Why Are Songs Getting So Much SHORTER Today?

Welcome to MsMojo, and today well be going through the reasons why contemporary music is so bite-sized nowadays.

Social Media & Streaming Services: Shorter Attention Spans

The rise in social media and video streaming platforms has undoubtedly led to shorter songs. For one thing, TikTok is built on brief videos meant to be replayed. The music that has typically gone viral has been either bite-sized songs or excerpts of longer material. These platforms also discourage users skipping videos at all costs, which can be as soon as 30 seconds thanks to short attention spans. Trendy songs these days are typically catchy, about one or two minutes long, and have hooks that come earlier and earlier. Lil Yachtys 2022 viral hit, Poland, is the most extreme example of this trend, clocking in at just 83 seconds. With all this new content bombarding us, its no wonder songs have become so short.

Social Media & Streaming Services: More Money in Shorter Songs

We all want toand need tobe paid for our work. Unfortunately, its getting harder and harder for most musicians to get paid for their work. Under Spotifys rules, songs must be played for a full 30 seconds before the royalty payments kick in. Even those payments are pennies, meaning musicians need to create as many compositions as possible, with high replayability value. All this encourages artists to compose shorter songs, typically below two minutes. Some of the most successful songs have been Sabrina Carpenters Espresso and Billie Eilishs Birds of a Feather. Eilishs song became the fastest song to surpass two billion streams and became the third most streamed song of all time. Of course, there are exceptions to the just short songs rule, such as 2014s Uptown Funk, which has over 2.3 billion streams on Spotify. Even so, the profitability of shorter songs in general is clear.

Spotifycore

Attention spans and monetary systems aside, some songs just lend themselves to brevity. Thanks to the massive influence of streaming music services, most artists have shifted to compositional styles that they think would best perform and even go viral. Music critic Jon Caramanica coined the term Spotifycore to describe this style, while Liz Pelly called it Streambait Pop. These songs are characterized by a melancholy, even chill sensibility, with mid-tempo electronic beats. Perhaps the most successful artist to make this pop introspective music is Billie Eilish. This muted sound is thought to be more friendly to Spotifys algorithms, thereby having a greater chance at going viral. The sameness of the music also discourages listeners from skipping tracks, which increase streaming counts and therefore royalties. And of course, this music tends towards brevity.

No Technological Limitations

This trend towards brevity is nothing new. It was, in fact, the norm for much of the early 20th century, for both vocal and instrumental selections. There were exceptions, of course, with big band dance music and disco later on. But early vinyl could only record about two to three minutes of music, which was the standard length of most music. Henry Mancinis Days of Wine and Roses is actually the shortest song ever to win a Grammy Award for Record of the Year, and his instrumental pieces can be just as brief. The new RPM single, released by RCA Victor in 1949, could finally hold music up to five minutes in length. An LP (short for long play) could hold about 22 minutes on either side. Once cassette tapes and CDs came to the picture, the average song length crept up to four minutes. In many ways, we are returning to this shorter formand even the music. Euday L. Bowmans 12th Street Rag from 1914 has even recently become a viral sound andoh, its Henry Mancini again! Everything old is new again.

Songwriting Trends (AABA to ABAB Form)

Of course, shorter songs typically demand a different structure. In the early 20th century, most songs were in AABA style, also called the thirty-two bar form. These songs usually come with a ditty or introduction, the main melody, a brief B variation of that melody, then a return to the main melody. This form was particularly favored by Broadway composers such as George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Jerome Kern. Harold Arlens Over the Rainbow is perhaps the most well-known song in this format. The switch to the verse-chorus format of ABAB allowed for more storytelling, but also for longer songs. Nowadays, were closer to that original hook-based songwriting, except with less melodic variation and more emphasis on the chorus. This tends to make songs shorter than even Tin Pan Alley compositions.

Genre Conventions

We have talked about Spotifycore, of course. But there are other, established genres that lend themselves either to shorter or longer songs. Musical genres that tend to be long include ambient tracks and ballads. And as we have previously mentioned, dance music like big band and disco was invariably long. But nowadays, the most popular genres include hip hop, rap, pop, alternative, dance, and Latin music. Most modern music has been getting shorter by 17 seconds on average, especially hip hop and Latin music. A lot of pop music now has massive hip hop and rap influence, which are now tending toward brevity. Ed Sheerans repertoire, especially You Need Me, I Dont Need You, exemplifies this trend. As a result, songs have become shorter.

Home Technology

One reason why musicians may prefer to compose shorter songs is because, you know, its just easier. We have come a long way since the days of vinyl, sheet music, and, well, actual instruments. The accessibility of production equipment and technology has allowed people to make music easily at home. Moreover, its now possible to write and record even high-quality music at the same time. Making a loop and composing a melody over several tracks is easier than ever in music-making software such as Garageband. With the barrier to entry that low, many amateurs and debutantes short but catchy songs have a chance at making it big as seasoned songwriters. As a result, the runtime of these songs have decreased, with even established artists such as Taylor Swift following suit.

Songwriters Prefer It

Lastly, simple preference can explain this trend. Art is a complex, mysterious process. Many musicians appreciate the excitement and ease of composing short songs. There is a sense of accomplishment, for instance, in completing a song. Moreover, shorter songs lead to longer albums, which gives artists more room for creativity. Some artists even excel at the verse-refrain format and struggle with writing longer, fuller choruses. Conversely, getting to the point quickly is a challenge in its own right. While some songs do need to be long, others are best as short and sweet compositions. And then theres the fact that there are plenty of iconic songs that are barely two minutes long. Who knows? Perhaps todays TikTok sounds will be tomorrows classicsjust as yesterdays classics are todays TikTok sounds.

Do you agree with our reasons? Why do you think songs are getting shorter? Let us know in the comments down below!