Song Time

[Dom Franco]

I perform with my lapsteel using my own background trax. I always have a blast recording all the parts in my home studio. And then It's great to play my steel and sing along with the trax. As a solo act I have a very full sound.

But lately I have been noticing that some of my arrangements are too long... some over 4 minutes or longer. I always wanted to sing all the verses and have a steel guitar intro, solo and ending... But that make the songs too long.

Pop music professional Producers know that 3 minutes or less is the best length for pop hits... so they tighten up singles, and allow more time for album cuts.

So the past few days I have been back in the studio, mixing and re-mastering my trax. And I got to say less is more "Sometimes" One verse, chorus, steel solo, chorus and out!

What do you guys think about song length?
Dom

[Christopher Blood]

I know this is an old post but I'd say 3-3 1/2 minutes is good. Been trying to do the same thing myself but don't have the talent you do. I make up for it with stubborness.
Only played one gig last summer then covid closed everything down. I watch and listen to your videos for inspiration on how to do this.
Here's a few things I've recorded at home.
I can do an hour's worth of material and working on more.
https://www.facebook.com/HuzzahDaddy/

[Al Evans]

What do you guys think about song length?
Dom

As a songwriter myself, I think most songs start out life with a verse that could be profitably cut. Often, it's the verse the writer likes best. If it's supposed to be a country or pop song, and it runs over 3:30 max, I start looking for what to lose. Editing is always the hard part.

As my friend Michael Smith used to say, if you start out to write a song about your grandmother, and it turns out to be a great song but your grandmother is in the way of the meaning, get rid of the old lady!

--Al Evans

[Jim Fogle]

My belief is the limit for streaming is three minutes or less. More than that and an audience will likely not click or just sample.

Songs prior to the seventies were typically between 2 and 2 1/2 minutes. That's because the two main playback sources were AM radio and jukeboxes. AM radio wanted short songs for increased variety and there was still time left for announcers and commercials. Jukebox vendors liked short songs because shorter songs brought in more coins.

The seventies brought the emergence of FM radio. The FM radio format was not well defined. Many stations were owned by not-for-profit colleges with students choosing the programming. FM radio stations did not have as many commercials or professional announcers to break up programming so longer songs were played. Many stations played whole album sides without breaks. Sometimes a whole hour of airtime was devoted to one artist.

[Don Downes]

Screw everyone. Do whatever makes you happy.

[Carmen Acciaioli]

Songs are more than 3 min often,now.
Playing live people are talking and don’t get to the
dance floor before half the songs over anyway.
So jam out Dom !!!
If I could sing as good as you ,I’d do a gig like
yours in a heartbeat!!

[Ian Rae]

History fascinates me. Thanks, Jim!

To Dom I would say that some songs can sustain interest longer than others, and there is no ideal length.

[Don Downes]

Rock on, Dude. Time is artificial.

[Dom Franco]

I'm reacting to my own post... now in retrospect I see that the song length while playing live is not the real problem.

When I was leading a band at a gig and a couple would get up and start dancing during the last chorus, I would motion to the guys to keep playing and we would make the song longer.

Now playing with my backing tracks, when the dancers start right as my recorded arrangement is ending, I'm stuck with it, So I have to say "stay right there" and I will try to quickly start another song with a similar tempo and style...

So while a recorded song must hold the listener's interest and if it's really great people will listen longer than 3 minutes. But when performing live, the real problem is that backing tracks are unforgiving, inhuman, inflexible as pertaining to: TEMPO, KEY, ARRANGEMENT etc.

However at my age I don't have the patience and energy to start another band and rehearse and deal with other musicians, not to mention the pay cut!