interludes which lasts a whole seven minutes. 
Depends, do you modulate enough, do you keep the melody interesting, do you add and remove parts at good times, do you have quiet sections and variation, the more of those things you have the longer you can make a piece and keep it fresh! 

There are no rules for how long something lasts


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## Sedit (Jun 4, 2010)

Aden said:


> Now see, I've been contemplating adding a lot of atmosphere/doom/post-rock stuff into my songs (because a lot of what I'm going for would benefit very much from it), but I'm hesitant because then it'll push some of my songs well into the mid 20-minute range
> and that's just silly



Nothing silly about it, if that's what you, the artist, feels the song needs.  Ever heard Wolves In The Throne Room?


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## Aden (Jun 5, 2010)

Sedit said:


> Nothing silly about it, if that's what you, the artist, feels the song needs.  Ever heard Wolves In The Throne Room?



I have. I just need to have a really solid concept for that long a song so it's not just a jumble that's only as long as it is because of pretentiousness.


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## JMAA (Jun 8, 2010)

Well, the normal thing that happens to me is saying at minute 3 or so "fuck it, I can't think of anything else". Any hints are welcome, but have in mind it depends on whatever I can think of.
Most I've tried is a remix of "Govorit I Pokazivaet Moskva" that was for 10 minutes or so, sort of like a rave song for disco.


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## emptyF (Jun 27, 2010)

if it goes more than four minutes in any genre i usually get bored unless it's a really exciting or catchy song (knights of cydonia, for example).


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## greg-the-fox (Jun 28, 2010)

JMAA said:


> I compose generally electronic music. Mostly DnB, dubstep, maybe industrial...


 
I'd say 4-6 minutes


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## JMAA (Jun 28, 2010)

greg-the-fox said:


> I'd say 4-6 minutes


 Hm. Maybe I tried that already. Lemme remember something...
*searchs around his YouTube uploads...*
I got one around almost 5 minutes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGz1Bd_ldxk


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## Kenneth (Jul 12, 2010)

JMAA said:


> Maybe a bit more, but that feels like it isn't enough.


That happens to me too. I think it's just because we spend so much time writing and composing.
I spend a week writing and producing a good track. It comes out as 3 minutes usually, and this feels short.

Yeah, 3-4min is good.



JMAA said:


> I compose generally electronic music. Mostly DnB, dubstep, maybe industrial...


I love you.


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## GatodeCafe (Jul 16, 2010)

The longest song I ever wrote was nine minutes long, and I was high as fuck and I had sort of a who thing going on at the time so I thought it would be neat if I made a homage to "A quick one while he's away" i.e. a really short mini rock opera.

Needless to say, it sounded like a bunch of unfinished songs stitched together. It was fun, but for the most part a three minute gem is preferable to a six minute jerkoff.


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## ThisisGabe (Jul 25, 2010)

The trick in the question is 'good.' What is good? What I think is good you think is bad and visa versa.

I think for a good pop song to be made it should range from 2-4 minutes. I also like to make short jingles, they should last for around 10 seconds-1 minute.


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