The Vergecast Introducing Switched on Pop
Mar 18, 2019
Aisha Hassan, an expert on the impact of streaming on pop music, shares her insights alongside hosts Charlie Harding and Nate Sloan. They dive into how streaming has reshaped song lengths and structures, pressuring artists to produce shorter, catchier tracks. The conversation touches on the tension between artistic integrity and market demand, as well as how modern pop songs engage listeners quickly. They also explore the challenges this poses for meaningful communication in a digital age obsessed with quick consumption.
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Streaming Economics
- Streaming services pay artists per play, ranging from $0.004 to $0.008.
- Not playing songs to the end hurts ratings and playlist placements, crucial for visibility.
Shrinking Song Lengths
- The median length of Billboard Hot 100 songs has decreased by over 30 seconds since 2000.
- In 2018, 6% of charting songs were under two and a half minutes, a trend almost nonexistent in the 2000s.
East Side's Missing Chorus
- Benny Blanco's "East Side" omits the final chorus, replacing it with a fading outro.
- This exemplifies how streaming incentives can lead to structural changes in pop songs.