The Science of Song Length: Is 3 Minutes Really The Best?

Have you ever wondered about the science of song length?

Although the average length of any song can vary depending on several factors, from its genre to its creator’s goals, most hit songs follow a similar structure.

It’s rare to find a chart-topping piece that’s longer than four minutes or shorter than three minutes in length.

The “sweet spot” for song length seems to have remained at a consistent three-minute-ish mark for decades.

While there are exceptions to the rule, the three-minute song has become so ingrained in musical culture that it’s almost a meme.

The Beastie Boys’ “3-Minute Rule” song is a testament to this fact.

So, where did the science of song length come from?

How has music changed through the generations, and will future songs be longer or shorter than they are now?

When Did Songs Become Three Minutes (on Average)?

Let’s start by exploring the origins of the three-minute rule for song length.

For decades, countless musicians and artists have produced songs that are rarely less or more than three minutes.

While it’s difficult to define why so many artists have followed this trend over the years, most experts believe it has something to do with how we’ve always produced and shared music.

In the 1920s, shellac records began replacing phonograph cylinders as the tech of choice for listening to hits.

One of the first types of flat record, the 78, could hold three or four minutes of music, depending on its size.

In 1949, the RCA introduced a new 45 rpm disc, quickly making the 78 obsolete.

These discs, made from vinyl, were more portable, affordable, and easier to produce. However, like the 78s, they could only hold about three minutes of music.

As records became more popular, radio leaders began requiring bands to have their own 45 records compiled before a song could be played on the radio.

This forced musicians to stick to a specific structure, defining the most memorable songs ever.

Some of the biggest songs to air on the radio came out just after the 45 disc defined popular music, such as Elvis’ singles and the singles of The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Pink Floyd.

Since then, only a handful of artists have experimented with longer or shorter songs.

Average Song Length: Evolutions Over the Years

As record-cutting and mastering technologies evolved over the decades, you might assume that longer songs would become more common.

After all, CDs, digital streaming solutions, and the internet essentially gave artists complete freedom to produce songs of any length.

For a while, the average length of songs did increase.

According to UCLA, between 1930 and 1990, there was a steady increase in the average song duration.

Hits went from about three minutes and 15 seconds in length to four and 19 seconds.

Here’s a quick look at average song lengths through the decades:

• 1950s: 2 minutes and 36 seconds
• 1940s: 2 minutes and 41 seconds
• 1960s: 2 minutes and 59 seconds
• 1970s: 3 minutes and 55 seconds
• 1980s: 4 minutes and 8 seconds
• 1990s: 4 minutes and 10 seconds

Even in the 2000s and 2010s, pop songs were longer than ever, ranking at around four minutes and 10 seconds in the 2000s and four minutes and 26 seconds in the 2010s.

New tools and innovations paved the way for some of the longest and most memorable songs of all time, such as The Beatles’ “Hey Jude,” lasting seven minutes and 11 seconds, and “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, lasting five minutes and 55 seconds.

However, while some of the latest chart-topping hits are still pretty long, such as Taylor Swift’s 10-minute version of “All Too Well,” most have started getting shorter again.

In 2009, song lengths began shrinking again, a phenomenon widely attributed to the evolution of the digital age and the streaming landscape.

What Is the Average Song Length in 2023?

Jumping forward to now, song lengths are reducing yet again.

According to Statista, the average song released on Spotify in 2020 was typically around three minutes and 17 seconds long.

As of 2023, that trend has remained mostly untouched. Most chart-toppers you’ll hear on the radio will clock in somewhere around the three-minute mark.

If we look at all the number-one songs produced in the music industry over the last several decades (at least in areas like the US and the UK), song lengths have shrunk drastically in just the last 10 years.

A study conducted in 2018 found songs on the Billboard Hot 100 have shed about 40 seconds in length since the year 2000, dropping from an average of around four minutes and 10 seconds.

The stats are similar in the UK. Music label Ostereo recently documented every UK number-one since 2008, UK number-one singles in 1998, and Spotify’s top 100 hits.

The company found the average UK number one in 1998 was four minutes and 16 seconds long. That’s more than a minute longer than the average chart-topper today.

It’s worth noting that while the average song length for all releases is around three minutes and 17 seconds, there are some variations in genre. If we were to dive into the rock landscape, where guitar and drum solos are more common, you might notice some variations.

Rock songs are generally closer to four minutes long, while the average jazz song can last about eight minutes.

On the other hand, classical music can be over 10 minutes long. Typically, the pop genre sticks most to the three-minute rule.

Why Are Song Lengths Shrinking?

So, if musicians have more freedom to experiment in the current world, why are song durations shrinking again?

There are a few potential answers to this question.

If technical limitations and AM radio guidelines drove the focus on brevity in the early decades of music development, part of the reason for shorter songs today may be the rise of the streaming industry.

Music streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music might not have killed radio yet. However, they still occupy a considerable part of the music consumption landscape.

Experts believe one of the reasons artists are producing shorter hits is to encourage customers to hit repeat.

With most streaming services, artists secure a payment every time someone listens to just 30 seconds of a song.

That means when it comes to making money, artists are more interested in fans listening to music more frequently. The more times a strong is streamed, the more revenue an artist generates.

Newer artists have already caught onto this trend, releasing shorter songs and more of them.

Shorter songs also mean customers are less likely to skip a tune because they’ve gotten bored.

Research conducted by Microsoft found that our attention span has shrunk in the last couple of decades to an average of about eight seconds.

Similarly, insights from Ostereo found that most people will skip a song before it’s finished if it lasts longer than a few minutes.

Since plays on streaming platforms now contribute to an artist’s overall success, longer songs could lead to a lower performance rating for some musicians.

Every artist wants listeners to enjoy the whole piece they produce, not just a fragment, so it makes sense that they’d want to keep song lengths relatively short.

Why Are Most Pop Songs No Longer Than Four Minutes in Length?

Although the demand for shorter songs is increasing today, brevity has always been important in music.

This is particularly true in the pop industry, as we mentioned above.

Songs under two minutes are more common today than in the 1970s, but artists often kept their pieces short even then.

There are a few potential reasons for this, beyond the limitations imposed by early record development practices and the new nature of the streaming market.

For one, three-minute (on average) songs are generally perfect for radio stations. Most radio stations must find the ideal balance when airing a piece, choosing something neither too long nor too short.

A three-minute tune leaves plenty of room throughout playlists for ad placements.

But shorter songs are more than just good for radio revenue. Shorter pieces are also more likely to appeal to listeners, maintaining their interest, so they’re less likely to switch stations.

Many radio stations actively edit songs to their preferred length if they exceed the three-to-four-minute mark.

You’ve probably noticed some of your favorite lengthy hits are slightly different when aired on the radio.

Tunes from Meatloaf, Queen, The Beatles, and many others have all been truncated to make them more adaptable to on-air streaming.

Shorter songs also deliver benefits to artists. While stations can increase their revenue and listeners get catchier music experiences, artists get paid more for producing additional tunes.

Remember, music royalties are paid per song, not according to duration. Record producers and artists have always been incentivized to make more songs, not just more music.

Will Song Lengths Continue to Shrink?

Shorter songs aren’t a new trend.

Even in the 1960s, tunes like “He’s so Fine” from the Chiffons topped the charts with less than two minutes of music.

Though it’s difficult to predict the trends of the music industry accurately, it seems likely that we’ll continue to see more short tunes on the charts in the coming months.

Radio airplay significantly influences a song chart’s success, even in the streaming age.

Radio often sets the stage for song length before anything else. Artists must ensure their tunes are ideal for radio, which means adhering to guidelines set decades ago.

However, how we consume music overall is also driving this trend. Songwriting has changed fundamentally since the rise of streaming.

According to one article, most hit songs are now written by teams of experts, focusing on earworms and killer hooks.

This modular approach to songwriting leads to a very different style of music – one where long pre-choruses and solos aren’t always necessary.

As a result, around 37 percent of all the USA Top 10 hits in 2021 were less than three minutes long.

The evolution of music on social media is another major factor contributing to shorter song lengths.

TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube shorts drive interest in more concise, catchier content. Songs can rise to fame even if they’re just 15 to 60 seconds long.

TikTok has even proven that artists can grab the attention of a vast audience, just with standalone versions of a catchy hook or snippet.

Brief clips of music have achieved a new level of commercial resonance in the music industry thanks to the evolving social landscape.

What’s the Ideal Length for a Song Today?

So, based on the science of song length, what’s the ideal size for a modern chart topper?

How can artists check all the right boxes for music platforms and listeners?

There’s no concrete answer to this question. There are outliers even in today’s world, where it seems like shorter music reigns supreme.

Taylor Swift still hit the top of the Billboard 100 charts with a 10-minute song.

Plus, plenty of number-one hits last less than two minutes.

On social media, a hit song could be as short as 30 seconds and still gain worldwide acclaim. In the streaming world, the average tune is around 3 minutes long. But streaming platforms follow different rules to radio stations.

An extra-long song on Spotify could get as much air time and generate plenty of revenue, even if it isn’t deemed appropriate for radio playlists.

The reality could be that the length of a song is less important than it seems.

It may not be the song’s duration but how much it resonates with listeners and encourages repeat listens that determines its success in the new age of music.