How many songs long is that?
Runtime is the unit people actually feel. A journey is not two hours; it is a film and a half.
85.7 × a pop song
5 h ÷ 0.0583 h = 85.71 songs.
Reference figures are measurements and are rounded; the unit conversion behind them is exact.
| Reference | Size | Yours ÷ theirs | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| pop song | 0.0583 h | 85.7× | Three and a half minutes |
| sitcom episode | 0.367 h | 13.6× | |
| album | 0.667 h | 7.5× | About 40 minutes |
| drama episode | 0.833 h | 6× | |
| feature film | 2 h | 2.5× | |
| audiobook | 11 h | 0.455× | About 11 hours |
Worth knowing
- The average hit single has shortened from about 4:10 in 1995 to under 3:10 today, largely because streaming pays per play.
- A five-hour flight is about 86 songs, two and a half films, or half an audiobook.
Frequently asked
Why are songs getting shorter?
Streaming counts a play after 30 seconds and pays per play, so more, shorter tracks earn more from the same listening time. Intros have shortened even faster than songs.
How many songs fit in an hour?
About seventeen at three and a half minutes each — which is why radio hours are built around fourteen tracks plus advertising.