Claim: Popular songs nowadays are shorter because of TikTok.

Question

Yes, popular songs are generally getting shorter, and part of that is due to platforms like TikTok and streaming services driving the change. According to Billboard, TikTok and streaming “fragmentary moments” favour shorter tracks. The Washington Times reported that many artists are adapting to algorithms by trimming intros or making songs around the 2½-3 minute mark. However, it isn’t only TikTok: analyses say the trend also reflects changes in songwriting, listener habits, and how streaming counts are measured. So the claim is broadly correct: songs are shorter and TikTok plays a role, but it isn’t the sole cause.

Answer 1

In regards to the claim that "Popular songs nowadays are shorter because of TikTok", it can be proved to be true. According to The Washington Times, "Songs are becoming shorter as artists tailor their tracks to fit the algorithms of TikTok and Spotify,". Many current and popular artists use TikTok to promote their music. They use short sections of the song and post them on social media, specifically TikTok. Artists have to make the songs as a whole short in order to keep the interest of the listeners for the whole song. Along with the song being shorter, artists are often changing the classic structure of their songs. In most songs, the structure consists of a verse then a chorus following it, repeating throughout the song with the exception of a bridge. Since the most catchy part of most songs is the chorus, artists will now begin their songs with a chorus in order to attract their listeners, and keep their attention. While this can mostly be attributed to TikTok being the cause, it can also be caused by Spotify. According to Music Business Worldwide, Spotify only pays artists if listeners listen to their song for at least 30 seconds. This is another reason why artists are shortening and changing their music.

Sources: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/apr/14/songs-getting-shorter-thanks-part-spotify-tiktok-algorithms/

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/spotify-is-changing-its-royalty-model-to-crush-streaming-fraud/

Answer 2

Yes, this claim is somewhat true! After doing some research I found that since the app came out, songs have decreased in length. From an article from BBC, it states,  "'You had to get people's attention in the first two seconds, and it only really mattered if the song had one line that did well,' says Claudia Valentina, a British pop singer who's just scored two global hits as a writer on Blackpink's Jump (2m 44s) and Jennie's Mantra (2m 16s)." This is important as Tik Tok publishes videos which are about 15 seconds long. In the article, PinkPantheress, a famous artist that blew up on Tik Tok, states, "Every time I write a song, I think it's going to be three minutes - then I see the length and it's always, like, one minute, so it's not something I consciously do but it just ends up being the case. I don't think it necessarily is a bad thing." In conclusion, Tik Tok does play a role in making songs shorter, but it is not the main source, just the right audience.

Source: Three-minute heroes: TikTok made songs shorter but artists are pushing back with longer tracks with more emotional resonance - BBC News 

Answer 3

Yes, TikTok can be attributed to song-shortening. However, it might not be the only reason.

According to the Washington Times, “On TikTok, a 10-second snippet can launch a song onto the charts.” “According to TikTok’s 2024 Music Impact Report, 84% of the songs on Billboard’s Global 200 gained traction on TikTok before hitting the charts. The industry has taken notice. ‘TikTok has had a substantial impact on the way that musicians write songs,’ Charlie Harding, co-host of the “Switched On Pop” podcast, told Vice. ‘The platform is one of the most significant forces for discovering and amplifying music both new and old.’”

Historically, music length has been related to the methods of selling music. First through technical limitations, such as Vinyl records. Next, there were radio edit lengths, to allow advertisements to play in between. Now, according to the Washington Post, “Streaming platforms’ pay-per-play model also incentivizes artists to create shorter songs. Shorter songs encourage more replays, and more replays mean more revenue.” 

It should be noted that “Chart analysis by BBC News shows that, since their nadir in 2019, song lengths have crept back up again. The average length of a hit single in the first six months of 2025 rose to almost three and a half minutes. Some stretched out even longer.  The chart is now full of hits defying demands for diminution, like Lola Young’s Messy (4m 44s), Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club (4m18s) and Sam Fender’s People Watching (5m 11s). It’s no coincidence that all three contain meaningful lyrics, with a distinctive worldview.”

Sources:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/interactive/2024/shorter-songs-again/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-052ab668-403d-416f-b5a6-c5692313b9b4

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/apr/14/songs-getting-shorter-thanks-part-spotify-tiktok-algorithms/

Answer 4

The claim "Popular songs nowadays are shorter because of Tiktok" is true. Here's why: 

In an article by hmc.chartmetric.com, it has a graph of the average song duration across Spotify charts from January 1, 2024 to December 15, 2024. It specifically highlights the average Spotify charting song was around "3 minutes long", which is nearly 15 seconds shorter than in 2023 and 30 seconds shorter than in 2019. At the 2025 Grammy's, two songs were nominated for Record of the Year, which are also short song that sparked on TikTok, Sabrina Carpenter's "Expresso" and Charli XCX's "360". But, songs nowadays use TikTok as a platform to boost songs, and it is a huge way to get a song out there, no matter  how long or short the song may be. 

Answer 5

This claim is very broad; the music industry fluctuates between different lengths of songs, and some artist prefer to keep their songs under a certain length. Regarding this claim, it is true that TikTok has impacted the music industry by forcing artists to capture an audience faster by using more unique beats and samples. Digital media's role on the internet is fast-paced and on demand. As reported by Reprtoir, shorter tracks often align with this fast-paced environment. Platforms such as TikTok allow listeners of music to explore a wide range of different types of music; however, listeners are often only given a snippet of a song before it's officially released by the artist, causing wait time and potentially forgetting about the song. To add to this claim, the Washington Times describes, "With TikTok and other tools, everyone can compose music." Although this may seem obvious, TikTok has allowed many underground artists to gain an audience and make a career out of music, such as LUCKI, Eem Triplin, and Nino Paid. Music is evolving over time, but long songs won't disappear; loyal fan bases will continue to listen to an artist or a particular song based on whether they enjoy it or not, rather than a media platform influencing their preferences. 

Sources:

https://www.reprtoir.com/blog/reducing-the-duration-of-musical-pieces-new-trends

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/apr/14/songs-getting-shorter-thanks-part-spotify-tiktok-algorithms/

Answer 6

Yes, popular songs have become shorter because of TikTok. The Washington Times writes that shorter songs are easier to create for creators on TikTok and nowadays they perform better and bring in the most money for artists. BBC doubles down on the claim that songs are shorter by saying that our attention span has significantly dropped due to apps like TikTok and what we take from a song may just be a 20 second clip of it. Artists know this 20 second clip may be the biggest part of their song, so they often repeat this catchy chorus throughout their songs and make it shorter so people will listen to the entire song and will bring them in more money. 

Sources:

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/apr/14/songs-getting-shorter-thanks-part-spotify-tiktok-algorithms/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-052ab668-403d-416f-b5a6-c5692313b9b4

 

Answer 7

There’s growing evidence that popular songs are getting shorter, and social media platforms like TikTok seem to play a major role in that trend. BBC research shows that the average length of top-charting songs in the UK began to drop sharply around 2018, the same year TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, acquired Musical.ly and cemented its dominance in the short-form video space. By early 2018, TikTok had become the most downloaded app on Apple’s iOS, signaling a major shift in how audiences consume entertainment. Songwriter Ines Dunn told the BBC that with short clips driving most of the viral moments, artists now have less motivation to create full-length songs when a catchy snippet is enough to capture attention and success.

Still, it’s not entirely fair to pin this change solely on TikTok. The rise of independent music production has also contributed to the shift. Between 2017 and 2023, indie albums grew from just over 22% to nearly 30% of all UK music consumption. Many independent artists work with limited budgets and simpler setups, which can naturally lead to shorter tracks. Yet, as The Washington Times and other sources have pointed out, platforms like TikTok and Spotify have encouraged musicians to tailor songs for quick hooks, viral moments, and short attention spans. In fact, studies show the average viral TikTok clip lasts about 19.5 seconds, basically an elevator pitch for a song. Together, these changes reflect how both technology and economics are reshaping what a “hit song” sounds like today.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/apr/14/songs-getting-shorter-thanks-part-spotify-tiktok-algorithms/

Answer 8

The claim that songs are being shortened is true however it is not solely due to social media platforms. While researching this claim I learned that songs were initially shorter so that they could fit on records but as technology evolved people began producing and recording longer songs. As the times have changed online streaming platforms like spotify reward you with a listen after it has been played for 30 seconds so many artists made shorter songs so that they could be listened to more times. With the introduction of social media, artists have learned to make catchy and intriguing songs with "viral" 15-30 second sections. This has caused many of the most popular songs to be 2-3 minutes in length.

https://hmc.chartmetric.com/shorter-songs-trend-streaming-history/

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/19/short-video-apps-like-douyin-tiktok-are-dominating-chinese-screens.html

https://www.billboard.com/business/business-news/u-k-indie-music-market-share-high-2023-raye-kylie-123565850

Answer 9

https://hmc.chartmetric.com/shorter-songs-trend-streaming-history/

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/19/short-video-apps-like-douyin-tiktok-are-dominating-chinese-screens.html

https://www.billboard.com/business/business-news/u-k-indie-music-market-share-high-2023-raye-kylie-123565850

Answer 10

There’s a lot of evidence showing that popular songs are getting shorter, and apps like TikTok definitely have a lot to do with it. According to research from the BBC, the average length of top 40 songs in the UK started dropping around 2018, which was right when TikTok became huge after its parent company ByteDance bought Musical.ly. By early that year, TikTok was already the most downloaded app on Apple’s iOS, completely changing how people find and listen to music. Because of this, many artists have started making songs that grab your attention right away and fit better with short videos on apps like TikTok

The claim that songs are shorter because of TikTok is also supported by The Washington Times, which explains that artists are now creating music to match the algorithms of platforms like TikTok and Spotify. Listeners today want fast, catchy hooks and fun beats that keep them engaged. A professor from Northeastern University who studies music and media said that younger artists are especially focused on writing short, viral moments made for TikTok. This really shows how social media has changed not just how we listen to music, but how it’s made in the first place.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-052ab668-403d-416f-b5a6-c5692313b9b4

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-53640724

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/apr/14/songs-getting-shorter-thanks-part-spotify-tiktok-algorithms/

Answer 11

Popular songs are overall getting shorter because of TikTok. The short 15-second-long TikTok videos have pushed more and more artists to create songs that easily grab attention and pull people in. TikTok videos are often just 15-60 seconds long, this means that musicians have to keep the overall runtimes of their songs shorter and lead mainly with their hooks. As a result of everyone's shortening attention span for music, hit songs average around 3 minutes or less. Chartmetric shows how the average hit song has dropped by around 30 seconds since 2018 and 2019. BBC states "People’s attention span dropped quite dramatically. You tune in for 20 seconds of a song, you don't know the name of the artist, you don't know anything, really. You just love that bit of music." These findings overall suggest that TikTok is responsible for the shortening of modern music. 

https://feeds.bbci.co.uk/news/resources/idt-052ab668-403d-416f-b5a6-c5692313b9b4

https://hmc.chartmetric.com/shorter-songs-trend-streaming-history