How TikTok and streaming changed pop music

What in the World

• Episode: How TikTok and streaming changed pop music
• Website: What in the World
• Feed URL: https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/w13xtvrv.rss
• Duration: 00:12:02
• Published: 2025-08-26 15:30

It’s a question artists have been racking their brains over for years: how long is the perfect pop song? The rise of streaming platforms meant that for a while, the answer was to keep it short and snappy, so listeners would be less likely to hit the skip button. After the launch of TikTok, pop songs shrank even more, with the average song in the charts lasting only three minutes and twelve seconds. But BBC News analysis shows that song lengths are creeping back up, with some of the biggest hits in the last few years - like Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club - crossing over the four minute line. So, how has TikTok affected how artists make music? And are we about to see pop songs get even longer - despite the popularity of the platform?

BBC music correspondent Mark Savage explains why the length of pop songs has changed over the years - and what royalties have to do with it. And we hear from TikTok musicians Queen Ife and Fiona Kida, who tell us how the platform has changed how they create and share their music.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Chelsea Coates Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Julia Ross-Roy