SONG LENGTH - What is best for artist pitches?

[deantaylor]

For an unknown songwriter, for the best shot at artist pitches what song length should I shoot for? Here is what I think, agree .. disagree? uptempo .... 3:15 (+/- 15 sec)midtempo ... 3:30 (+/- 15 sec)ballad ........ 3:45 (+/- 15 sec) pop and Adult Contemporary can run a little longer than countrycountry-crossover can run a little longer than regular country All this is for pitching songs to artists.For film/tv, it doesn't matter as much.Dean

[rayzer]

Those look about right, but it's not necessarily the length, it's what you do with it. AFAIK, two important song structure items on an artist pitch are to stay away from long intros and long instrumental breaks.

[deantaylor]

Thanks Rayzer,I agree totally with what you say!Dean

[Casey H]

Quote:For an unknown songwriter, for the best shot at artist pitches what song length should I shoot for? Here is what I think, agree .. disagree? uptempo .... 3:15 (+/- 15 sec)midtempo ... 3:30 (+/- 15 sec)ballad ........ 3:45 (+/- 15 sec) pop and Adult Contemporary can run a little longer than countrycountry-crossover can run a little longer than regular country All this is for pitching songs to artists.For film/tv, it doesn't matter as much.DeanHi DeanI think this is over-analyzing it a bit... Bottom line is a max of around 3:30 for all these is a general rule of thumb, but if you had a great song (killer chorus), that ran 3:40, no one would care. Same if it was 2:53 with a killer hook. What you usually don't want to do is send something over 4 minutes because if you need that much time to prove the song, something is very wrong, not to mention that in the mp3 world, larger files are annoying at times.What matters: Most decisions on a song, especially the decision whether or not to even listen to the rest of it, are made during the first 15-30 seconds. It is way more important to focus on hooking the listener in that first minute, than worrying about 3:15, 3:30, etc... A common misconception is that publishers listen to your song all the way through. That would only happen if you blew them away from the get-go. Casey

[feaker]

Great info Casey. I have been waiting for this response. Working on a 50's sound that is over four minutes and I was thinking it was too drawn out. Thanks. peace Paul

[rayzer]

Quote:Most decisions on a song, especially the decision whether or not to even listen to the rest of it, are made during the first 15-30 seconds. I often think of Road Rally listening panels where people raise their hands when they've heard enough of a song. I try to hear my songs through those ears.It's a harsh dose of reality and isn't always easy to face, but it really helps.

[deantaylor]

Thanks, Casey.Good point about getting the listener interested in the first 15 to 30 secs, but shouldn't you also get to the hook by about 1 min?Also, ballads that play at 3:20, just seem a bit short to me??? Really, ballads should be targeted under 3:30?Dean

[Casey H]

Quote:Thanks, Casey.Good point about getting the listener interested in the first 15 to 30 secs, but shouldn't you also get to the hook by about 1 min?Absolutely!! 45 seconds even better...Quote:Thanks, Casey.Also, ballads that play at 3:20, just seem a bit short to me??? Really, ballads should be targeted under 3:30?DeanAgain, I think this is over-analysis... In between 3 and 4 minutes is the guideline, but the focus should be on the quality of the song, not the length, give or take 15, 20, or 30 seconds... Casey

[deantaylor]

Casey,It sounds like we basically agree on everything. I think you misunderstood my original post just a little. The ranges I give are targets, something to shoot for, I didn't say they were absolutes or that they were the most important thing about songwriting. Of course, the most important thing is the quality of the song. And of course, you can vary outside those ranges a little .. they are just targets.Dean

[Casey H]

Quote:Casey,It sounds like we basically agree on everything. I think you misunderstood my original post just a little. The ranges I give are targets, something to shoot for, I didn't say they were absolutes or that they were the most important thing about songwriting. Of course, the most important thing is the quality of the song. And of course, you can vary outside those ranges a little .. they are just targets.DeanNo worries... it's all good. Casey