How long should an indie album be?

[mightysasquatch]

40 minutes? 60 minutes? 79:59 minutes?

 

I have about 160 minutes of material, looking to split them up into a few different discs/releases. What's the best way to go about it timewise?

[DaleH]

40 should be lots I would think.

[sk8centilli]

As much as you can afford. However, keep enough left over for your sophomore album

[snowaie]

as much as you want bro.

[john_p_t]

A music critic friend of mine argues that the 40-45 minute length of old vinyl records is, by sheer fluke, something of a sublime ratio attention-span wise. I think I agree with that; I think all my favourite albums clock in around that sort of length.

[imbuedblue]

36 minutes.

[sk8centilli]

(un)Common knowledge about the recording length of a compact disc:

 

"The partners aimed at a playing time of 60 minutes with a disc diameter of 100 mm (Sony) or 115 mm (Philips). Sony vice-president Norio ?ga suggested extending the capacity to 74 minutes to accommodate Wilhelm Furtw

[mnhhngbfs]

keep albums less then 38 minutes. people get bored.

[notjonahbutnoah]

I think 28.

 

Punk: 22

Indie: 28

Classic Rock/Blues: 35

Metal: 30-40 depending on style

 

This is based on a survey conducted in 2010, within my own mind and without outside information or suggestion.

[DaveAronow]

I looked it up in the official Indie musician's handbook, and it said 'However {censored}ing long you want it to be":thu:

 

 

It really DID say that

[jpnyc]

This really varies by genre. Esoteric can get away with a double album of sludge metal while Hayaino Daisuki

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

I'd go for broke and do 60 1min EPs

[Axeslinger]

 

I think 28.

 

 

 

 

That's what I did.. 28 minutes.. I wanted people to listen to the whole thing before they discarded it:facepalm:

[Angry Tele]

really long and boring

[Wyatt]

 

(un)Common knowledge about the recording length of a compact disc:   "The partners aimed at a playing time of 60 minutes with a disc diameter of 100 mm (Sony) or 115 mm (Philips). Sony vice-president Norio ?ga suggested extending the capacity to 74 minutes to accommodate Wilhelm Furtw

[kulardenu]

28 min. total this standard was perfected in the 60s. It requires 17 min. for a hodgepodge of crap and 17min for "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" and you best bring the elephants to hold my attention...

[m90guy]

If the songs are good, it doesnt matter how {censored}ing long it is.

[Frozen Roadkill]

40-45 is a perfect length for listening but around 30 is better if you're aiming at making a short sharp statement. Any more than 50 minutes and you're edging dangerously close to Rock opus territory.

[Axeslinger]

I was convinced by a number of people that know a heckuvalot more about the business than I do that,, people just don't want to invest in Indie artist full length cds..

 

They'd rather spend that amount on a known artist..

 

It was suggested to me that I keep it around 6 tracks, below 30 minutes and as affordable as possible:idk:

 

I kinda like that format.. I believe I'll stick to it;)

[richey888]

 

A music critic friend of mine argues that the 40-45 minute length of old vinyl records is, by sheer fluke, something of a sublime ratio attention-span wise. I think I agree with that; I think all my favourite albums clock in around that sort of length.

 

 

Ours is damn near 45 min.

[adlo76]

 

I'd go for broke and do 60 1min EPs

 

 

i say this. debut with your own boxed set.

[lefchr]

I'd say about 40mins

[lp_junkie]

just release a double album

 

But seriously our new album is 53 minutes long.

[Arr0wHead]

I don't care as much about length as I do about how many songs there are. That's why a 30 minute punk album with 15 songs on it feels like a full album to me, whereas an hour long album with 5 really long songs on it still comes off feeling like an E.P.

 

My comfort zone is 8 songs. 8 makes me feel like I got my money's worth. 10 is even better, but I would never complain about 8.

[CoqBelliqueux]

37 minutes